Parliamentary questions

Kenneth Gibson

2,008 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.

3 Apr 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what it can learn from Portsmouth City Council's Best Value approach.

Answer · Peter Peacock: I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-14782.

3 Apr 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what it can learn from Camden Borough Council's rough sleepers initiative.

Answer · Jackie Baillie: I understand that Camden Borough Council has a street population strategy, which aims to minimise the impact of street activity in the borough. This includes reducing rough sleeping by at least two thirds, but also aims to reduce begging, street drinking and …

3 Apr 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what it can learn from Manchester City Council's nuisance strategy group with regard to preventing anti-social behaviour on council estates.

Answer · Jackie Baillie: We will ask the Sociable Neighbourhood Champion, supported by the Executive and CoSLA, to examine the lessons that can be learned from the specialist team in Manchester, as well as similar approaches elsewhere in Scotland and the UK.

3 Apr 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive which local authorities it believes could benefit from implementing the investment in people policy developed by Stockton-on-Tees Borough Council.

Answer · Peter Peacock: Local authorities, like all other employers, have a responsibility to ensure the highest standards of training and development for their staff and to keep their policies under constant review to ensure success and continuous improvement.

3 Apr 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to analyse the best practice of the customer services team of Northamptonshire County Council to ensure that such best practice is transferred to Scottish local authorities.

Answer · Peter Peacock: The Scottish Executive maintains a strong interest in the development of new approaches to local service delivery, and expects Scottish local authorities to do the same. It is important for local authorities to consider all options for securing local services…

3 Apr 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether the member development and member training programmes for councillors carried out in Tameside Metropolitan Borough Council can be implemented in Scotland.

Answer · Peter Peacock: CoSLA are currently considering the development of a training and development programme for councillors in the light of the modernising local government agenda.

3 Apr 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the current level of unemployment is among young people leaving care.

Answer · Nicol Stephen: This information is not held centrally.

3 Apr 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what steps the National Archives of Scotland (NAS) have taken to encourage departments of Her Majesty's Government to transmit records belonging to Her Majesty and relating exclusively or mainly to Scotland to the Keeper of the Records of Scotland under section 4 of the Public Records (S…

Answer · Jim Wallace: I have asked Mr George MacKenzie, Keeper of the Records of Scotland, to respond. His response is as follows:<DIR><DIR>The National Archives of Scotland (NAS) has received all the documents specified in section 4 of the Public Records (Scotland) Act 1937. T…

2 Apr 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many new jobs will be created at Anniesland Village Business Park and over what time period.

Answer · Wendy Alexander: A developer is carrying out a phased development at Anniesland Village Business Park which aims to create or safeguard up to 480 jobs by mid-2002.

2 Apr 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what incentives are in place to ensure that local authorities maximise their non-domestic rates collection.

Answer · Angus MacKay: Levels of collection of non-domestic rates are generally high. Nevertheless, the Scottish Executive is currently in discussion with Audit Scotland about assembling detailed information on collection rates and the possible introduction of a performance indicat…

2 Apr 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what data it uses to analyse (a) urban and (b) rural deprivation.

Answer · Margaret Curran: The Executive is committed to tackling poverty and deprivation wherever it exists across urban and rural Scotland. A range of data is used to assess deprivation, such as proportions of income support recipients, employment data, the deprivation index and indi…

2 Apr 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will list all the PFI and PPP projects entered into since 1996, detailing the capital cost and level of advisory fees involved in each project.

Answer · Angus MacKay: The information requested for Scottish Executive PFI contracts entered into since 1996 is detailed in the table. An up to date list of all currently active projects known to the Executive showing, among other things, the estimated capital value is available f…

2 Apr 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it will take to encourage local authorities to emulate West Lothian Council's multi-agency, one stop shop where visitors can deal with all main services at one location.

Answer · Peter Peacock: The Scottish Executive encourages all local authorities to consider innovative forms of service delivery such as the development of "one-stop-shops". It has provided practical encouragement to this kind of innovation through the Modernising Gover…

2 Apr 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has made any representations to Her Majesty's Government regarding any impact on Scottish based exporters of cross-channel rail freight operators being fined #2,000 for each clandestine entrant to the UK on their services.

Answer · Sarah Boyack: The Scottish Executive is in regular contact with the United Kingdom Government on a wide range of issues, including cross-channel rail freight services.

2 Apr 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what account is taken of football clubs' own financial position in making decisions about the award of public funds to clubs for the establishment of football academies and whether such decisions are subject to any assessment of whether the provision of such assistance to large clubs rep…

Answer · Allan Wilson: As with all Lottery Fund applications and irrespective of applicant, financial need is a factor considered in determining whether an award is made. Value for money and financial viability, both in capital and revenue terms, are other finance-related factors w…

2 Apr 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will give a commitment to the long-term, sustained funding of the national tobacco control strategy once the three-year funding announced in conjunction with the publication of Smoking Kills ends.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: The Scottish Executive is committed to tackling smoking and will make funding available for this purpose to the end of the current Spending Review period i.e. 2003-04. Funding beyond that date will be considered as part of the next Spending Review.

30 Mar 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what its position is in relation to the introduction of a UK tobacco regulatory authority with responsibility for all aspects of tobacco regulation, including monitoring tobacco advertising regulations, controlling the manufacture, sale and content of tobacco and nicotine products and ad…

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: The introduction of a UK tobacco regulatory authority would be a matter for the UK Government. The regulation of tobacco advertising is, however, for the Scottish Parliament to determine.

30 Mar 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how much of the #26 million allocated to the Health Improvement Fund for 2000-01 each health board received.

Answer · Susan Deacon: Details are as follows:<TABLE BORDER CELLSPACING=1 CELLPADDING=7 WIDTH=396><TR><TD WIDTH="74%" VALIGN="TOP">Health Board</TD><TD WIDTH="26%" VALIGN="TOP">£ million</TD></TR><TR><TD WIDTH="74%" VALIGN="TOP">Argyll & Clyde </TD><TD W…

30 Mar 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what lessons it has learned from the last round of discussions on EU structural funds, taking into account the success of the Republic of Ireland in retaining Objective One status for much of the country.

Answer · Peter Peacock: The Scottish Executive believes that the outcome of the last round of discussions on EU Structural Funds represents a good deal for Scotland and the UK as well as the EU as a whole. We are now seeking to build on that experience to make sure that Scottish int…

30 Mar 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how much funding Scotland House in Brussels receives annually from (a) the Scottish Executive and (b) other Scottish public bodies.

Answer · Jack McConnell: Scotland House is an inclusive body that involves a range of interests. Its principal components are the Scottish Executive EU Office (SEEUO) and Scotland Europa, which in turn houses a number of its subscribers.<OL TYPE="a"><LI>The SEEUO budget for 2000-01 w…

30 Mar 2001 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many retailers were prosecuted in Scotland under the Children and Young Persons (Protection from Tobacco) Act 1991 in the period 1 April 1999 to 31 March 2000 and how this compares with the equivalent figure for England and Wales.

Answer · Jim Wallace: The available information is for calendar year 1999. During that year no persons were proceeded against in Scottish courts where the main offence was under the Children and Young Persons (Protection from Tobacco) Act 1991. The corresponding figure for persons…

29 Mar 2001 · SPCB Written Question

To ask the Presiding Officer how many staff are currently employed by the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body and whether there are any plans to disperse any staff outwith Edinburgh.

Answer · David Steel: The Scottish Parliamentary Body currently employs 424 staff (figures as at 30.3.01). There are no plans to disperse any staff outwith Edinburgh.