- Asked by: Linda Fabiani, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 16 February 2005
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Current Status:
Answered by Hugh Henry on 3 March 2005
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-3725 by Ms Margaret Curran on 12 November 2003, whether the general review of civil judicial statistics has been completed.
Answer
Phase 1 of the review of civil judicial statistics, consultation, is nearing completion.
A consultation document, Review of Civil Judicial Statistics was issued on 15 September 2004. The closing date was extended to 10 January 2005. Responsesare being analysed and the results will inform recommendations for any reform of the statistics.
- Asked by: Linda Fabiani, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 08 February 2005
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Current Status:
Answered by Andy Kerr on 3 March 2005
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to the supplementary question to S2O-5214 by Mr Andy Kerr on 3 February 2005 (Official Report, c 14265), how it determined that the three hospitals in the answer would not have been built under the policies of the Scottish National Party.
Answer
Under the Scottish National Party’s proposal to set up a Scottish Trust for Public Investment (STPI), borrowing would cost more than claimed, unless guaranteed by the Scottish Executive/Treasury in which case would require investments to be controlled within block “public expenditure” totals and “on balance sheet”.
PFI is not simply about borrowing money to fund construction costs from the private sector but is about creating a structure in which better value for money is achieved by looking at the project as whole over its life.
Whilst the cost of finance is a component of this structure, cheaper finance in itself does not necessarily mean better overall value for money. The optimisation of risk allocation, competition and innovation which PFI brings should more than offset the additional costs of financing.
- Asked by: Linda Fabiani, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 15 February 2005
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Current Status:
Answered by Hugh Henry on 3 March 2005
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has any plans to legislate to regulate builders' missives.
Answer
The Law Society of Scotland is consulting with developers and the home building industry organisation Homes for Scotland on the introduction of a new form of builders’ missive. The Society will then pilot the missive.
The Executive will consider the outcome of the pilot before making any decision on whether intervention is necessary.
- Asked by: Linda Fabiani, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 15 February 2005
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Current Status:
Answered by Hugh Henry on 3 March 2005
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will bring forward proposals for the reform of standard securities for mortgage purposes.
Answer
The Scottish Executive has no current plans for reform of standard securities for mortgage purposes. However, together with the Department of Trade and Industry, we are studying the Scottish Law Commission’s
Report on Registration of Rights in Security by Companies which is available at
http://www.scotlawcom.gov.uk/downloads/rep197.pdf.
- Asked by: Linda Fabiani, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 22 February 2005
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Current Status:
Answered by Hugh Henry on 3 March 2005
To ask the Scottish Executive whether the proposed Scottish human rights commission will have enforcement powers.
Answer
The Scottish Executive’s published proposals for the Scottish Human Rights Commission do not include it having formal enforcement powers. Enforcement of compliance with human rights legislation is a matter for the courts. The commission will be able to investigate and report on generic or sectoral human rights issues. To assist it in this role it will have powers of access to information.
- Asked by: Linda Fabiani, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 22 February 2005
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Current Status:
Answered by Hugh Henry on 3 March 2005
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to the first supplementary question to question S2O-5349 by Hugh Henry on 10 February 2005, which specific aspects of human rights will not fall within the purview of the proposed Scottish human rights commission.
Answer
As a body established by an Act of the Scottish Parliament, the Scottish Human Rights Commission’s remit will extend only to devolved issues. The commission will therefore not be able to exercise its functions in relation to issues that are wholly reserved under the Scotland Act.
- Asked by: Linda Fabiani, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 31 January 2005
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Current Status:
Answered by Margaret Curran on 3 March 2005
To ask the Scottish Executive how many Sewel motions since 1999 have resulted in increased (a) powers to the Parliament, (b) powers to Scottish ministers and (b) responsibilities for Scottish ministers.
Answer
There have been no bills, and hence no Sewel motions, to amend the powers of the Parliament. There have been Sewel motions for 44 Bills amending the functions of the Scottish ministers. The term “functions” is interpreted in line with the Scotland Act as including both powers and duties.
- Asked by: Linda Fabiani, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 22 February 2005
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Current Status:
Answered by Hugh Henry on 3 March 2005
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to the first supplementary question to question S2O-5349 by Hugh Henry on 10 February 2005, whether it will identify which specific human rights issues are reserved matters.
Answer
Reserved human rights issues are those which arise in relation to areas of public policy or law that are described as reserved in the Scotland Act.
- Asked by: Linda Fabiani, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 08 February 2005
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Current Status:
Answered by Malcolm Chisholm on 2 March 2005
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-4454 by Mrs Mary Mulligan on 15 December 2003, whether it received responses from the companies concerned regarding the rise in disconnections and, if so, what those responses were.
Answer
Officials met with the companiesconcerned in January and February 2004 and were given reassurances that steps hadbeen taken to ensure that the number of disconnections would not continue to rise.
In my recent meetings with fuelsupply companies, I have been reassured that companies are trying to keep the numberof disconnections to a minimum.
Disconnections for debt in Scotland havefallen sharply over the last year. In 2003, the total number was 756; in 2004 itwas 138.
- Asked by: Linda Fabiani, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 08 February 2005
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Current Status:
Answered by Malcolm Chisholm on 2 March 2005
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-6390 by Ms Margaret Curran on 24 March 2004, by what date it expects child poverty to be eradicated.
Answer
The Scottish Executive shares the UK Government’s commitment to eradicate child poverty by 2020.
