- Asked by: Alex Neil, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 15 February 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Jackie Baillie on 29 February 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has for improving facilities for disabled people in Scotland and in particular whether it intends to introduce any new legislation in this area.
Answer
In December 1999 the UK-wide Disability Rights Task Force (DRTF) reported on a comprehensive review of the Disability Discrimination Act (DDA). The Executive is considering the DRTF recommendations although any new legislation would be reserved to the UK Parliament. Meanwhile, the remaining provisions of the DDA on access to goods and services are being implemented between now and 2004. For example, from 1 October 1999 service providers are required to make reasonable adjustments for disabled people, such as providing extra help or making changes to the way they provide services. From 2004 it is intended that service providers will have to make reasonable adjustments to the physical features of their premises to overcome physical barriers to access.
- Asked by: Alex Neil, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 15 February 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Jack McConnell on 29 February 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive to provide a breakdown of the Special Deprivation Allowance by local authority for the current financial year and each of the next two years.
Answer
We agreed with CoSLA that special deprivation payments for 2000-01 should be targeted, as follows, at those councils experiencing higher levels of deprivation: Clackmannanshire (£0.13 million), Dundee City (£1.6 million), East Ayrshire (£1.1 million), Eilean Siar (£0.17 million), City of Glasgow (£8.7 million), Inverclyde (£0.9 million), North Ayrshire (£1.2 million), North Lanarkshire (£2.9 million), Renfrewshire (£1.4 million), South Lanarkshire (£1.5 million) and West Dunbartonshire (£1.0 million).The payments are for 2000-01 only, pending the completion of a review of the account taken of indicators of deprivation and poverty within the local government finance distribution system.
- Asked by: Alex Neil, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 15 February 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Sarah Boyack on 29 February 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive what the current status is of the proposed Glasgow Southern Orbital road in respect of the planning and other statutory procedures which require to be undertaken prior to commencement and whether it will provide a detailed breakdown of the sequence of activities between now and the issuing of invitations to tender for the construction contract.
Answer
The Glasgow Southern Orbital Route is being jointly promoted by East Renfrewshire and South Lanarkshire Councils as a local authority development. The scheme currently before Scottish Ministers comprises two Notices of Intention to Develop. In addition, each council has promoted a Compulsory Purchase Order and a Side Roads Order. These Orders, which are deemed necessary by them to facilitate the building of the road, are currently the subject of objections. Negotiations between the Councils and the objectors are ongoing.
In the event of the objections to the Orders not being withdrawn, the parties have the right to be heard at a Public Local Inquiry (PLI). In such a case, papers would be passed to the Scottish Executive Inquiry Reporters Unit whereupon relevant notice of the PLI would be issued to each of the organisations and individuals who had made representations concerning the merits of the proposal.The sequence of other activities leading to the invitation to tender is a matter for East Renfrewshire and South Lanarkshire Councils, as promoters for the scheme.
- Asked by: Alex Neil, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 15 February 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Henry McLeish on 29 February 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive to provide a breakdown by area of the number of Individual Learning Accounts which have been taken up, the value of the public sector contributions to these accounts, the private sector leverage obtained to date, and the number of positive outcomes achieved to date.
Answer
Various aspects of the Individual Learning Account (ILA) concept have been tested through development projects running across the UK. One official ILA development project is currently running in the Grampian area, with a second project about to begin in the Lochaber area.The Grampian development project has been running for a period of six months. During this period 445 learners have taken up ILAs. Learners contributed at least £25 themselves and by so doing were able to access a public incentive of £150 - as such, individual contributions of £11,125 were made, with the value of public incentives available totalling £66,750. Employer contributions have varied from £0 - £500 per person. In terms of positive outcomes, all but a small number of the 445 learners have completed the learning in question (5% non-completion rate).In addition to the official development projects, the ESF Objective 4 programme has approved some Euro ILA programmes throughout Scotland. The best known of these is the Fife programme, set up in response to a number of large scale redundancies in the area. The Fife programme specifically targets small employers in the Fife area. An evaluation of this programme is available from Fife Enterprise Ltd.The Scottish Executive is committed to the development of a UK framework for ILAs for the launch of ILAs in autumn 2000.
- Asked by: Alex Neil, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 15 February 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Jackie Baillie on 29 February 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will provide a breakdown of the financial support which it and its executive agencies are providing to voluntary organisations in Scotland during the current financial year and the forecast level of support for each of the next two years.
