Parliamentary questions

Bill Aitken

308 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.

18 Sep 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether elderly people who have central heating installed as a result of the initiative announced on 18 September 2000 and who are owner occupiers or private tenants will be eligible for a further grant if they move to a new home that does not have central heating.

Answer · Frank McAveety: I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-9951.

18 Sep 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether the grants to be made available under its initiative on central heating announced on 18 September 2000 will be means tested and, if so, what the eligibility criteria will be.

Answer · Frank McAveety: There will be no means test.

18 Sep 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what procedures it intends to put in place regarding the recovery of the costs of central heating installed as a result of the initiative announced on 18 September 2000 in cases where an elderly person who is an owner occupier or private tenant dies or leaves the accommodation in respect …

Answer · Frank McAveety: I am convening a group to determine how the central heating initiative will be implemented. It will include representatives of the power companies and relevant charities. This is one of the issues which will be considered.

12 Sep 2000 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has any plans to reconsider its position regarding funding of the M74 extension in the light of recent representations.

Answer · Sarah Boyack: I refer the member to the answer given to question S1O-2277.

11 Sep 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many homes are below the current definition of "tolerable standard".

Answer · Wendy Alexander: The latest local authority estimates of the number of houses below the Tolerable Standard (BTS), as at 31 March 1999, were published in the housing series statistical bulletin HSG/2000/1, copies of which are available from SPICe. Notes to the table explain th…

11 Sep 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive when the definition of "tolerable standard" for homes was last reviewed and whether it has any plans to review the definition.

Answer · Wendy Alexander: The Tolerable Standard is currently under review and an announcement will be made later this year.

25 Aug 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether, in the light of recent court decisions allowing bail for persons charged with murder, it intends to ensure that trials in these cases proceed within 110 days as would be the case were the accused person remanded in custody.

Answer · Colin Boyd: The statutory time limit for commencement of the trial in such cases will be that applying in all other bail cases, namely 12 months from the date of the accused's first appearance at court. It is intended that greater priority will be given to such cases, th…

22 Aug 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it intends to introduce similar concessionary fare proposals as have been introduced in England.

Answer · Sarah Boyack: Most Scottish local authorities already have discounts which are as good or better than the average half-fare proposed for England. A research study is currently underway examining the costs of a variety of different options in Scotland and is due to report s…

6 Jun 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will detail the steps to be taken in the consultation process regarding the proposal to transfer Glasgow's council housing stock.

Answer · Wendy Alexander: The detail of the consultation process with tenants and others is a matter for Glasgow City Council and the Glasgow Housing Association. The statutory requirements in relation to tenant consultation are set out in Schedule 6A, of the Housing (Scotland) Act 19…

6 Jun 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the number was of accused persons who appeared on Petition at Sheriff Courts in Scotland charged with murder during the years 1997, 1998 and 1999 and the number from whom pleas to culpable homicide were accepted by the Crown, broken down by gender.

Answer · Neil Davidson: The Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service does not collect routine information which is either charge or gender specific and, accordingly, I am not in a position to provide this information.

9 May 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many prisoners were released from Scottish prisons during 1999 and, of these, how many had their sentences increased by loss of remission.

Answer · Jim Wallace: Reliable information in the form requested is not available.

9 May 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what was the average amount of additional time spent in prison by prisoners who lost remission during 1999.

Answer · Jim Wallace: I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service to respond. His response is as follows:<P ALIGN="JUSTIFY">The following table shows the average amount of additional time spent in prison through "loss of remission" and &quot…

9 May 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many summary criminal diets were introduced in Glasgow Sheriff Court during (a) March 1999 and (b) March 2000.

Answer · Jim Wallace: The following table shows the number of summary criminal complaints registered and trial diets called at Glasgow Sheriff Court in the months of March 1999 and March 2000 respectively. In March 1999 a number of additional summary criminal courts were scheduled…

16 Mar 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the current annual cost is to the NHS in Scotland of carrying out abortions.

Answer · Susan Deacon: The costs of abortions are not separately recorded but included in the overall costs of gynaecological surgery and medical day cases. It would require a costly and time-consuming special exercise to isolate abortion costs.

1 Mar 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will consider changes to the existing planning legislation to allow objectors a limited right of appeal.

Answer · Sarah Boyack: I refer Mr Aitken to my answer of 12 July 1999 to S1W-183.

1 Mar 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what recent discussions it has had with Glasgow City Council regarding the M74 extension.

Answer · Sarah Boyack: I met representatives of Glasgow City, South Lanarkshire and Renfrewshire Councils on 21 December 1999 to discuss the Strategic Roads Review decision on the M74 Northern Extension. I indicated then that I wished my officials to offer advice and assistance to …

23 Feb 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive (a) what were the total costs of the publication (design, photocopying, printing, Internet connection of text, distribution and costs of launch) of Social Justice...a Scotland where everyone matters including the Milestones, Sources and Definitions booklet and (b) how many copies of each …

Answer · Wendy Alexander: The initial cost associated with producing the two documents on Social Justice was £50,503, including design, print, Internet and distribution costs. The costs of the launch were £3,033. Due to the high volume of requests, further copies have been ordered at …

17 Feb 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether its education expenditure assessment to East Dunbartonshire Council for 2000-01 is a cut in real terms of 2.35% (#1.4 Million) and whether it will take steps to reassess these figures with a view to restoring it to its previous level.

