- Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Thursday, 18 July 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Margaret Curran on 15 August 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive how it intends to take forward consideration of the recommendations arising from HM Treasury's cross-cutting review of the voluntary sector due to report at the end of July 2002.
Answer
The Scottish Executive is currently considering the recommendations arising from HM Treasury's cross-cutting review of the voluntary sector and how this will impact on the work being undertaken by the Executive.
- Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Thursday, 18 July 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Iain Gray on 15 August 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive what support it is providing to Construction Best Practice Clubs.
Answer
The Construction Best Practice Programme is a key part of Rethinking Construction and works to find the most efficient ways of distributing the innovations and best practice captured by the Demonstration Projects Programme and Best Practice Clubs.The Scottish Executive supports the principles of Rethinking Construction as a means of delivering best practice and improvements in the construction industry. Scottish Enterprise has agreed to lead a Rethinking Construction initiative. In addition, the Executive supports and promotes best practice through the funding of Pulling Together Scotland.
- Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Thursday, 18 July 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Iain Gray on 15 August 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive what action it is taking to embed the principles of the Rethinking Construction Initiative in housing investment in the socially rented sector, the schools PPP programme and the planning and building standards framework.
Answer
The Scottish Executive supports the principles of Rethinking Construction as a means of delivering best practice and improvements in the construction industry and seeks, where possible, to embed Rethinking Construction principles into policy and implementation.Communities Scotland is introducing new policies and procedures for Registered Social Landlords in order to embed the principles of Rethinking Construction. The object is to secure an improved and cost-effective service from the construction industry for the benefit of tenants.The Public Private Partnership (PPP) process encourages innovation through consortium working to secure effective delivery of projects. The councils participating in the schools PPP programme will be given training and guidance specific to PPP. However, it is a matter for PPP service contractors to decide whether to apply the principles of Rethinking Construction to building procurement within individual school building programmes.We have embarked on a wide-ranging modernisation of the planning system. A number of the initiatives, in particular the recently announced reforms of development planning and the Executive's commitment to higher design standards, support the aims of Rethinking Construction.The modernising of the building control system, which will follow from the proposed Building Bill, will respond to several aspects of the Rethinking Construction initiative, including leadership, focus on the customer, and an integrated team to increase productivity and predictability.
- Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Thursday, 18 July 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Margaret Curran on 15 August 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive whether there are any plans to refresh the Compact with the voluntary sector.
Answer
We are currently in the process of developing an agenda to re-vitalise the Compact and its Good Practice Guides. A Compact Review Group was set up in November 2000, comprising Executive and voluntary sector officials to monitor implementation of the Compact and report to Scottish ministers. The last report on the Compact was published and debated in the Scottish Parliament on 26 September 2001. The review group has now been re-established to ensure the outcomes of the 2001 report are implemented. This group had its first meeting on 3 July 2002.
- Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Thursday, 18 July 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Iain Gray on 15 August 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive what measures it is taking to help the construction industry improve its productivity, competitiveness and value for clients.
Answer
The Scottish Executive supports the principles of Rethinking Construction as a means of delivering best practice and improvements in the construction industry. Scottish Enterprise have agreed to lead a Rethinking Construction initiative, in consultation with Communities Scotland and other stakeholders, using their established clusters approach. Central to this initiative is the creation of a Core Industry Group supported by a wider Rethinking Construction Panel.The Executive has provided £39,500 to fund a secondee for 12 months until the end of September 2002 as part of a knowledge management project called Pulling Together Scotland. As a result, a website has been established to provide information on Rethinking Construction best practice activities in Scotland, assisting the industry and its stakeholders to share information and work in a more joined-up manner.
- Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 17 July 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Allan Wilson on 14 August 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive what investment is already committed and planned to improve the quality of Scotland's beaches.
Answer
During the period 1996-2002, the Scottish water authorities spent £407.5 million on coastal sewerage and wastewater treatment. Over the period 2002-06 Scottish Water is planning to spend £427.4 million on sewerage and sewage treatment, of which £50.9 million will be used to make improvements at bathing and other, non-identified, recreational and coastal waters.On 10 July 2002 the Scottish Executive announced £3 million investment to facilitate improvements in bathing waters standards where agricultural practices are a major contributor to pollution. £550,000 to be spent on litter initiatives through Keep Scotland Beautiful was announced on the same day, which will also benefit Scotland's beaches.
- Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 17 July 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Allan Wilson on 14 August 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive under what circumstances it has the power to compel local authorities to erect signage on beaches advising members of the public of bathing quality, given some of the potential health ha'ards associated with poor water quality.
Answer
I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-27702.
- Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 17 July 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Allan Wilson on 14 August 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it or any other agency measures incidents of illness caused by bathing at beaches where there is poor water quality.
Answer
The total number of incidents of illness caused by bathing at waters where there is poor water quality is not identifiable from centrally collected information. ISD Scotland (the Information and Statistics Division of the NHS) can identify cases where illness is caused by certain related factors, but do not routinely monitor these detailed statistics. It appears, however, that such incidents are extremely uncommon.The Environment Agency has carried out theoretical risk calculations for all UK bathing waters, based on a methodology developed by the World Health Organisation, and reported data for the presence of faecal indicator organisms. If the World Health Organisation methodology is correct, this work would give estimates of the occurrence of illness given particular levels of water quality and use. No systematic record of the use of Scottish bathing waters is, however, kept.
- Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 17 July 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Allan Wilson on 14 August 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has issued guidance to local authorities on the erection of signage on beaches advising members of the public of bathing quality.
Answer
I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-27702.
- Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 17 July 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Mary Mulligan on 14 August 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will increase, or encourage an increase of, funding for local councils on alcohol to ensure that delivery of its Plan for Action on Alcohol Problems is secured.
Answer
The Executive recognises the valuable contribution made by voluntary sector organisations, including Local Councils on Alcohol, in providing services and in other action in the plan. The Executive is providing core funding of £175,000 in 2002-03 for Alcohol Focus Scotland, the national umbrella body for local councils. The provision of local services, however, is a matter for local funding bodies to determine, in the light of local needs and available resources.