Kenneth Gibson

16 Mar 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how much was spent on private sector housing grants in each of the last four years for which figures are available, broken down by local authority.

Answer · Wendy Alexander: The information requested is shown in the tables below.<FONT FACE="Arial" SIZE=2><P>Gross Capital Payments<SUP>1 </SUP>Private Sector Housing Grants<P>(£000)<TABLE BORDER CELLSPACING=1 CELLPADDING=2 WIDTH=606><TR><TD WIDTH="30%" VALIGN="TOP" BGCOLOR="#ffffff"…

16 Mar 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it is taking to ensure that all local authorities fulfil their statutory obligations under the Housing (Scotland) Act, 1987 and whether it is aware of any local authorities being in breach of their obligations.

Answer · Wendy Alexander: Local authorities are distinct corporate bodies whose powers and duties are set out in statute. They are responsible for ensuring that they fulfil their statutory obligations, including those under the Housing (Scotland) Act 1987.

16 Mar 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to means test private sector housing grants and what impact such plans will have on progressing of communal repairs.

Answer · Frank McAveety: <FONT FACE="Arial,Tahoma">The Housing Bill will contain provisions to reform the improvement and repairs grant system by introducing a test of resources to determine the amount of grant. This will help low-income households. The Bill will also make provision …

16 Mar 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how private sector housing capital allocations will be affected when VAT refunds are no longer available.

Answer · Jack McConnell: Support for the main local authority non-housing capital programmes, including private sector housing, is included within the single capital allocation. VAT is an issue for local authorities in administering improvement and repair grants for private sector ho…

16 Mar 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many private sector homes are classified as being below tolerable standard in each local authority area for the last four years for which figures are available and what this number represents as a percentage of private sector homes in each area.

Answer · Wendy Alexander: There are two sources of estimates of the number of dwellings below tolerable standard (BTS) in Scotland. The Scottish House Condition Survey (SHCS) provides a national estimate (generally every five years) - the latest of which, for 1996, gave an estimate of…

9 Mar 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, for the years 1997-99, why the percentage of accident and emergency patients (a) triaged within five minutes and (b) seen by a doctor within 90 minutes decreased significantly, and why the median waiting times (i) to see a doctor; (ii) for completion of treatment increased significantly,…

Answer · Susan Deacon: While the March/April 1999 snapshot survey of waiting times in A&E Departments in Scotland showed a decline in performance, a subsequent, independent survey undertaken by the Scottish Association of Health Councils in January this year indicated an improvemen…

8 Mar 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how much financial support was given to Victim Support Scotland in 1997-98, 1998-99 and 1999-2000 and how much will be given in 2000-01, in real terms.

Answer · Jim Wallace: Victim Support Scotland has received the following grant aid through section 9 and section 10 of the Social Work (Scotland) Act 1968 from the Scottish Executive:<TABLE BORDER CELLSPACING=1 CELLPADDING=7 WIDTH=462><TR><TD WIDTH="33%" VALIGN="TOP">&nbsp;</TD><T…

8 Mar 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the specific grant allocation was for local government in 1999-2000, and what it will be in 2000-01, in real terms.

Answer · Jack McConnell: The specific grant allocations for local government in 1999-2000 and 2000-01, expressed in real terms using the September 1999 Retail Prices Index, are £500.552m and £530.420m respectively.

8 Mar 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the Rate Support Grant for local government was in 1999-2000 and what it will be in 2000-01, in real terms.

Answer · Jack McConnell: RSG is one element of aggregate external finance (AEF), the total central government grant available to local authorities. AEF allocations will increase for 1999-2000 and 2000-2001 from £5,331.557 million to £5,344.734 million, also in real terms.<P>RSG is th…

8 Mar 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how much it expects will be raised in non-domestic rates in 1999-2000 and in 2000-01, in real terms.

Answer · Jack McConnell: Based on the most recent information available, it is estimated that around £1,500.163 million will be raised in non-domestic rates for 1999-2000. We estimate that £1,550 million will be raised in 2000-01, the same in real terms as 1999-2000 after taking into…

8 Mar 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how much is saved in law enforcement costs for every pound spent on neighbourhood watch and other community crime prevention schemes.