Answer
The table below shows the level of funding made available by The Scottish Office to voluntary organisations for 1998-99 by Department. An exercise is due to commence shortly to update this database to show funding from the Scottish Executive. That information will show outturn figures for 1998-99 and 1999-2000 and planned funding for 2000-01.
It is also planned to collect data relating to the funding of voluntary organisations by executive agencies. At present this information is not readily available. I will arrange for this information to be made available once it has been collected.
Department | £ |
Agriculture Environment & Fisheries | 4,153,214 |
Development | 2,186,837 |
Education and Industry | 8,937,282 |
Health | 1,036,700 |
Home | 6,553,473 |
| | |
Total | 22,867,506 |
- Asked by: Alex Neil, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 11 February 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Sarah Boyack on 25 February 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive what the current status is of the proposed upgrade of the A77 between Fenwick and Malletsheugh in respect of the planning and other statutory procedures which require to be undertaken prior to commencement and whether it will provide a detailed breakdown of the sequence of activities between now and the issuing of invitations to tender for the construction contract.
Answer
The following orders for the M77 scheme were made on 17 December 1999:
The M77 Special Road (Fenwick to Floak) Special Road Scheme 1999
The M77 Special Road (Fenwick to Floak) Side Roads Order 1999
The M77 Special Road (Fenwick to Floak) (Supplementary) Side Roads Order 1999
The M77 Special Road (Fenwick to Floak) Side Roads (No.2) Order 1999
The M77 Special Road (Fenwick to Floak) Appropriation Order 1999
The M77 Special Road (Fenwick to Floak) Compulsory Purchase Order 1999
The M77 Special Road (Floak to Malletsheugh) Special Road Scheme 1999
The M77 Special Road (Floak to Malletsheugh) Side Roads Order 1999
The M77 Special Road (Floak to Malletsheugh) Appropriation Order 1999
The M77 Special Road (Floak to Malletsheugh) Compulsory Purchase Order 1999
The following orders will be made shortly:
The M77 Special Road (Fenwick to Floak) Extinguishment of Public Rights of Way Order 2000
The A77 Trunk Road (Fenwick to Floak) de-trunking Order 2000
The M77 Special Road (Floak to Malletsheugh) Extinguishment of Public Rights of Way Order 2000
The A77 Special Road (Floak to Malletsheugh) de-trunking Order 2000 The main activities remaining are minor adjustments to the design to take account of changes to farm accesses, drainage and landscaping. These changes are likely to result in supplementary side road and land orders. The preparation of the tender document will follow, with ground investigation and archaeological investigations to be undertaken. My officials are working to a programme to invite tenderers to submit bids for a Design Build Finance and operate (PPP) contract in Spring 2001 with a view to a contract being awarded in Spring 2002. Design and construction work will be undertaken in advance of the main contract to provide replacement holes at Eastwood Golf Course.
- Asked by: Alex Neil, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 11 February 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Sarah Boyack on 25 February 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will consider bringing forward the Fenwick to Floak section of the proposed A77 upgrade.
Answer
As I made clear in my announcement on the outcome of the Strategic Roads Review, the upgrading of the A77 between Malletsheugh and Fenwick will be undertaken as a single project and to the fastest timetable possible.
- Asked by: Alex Neil, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 11 February 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Sarah Boyack on 25 February 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has a preferred location for a new service station on the M77 between Malletsheugh and Fenwick once it is completed.
Answer
The Scottish Executive does not have a preferred location for Motorway Service Areas on the M77.
- Asked by: Alex Neil, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 11 February 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Sarah Boyack on 25 February 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive what its current assessment is of the viability of a public-private partnership for the proposed A77 upgrade between Fenwick and Malletsheugh.
Answer
I refer Mr Neil to my answer to question S1W-2395.
- Asked by: Alex Neil, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 11 February 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Sarah Boyack on 25 February 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive what its current estimate is of the likely vesting day for the A77 upgrade between Fenwick and Malletsheugh and for the proposed Glasgow Southern Orbital Road project.
Answer
Provided there are no objections to the Compulsory Purchase Orders which were published on 29 December, officials expect to conclude vesting for the land currently identified for the M77 later this year. The vesting date for the Glasgow Southern Orbital Road project will be a matter for East Renfrewshire Council and South Lanarkshire Council, the 2 local authorities promoting that project.
