- 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: Wednesday, 12 March 2003
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Current Status:
Answered by Lewis Macdonald on 25 March 2003
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-33691 by Lewis Macdonald on 25 February 2003, what body will be responsible for carrying out the performance impact studies and issuing of regulatory dispensations for each rail project and what impact a negative study or non-issue of such dispensation would have on each project.
Answer
Network Rail in partnership with the promoter are responsible for assessing the impact on operational performance of rail projects. Together, they agree bilaterally on the impact of projects and submit their calculations to The Office of the Rail Regulator (ORR) to evaluate. The ORR in consultation with the Strategic Rail Authority has the power to adjust/reset benchmarks accordingly.
- Asked by: Andrew Wilson, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 14 March 2003
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Current Status:
Answered by Malcolm Chisholm on 24 March 2003
To ask the Scottish Executive what specialist paediatric services are available for sufferers of Sever's disease in (a) Scotland and (b) the Cumbernauld and Kilsyth constituency, detailing the level of service each individual unit can provide.
Answer
This information is available from NHS boards and trusts whose responsibility it is to ensure that there is a range of services in place that best meets the needs of their local population.
- Asked by: Andrew Wilson, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 14 March 2003
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Current Status:
Answered by Malcolm Chisholm on 24 March 2003
To ask the Scottish Executive what the reasons are for a wheelchair not being provided to a 12-year-old resident of the Cumbernauld and Kilsyth constituency suffering severe debilitation from Sever's disease in both feet and receiving treatment at Monklands Hospital.
Answer
This is an operational matter for Lanarkshire NHS Board. The board has undertaken to investigate this matter on receipt of written details from the member, with your constituent's consent.
- 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 Jack McConnell on 20 March 2003
To ask the First Minister what action the Scottish Executive is taking to ensure that it has the full confidence of the business community.
Answer
We will build confidence in the business community through regular dialogue and by pursuing the right enterprise strategy for Scotland. We listen to business and their suggestions, as our important enterprise in education announcement earlier this week demonstrates.
- 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 Lewis Macdonald on 13 March 2003
To ask the Scottish Executive , with regard to its news release SE5565/2002 of 21 March 2002, why the works announced for the development and enhancement of facilities at Croy Station have yet to begin; what the reasons are for the delay, and what action it has taken to address the situation since the project was announced.
Answer
Delivery of the improved car parking at Croy Station announced in March 2002 is a matter for Strathclyde Passenger Transport Authority.I understand that the contract for this work has now been awarded, and site clearance is due to start this month.
- Asked by: Andrew Wilson, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 27 February 2003
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Current Status:
Answered by Iain Gray on 7 March 2003
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-34021 by Iain Gray on 24 February 2003, how many claims for monies owed under the individual learning account scheme are still being investigated; how many learning providers are involved, and how much is outstanding in each case whilst the validation process continues.
Answer
A number of learning providers either remain under investigation by the Scottish authorities or, in respect of certain learning providers based in England, have been referred to the Department for Education and Skills' