Chamber and committees

Questions and answers

Parliamentary questions can be asked by any MSP to the Scottish Government or the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body. The questions provide a means for MSPs to get factual and statistical information.

Written questions must be answered within 10 working days (20 working days during recess)
Other questions such as Topical, Portfolio, General and First Minister's Question Times are taken in the Chamber

Urgent Questions aren't included in the Question and Answers search. There is a SPICe fact sheet listing Urgent and emergency questions.

Find out more about parliamentary questions

Filter your results Hide all filters

Displaying 3500 questions Show Answers

Order by |

Question reference: S1W-22619

Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Friday, 01 February 2002
Current Status: Answered by Peter Peacock on 21 February 2002

To ask the Scottish Executive on what basis extended borrowing was approved for the Western Isles Council following the collapse of the Bank of Credit and Commerce International.

Western Isles Islands Council lost £23 million following the collapse of the Bank of Credit and Commerce International. Since there was no immediate prospect of recovering the money and no chance of continuing to be in a position to discharge its statutory obligations without revenue borrowing, the council wrote to the Secretary of State in August 1991 requesting special borrowing consent to replace the £23 million. Exceptionally, on account of the scale of the loss in relation to the council's total financial resources, the Secretary of State granted the council consent to borrow in terms of paragraph 1(2) of schedule 3 of the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1975 to make good the shortfall and maintain its day-to-day cash flow requirements during the remainder of 1991-92. Since the loss was consequent on ultra vires investment activity, the terms of the consent specified that the interest and repayment costs of the borrowing must be met entirely by the council without any grant aid or other financial assistance from the Government.

Question reference: S1W-22325

Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 24 January 2002
Current Status: Answered by Margaret Curran on 19 February 2002

To ask the Scottish Executive what its position is on the planned withdrawal of core funding for Borders Women's Aid, reported in The Southern Reporter on 24 January 2002, and, in light of the service this group provides to women and children who are victims of domestic violence in the Scottish Borders Council area, what action it will take to ensure that this service continues.

The Local Government Spending Review 2000 provides an extra £1.2 billion in support for local government over three years - an increase in real terms of 10.5%. It is the Scottish Executive's view that this should enable all local authorities to provide the necessary support for all women's refuges. It is therefore the responsibility of Scottish Borders Council to allocated funding according to its priorities. The National Group on Domestic Abuse, which I chair, will be looking at funding for service provision as part of its future work programme.

Question reference: S1W-21782

Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Friday, 11 January 2002
Current Status: Answered by Iain Gray on 19 February 2002

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-20998 by Iain Gray on 8 January 2002, why 43 of the 116 applications made for free central heating in the Scottish Borders area were found to be ineligible.

Nineteen applicants were ineligible because they had a working central heating system and one applicant had not occupied the house for the required 12 months. The remaining 23 was made up of those who had not returned their application forms to EAGA at the time the earlier question was asked. All of those applications have now been processed and qualify for grant. Many have now received their package of measures.

Question reference: S1W-22567

Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 31 January 2002
Current Status: Answered by Margaret Curran on 19 February 2002

To ask the Scottish Executive what its response is to the proposed reduction or removal of funding to Borders Women's Aid by Scottish Borders Council.

Question reference: S1W-22329

Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 24 January 2002
Current Status: Answered by Peter Peacock on 14 February 2002

To ask the Scottish Executive what its position is on planned cuts to the continuing education program in the Scottish Borders Council area, reported in The Southern Reporter on 24 January 2002, and what action it will take on this matter.

Question reference: S1W-22565

Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 31 January 2002
Current Status: Answered by Peter Peacock on 14 February 2002

To ask the Scottish Executive what its response is to the proposal by Scottish Borders Council to introduce charges for adaptations to the property of people with a disability based on an assessment of ability to contribute to the costs.

Question reference: S1W-22575

Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 31 January 2002
Current Status: Answered by Peter Peacock on 14 February 2002

To ask the Scottish Executive what its response is to the proposed reduction or removal of funding to Chest, Heart and Stroke Scotland by Scottish Borders Council.

Question reference: S1W-22564

Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 31 January 2002
Current Status: Answered by Peter Peacock on 14 February 2002

To ask the Scottish Executive what its response is to the proposal by Scottish Borders Council to introduce means-testing for adaptations to the property of people with a disability.

Question reference: S1W-22574

Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 31 January 2002
Current Status: Answered by Peter Peacock on 14 February 2002

To ask the Scottish Executive what its response is to the proposed reduction or removal of funding to the Borders Carers Centre by Scottish Borders Council.

Question reference: S1W-22577

Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 31 January 2002
Current Status: Answered by Peter Peacock on 14 February 2002

To ask the Scottish Executive what its response is to the proposed reduction or removal of funding to the Eyemouth and District Disability Association by Scottish Borders Council.