Parliamentary questions

Bill Butler

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

11 Nov 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what progress has been made since 1 May 2003 in respect of its commitment to reduce the number of households living in fuel poverty by 30% by 2006.

Answer · Mary Mulligan: Since 1 May 2003, 4,698homes have been given central heating and insulation under the central heating programmeand 10,714 homes have been insulated through the Warm Deal in the privatesector by Eaga. Local authorities and housing associations have not yetrepo…

11 Nov 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has monitored Eaga Partnership Ltd's data management system to ascertain whether weaknesses discovered by the investigation earlier this year have been eliminated.

Answer · Mary Mulligan: I have asked Angiolina Foster, the Acting Chief Executive of Communities Scotland to respond. Herresponse is as follows: Communities Scotlandmonitors all aspects of Eaga’s performance to ensure the effective delivery of the contract for the central hea…

11 Nov 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what measures it has taken to ensure the maximum uptake of its free central heating installation programme by pensioners who own their own homes or rent in the private sector.

Answer · Mary Mulligan: I have asked Angiolina Foster, the Acting Chief Executive of Communities Scotland to respond. Herresponse is as follows:The start of Eaga’s winterpublicity campaign was announced by Deputy Minister for Communities Mary Mulligan, at Energy Action Scotla…

11 Nov 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what percentage of pensioners have benefited from its free central heating installation programme.

Answer · Mary Mulligan: I have asked Angiolina Foster, the Acting Chief Executive of Communities Scotland to respond. Herresponse is as follows:This information is notavailable.The central heating programme,in the private sector, is available to all eligible over 60s, …

22 Oct 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what particular areas of need it has identified regarding residential accommodation for young people and what action it is taking to address these.

Answer · Euan Robson: There are a number of issuesthat are being addressed for residential accommodation for looked after youngpeople. These include the qualifications of staff in residential child care.All staff will have to acquire the necessary qualifications by 2008. Childreni…

22 Oct 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive within what timescale it is envisaged that there will be a full complement of qualified social workers in post in (a) Glasgow and (b) Scotland.

Answer · Euan Robson: No targets have been set forreaching a full complement of qualifiedsocial workers foreither Glasgow or Scotland, but the position is beingcarefully monitored through research and via the formal collection ofstatistics. Demand for social workers remains high a…

22 Oct 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what steps are being taken to address the current shortfall in social workers.

Answer · Euan Robson: We have introduced a number of measures to complement the action planinstigated last year. These include a fast-track scheme for 120 graduates to train as socialworkers within 15-18 months, an incentive scheme for eligible social workgraduates to work in prio…

22 Oct 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what shortfall of qualified social workers there is in each local authority area.

Answer · Euan Robson: The Scottish StatisticalBulletin published in July 2003, showed qualified social work vacancies of 564on 7 October 2002. Furtherinformation is available in Statistical Bulletin SWK/S/2003/25 – Staff ofScottish Local Authority Social Work Services 2002 at <ahr…

22 Oct 2003 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what benefits will accrue to patients from the new General Medical Services (GMS) contract and the Primary Medical Services (Scotland) Bill.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: Over90% of patients’ contact with the NHS begins and ends in primary care. Aneffective and efficient primary care service is essential for the health needsof the people of Scotland. The new GMS contract will help to improve the rangeand quality of services av…

17 Oct 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what assessment it has made of the Glasgow Crossrail scheme in regard to (a) ensuring that the planned rail link to Glasgow Airport opens the airport to the whole of Scotland and (b) delivering many of the rail projects listed in the Central Scotland Transport Corridor document.

Answer · Nicol Stephen: Glasgow Crossrail proposalswere received by the Executive from Strathclyde Passenger Transport executive on28 October. These proposals will be considered carefully, including their interactionswith the Glasgow airport rail link and other rail projects in the …

17 Oct 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what assessment it has made of the Glasgow Crossrail scheme as (a) cost efficient, (b) practicable and (c) beneficial to the national rail network.

Answer · Nicol Stephen: The Scottish Executive iscurrently considering Strathclyde Passengers Transport’s case for Crossrail,which includes a bid for an award from the Integrated Transport Fund. It is tooearly to comment on the merits of the detailed proposal.

17 Oct 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will continue to commit to the development of the Glasgow Crossrail scheme, given that Strathclyde Transport Authority have approved a submission to the Integrated Transport Fund with regard to the feasibility of the scheme.

Answer · Nicol Stephen: The Scottish Executivecontinues to support feasibility studies into the Glasgow Crossrail project. Weare currently considering Strathclyde Transport Authority’s recently submittedcase for Glasgow Crossrail.

