Parliamentary questions
Kenneth Gibson
2,008 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.
15 Feb 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will make funding available to support local authorities who may wish to introduce and promote congestion charging schemes.
Answer · Sarah Boyack: My statement to Parliament on 10 February made clear that we will support those authorities that are committed to developing a charging scheme, by providing, on a case by case basis, matching financial support to help meet their research and development costs…
15 Feb 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has any plans to introduce a statutory requirement for local authorities to produce a local transport strategy.
Answer · Sarah Boyack: No. The Executive published its proposals for the Integrated Transport Bill on 10 February.
15 Feb 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive why the percentage of Glasgow school leavers who are still unemployed four months after leaving school has increased year-on-year since 1996-97 and what plans it has to reverse this trend.
Answer · Henry McLeish: I have asked my officials to investigate the reasons for the apparent increase in unemployment among school leavers in Glasgow and I will write to you in due course.<FONT FACE="Arial" SIZE=2><P>I can, however, reassure you that the Scottish Executive has a ra…
15 Feb 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to improve the quality of skillseeker traineeships in the light of the statement in the report Glasgow School Leavers 1998-99 published by Glasgow Careers Service that 90% of unemployed Glasgow school leavers are "not interested" in pursuing them.
Answer · Henry McLeish: The Beattie Committee report, <I>Implementing Inclusiveness - Realising Potential</I> and the <I>Opportunities and Choices</I> consultation document addressed the problems of those young people, predominantly male, who experience uncertain transitions in the …
10 Feb 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what measures are being taken to restore vacant and derelict industrial land to productive use; how many hectares of such land were reclaimed in each of the last three years, and how many hectares of such land remain.
Answer · Sarah Boyack: Planning guidance states that a priority is placed on the re-use of vacant and derelict land as a contribution to regeneration of older urban areas and as a means of reducing demand for greenfield sites.<P>Scottish Enterprise and Highlands and Islands Enterpr…
10 Feb 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive Scottish Executive why tenants and trades union representatives have been excluded from the Glasgow Housing Stock Transfer Steering Group.
Answer · Wendy Alexander: The Glasgow Housing Partnership Steering Group is preparing a framework within which tenants and trade unions can be fully involved in shaping a transfer proposal. I have met with both tenants and unions but informal consultation will begin as soon as the Gro…
10 Feb 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what impact it anticipates proposed changes in housing benefit will have on the financial viability of the proposed Glasgow housing stock transfer.
Answer · Wendy Alexander: The UK Government has not to date published any specific proposals for changes in housing benefit.
10 Feb 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will implement self-financing pay awards, similar to those in local authorities, in 2000-01 for staff under its own direct responsibility.
Answer · Jack McConnell: In 2000-01, as in previous years, pay awards for the core Scottish Executive Departments will be self-financing.
10 Feb 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-3838 by Ms Wendy Alexander on 2 February 2000, what assistance it will give to housing associations seeking charitable status.
Answer · Wendy Alexander: It is for the Inland Revenue to consider applications made to it by housing associations seeking charitable status. I understand it does this on a case-by-case basis. While Scottish Homes is able to provide general advice to housing associations, the full imp…
10 Feb 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many general purpose classrooms there will be in St Thomas Aquinas School in Glasgow on completion of the new building and whether these rooms will be of the same si'e as the current rooms.
Answer · Sam Galbraith: This is a matter for Glasgow City Council.
10 Feb 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what provision is being made within the plans for the rebuilding of St Thomas Aquinas School in Glasgow for (a) a specific area designated for support for learning; (b) a safe haven area to protect pupils who are being victimised; (c) a shower area for pupils and staff; (d) a language uni…
Answer · Sam Galbraith: This is a matter for Glasgow City Council.
10 Feb 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what arrangements are being made for the pupils of St Thomas Aquinas School, Glasgow to travel to the Woodside site during the rebuilding of their school.
Answer · Sam Galbraith: This is a matter for Glasgow City Council.
8 Feb 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what plans there are to introduce car parking charges within hospital grounds in the Glasgow area.
Answer · Susan Deacon: Arrangements for charging for car parking are currently in place at Yorkhill NHS Trust, the Victoria Infirmary, which is part of South Glasgow University Hospitals NHS Trust, and Glasgow Royal Infirmary which is part of the North Glasgow University Hospitals …
4 Feb 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what action it intends to take in the light of the recent Malnutrition Advisory Group Report indicating that 78% of malnourished patients admitted to hospital continue to lose weight in hospital.
Answer · Susan Deacon: I welcome any contribution to the store of knowledge about malnutrition.<P ALIGN="JUSTIFY">Malnutrition in hospitals has been the subject of research over a number of years and the complex nature of the effect of illness on indicators of nutritional status is…
4 Feb 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it can confirm that Lothian Health Board will have no increase in its budget for oncology and renal services until 2003-04.
