- 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: Thursday, 13 March 2003
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Current Status:
Answered by Margaret Curran on 27 March 2003
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has been asked by any party to provide financial assistance towards any compensation scheme for the homeowners of properties in the Ainslie Road and Macclehose Road area of the Cumbernauld and Kilsyth constituency and, if so, which parties made such requests, when and what its response was to each request.
Answer
The North Lanarkshire Council has asked the Scottish Executive to assist with the costs that would be involved should they proceed with a scheme to acquire and demolish the flats at Ainslie Road and Macclehose Road and rehouse the residents or provide assistance to acquire other accommodation. The council wrote to me in September 2002 to request assistance and I replied in October 2002 agreeing in principle to assist. The final decision will depend on the details of the council's proposals when they are received.
- Asked by: Andrew Wilson, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 13 March 2003
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Current Status:
Answered by Margaret Curran on 27 March 2003
To ask the Scottish Executive on what dates, and with whom, it has held discussions regarding the payment of compensation to homeowners of properties in the Ainslie Road and Macclehose Road area of the Cumbernauld and Kilsyth constituency.
Answer
On 4 March 2002 the then Minister for Social Justice, Iain Gray, met with Cathie Craigie who is the constituency MSP, North Lanarkshire Council and the local owners' association, AMAG, on the problems associated with the flats at Ainslie Road and Macclehose Road and possible ways forward. There have since been a number of follow-up discussions between those parties and the Scottish Executive which have included meetings that I have had with Ms Craigie on 3 September 2002, 13 January 2003 and 26 March 2003.
- Asked by: Andrew Wilson, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 03 February 2003
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Current Status:
Answered by Margaret Curran on 26 March 2003
To ask the Scottish Executive what bodies were responsible for construction defects affecting housing in Ainslie Road and Maclehose Road, Cumbernauld, and whether it will give details of the defects.
Answer
I understand that the flats at Ainslie Road and Maclehose Road, Cumbernauld were commissioned by the Cumbernauld Development Corporation in the late 1960s. Details of their structure are contained in a report dated October 2000 by A.J. Balfour & Associates and a report dated August 2001 by the Structural Partnership, a copy of each of which is available in the Parliament's Reference Centre (Bib. numbers 27050 and 27052).
- 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 26 March 2003
To ask the Scottish Executive what action it has undertaken, or will undertake, to ensure that older people will receive fully independent financial advice prior to the proposed changes to the pension payment system.
Answer
None. Independent financial advisers are regulated by the Financial Services Authority; this is a reserved matter.
- 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 Hugh Henry on 26 March 2003
To ask the Scottish Executive how many persons of pensionable age live in the (a) Cumbernauld and Kilsyth and (b) Motherwell and Wishaw parliamentary constituencies.
Answer
Latest results from the 2001 Census, published by the Registrar General on 25 March show that the number of persons of pensionable age living in the Cumbernauld and Kilsyth parliamentary constituency is 9,167, and in the Motherwell and Wishaw constituency is 13,363.
- 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 Patricia Ferguson on 26 March 2003
To ask the Scottish Executive what action it will undertake to ensure that all written questions submitted prior to the dissolution of the Parliament will be answered in full and made available to the public and what the reasons are for its position on the matter.
Answer
The Scottish Executive will ensure that all written Scottish parliamentary questions lodged by 17 March (the last date for lodging parliamentary questions in this parliamentary session) will be answered by 31 March 2003. If, however, the information requested is not available by this date the answer will indicate that the minister will write to the member as soon as possible with the information requested. A copy of the letter will also be sent to the Parliament's Chamber Desk for publication on the Parliament's website.These arrangements are in accord with the Procedures Committee's 1st Report 2003 Changes to Standing Orders concerning legislative matters, motions and lodging written questions agreed by the Parliament on 5 March.
- Asked by: Andrew Wilson, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 13 March 2003
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Current Status:
Answered by Margaret Curran on 26 March 2003
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-33679 by Margaret Curran on 18 February 2003, what the latest date is by which the discussions concerning compensation to homeowners in the Ainslie Road and Macclehose Road area of the Cumbernauld and Kilsyth constituency will be completed
Answer
The timetable for discussions concerning any compensation to homeowners in the Ainslie Road and Maclehose Road area of Cumbernauld is a matter for North Lanarkshire Council to determine.
- Asked by: Andrew Wilson, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 13 March 2003
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Current Status:
Answered by Margaret Curran on 26 March 2003
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-33681 by Margaret Curran on 21 February 2003, when the affected properties in the Ainslie Road and Macclehose Road area of the Cumbernauld and Kilsyth constituency were constructed; what each of the identified defects in construction was, detailing the effect each defect had on the property concerned, and on what date the legislation that prohibited the practices that formerly allowed each process now considered as defective was introduced.
Answer
Our understanding is that the properties in question were built in the 1960s.Details of the defects and their impact on the relevant properties are set out in reports by A.J. Balfour & Associates, dated October 2000 and the Structural Partnership, dated August 2001. Copies of each are available in the Parliament's Reference Centre (Bib. numbers 27050 and 27052). Advice and guidance on building practice, relating to the use of calcium chloride as an additive to accelerate the hardening of concrete, is contained in the British Standards Institution Codes of Practice. The 1977 amendment to Code of Practice 110 strongly recommended that calcium chloride should never be added to pre-stressed, reinforced concrete or concrete containing embedded metal. Code of Practice 110 was revised in 1985 and re-issued as Code of Practice 8110, which reiterated the previous advice.
- Asked by: Andrew Wilson, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 13 March 2003
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Current Status:
Answered by Margaret Curran on 26 March 2003
To ask the Scottish Executive what appeals processes will be available to homeowners in the Ainslie Road and Macclehose Road area of the Cumbernauld and Kilsyth constituency should they consider that any proposed or offered level of compensation is inadequate and how an appropriate level of independence will be assured in any such processes.
Answer
Should North Lanarkshire Council purchase the flats at Ainslie Road and Macclehose Road under Part IV of the Housing (Scotland) Act 1987 the compensation will, in each case, be determined by the District Valuer and any dispute as to the amount of compensation will be determined by the Lands Tribunal for Scotland.
