Parliamentary questions
Kenneth Gibson
2,008 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.
16 Dec 1999 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it accepts the figures on local authority revenue spending shortfalls for 2000-01 detailed by CoSLA in convention item 4 approved on 10 December 1999 and, if not, why not.
Answer · Jack McConnell: The finance consultation document <I>Spending Plans for Scotland</I> invited views on our spending proposals for the next two years. Inevitably the spending plans for local government have to strike a balance between affordability and the requirements of othe…
16 Dec 1999 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive why the #6.5 million special deprivation allowance for 2000-01 is included in grant aided expenditure figures for that year rather than being "top-sliced" as indicated by the Minister for Finance in his statement to the Parliament on 8 December.
Answer · Jack McConnell: The Special Deprivation Payment is being treated as a special allowance outwith Grant Aided Expenditure; the resources are not hypothecated and are intended to apply for one year only, pending the completion of a joint review with CoSLA of the account taken o…
16 Dec 1999 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive why Glasgow City Council's grant-aided expenditure and aggregate external finance figures for 2000-01 have increased by less than the local authority average percentage increase for that year.
Answer · Jack McConnell: The distribution of Grant-Aided Expenditure, which feeds into the distribution of Aggregate External Finance, is based on a formula assessment of councils' relative expenditure needs agreed with CoSLA. Glasgow City Council's below average increase in GAE this…
16 Dec 1999 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive why its announcement on spending figures for individual local authorities in 2000-01 was given in response to a written parliamentary question rather than in the Parliament.
Answer · Jack McConnell: I announced the revised aggregate figures for this year's local government finance settlement and the general approach I would be taking to the distribution in my statement to Parliament on 8 December. The proposals for individual allocations which I announce…
16 Dec 1999 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many additional staff it has recruited specifically to answer written Parliamentary questions and what the estimated cost of employing any such staff was in financial year 1999-2000.
Answer · Jack McConnell: The establishment of the Scottish Parliament has created an additional workload on the staff of the Executive. Around 170 additional members of staff have been recruited to assist with the general increase in workload including, but not specifically, written …
16 Dec 1999 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many parliamentary questions were answered by each Minister up to and including 15 December 1999 and what the average time taken by each Minister to give a substantive answer to written questions was.
Answer · Tom McCabe: I refer you to the audit of written parliamentary questions lodged in SPICe in response to question S1W-3227.
16 Dec 1999 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will list all the written parliamentary questions lodged prior to 1 October 1999 which had not received a substantive reply by 15 December 1999, including the date of their submission, the author of each question, their party affiliation where applicable, the Ministers responsi…
Answer · Tom McCabe: The Chamber Office has prepared the information requested and indicated that it would be happy to make this available to Mr Gibson.
14 Dec 1999 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive which secondary schools in Glasgow scheduled for refurbishment with funding from Public Private Partnerships will lose either their gymnasium, swimming pool or games hall following refurbishment.
Answer · Sam Galbraith: The details of the Public private partnership contract are matters for Glasgow City Council. The information requested is not held centrally.
14 Dec 1999 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it is taking to reduce the number of students dropping out of higher education.
Answer · Henry McLeish: Following the recent publication of the Performance Indicators report for the whole of the UK higher education sector, the Scottish Higher Education Funding Council are currently reviewing the figures, including those for non-completion, with a view to taking…
14 Dec 1999 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the five main reasons for students dropping out of universities and further education colleges in the years 1996-97, 1997-98, 1998-99 were, how many students left for each reason and what the total cost to Scottish higher education of these students leaving their courses early was.
Answer · Henry McLeish: The table below indicates the main reasons cited by higher education students, or presumed by their institution, for not continuing their education. Information is not available centrally on the cost of students leaving their course early. Comparable informat…
14 Dec 1999 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive to specify the percentage and number of students dropping out of each of Scotland's universities and further education colleges in the years 1996-97, 1997-98 and 1998-99 broken down by institution.
Answer · Henry McLeish: Information is not collected on "drop-out" rates for universities but non-completion rates have been complied and were published on 3<SUP>rd</SUP> December 1999 for 1996-97 as part of a package of Performance Indicators. The figures below show the number of s…
14 Dec 1999 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it will take to ensure that the percentage increase in water and sewerage rates next year is no more than the rate of inflation.
Answer · Sarah Boyack: I refer Mr Gibson to my parliamentary statement of 26 January.
14 Dec 1999 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the percentage increase in water and sewerage rates will be for East of Scotland Water, North of Scotland Water and West of Scotland Water in 2000-01.
Answer · Sarah Boyack: Water and sewerage charges next year are to be agreed between the water authorities and the independent Water Industry Commissioner for Scotland, following Ministers' determination of a charges cap. That determination will take place once advice from the Comm…
13 Dec 1999 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to promote, support and fund freight rail links to airports and what freight facilities grants it will make available for such a scheme.
Answer · Sarah Boyack: I understand that Railtrack is currently working with Strathclyde Passenger Transport Executive to assess options for providing a rail link to Glasgow Airport. A rail link to Edinburgh airport has also been examined a number of times.<FONT FACE="Arial" SIZE=2…
13 Dec 1999 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it is taking to raise awareness of prostate cancer.
Answer · Susan Deacon: Raising awareness amongst GPs is the key issue, since early reporting of symptoms and rapid referral to a urologist are essential when symptoms of the disease occur. The Scottish Cancer Group is discussing with GPs and urologists the issuing of guidelines on …
13 Dec 1999 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it is taking to improve survival rates for men suffering from prostate cancer.