2 Oct 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether a report commissioned by it from Cambridge Economic Policy Associates stated that social inclusion partnership boards are being filled by Labour placemen, as referred to by Shona Robison MSP in the debate on Closing the Opportunity Gap on 4 September 2003 (Official Rep…

Answer · Margaret Curran: The report commissioned byCommunities Scotland from Cambridge Economic Associates, Developing aTransition Framework for Social Inclusion Partnerships: Interim Programme Review,did not state that social inclusion partnership boards are being filled by“L…

2 Oct 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how the social inclusion partnership boards are constituted and how the arrangements ensure that the community is represented.

Answer · Margaret Curran: I have asked Angiolina Foster, acting Chief Executive of Communities Scotland, to respond. Herresponse is as follows.I refer the member to the answer given to S2W-3133 answered on 28 October 2003which is available on the Parliament’s website the search…

2 Oct 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how social inclusion partnership (SIP) boards in Glasgow are constituted and how these arrangements ensure that the community is represented.

Answer · Margaret Curran: I have asked Angiolina Foster, acting Chief Executive of Communities Scotland, to respond. Herresponse is as follows:There is no one prescribedmanner in which Social Inclusion Partnership Boards should be constituted. Broad guidance was, however,provid…

2 Oct 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether any criminal prosecution has resulted from any investigation of a project funded by a social inclusion partnership.

Answer · Margaret Curran: I have asked Angiolina Foster, Acting Chief Executive of Communities Scotland to respond. Her response is as follows:Councils are the accountablebodies for social inclusion partnerships and handle all financial matters. Nocriminal prosecution has resul…

2 Oct 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether any criminal prosecution has resulted from any investigation of a project funded by a social inclusion partnership in Glasgow.

Answer · Margaret Curran: I have asked Angiolina Foster, Acting Chief Executive of Communities Scotland to respond. Her response is as follows:Glasgow City Council is theaccountable body for social inclusion partnerships in Glasgow and handles allfinancial matters. No criminal …

2 Oct 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what arrangements are in place to monitor the financial and administrative performance of social inclusion partnerships and the projects that they fund.

Answer · Margaret Curran: I have asked Angiolina Foster, acting Chief Executive of Communities Scotland, to respond. Herresponse is as follows:I refer the member to the answer given to S2W-1329 on 28 July 2003, which is available on the Parliament’s website thesearch facility f…

2 Oct 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what arrangements are in place in Glasgow to monitor the financial and administrative performance of social inclusion partnerships (SIPs) and the projects that they fund.

Answer · Margaret Curran: I have asked Angiolina Foster, acting Chief Executive of Communities Scotland, to respond. Herresponse is as follows:A monitoring framework hasbeen in place since 1999, which sets out the relevant administrativearrangements and responsibilities for all…

2 Oct 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many projects received social inclusion partnership (SIP) funding in 2002-03.

Answer · Margaret Curran: I have asked Angiolina Foster, acting Chief Executive of Communities Scotland, to respond. Herresponse is as follows.Following a recent analysisof the final grant claims for the core SIP fund submitted by SIP fund grantrecipients across the network of …

2 Oct 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many projects received social inclusion partnership (SIP) funding in Glasgow in 2002-03.

Answer · Margaret Curran: I have asked Angiolina Foster, acting Chief Executive of Communities Scotland, to respond. Herresponse is as follows.Following a recent analysisof the final grant claim for the core SIP fund, I can confirm that 577 projectswere funded during 2002-03.</…

2 Oct 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether any social inclusion partnership (SIP) has ever been investigated for fraud.

Answer · Margaret Curran: I have asked Angiolina Foster, Acting Chief Executive of Communities Scotland to respond. Her response is as follows:Councils are the accountablebodies for SIPs and handle all financial matters. While some councils havecarried out investigations into i…

2 Oct 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether any social inclusion partnership (SIP) in Glasgow has ever been investigated for fraud.

Answer · Margaret Curran: I have asked Angiolina Foster, ActingChief Executive of Communities Scotland to respond. Her response is as follows:Glasgow City Council is theaccountable body for the SIPs in Glasgow and handles all financial matters. While the city councilhas carried out…

24 Sep 2003 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will list all overseas engagements carried out by ministers and the costs of those visits for 2002-03.

Answer · Andy Kerr: The information requested isset out in the following table. Before any overseas engagement is approved, it mustrepresent good value for the Executive and the taxpayer.Overseas Engagements CarriedOut by Scottish Executive Ministers During the Financial …