Answer · Susan Deacon: Lothian Health Board receives an annual general revenue allocation. It is for the Board to determine within the funds available how to manage and deliver local healthcare services that meet the healthcare needs of their resident population, including oncology…
4 Feb 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it has taken to ensure that the relocation of 300 people from Lennox Castle learning disabilities unit over the next two years will not compromise patient care.
Answer · Susan Deacon: The continuing care and support of patients discharged from Lennox Castle Hospital is key to the success of the initiative. Greater Glasgow Health Board, Greater Glasgow Primary Care Trust and the Local Authorities involved have jointly planned the alternativ…
4 Feb 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will comment on the concern recently expressed by the Chairman of Yorkhill NHS Trust, Professor F Cockburn, that children's health needs had not been addressed by the Arbuthnott review.
Answer · Susan Deacon: It is not the case that children's health needs have not been addressed in the Arbuthnott Review. First, the proposed resource allocation formula includes a set of age and sex cost weights based on evidence about the use made of services by different age and …
1 Feb 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to recognise Glasgow's position as a provider of services to large numbers of people not resident in the city by awarding "metropolitan" status to Glasgow.
Answer · Jack McConnell: There is no such thing as "metropolitan" status in Scotland, and I refer you to my reply of 29 July 1999 to question S1W-573.
1 Feb 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the level of inflation is on the price of goods and services purchased by local authorities and what allowance has been made for this in the local government finance settlement for 2000-01.
Answer · Jack McConnell: The local government settlement for 2000-01 allows for total local authority current expenditure to rise by 3.7%. This is a real terms increase when compared to the current forecast of inflation for 2000-01 of 2.5%.
28 Jan 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what support it provides to neighbourhood watch schemes and other community groups to prevent crime.
Answer · Angus MacKay: Self-help groups such as those involved with Neighbourhood Watch and crime prevention/community safety panels operate entirely on a voluntary basis, supported by local police forces. The Scottish Executive provides support in the form of publicity materials a…
28 Jan 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to increase the number of front-line police officers and special constables and to improve police response times.
Answer · Jim Wallace: The deployment of police officers to specific duties is an operational matter for Chief Constables. The police are committed to the principles of the Best Value approach as a means of increasing the efficiency of forces and improving the already high standard…
28 Jan 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to improve road safety.
Answer · Sarah Boyack: The Scottish Executive and the UK Government will shortly be publishing a road safety strategy for the period to 2010. The strategy will underpin new and challenging targets for casualty reductions which will build on the progress already made. Fatal and seri…
28 Jan 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to ensure that people with mental health and learning difficulties have equal access to legal services.
Answer · Jim Wallace: People with mental health and learning difficulties qualify for legal aid in the same way as any other person - by satisfying a number of statutory tests, one of which is financial eligibility. Regulations will be laid in this parliamentary session to enable …
28 Jan 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-975 by Iain Gray on 17 January 2000, to specify the amount allocated to each local authority for (a) services for home based elderly people; (b) residential accommodation for elderly people and (c) casework and related administration in respect of el…
Answer · Iain Gray: Grant-Aided Expenditure (GAE) allowances are not intended to be spending targets or limits for individual services, but contribute towards the assessment of councils' relative total expenditure needs within the distribution system.<FONT FACE="Arial, Helvetica…
24 Jan 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether Glasgow gets a "fair deal" in terms of the allocation of resources.
Answer · Jack McConnell: The budget of the Scottish Executive is allocated fairly across Scotland. Financial plans for 2000-01 include:<DIR><P>£914 million allocated to Glasgow Health Board;<P>£830 million local authority grant to Glasgow City Council;<P>£51 million for Glasgow Devel…
24 Jan 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will make a statement on the current plans for the Abbotsholm Business Park.
Answer · Henry McLeish: This is an operational matter for Scottish Enterprise. I will ask the Chairman of that organisation to write to Mr Gibson.
24 Jan 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive why the number of new business start ups in Scotland dropped to their lowest level in five years in the third quarter of 1999 and what plans it has to reverse this decline.
Answer · Henry McLeish: The level of new business start-ups in Scotland is determined by a range of factors, including the overall state of the Scottish and UK economies. The quarterly GDP statistics indicate that the Scottish economy experienced a modest slowdown in the rates of GD…
19 Jan 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to detach the revenue element of police and fire brigade funding from operational funding.
Answer · Angus MacKay: None.
19 Jan 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many three-apartment local authority flats could have had full central heating installed if money spent on stock transfer feasibility studies in financial years 1997-98, 1998-99 and 1999-2000 was spent on such installations instead.
Answer · Wendy Alexander: The cost of installing full central heating in three-apartment local authority flats would be determined by a number of factors including floor space, type of central heating to be installed and the extent to which full or partial central heating already exis…
18 Jan 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it plans to retain the services of Mr Brian Souter as one of its "Champions of Change".
Answer · Frank McAveety: The Champions for Change have made themselves available for consultation by councils on an entirely voluntary basis, for which we are very grateful. We leave it to councils themselves to make their own contacts with the Champions, and to determine the role th…