Answer · Angus MacKay: I refer you to my answers of 11 February and 13 March 2000 about Scottish Executive support for Neighbourhood Watch and other initiatives. Evaluations are undertaken to determine the effectiveness of all our major crime prevention initiatives. However, as wit…

8 Mar 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive why the grant aided expenditure figure for school transport in 2000-01 showed variances over its 1999-2000 figure ranging from -56% in the case of East Lothian to +248% in the case of Glasgow.

Answer · Jack McConnell: Grant aided expenditure for school transport was allocated in 1999-00 on the basis of school age population adjusted by a secondary indicator of rural settlement pattern. For 2000-01 COSLA agreed the use of a new secondary indicator, population dispersion as …

8 Mar 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive why the grant-aided expenditure figure for school transport of #46.569 million in 1999-2000 will remain exactly the same in 2000-01.

Answer · Jack McConnell: The GAE allowances for individual services are not spending targets or limits, but contribute towards the calculation of councils' total grant allocations. The factors determining that calculation in respect of school transport did not change between 1999-200…

8 Mar 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive why police forces will have to pay non-domestic rates from 1 April 2000; how much it anticipates each force will have to pay and what proportion this will be of each force's budget.

Answer · Jim Wallace: Police forces will pay non-domestic rates from 1 April 2000 following the abolition of Crown Exemption from non-domestic rates for all properties. Sufficient additional provision was included in the police Grant Aided Expenditure (GAE) settlement for 2000-01 …

8 Mar 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive why the funding for the rough sleepers initiative in Glasgow will fall from #682,251 in 2000-01 to 'ero in 2001-02.

Answer · Jackie Baillie: Funding for new RSI projects in Glasgow will be determined in the light of the conclusions of the Glasgow Strategy Review Team which is developing a comprehensive strategy for addressing rough sleeping in the city. I expect the review team to provide advice b…

8 Mar 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive why the funding for the rough sleepers initiative in Renfrewshire will fall from #165,394 in 2000-01 to #103,181 in 2001-02.

Answer · Jackie Baillie: Funding in 2000-01 includes a one off capital grant of £65,000 for the provision of crisis accommodation for clients with mental health problems.

8 Mar 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive why the funding for the rough sleepers initiative in Argyll and Bute will fall from #274,880 in 2000-01 to #114,480 in 2001-02.

Answer · Jackie Baillie: Funding in 2000-01 includes a one off capital grant of £400 for the provision of direct access and move on accommodation in Oban.

8 Mar 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive why the funding for the rough sleepers initiative in South Lanarkshire will fall from #661,919 in 2000-01 to #430,819 in 2001-02.

Answer · Jackie Baillie: Funding in 2000-01 includes a one off capital grant of £314,000 for the provision of direct access accommodation in<FONT SIZE=2> East Kilbride.

8 Mar 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will list those local authorities (a) who have a low forecast level of capital receipts raising capacity and whose net capital allocation has been adjusted up and (b) who have a high forecast level of capital receipts raising capacity and whose net capital allocation has been a…

Answer · Jack McConnell: The information requested is shown in the table below. The allocations for 2000-01 are provisional.<TABLE BORDER CELLSPACING=1 CELLPADDING=2 WIDTH=635><TR><TD WIDTH="5%" VALIGN="TOP" HEIGHT=37><P></TD><TD WIDTH="27%" VALIGN="TOP" HEIGHT=37><P></TD><TD WIDTH="…

8 Mar 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive (a) why capital expenditure on the NHS declined from #151,778,000 in 1997 to #94,639,000 in 1998 and to #78,113,000 in 1999, (b) what the capital expenditure on the NHS will be in 2000, (c) what are the implications for the replacement of older hospital facilities of declining capital exp…

Answer · Susan Deacon: The capital resources available for investment in the NHS in Scotland, against actual capital expenditure, during the period 1997-98, 1998-99 and 1999-2000 totalled £136 million, £136 million and £156 million respectively.<P ALIGN="JUSTIFY">The level of resou…

