- Asked by: Andrew Wilson, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 17 March 2003
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Current Status:
Answered by Margaret Curran on 31 March 2003
To ask the Scottish Executive whether Citi'ens Advice Bureaux, Age Concern Scotland or the banks are appropriate means by which pensioners may receive independent financial advice in relation to the proposed changes to the pension payment system and what the reasons are for the position on the matter.
Answer
Independent financial advisers and the companies they work for must be authorised by the Financial Services Authority; this is a reserved matter. Banks may only offer advice on their own products or services.The Executive appreciates that, in the normal course of their work, the organisations mentioned may respond to their clients' queries by advising on the consequences of the changes in benefits payments.
- Asked by: Andrew Wilson, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 17 March 2003
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Current Status:
Answered by Des McNulty on 31 March 2003
To ask the Scottish Executive what representations it has received about the redevelopment of Cumbernauld town centre; on what date and from whom each such representation was received; what the terms were of each representation, and what the outcome was and what the reasons were for its position in each case.
Answer
Issues regarding the redevelopment of Cumbernauld town centre are matters for North Lanarkshire Council, who are presently considering two planning applications related to development of the town centre. These applications have generated three objections. The Scottish Executive has not received representations about these particular proposals but did receive representations from Cathie Craigie MSP about an earlier town centre linked development.
- Asked by: Andrew Wilson, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 17 March 2003
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Current Status:
Answered by Margaret Curran on 31 March 2003
To ask the Scottish Executive what consultations it has had, or representations it has made, regarding proposed changes involving bank accounts to the pension payment system, detailing with whom each such contact was made and what the date, purpose and outcome was of each such contact.
Answer
Age Concern Scotland raised the change to direct payments at the December 2002 meeting of the Older People's Consultative Forum which is chaired by Mr Frank McAveety, Deputy Minister for Health and Community Care.Following that meeting, Mr McAveety wrote to the Secretary of State for Scotland to pass on those concerns.
- Asked by: Andrew Wilson, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 17 March 2003
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Current Status:
Answered by Allan Wilson on 31 March 2003
To ask the Scottish Executive what assistance it can provide any residents of the Luggiebank area of the Cumbernauld and Kilsyth parliamentary constituency who have concerns about the potential environmental and personal impact of activities associated with a local plastic coating company and how open the process for any such assistance would be with regard to providing information that would (a) allay fears should nothing be untoward and (b) allow full disclosure of any irregularities found.
Answer
The Executive is not aware of any environmental or public health issues concerning a plastic coating company in the Luggiebank area. If residents have any such concerns they should contact either the Scottish Environment Protection Agency's East Kilbride office or the Environmental Health Department of North Lanarkshire Council.
- Asked by: Andrew Wilson, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 17 March 2003
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Current Status:
Answered by Margaret Curran on 27 March 2003
To ask the Scottish Executive whether any issues could arise for it from the proposed changes involving bank accounts to the pension payments system; whether any such issues would be either short or long term; what action it will undertake to address each individual issue, and, if there is a financial aspect to addressing any issue, who would be responsible for the cost.
Answer
The Scottish Executive does not expect any issues in devolved areas to arise from the changes to payments of pensions. Pensions and benefits and banking are reserved matters.
- Asked by: Andrew Wilson, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 17 March 2003
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Current Status:
Answered by Des McNulty on 27 March 2003
To ask the Scottish Executive how many proposals have been submitted for the redevelopment of Cumbernauld town centre since its partial demolition; on what date each such proposal was submitted; to what local authority and by whom each proposal was submitted; how far each proposal has progressed in relation to planning permission; on what date and, in each case, why any proposals were discontinued, and what cost was incurred to public funds on each occasion.
Answer
These are all matters for North Lanarkshire Council as planning authority.
- Asked by: Andrew Wilson, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 17 March 2003
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Current Status:
Answered by Des McNulty on 27 March 2003
To ask the Scottish Executive what consultations it has carried out on the redevelopment of Cumbernauld town centre; what the dates were of each such consultation; who was consulted; what the terms and scope were of each consultation, and what the outcome was and what the reasons were for its position in each case.
Answer
The Scottish Executive has not carried out any consultations on the redevelopment of Cumbernauld town centre.
- Asked by: Andrew Wilson, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 17 March 2003
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Current Status:
Answered by Andy Kerr on 27 March 2003
To ask the Scottish Executive what social amenities that it would consider to be appropriate and desirable for a population the si'e of that in the Cumbernauld and Kilsyth parliamentary constituency are missing from Cumbernauld town centre and what action it will take in respect of this matter.
Answer
The Scottish Executive does not assess the social amenity requirements of individual areas. These judgements are primarily a matter for the relevant local authority, as is action to deal with any gaps in provision.
- Asked by: Andrew Wilson, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 17 March 2003
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Current Status:
Answered by Des McNulty on 27 March 2003
To ask the Scottish Executive for what specific reasons the proposals by the Cumbernauld Development Corporation for the redevelopment of Cumbernauld town centre have not been carried forward by North Lanarkshire Council.
Answer
These are matters for North Lanarkshire Council.
- Asked by: Andrew Wilson, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 17 March 2003
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Current Status:
Answered by Margaret Curran on 27 March 2003
To ask the Scottish Executive what issues have been identified with any of the systems proposed for the payment of pensions; whether any issues have a judicial aspect that may require the involvement of the Scottish Law Officers, and what action it has undertaken, or will undertake, to address each such issue.
Answer
The Scottish Executive recognises that there could be practical difficulties in identifying pensions and social security benefits when paid direct into a bank account if enforcement by arresting monies in bank accounts is attempted. In line with its commitment to continuing the existing principle of protecting subsistence levels of income from arrestment, the Scottish Executive included this concern in its consultation document
Enforcement of Civil Obligations in Scotland in April 2002. An independent analysis of the responses was published in November 2002. Both these documents are available on the Scottish Executive website at:
http://www.scotland.gov.uk/consultations/justice/CivOb-00.asp and
http://www.scotland.gov.uk/socialresearch.
