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 2507 questions Show Answers

Order by |

Question reference: S1W-16471

Asked by: Linda Fabiani, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 21 June 2001
Current Status: Answered by Sarah Boyack on 5 July 2001

To ask the Scottish Executive how the fares charged by Caledonian MacBrayne are reviewed and who has the authority to decide that these fares should be increased or decreased.

Caledonian MacBrayne Ltd is responsible for the level of individual fares within CFares, its general fare structure. It is required to seek approval by the Scottish ministers for proposed annual adjustments to average fares across its network. Under this requirement, the company was authorised to increase its average fares for 2001-02 by 2.5%, in line with our policy to protect fare levels on the company's lifeline ferry services.Last year I asked the company to undertake a review of its present fare structure. It appointed independent consultants to carry this out and the review has recently been completed, following two rounds of consultation with interested parties.

Question reference: S1W-16346

Asked by: Linda Fabiani, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 18 June 2001
Current Status: Answered by Sarah Boyack on 2 July 2001

To ask the Scottish Executive how it plans to ensure the continuation of the lifeline services operated by Caledonian MacBrayne.

I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-12632 on 23 January this year when I announced a package of provisional proposals which have been submitted to the European Commission and which I believe will provide a robust framework for the continued delivery of high quality lifeline ferry services to the Highlands and Islands.The Scottish Executive has remained in close touch with the European Commission and we hope to have the commission's views on the proposals shortly.

Question reference: S1W-16345

Asked by: Linda Fabiani, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 18 June 2001
Current Status: Answered by Sarah Boyack on 2 July 2001

To ask the Scottish Executive what plans there are to alter the ownership profile of Caledonian MacBrayne.

Question reference: S1W-15784

Asked by: Linda Fabiani, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 15 May 2001
Current Status: Answered by Sarah Boyack on 11 June 2001

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the supplementary answer to question S1O-3376 by Rhona Brankin on 10 May 2001, what evidence it has that outgoing trunk road operating companies neglected the clearing of litter from motorways during the final months of the old contracts and left a legacy for the new operating companies to address; who compiled any such evidence; what additional payments have been requested by or made to the new operating companies to clear any backlog, and whether any such additional costs would be recovered from the outgoing companies and, if so, how.

Question reference: S1O-03541

Asked by: Linda Fabiani, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 29 May 2001
Current Status: Answered by Margaret Curran on 6 June 2001

To ask the Scottish Executive how many residential properties owned by Scottish Homes there currently are in the Central Scotland electoral region and which body or bodies will assume ownership of these properties should the Housing (Scotland) Bill as amended at Stage 2 be enacted.

Question reference: S1W-15783

Asked by: Linda Fabiani, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 15 May 2001
Current Status: Answered by Jackie Baillie on 29 May 2001

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-14944 by Jackie Baillie on 30 April 2001, whether it has sought any information from voluntary organisations and charities on the extent of any loss of income which they have incurred due to the cancellation of countryside events because of the foot-and-mouth disease outbreak and whether it has any plans to introduce any compensation scheme for such organisations and charities.

The Scottish Executive has established an Economic Impact Assessment Group to identify the effect which foot-and-mouth disease is having across sectors and areas. The Executive is continuing to seek information on the implications of the outbreak on fundraising activities of voluntary organisations. Whilst the Executive is concerned at any implication the outbreak may have had on the voluntary sector, it has no plans to introduce a compensation scheme.The Executive recognises that the voluntary sector is playing an important role in helping those most affected by the foot-and-mouth disease outbreak. The Minister for Environment and Rural Development announced on 8 May details of the scheme to match donations by members of the public to voluntary organisations engaged in alleviating distress caused by foot-and-mouth disease in Scotland. The scheme will be administered by Scottish Community Foundation on behalf of the Executive.

Question reference: S1W-15436

Asked by: Linda Fabiani, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Friday, 27 April 2001
Current Status: Answered by Susan Deacon on 29 May 2001

To ask the Scottish Executive when Stonehouse Hospital in Lanarkshire is scheduled to close, what is planned for the site and when a decision will be made on who will develop the site.