8 Mar 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive why less than half of the patients waiting for orthopaedic surgery in the last year for which figures are available in Lanarkshire and Highland Health Boards were treated with the guarantee period given under the Patients' Charter and what steps it proposes to ensure that all patients req…

Answer · Susan Deacon: The Scottish Executive has provided £292,000 to Lanarkshire Health Board for orthopaedic services under the waiting lists initiative. This has enabled Lanarkshire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust to appoint an additional consultant and support staff. In the last ful…

8 Mar 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive why Lanarkshire Health Board failed to meet its guarantee under the Patients' Charter of nine months wait for cataract removal in over 115 cases during 1999 and what additional resources will be made available to enable Lanarkshire Health Board to fulfil the Patients' Charter guarantee in…

Answer · Susan Deacon: The Patients Charter guarantee of nine months for cataract surgery was breached during 1999 following the discovery of a cluster of cases of the eye infection "endophthalmitis" at Stonehouse Hospital. Routine operations were suspended while investigations wer…

8 Mar 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive why the percentage of outpatients waiting more than 18 weeks for their first appointment has increased in 12 of the 15 health boards between 1998 and 1999 and what steps it will take to remedy this situation.

Answer · Susan Deacon: In the year ending 31 March 1999, the percentage of patients waiting more than 18 weeks for a first outpatient appointment increased in Scotland in 11 of the 15 health boards. This performance has to be set against an increase in the total number of outpatien…

8 Mar 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive why the percentage of patients waiting eighteen weeks or more for treatment at Glasgow Dental Hospital and School increased by one third between 1998 and 1999 and what steps it will take to remedy this situation.

Answer · Susan Deacon: I am advised by North Glasgow University Hospitals NHS Trust that a rise in demand for specific specialist services has resulted in an increase in waiting times.<P ALIGN="JUSTIFY">To address this, a major strategic review of dental services is currently being…

8 Mar 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what impact section 94 of the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1973 has on local authorities obtaining additional funding from the European Union.

Answer · Jack McConnell: Local authorities provide match funding from within their overall section 94 resources to access capital grants from the European Union. On receipt, the grants automatically enhance a local authority's section 94 capital allocation.

8 Mar 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether "the abolition of section 94 consents for general services alone would immediately release around #360 million within the assigned budget", as stated by CoSLA in its Local Government Finance (Scotland) Order 2000 briefing document, and, if not, why not.

Answer · Jack McConnell: The capital spending of authorities would remain public expenditure even if the requirement for local authorities to have the consent of Scottish Ministers to undertake capital spending were abolished. This would have to be reflected in public spending totals…

3 Mar 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive which hospitals use laser treatments, paid for by the NHS, to help people to give up smoking; what the success rate is of such treatment; what the average cost is of such treatment and whether it plans to extend the availability of this treatment on the NHS.

Answer · Susan Deacon: The information requested is not available centrally.<P ALIGN="JUSTIFY">It is for health boards and NHS Trusts to plan and deliver services which meet the need of their local population. In doing so, they take account of the effectiveness of different healthc…

3 Mar 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the standard band D council tax figure will be for 2000-01 and how that figure was arrived at.

Answer · Jack McConnell: The average band D council tax figure for 2000-01, calculated on a weighted basis, is £886.

3 Mar 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive why consents under section 94 of the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1973 are counted twice as public expenditure, first as borrowing consent and again through annual loan charges.

Answer · Jack McConnell: Under the present arrangements both capital allocations and the total grant paid to councils are included in the Assigned Budget. The method by which grant is distributed to councils takes account of councils' debt servicing costs through an amount for loan a…

1 Mar 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions it has had or will have with the Scotland committee of the National Lottery Charities Board to ensure that innovative and successful projects in Scotland funded by the Board continue on a long-term basis in the absence of alternative funding.

Answer · Jackie Baillie: The Scottish Executive has regular meetings with the National Lottery Charities Board Scotland. In reaching decisions on funding of projects the board takes into account factors such as sustainability of projects and the need to plan ahead for when NLCB fundi…