Answer · Susan Deacon: The Scottish Executive wants to improve survival rates for all cancers. We have adopted the target of reducing cancer-related, premature deaths by 20% between 1995 and 2010.<FONT FACE="Arial" SIZE=2><P>The biology of prostate cancer is not yet fully understoo…
13 Dec 1999 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what percentage of men suffering from prostate cancer in 1991-92, 1992-93 and 1993-94 were still alive five years later.
Answer · Susan Deacon: The most recent data relate to men diagnosed between 1991 and 1993. The figures for survival from prostate cancer are as follows:<P ALIGN="JUSTIFY"><TABLE BORDER CELLSPACING=1 CELLPADDING=7 WIDTH=616><TR><TD WIDTH="50%" VALIGN="TOP"><FONT FACE="Arial" SIZE=2>…
13 Dec 1999 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many men died from prostate cancer in the years 1996-97, 1997-98 and 1998-99.
Answer · Susan Deacon: The number of deaths in Scotland due to prostate cancer is set out below for the three most recent years for which information is available.<TABLE BORDER CELLSPACING=1 CELLPADDING=7 WIDTH=616><TR><TD WIDTH="50%" VALIGN="TOP"><P ALIGN="JUSTIFY">1996</TD><TD WI…
13 Dec 1999 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many men were diagnosed as suffering from prostate cancer in the years 1996-97, 1997-98 and 1998-99.
Answer · Susan Deacon: The most recent year for which complete registration data for prostate cancer is available is 1996, during which 2,027 men were diagnosed as suffering from prostate cancer.
13 Dec 1999 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what funding it will provide to assist Glasgow City Council with the refurbishment of Kelvingrove Museum and Art Gallery.
Answer · Rhona Brankin: We have no plans to contribute funds towards the refurbishment of Kelvingrove Museum and Art Gallery. Local authorities have a statutory duty to ensure that there is adequate provision of facilities for recreational, sporting, cultural and social activities f…
9 Dec 1999 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive when it intends to discontinue the practice of self-financing pay awards in local government.
Answer · Frank McAveety: Local authorities are expected to meet the cost of pay awards within the total provision for Government Supported Expenditure, which will be £6,746 million next year, an increase of 3.7% over the comparable figure this year, and higher than the forecast incre…
8 Dec 1999 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it is taking to ensure that no one dies of cold-related deaths in Scotland this winter.
Answer · Susan Deacon: I refer Mr Gibson to the answer to his question numbered S1W-3003.
8 Dec 1999 · General Question
To ask the Scottish Executive when it intends to discontinue the practice of self-financing pay awards in local government.
Answer · Frank McAveety: Local authorities are expected to meet the cost of pay awards within the total provision for Government Supported Expenditure, which will be £6,746 million next year, an increase of 3.7% over the comparable figure this year, and higher than the forecast incre…
7 Dec 1999 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it will take to ensure that no cuts will be made to jobs and services and no patients will be adversely affected this winter and beyond in hospitals run by the Glasgow Primary Care Trust, the North Glasgow University Hospitals Trust, the South Glasgow University Hospitals Trust…
Answer · Susan Deacon: Greater Glasgow Health Board, the North and South Acute Trusts, the Primary Care Trust and Yorkhill have been asked to draw up and agree financial plans which will minimise disruption to patient services and staff whilst achieving financial stability.
7 Dec 1999 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether the New Warm Deal will operate indefinitely and, if not, how long will it operate for.
Answer · Wendy Alexander: We have no plans to bring the Warm Deal to an end.
7 Dec 1999 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether the total funding package of #12 million allocated through the Scottish Healthy Homes Initiative will be index linked against inflation.
Answer · Wendy Alexander: In November, I announced that the budget for the Warm Deal will be increased to £13 million in 2000-01 and £14.5<FONT SIZE=2> million in 2001-02.
7 Dec 1999 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether the maximum grant of #500 available under the Warm Deal in Scotland programme will be index linked against inflation.
Answer · Wendy Alexander: There are no present plans to review the grant maximum.
7 Dec 1999 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how much of the #12 million allocated to the New Warm Deal this year comes from: (a) money transferred from the home energy efficiency scheme; (b) New Deal and (c) capital receipts to local authorities.
Answer · Wendy Alexander: The budget for improving home energy efficiency for low-income households in Scotland is £12 million for 1999-2000. £1.475 million of the total came from the Department of Environment, Transport and the Regions (DETR) to meet the cost of the Home Energy Effic…
7 Dec 1999 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will review the New Warm Deal so that cross subsidy of eligible flats within a given tenemental project can be considered providing that the average grant per flat does not exceed the maximum available.
Answer · Wendy Alexander: There are no present plans for a review of this kind.
7 Dec 1999 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will review the New Warm Deal to allow greater flexibility in the 70%/30% private/public sector split.
Answer · Wendy Alexander: I expect that around 50% of the budget for the Warm Deal this year will be spent on local authority housing.