Answer · Jack McConnell: The education expenditure assessment for East Dunbartonshire Council for 2000-01, as measured by Grant Aided Expenditure, has increased, not fallen, compared to the current year. Expressed in real terms, using the September 1999 Retail Price Index, the Counci…

17 Feb 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it plans to alleviate any hardship caused to East Dunbartonshire Council by the #12.3 million cut in its funding over the next three years.

Answer · Jack McConnell: We have no plans to cut East Dunbartonshire Council's funding by £12.3 million over the next 3 years. The council's grant allocation for future years will be determined in the normal way in consultation with COSLA.

1 Feb 2000 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to encourage local authorities which currently fail to name and take appropriate action against elected members and council officials who are involved in housing benefit fraud to do so.

Answer · Frank McAveety: Housing benefit is a reserved matter and is the responsibility of the Department of Social Security. However, the administration of housing benefits is the responsibility of local authorities in accordance with rules set down by that Department. There are wel…

26 Jan 2000 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many summary criminal cases were raised in Glasgow Sheriff Court and Glasgow District Court during 1999 and what were the corresponding figures for 1998.

Answer · Andrew Hardie: Between 1998 and 1999, the number of summary complaints registered in Glasgow Sheriff Court rose from 12,071 to 14,928. Over the same period, complaints initiated in the Lay District Court fell from 16,586 to 14,866, and complaints initiated in the Stipendiar…

8 Dec 1999 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive to provide details of all funds allocated to local authorities or other agencies specifically to resolve homelessness (excluding the Rough Sleeper Initiative) for each year from 1997-98 to 2001-02, broken down by local authority or agency, how many additional homes for social rent it expe…

Answer · Jackie Baillie: Information about local authority spending on homelessness is not collected centrally. Following are the number of homes for social rent built with funding support from Scottish Homes:-<TABLE BORDER CELLSPACING=1 CELLPADDING=7 WIDTH=616><TR><TD WIDTH="50%" VA…

8 Dec 1999 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, in the light of its allocation for spending on both homelessness and rough sleeping for the years 1997-98 to 2001-02, what the priorities for the use of this spending were or are for each of these years and what targets were or will be used to assess the value of the spending.

Answer · Jackie Baillie: Our priorities are to prevent and tackle homelessness and rough sleeping. In <I>Social Justice - a Scotland where everyone matters</I> we have re-iterated the target that no-one should have to sleep rough by 2003 and we have set as a milestone the objective o…

8 Dec 1999 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will provide a breakdown of the individual projects funded under the Rough Sleepers Initiative in each local authority area in each year from 1997-98 to 1999-2000, including an indication of the partner organisations involved in each project.

Answer · Jackie Baillie: I refer Bill Aitken to the Annexes of the reports of the Rough Sleepers Advisory Group produced in October 1997 and July and November 1998 which set out the conclusions of the Advisory Group's consideration of bids. Copies are in the Scottish Parliament Infor…

4 Nov 1999 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how much of the Scottish Block is administered by Non Departmental Public Bodies in the current financial year and what was the comparable figure for 1997-98.

Answer · Jack McConnell: In 1999-2000 it is estimated that contributions to NDPBs will account for £2,006 million out of the total Scottish budget of £16,213 million. The comparable figure for 1997-98 was £1,700 million out of a total budget of £14,774 million.

3 Nov 1999 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how much of the Scottish Block is administered by Non Departmental Public Bodies in the current financial year and what was the comparable figure for 1997-98.

Answer · Jack McConnell: In 1999-2000 it is estimated that contributions to NDPBs will account for £2,006 million out of the total Scottish budget of £16,213 million. The comparable figure for 1997-1998 was £1,700 million out of a total budget of £14,774 million.

23 Sep 1999 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether the level of funding available to police boards for the next financial year will be at least at current levels in real terms.

Answer · Jim Wallace: Decisions have not yet been taken on the level of funding to individual police boards for the next financial year. As announced in the Comprehensive Spending Review the total revenue funding available for the police in 2000-01 is £741.9 million which is an in…

22 Sep 1999 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether the level of funding available to police boards for the next financial year will be at least at current levels in real terms.

20 Sep 1999 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will detail the potential benefits of the completion of the M74 extension to the Glasgow economy and, given these benefits, whether it will fund the project.

Answer · Jack McConnell: The M74 Northern Extension is one of the 17 major road schemes being considered in the Strategic Roads Review. The Review is considering the potential impacts of these schemes under a number of headings, including economy. The Executive plans to report to P…

16 Sep 1999 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will detail the potential benefits of the completion of the M74 extension to the Glasgow economy and, given these benefits, whether it will fund the project.