Tommy Sheridan

1 May 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many nursery teachers are currently employed in each local authority area.

Answer · Nicol Stephen: The following table shows the number and full time equivalent of teachers employed in pre-school education centres as at September 1999.<TABLE BORDER CELLSPACING=1 CELLPADDING=7 WIDTH=500><TR><TD WIDTH="32%" VALIGN="TOP">&nbsp;</TD><TD WIDTH="28%" VALIGN="TOP…

1 May 2002 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether the deployment of police resources to detect, arrest and charge individuals involved in both the supply and consumption of cannabis represents a productive use of police time.

Answer · Richard Simpson: The deployment of police resources is entirely an operational matter for individual chief constables. The police, of course, have a clear duty to uphold the law in relation to illegal drugs.

25 Apr 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether the #300 million grant aid given to the Glasgow Housing Association complies with European Union exemption regulations and, if so, which regulation it complies with, and whether the grant has been notified to, and approved by, the European Commission and, if so, when such approval…

Answer · Margaret Curran: I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-24436 on 16 May 2002.

25 Apr 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive why the Scottish Prison Service Estates Review did not refer to the findings in respect of the operation of HM Prison Kilmarnock in the Report for 2000-2001 by HM Chief Inspector of Prisons.

Answer · Jim Wallace: I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service to respond. His response is as follows:<P>The Estates Review document did not refer to the 2000-01 report by HM Chief Inspector of Prisons (HMCIP) because the purpose of the review was …

19 Apr 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how much PricewaterhouseCoopers was paid for its Financial Review of Scottish Prison Service Estates Review and whether this fee was included in the costings for the Public/Private Partnership options in the prison estates review.

Answer · Jim Wallace: I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-24578 on 26 April 2002.

19 Apr 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether the private build, private operate option for prisons and, in particular, the projected more flexible use of staff and reduced labour costs under that option are consistent with the Memorandum of Understanding between the Executive and the Scottish Trades Union Congress.

Answer · Jim Wallace: Yes.

27 Mar 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it considered the application of EU procurement rules before providing New Housing Partnership funds to the Glasgow Housing Association.

Answer · Margaret Curran: I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-24436.

26 Mar 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether issues in regard to EEC subsidy rules have been a factor in the closure of the abattoir in Stornoway; what plans it has to address any concerns which the Scottish Crofters Union and the Scottish Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals may have about the consequences of th…

Answer · Ross Finnie: The European Community state aid framework exists to ensure a level playing field for all enterprises in Europe by ensuring that public bodies throughout the European Union do not provide selective support to businesses or undertakings. Aid cannot be given un…

19 Mar 2002 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has made any progress towards ending inequality of wealth in the last four years.

Answer · Margaret Curran: Figures published earlier in March show that the Executive has made clear inroads in defeating poverty. Since 1997 we have lifted over 170,000 people in Scotland out of relative poverty, which is an indicator of how the living standards of poorer families com…

13 Mar 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the annual underspend was in each of its budgets in each financial year since 1999 and how each such underspend has subsequently been allocated.

Answer · Andy Kerr: I refer the member to the figures provided in response to questions S1W-8299 and S1W-18253, which set out the year end balances carried forward and re-allocation to budgets.

13 Mar 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to the question S1W-22872 by Iain Gray on 22 February 2002, how it will ensure that the providers of money advice funded by the additional #3 million will be independent of local authorities, given any potential conflict of interest arising from the role of such aut…

Answer · Iain Gray: The Scottish Executive is working with the advice sector to promote agreed standards for money advice, including independence, training and quality assurance.

7 Mar 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how much funding it makes available for debt, money and other advice services within core regeneration areas; how such funding is allocated; how many money and advice workers are employed with this money, and whether services supported by this funding will be financed beyond 31 March 200…

Answer · Margaret Curran: The Executive funds 48 Social Inclusion Partnerships (SIPs) across Scotland, to tackle existing social exclusion and prevent future exclusion in regeneration areas. SIPs use the funding allocated to them in pursuit of their own locally defined strategic objec…

7 Mar 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-22872 by Iain Gray on 22 February 2002, whether the #3 million per annum additional resources for the provision of money advice will be (a) ring-fenced for debt advice services within local authority areas and (b) used for genuinely new services.

Answer · Iain Gray: Councils will have the flexibility to use these resources alongside their existing expenditure on debt advice services, without formal ring-fencing. However, it will be a condition of allocating the funding that individual authorities demonstrate how the reso…

7 Mar 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-22872 by Iain Gray on 22 February 2002, whether there was any reduction in the amount to be made available in extra resources for debt and money advice before the announcement of #3 million for this purpose and what the reasons are for the position o…

Answer · Iain Gray: The decision to make £3 million available, to enhance money advice provision, was informed by an assessment of need. Following decision by Cabinet this was announced to Parliament by Scottish ministers on 19 December 2001. There has been no change in the amou…

6 Mar 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many (a) convictions in respect of each illegal drug type and (b) sei'ures of each such drug there were in each police authority area in (i) 1998-99, (ii) 1999-2000, (iii) 2000-01, and (iv) 2001-02.

