- Asked by: Alex Neil, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 31 August 1999
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Current Status:
Answered by Henry McLeish on 14 September 1999
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will provide a detailed account of the role, remit and responsibilities of the Building and Land Committee of Enterprise Ayrshire, particularly in relation to the identification, processing, funding and contractual arrangements for initiatives and projects supported by Enterprise Ayrshire or Scottish Enterprise.
Answer
Local Enterprise Companies are private companies and their internal structure is a matter for them. I have however asked the Chairman of Scottish Enterprise to write to the member and will ensure that a copy of his reply is placed in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre (SPICe).
- Asked by: Alex Neil, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 31 August 1999
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Current Status:
Answered by Sam Galbraith on 14 September 1999
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it intends to review the disqualification of people aged 60 or over from being members of children's' panels.
Answer
I refer to my answer in response to Mr Bristow Muldoon's question on the same matter (S1W-1004).
- Asked by: Alex Neil, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 31 August 1999
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Current Status:
Answered by Sarah Boyack on 14 September 1999
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-805 by Sarah Boyack on 23 August 1999, whether it will confirm that the concessionary travel scheme will cover disabled people as well as blind people.
Answer
The concessionary travel scheme concerned relates to travel by blind people only.
- Asked by: Alex Neil, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 30 August 1999
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Current Status:
Answered by Frank McAveety on 13 September 1999
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it is satisfied that East Ayrshire Council has successfully implemented the new financial management system for its DLO-related activities as recommended by the Audit Commission.
Answer
East Ayrshire's external auditor has been monitoring the actions the Council has taken to improve its financial management systems and will comment on any issues as part of the audit of the Council's 1998-99 accounts. Any outstanding issues will be dealt with by the Controller of Audit's follow up statutory report.
- Asked by: Alex Neil, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 30 August 1999
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Current Status:
Answered by Sarah Boyack on 13 September 1999
To ask the Scottish Executive what the current status is of plans for A71 by-passes in the Irvine valley.
Answer
Any development of plans for bypasses on the A71, which is a local road, is a matter for the local authorities concerned.
- Asked by: Alex Neil, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 23 August 1999
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Current Status:
Answered by Henry McLeish on 6 September 1999
To ask the Scottish Executive further to the answer to question S1W-304 by Henry McLeish on 29 July 1999, how many employers have been involved in recruiting the 2,530 young people who have joined the New Deal employer option.
Answer
Employment policy is reserved to the UK Government which takes the lead on funding and delivery of the New Deal. In Scotland it does this in partnership with the Scottish Executive and contributing Scottish organisations, as indicated in the answer to S1W-1031.Information about the number of employers who have taken on New Deal recruits is not available.
- Asked by: Alex Neil, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 23 August 1999
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Current Status:
Answered by Henry McLeish on 6 September 1999
To ask the Scottish Executive further to the answer to question S1W-302 by Henry McLeish on 29 July 1999, how many employers recruited the 5,570 people who obtained employment through the New Deal Gateway and how many of these employers had not signed a New Deal employer agreement prior to this recruitment.
Answer
Employment policy is reserved to the UK Government which takes the lead on funding and delivery of the New Deal. In Scotland it does this in partnership with the Scottish Executive and contributing Scottish organisations, as indicated in the answer to S1W-1031.Information about the number of employers who have taken on New Deal recruits is not available.
- Asked by: Alex Neil, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 23 August 1999
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Current Status:
Answered by Henry McLeish on 6 September 1999
To ask the Scottish Executive what percentage of young people who have completed their 6 month period on the New Deal were in the same employment 13 weeks later.
Answer
Employment policy is reserved to the UK Government, which takes the lead on funding and delivery of the New Deal. In Scotland it does this in partnership with the Scottish Executive and contributing Scottish organisations, as indicated in the answer to S1W-1031.The Employment Service Research and Development database is client-based and will not track whether a person's employment is the same or if they have moved to a different employer. The database can only track New Deal clients returning to Jobseekers' Allowance/New Deal. Figures to the end of June 1999 show that, a total of 10,120 people had secured sustained employment through New Deal. A sustained job is one from which the participant does not return to claim benefit, or transfer to another option, within 13 weeks. This includes those who have been in employment for less than 13 weeks, but who have not yet returned to JSA.
- Asked by: Alex Neil, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 23 August 1999
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Current Status:
Answered by Henry McLeish on 6 September 1999
To ask the Scottish Executive further to the answers to questions S1W-303 and S1W-304 by Henry McLeish on 29 July 1999, whether the maximum percentage of employers who have signed a New Deal employer agreement in Scotland and have also recruited a New Deal employee is 29%, and if so what steps are being taken to encourage the other 71% to recruit.
Answer
Employment Policy is reserved to the UK Government which therefore takes the lead on the funding and delivery of the New Deal throughout Great Britain, although in close consultation with its partners, including the Scottish Executive. Many partner organisations at local level also provide New Deal services under contract or provide funds and other resources, including training funds to enhance the quality of new Deal in their areas. The public and voluntary sector organisations which contribute to the New Deal in this way fall within the remit of the Scottish Executive.
Information on the number of employers who have taken on New Deal recruits is not available.There is a range of New Deal vacancies for suitable young people, to offer them a choice. At the same time, a number of measures are being tested. These include the intensification of the Gateway, in order to make New Deal clients more attractive to prospective employers.
- Asked by: Alex Neil, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 23 August 1999
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Current Status:
Answered by Henry McLeish on 6 September 1999
To ask the Scottish Executive to provide a breakdown of the expenditure to date, including the allowance element, on each New Deal programme other than the New Deal for Young People in Scotland.
Answer
Employment policy is reserved to the UK Government. The Department for Education and Employment, along with the Department of Social Security for some programmes, takes the lead on funding and delivery of the New Deal. In Scotland it does this in partnership with the Scottish Executive and contributing Scottish organisations.
The expenditure on each New Deal programme other than the New Deal for Young People in Scotland from April 1998 to July 1999 was:
(a) New Deal 50 plus: Programme not yet commenced. Pathfinders due to start in October 1999.
(b) New Deal 25 plus: £5.6m
(c) New Deal for Partners of Unemployed People: £0.05m
(d) New Deal for Disabled People: £0.3m
(e) New Deal for Lone Parents: £2.3m
The figure for New Deal 25 plus includes spending on employment subsidies. The other New Deal programmes listed do not offer an employment subsidy, but the figures given include various other allowance payments.In addition, there are central running and marketing costs for each programme which have not been included in these figures.
