Charlie Gordon

7 Feb 2007 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will welcome the announcement by BBC Scotland that it will be the fifth major sponsor of Glasgow¿s bid to host the Commonwealth Games in 2014.

Answer · Patricia Ferguson: I heartily welcome the announcement.The BBC is one of the most respected brandsin the world. It is synonymous with the Commonwealth Games and quality sports broadcasting.Such prestigious support is yet another demonstration of the strength of our bid.In addit…

22 Jan 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will consider setting a date beyond which it will no longer be acceptable for homeless families with young children to be temporarily housed in bed and breakfast accommodation.

Answer · Rhona Brankin: Placing homeless households withchildren or pregnant women in unsuitable temporary accommodation is already prohibitedon a routine basis by the Homeless Persons (Unsuitable Accommodation) (Scotland) Order(SSI 2004/489), which was brought into force at the end…

15 Jan 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive when it will award the main roadworks contract for the completion of the M74.

Answer · Tavish Scott: Subject to satisfactory completionof the tendering exercise which is currently underway, it is expected that the mainroadworks contract will be awarded in the summer of this year.</p>

15 Dec 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what level of aftercare and support, such as counselling and lip-reading classes, is provided to (a) analogue and (b) digital hearing aid users upon prescription, broken down by (i) NHS board area, (ii) month and (iii) year.

Answer · Lewis Macdonald: This information is notcurrently held centrally. On support for counselling and lip-reading generally,I refer the member to the answer to question S2W-30235 on 14 December 2006. Allanswers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament'swe…

15 Dec 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many (a) analogue and (b) digital hearing aids have been issued since May 2003, broken down by (i) NHS board area, (ii) month and (iii) year.

Answer · Lewis Macdonald: This information is not heldcentrally. However, Information Services Division is currently working with NHSboards to collect relevant data.</p><p>All audiology services nowfit digital hearing aids as standard and analogue aids are being phased out,except wher…

1 Nov 2006 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many full-time staff are employed, and at what financial cost, in administering community planning partnerships in Scotland.

Answer · George Lyon: The number of staff employedin administering community planning partnerships, and the associated financial costs,are a matter for the partnerships themselves, and for the local authorities, onwhich the statutory duty to initiate, facilitate and maintain the c…

2 Oct 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what consideration it has given to whether Crohn’s disease should be a reportable disease.

Answer · Andy Kerr: Currentevidence on the causation of Crohn’s disease suggests it would not be appropriateto include it in the list of specified infectious diseases notifiable under thePublic Health (Notification of Infectious Diseases) (Scotland) Regulations 1988.</p><p>The s…

30 Aug 2006 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will consider lodging an amendment to the Legal Profession and Legal Aid (Scotland) Bill to make provision for remedying endowment mis-selling by solicitors.

Answer · Hugh Henry: TheScotland Act reserves financial services to the UK Government. Provisionalready exists to remedy this problem. Since December 2001 solicitors providinginvestment advice have been regulated by the Financial Services Authority underthe Financial Services and…

19 Jun 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what action it will take to end the present system of automatic, unconditional early release from prison.

Answer · Cathy Jamieson: We are today publishing a document,<i>The Release and Post Custody Management of Offenders</i>, copies of which areavailable in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre (Bib. number 39797), thatsets out how we will end the current discredited system of unco…

10 May 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will encourage Glasgow Housing Association to expedite the reform of its factoring policies and procedures in order to remove current anomalies which are detrimental to hundreds of owner occupiers.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: I have asked Angiolina Foster,Chief Executive of Communities Scotland, to respond. Her response is as follows:</p><p>Glasgow Housing Association (GHA)is the factor of certain owner occupied properties previously purchased under theRight To Buy. GHA’s factorin…

10 May 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will authorise Glasgow City Council to consider applications from owner occupiers in properties not factored by Glasgow Housing Association (GHA) for grants from funds currently reserved for owner occupiers in GHA- factored properties, to facilitate the former's participation i…

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: I have asked Angiolina Foster,Chief Executive of Communities Scotland, to respond. Her response is as follows:</p><p>The funding made available toGHA to support owner occupier costs was an integral part of the stock transfer financialarrangements, Communities…

10 May 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive when it will make an announcement in respect of funding for the White Cart Water Flood Prevention Scheme.

Answer · Rhona Brankin: I am pleased to announce thatthe White Cart Water Flood Prevention Scheme wasconfirmed on 4 May 2006, without modification, and the agreement inprinciple to support Glasgow City Council’s planned expenditure with grant at80% of eligible costs. Formal offers o…

18 Apr 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the extent of elder abuse is and what steps it is taking to tackle the issue.

Answer · Lewis Macdonald: There have been no recentprevalence studies undertaken in the UK on elder abuse, although Age ConcernScotland estimate that between 7% and 9% of older people in Scotland arevictims of at least one form of abuse, with over 40% of victims suffering morethan one…

4 Apr 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will provide a detailed breakdown of how the £145,000 allocated to Glasgow City Council for community transport under the Urban Community Transport initiative will be spent; whether the original pilot projects in Glasgow will be funded, and what the reasons are for the Executiv…

Answer · Tavish Scott: Glasgow City Council was awarded £145,000 per year between 2003-04and 2005-06 towards a pilot community transport project in Glasgow. Theproject involved purchasing four minibuses in order to deliver new community transportservices in four Social Inclusion Pa…

5 Dec 2005 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether any discussions took place with Superfast Ferries about its announcement of a 50% curtailment of the timetable for the Rosyth to Zeebrugge service, in light of the freight facilities grant in respect of the Rosyth to Zeebrugge ferry terminal.

Answer · Tavish Scott: The Scottish Executive, Scottish Enterprise and other interested parties worked with the company to assess all possible options for maintaining a two vessel service on the route and this involved a number of meetings with Superfast. While some financial suppo…

9 Nov 2005 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will give an assurance that Scottish Water¿s Quality and Standards III investment programme will have sufficient resources and capacity to remove development constraints on all affected sites in Scotland.

Answer · Rhona Brankin: This assurance was given to the Scottish Parliament by Lewis Macdonald on 9 February when he confirmed that Scottish Water would be required to remove constraints on development caused by a lack of capacity at a strategic level. But removal of development con…