Drew Smith

7 Feb 2012 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what meetings it has had with UK (a) ministers and (b) Government officials in relation to the Welfare Reform Bill, and what issues were discussed.

Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: (a) The Cabinet Secretary for Finance, Employment and Sustainable Growth and I have met separately with the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions on 15 September 2011 to discuss the UK Welfare Reform Bill and related matters. A further meeting is planned a…

3 Feb 2012 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S4W-05147 by Michael Russell on 3 February 2012, who has been paid and for what services.

Answer · Michael Russell: The figure of £833,334 excluding VAT referred to in the response to question S4W-05147 was for two of the monthly contractual payments paid to the contractor RM Education plc, for delivery of the Glow contract.

30 Jan 2012 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what meetings it has had with the Scotland Office since 2007 to discuss allowing 16 and 17-year-olds to vote in (a) local government and (b) Scottish Parliament elections.

Answer · Derek Mackay: The Scottish Government has consistently argued that the Scottish Parliament should have full responsibility for elections to the Scottish Parliament and local government, including the ability to determine the franchise. The Scottish Government has raised t…

30 Jan 2012 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how much (a) private and (b) public sector investment there has been in ScotRail services since 2007 and how much revenue has been raised from fares.

Answer · Keith Brown: Scottish ministers make franchise payments to ScotRail in accordance with the terms of the franchise agreement. Rail Franchise Budget information is shown in the following table. Fare box revenue information is disclosed within the published annual report an…

30 Jan 2012 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what assessment has been made of any (a) economic and (b) passenger benefits of running rail services on a not-for-dividend basis.

Answer · Keith Brown: I refer the member to the answer to question S4W-04559 on 4 January 2012. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at: http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/parliamentary…

30 Jan 2012 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has made representations to the UK Government regarding exempting Scotland from legislation requiring the letting of rail passenger services as franchises.

Answer · Keith Brown: No. The Scotland Office has made clear that the UK Government does not support such a change and the Scotland Bill Committee of the House of Commons also voted against making such changes.

30 Jan 2012 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether the Scottish Ministers have the power to vary conditions imposed as part of a home detention curfew license, under the Prisoners and Criminal Proceedings (Scotland) Act 1993 and, if so, (a) when and (b) how it has done so since 1999.

Answer · Kenny MacAskill: I have asked John Ewing, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service, to respond. His response is as follows: The power to vary non-standard licence conditions only is provided under Section 12AA(6)(b) of the Prisoner and Criminal Proceedings (Scotland) A…

30 Jan 2012 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it considers that all non-standard conditions used in home detention curfews are appropriate and proportionate.

Answer · Kenny MacAskill: I have asked John Ewing, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service, to respond. His response is as follows: Non-standard license conditions are added only where it is deemed appropriate to do so. These are tailored to the risks and needs of individual p…

30 Jan 2012 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what non-standard conditions have been imposed as part of home detention curfews in each year since the publication of Circular No JD 7/2008: Home Detention Curfew - Guidance for Agencies.

Answer · Kenny MacAskill: I have asked John Ewing, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service, to respond. His response is as follows: The SPS do not collect this information. Non-standard license conditions are tailored to the risks and needs of individual prisoners.

30 Jan 2012 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how it monitors the appropriateness of non-standard conditions that are imposed as part of home detention curfews.

Answer · Kenny MacAskill: I have asked John Ewing, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service, to respond. His response is as follows: Before non-standard conditions are applied in any individual case, Scottish Prison Service consults any relevant organisations/authorities e.g. C…

30 Jan 2012 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what guidance there is on non-standard conditions in relation to home detention curfews.

Answer · Kenny MacAskill: I have asked John Ewing, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service, to respond. His response is as follows: Guidance is available in Circular No JD 7/2008: Home Detention Curfew – Guidance for Agencies. A copy of this guidance has been provided to the S…

27 Jan 2012 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will review the criteria for the Student Awards Agency for Scotland's care leavers grant to include others who have previously had prolonged periods in care.

Answer · Michael Russell: We conducted a review of the Vacation Grant for Care Leavers in 2011 with a view to extending eligibility. This resulted in some changes to the criteria which means that students who are under the age of 23 on the first day of their course and who have been o…

27 Jan 2012 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many (a) full-time, (b) part-time and (c) other (i) teaching, (ii) support, (iii) management and (iv) other staff were employed by further education institutions in the Glasgow parliamentary region on 27 January (A) 2007, (B) 2011 and (C) 2012.

Answer · Michael Russell: This information is not held centrally. However it can be estimated that at the end of the academic year 2006-07 there were 2,672 full time equivalent staff working in Glasgow colleges compared with 2,630 full time equivalent staff working in these colleges …

26 Jan 2012 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to the second supplementary to question S4F-00420 by the First Minister on 26 January 2012 (Official Report, c. 5873), what consultation it will undertake on a review of Achieving Our Potential, A Framework to tackle poverty and income inequality in Scotland and whe…

Answer · Michael Matheson: The Scottish Government has a clear vision on its long-term approach to tackling poverty. This is set out in Achieving our Potential http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/2008/11/20103815/0 and supplemented by the Child Poverty Strategy for Scotland http:…

26 Jan 2012 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how it is monitoring its progress on achieving the objectives set out in Achieving Our Potential: A Framework to tackle poverty and income inequality in Scotland

Answer · Michael Matheson: I refer the member to the answer to question S4W-05266 on 6 February 2012. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at: http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/parliamentar…

26 Jan 2012 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what progress it is making on achieving the objectives set out in Achieving Our Potential: A Framework to tackle poverty and income inequality in Scotland.