Stonehouse Hospital is not closing. Rather, acute services have moved from the Stonehouse site to the New Hairmyres Hospital, while 40 continuing care beds are operational at Stonehouse and x-ray and physiotherapy services also remain in place. There are also proposals to enhance these and other services with a £3 million investment, which is included in the Health Department 2001/2 Capital Programme and will proceed subject to submission of a satisfactory full business case.

Question reference: S1W-15764

Asked by: Linda Fabiani, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 14 May 2001
Current Status: Answered by Jack McConnell on 29 May 2001

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-15127 by Mr Jack McConnell on 8 May 2001, how many students who had completed, by the end of June 2000, all relevant continuous assessment requirements for their HNC or HND courses are still awaiting receipt of their certificates from the Scottish Qualifications Authority.

The Scottish Qualifications Authority has issued 32,263 group award, including HNC and HND, certificates to candidates completing their course of study by 31 July 2000, the end of the academic year. It is not possible to provide a figure for candidates who have not yet received certificates, for two main reasons.First, a data matching process to reconcile differences between data held by the SQA and by FE colleges has to be completed. That process is now virtually complete: only one college is outstanding, and the processing of its data has been made a priority.Second, SQA has identified a number of cases in which college candidates' reference numbers, which are intended to be unique, have been at least duplicated. The possibility therefore arises that different elements of group awards for a candidate may be held on different reference numbers. A means of merging such duplicated candidate records is being developed urgently with priority given to cases where a group award may be merited, in order that outstanding certificates may be issued.FE colleges will, in most cases, have been able to provide students with their results and with provisional confirmation of their award, if needed by prospective employers or other educational institutions.

Question reference: S1W-15500

Asked by: Linda Fabiani, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 01 May 2001
Current Status: Answered by Jackie Baillie on 23 May 2001

To ask the Scottish Executive what the total cash value of discounts given under the right to purchase sections of the Tenants' Rights, Etc. (Scotland) Act 1980 and the Housing (Scotland) Act 1987 has been in each year since this right was introduced.

The table shows the total cash value of discounts given for sales of public sector dwellings which took place each year since 1 April 1979. The figures include discounts for right to buy, rent to mortgage and voluntary sales, all of which took place under the right to buy legislation, and include discounts on the sales of dwellings owned by local authorities, New Towns and Scottish Homes. Information on the discounts given in respect of housing association sales is not held centrally.Information on discounts given on public sector house sales which took place between April and December 2000 will be available towards the end of June 2001.

Period	Total Discount in cash prices (£000)
1979-80	12,853
1980-81	37,696
1981-82	73,339
1982-83	104,479
1983-84	130,756
1984-85	137,939
1985-86	130,696
1986-87	147,558
1987-88	262,867
1988-89	430,690
1989-90	521,754
1990-91	429,639
1991-92	380,670
1992-93	387,686
1993-94	367,331
1994-95	375,857
1995-96	285,963
1996-97	268,131
1997-98	299,475
1998-99	260,438
1999-2000	272,945

Question reference: S1W-15501

Asked by: Linda Fabiani, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 01 May 2001
Current Status: Answered by Jackie Baillie on 23 May 2001

To ask the Scottish Executive what the total value, expressed in today's prices, of all discounts given under the right to purchase sections of the Tenants' Rights, Etc. (Scotland) Act 1980 and the Housing (Scotland) Act 1987 has been in each year since this right was introduced.

The table shows the total value of discounts (in April 2001 prices) given for sales of public sector dwellings which took place each year since 1 April 1979. The figures include discounts for right to buy, rent to mortgage and voluntary sales, all of which took place under the right to buy legislation, and include discounts on the sales of dwellings owned by local authorities, New Towns and Scottish Homes. Information on the discounts given in respect of housing association sales is not held centrally.Information on discounts given on public sector house sales which took place between April and December 2000 will be available towards the end of June 2001.

Period	Total Discount in April 2001 prices (£000)
1979-80	39,274
1980-81	97,624
1981-82	169,764
1982-83	222,670
1983-84	266,469
1984-85	267,741
1985-86	239,149
1986-87	261,114
1987-88	446,539
1988-89	697,403
1989-90	783,989
1990-91	589,775
1991-92	493,588
1992-93	484,537
1993-94	451,919
1994-95	451,498
1995-96	331,994
1996-97	303,952
1997-98	329,137
1998-99	276,745
1999-2000	285,652