Answer · Richard Simpson: The available information is given in the following tables:<P>Number of seizures of controlled drugs by police force and drug type, 1998-99<SUP>1</SUP><P>1998<TABLE BORDER CELLSPACING=1 CELLPADDING=7 WIDTH=585><TR><TD WIDTH="23%" VALIGN="TOP"><P>Police force<…

6 Mar 2002 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether Glasgow City Council could invest over #1.3 billion within 10 years in its housing stock without new borrowing, if Her Majesty's Government offered to write off its capital housing debt on the same basis as proposed for the Glasgow Housing Association.

Answer · Iain Gray: The question is hypothetical. Her Majesty's Treasury has agreed to contribute to the costs of debt repayment <U>only</U> where local authorities transfer their entire housing stock into community ownership.

5 Mar 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many non-departmental public bodies (NDPBs) were in existence in May 1999; how many will be in existence by May 2002; how many Chief Executives are employed by NDBPs and how many of them the Executive pays for; how much each Chief Executive was paid in 1999-2000, and how much each Chi…

Answer · Andy Kerr: The Executive carried out a fundamental review of the public bodies it sponsors in 2001. Details of the 183 bodies then in existence, together with recommendations about the method and timetable for abolition or further review of 113 of them were published in…

1 Mar 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-22094 by Mr Jim Wallace on 18 February 2002, when it will publish a bill containing a comprehensive overhaul of the diligence and debt recovery system.

Answer · Richard Simpson: The Executive intends to publish a consultation paper in April, which makes proposals for reform of the law of diligence. After analysis of the responses to the consultation, the Executive will consider how and when to proceed with a bill. The paper does not …

1 Mar 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many parents are currently waiting for information regarding the removal of organs from their deceased children without written consent.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: Each trust has nominated a dedicated member of staff to act as the initial contact point for parents and other relatives wishing to obtain information about organ retention. Trusts are encouraged to deal with inquiries as promptly and sensitively as possible.…

21 Feb 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-22124 by Cathy Jamieson on 4 February 2002, what proportion of staff currently employed in council-managed homes for children hold no formal qualifications, and, given that the training of staff working in residential childcare is a priority for deve…

Answer · Cathy Jamieson: Fifty-two per cent of staff in local authority homes hold no relevant formal qualification. For all homes, including those run by voluntary or private organisations, 60% of staff have no relevant formal qualification. <P>Targets were set in 1993 following a r…

11 Feb 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the minimum level of subsistence is for individuals aged (a) 16 to 17, (b) 18 to 25 and (c) over 25, with (i) no dependants, (ii) one dependant and (iii) two or more dependants.

Answer · Iain Gray: Social security benefits and policy on minimum incomes are reserved to the UK Government. The Executive will, however, continue to work closely with UK ministers on these and other issues in the pursuit of our social justice agenda.

8 Feb 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-22235 by Malcolm Chisholm on 6 February 2002, whether the correspondence between it and Her Majesty's Government concerning the loss of Attendance Allowance to Scottish pensioners resulting from the implementation of free personal and nursing care fo…

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: Paragraph 3(v) of Part 1 of the<I> Code of Practice on Access to Scottish Executive Information</I> commits the Scottish Executive to release information except where disclosure would not be in the public interest as specified in Part II of the Code. Disclosu…

8 Feb 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-22235 by Malcolm Chisholm on 6 February 2002, whether the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Bill will have an effect in allowing access to the correspondence between it and Her Majesty's Treasury, the Department of Work and Pensions and any other ind…

Answer · Jim Wallace: It is not possible to anticipate decisions about specific requests for information that would be made under the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Bill, once enacted. Such considerations will be made on a case-by-case basis. The Bill provides a right of appeal…

8 Feb 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how much new money for debt advice services will be available as a result of the report of the Working Group on a Replacement for Poinding and Warrant Sales, Striking the Balance: A New Approach to Debt Management; how it will ensure that this is additional and not recycled money; how the…

Answer · Iain Gray: As announced by the Deputy First Minister and Minister for Justice, in the answer given to question S1W-21207 on 19 December 2001, an additional £3 million per annum will be made available for the provision of money advice. This additional funding is intended…

8 Feb 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive when the next phase of its diligence review will be published.

Answer · Richard Simpson: The work on the review of the law of diligence is now complete. I am currently considering a draft consultation document. The Executive intends to publish it in April.

8 Feb 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether any new monies allocated for debt advice services will be used to expand the breadth and quality of existing free advice services rather than establishing new organisations.

Answer · Iain Gray: I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-22872.

8 Feb 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will detail those groups and/or individuals who have been consulted on the allocation of the #3 million additional funding for new debt advice services.

Answer · Iain Gray: I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-22872.

8 Feb 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what percentage of the #3 million additional funding for new debt advice services will be used to employ new and additional debt advice workers.

Answer · Iain Gray: I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-22872.

8 Feb 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many more debtors will receive advice as a result of the #3 million additional funding for new debt advice services; how much earlier than at present debtors will now be able to access free and independent debt advice and what support will be available for front-line advisors.

Answer · Iain Gray: I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-22872.

7 Feb 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what formula it uses to distribute financial support to local authorities and whether it has considered using a formula based on needs and deprivation similar to the Arbuthnott scheme applied to health expenditure.

Answer · Andy Kerr: The local government revenue grant is already distributed by a needs based system that takes account of the impact of deprivation on the costs of service delivery. There are 13 assessments within the formula - mainly those for social work and education - that…