- Asked by: Alex Neil, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 06 November 2006
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Current Status:
Answered by Tom McCabe on 20 November 2006
To ask the Scottish Executive what the (a) main items of expenditure and (b) total costs were in respect of the operation, maintenance, rent, upgrade and any other associated costs of Bute House, the official residence for the First Minister, in each of the last five years.
Answer
I shall reply to the member as soon as possible.
- Asked by: Alex Neil, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 24 October 2006
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Current Status:
Answered by Malcolm Chisholm on 20 November 2006
To ask the Scottish Executive what agreement it has reached with HM Customs and Excise on VAT indemnity, in light of the Ministerial Progress Group on Second Stage Transfers’ view that the issue should be resolved before the second stage transfer of Glasgow’s housing stock.
Answer
Discussions are on-going betweenthe Scottish Executive, HM Revenue and Customs and Glasgow Housing Association inrelation to the VAT arrangement and second stage transfers.
- Asked by: Alex Neil, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 08 November 2006
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Current Status:
Answered by Allan Wilson on 17 November 2006
To ask the Scottish Executive what the budget for implementing its construction industry strategy has been in each of the last three years, also showing (a) actual spend and (b) outcomes.
Answer
The implementation of the strategyfor the construction industry, in line with the recommendations of the ModernisingConstruction Strategy Group, is being pursued by Scottish Enterprise and is an operationalmatter for them. It takes the form of funding for SE Construction Skills Actionplan, CSAP, (£35 million 2003-10) and the operation of the Scottish ConstructionForum. Scottish Enterprise has supplied the following update:
Construction Skills Action Plan(CSAP)
Spend
2003-04: £1,445,752.
2004-05: £2,658,705.
2005-06: £7,516,308.
Outcomes:
Provision of training.
Workforce development.
Employment creation support.
Capital investment infurther education college training infrastructure.
To date these activities haveachieved:
800 people into jobs.
436 adult modern apprentices.
15,797 existing workers trained.
383 construction managers undertakingtraining.
5,000 youth construction MAsin training.
1,480 new apprenticeship trainingplaces created in colleges.
Scottish Construction Forum
Spend
2003-04: £72,511.
2004-05: £213,383.
2005-06: 251,770.
Outcomes:
Fees and operating costs offorum.
Industry research and mapping.
Knowledge exchange seminars.
Construction demonstration projects.
Development support for ScottishConstruction Innovation and Excellence Centre.
- Asked by: Alex Neil, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 31 October 2006
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Current Status:
Answered by Robert Brown on 14 November 2006
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-28965 by Peter Peacock on 31 October 2006, whether the statement that information is not held centrally in the form requested indicates that the Executive does hold information on expenditure on school buses and, if so, to what such information pertains.
Answer
The information held centrallyon school transport relates to gross expenditure on all forms of school transport,and cannot be disaggregated to identify expenditure on dedicated school buses.
- Asked by: Alex Neil, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 31 October 2006
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Current Status:
Answered by Robert Brown on 14 November 2006
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-28963 by Peter Peacock on 31 October 2006, who it has commissioned to undertake the work to identify good practice in relation to school travel.
Answer
Following a tendering processa contract for the work was awarded to MVA Consultancy.
- Asked by: Alex Neil, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 02 October 2006
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Current Status:
Answered by Nicol Stephen on 14 November 2006
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it is its policy, or that of the Student Awards Agency for Scotland, to assess students who have gained a Higher National Diploma and subsequently choose to enter higher education at first year level as repeating a first year of study.
Answer
It is the current policy of the Scottish Executive that students who have gained a Higher National Diploma (HND)and subsequently choose to enter higher education at first year level areassessed as repeating a first year of study.
This policy is intended to encourageinstitutions to accept HND students into second or subsequent years and as aresult to improve articulation.
- Asked by: Alex Neil, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 24 October 2006
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Current Status:
Answered by Malcolm Chisholm on 14 November 2006
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has sought independent or external advice on the financial shortfall for second stage transfer (SST) of housing stock referred to in the “Financial Realities of SST” paper provided by Glasgow Housing Association in December 2005.
Answer
The Scottish Executive has hadaccess to various forms of advice on various financial issues related to SecondStage Transfers, including those referred to in Glasgow Housing Association’s paper.
- Asked by: Alex Neil, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 24 October 2006
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Current Status:
Answered by Malcolm Chisholm on 14 November 2006
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will ensure that any second stage transfer of housing stock in Glasgow will have a financially neutral effect on Glasgow Housing Association and its operations, as referred to in Glasgow City Council’s first stage consultation document.
Answer
It is one of the conditions ofSecond Stage Transfer that it should have a broadly neutral financial effect onGlasgow Housing Association.
- Asked by: Alex Neil, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 24 October 2006
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Current Status:
Answered by Malcolm Chisholm on 14 November 2006
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the statement by the Deputy Minister for Communities on 16 March 2006 that both the Deputy Minister and Minister for Communities view 2006 as a pivotal year for second stage transfer (SST) of housing stock in Glasgow, whether the ministers still consider this to be the case and, if so, when the first SST in Glasgow will take place.
Answer
The Scottish Executive stillconsiders that this is a pivotal year for Second Stage Transfers (SST). The workof the Joint Team on financial issues will be important in providing a shared evidencebase to allow the key partners to consider how best to move forward with SST. Wewould like the first transfer to take place as soon as possible so that lessonscan be learned and the process can be refined before other transfers take place.
- Asked by: Alex Neil, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 24 October 2006
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Current Status:
Answered by Malcolm Chisholm on 14 November 2006
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answers to questions S2W-23939 and S2W-28199 by Malcolm Chisholm and Johann Lamont on 16 March and 15 September 2006 respectively, when Communities Scotland’s guidance to clarify the process and nature of second stage transfer (SST) of housing stock will be issued and when it expects to receive and make public the findings of the Ministerial Progress Group on SST and the joint team of officials examining the complex financial issues raised by SST.
Answer
The Joint Team’s report on SecondStage Transfers is being finalised and will be made available soon. The draft guidanceon Second Stage Transfers has been available since 25 August 2006. The regulatoris currently analysing responses to the consultation on the draft guidance, whichended on 20 October. The guidance will be issued shortly, once these responses andthe findings of the Joint Team have been taken into account.