Answer · Michael Matheson: I refer the member to the answer to question S4W-05266 on 6 February 2012. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/parliamentaryb…

26 Jan 2012 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S4W-02421 by Michael Matheson on 13 September 2011, whether the membership of the Tackling Poverty Board has changed since that date. 

Answer · Michael Matheson: No.

26 Jan 2012 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether the Tackling Poverty Board has met since 13 April 2011.

Answer · Michael Matheson: I refer the member to the answer to question S4W-05266 on 6 February 2012. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at: http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/parliamentary…

26 Jan 2012 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive when it will next convene a meeting of the Tackling Poverty Board.

Answer · Michael Matheson: Last year a review took place to look back at the effectiveness of the Tackling Poverty Board (TPB) and what the requirements of an incoming government might be in relation to the Scottish Government's strategy. One of the main outcomes of the TPB's considera…

26 Jan 2012 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it plans to carry out a business and regulatory impact assessment on the proposed public health levy.

Answer · John Swinney: I refer the member to the answer to question S4O-00644 on 2 February 2012. The answer to the oral parliamentary question is available on the Parliaments website, the official report can be viewed at: http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/parliamentarybusiness/2…

23 Jan 2012 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S4W-03287 by Michael Russell on 31 October 2011, what payments it has since made and what contracts it has now agreed in relation to Glow.

Answer · Michael Russell: From October to December 2011, the Scottish Government has made payments of £833,334 excluding VAT, related to Glow. No additional contracts have been agreed in relation to Glow.

23 Jan 2012 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S4W-03279 by Michael Russell on 31 October 2011, what progress it is making on the development of the next generation of Glow.

Answer · Michael Russell: Work on specifying the functionality of the new Glow solution will be completed in February 2012. The new solution will be in place in time for the end of the current Glow contract in September 2012.

23 Jan 2012 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S4W-03280 by Michael Russell on 31 October 2011, when it will complete engagement activity with the education community on the future development of Glow.

Answer · Michael Russell: The Scottish Government continues to engage with the education community on the future development of Glow. For example, activity specifically relating to scoping the functionality of the new Glow solution is due to conclude in February 2012. Looking forward…

23 Jan 2012 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to the supplementary to question S4F-00316 by the First Minister on 1 December 2011 (Official Report, c. 4225) when it will seek a debate in the Parliament on human trafficking.

Answer · Kenny MacAskill: The Scottish Government is currently considering the recommendations contained within the report referred to on 1 December and others on the same subject. A date for the debate will be announced in due course.

23 Jan 2012 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S4W-04864 by Aileen Campbell on 19 January 2012, for what reason it has changed the target date for the agreement of local plans from January 2012 to September 2012.

Answer · Aileen Campbell: The establishment of area support teams (ASTs) represents one element of the implementation programme due to take effect in September 2012. That is the implementation target date that the Scottish Government remains committed to delivering. In respect of AST…

9 Jan 2012 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it is considering designating private rented pressured areas.

Answer · Keith Brown: The Scottish Government is working in partnership with members of the Scottish Private Rented Sector Strategy Group to produce a consultative strategy aimed at improving standards and quality within the private rented sector in Scotland. As part of the devel…

9 Jan 2012 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether and, if so, when it will introduce further legislation regarding private rented housing in the current parliamentary session.

Answer · Keith Brown: The Scottish Government is working in partnership with members of the Scottish Private Rented Sector Strategy Group to produce a consultative strategy aimed at improving standards and quality within the private rented sector in Scotland. As part of the devel…

9 Jan 2012 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will consider the case for licensing and regulation of letting agents.

Answer · Keith Brown: The Scottish Government is working in partnership with members of the Scottish Private Rented Sector Strategy Group to produce a consultative strategy aimed at improving standards and quality within the private rented sector in Scotland. As part of the devel…

9 Jan 2012 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it is considering reforming housing in multiple occupation legislation and what data it holds on the court success rates of enforcement action against landlords in breach of the legislation.

Answer · Keith Brown: On 31 August 2011 the Scottish Government brought the new legislative regime for the licensing of houses in multiple occupation (HMOs) into effect. The Scottish Government is working in partnership with members of the Scottish Private Rented Sector Strategy …

9 Jan 2012 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive when it will publish guidance on the operation of overcrowding statutory notices.

Answer · Keith Brown: A working group of key stakeholders, including local authority interests, has been established to support implementation of Part 3 (Overcrowding) of the Private Rented Housing (Scotland) Act 2011. The development of guidance on operation of Overcrowding Statu…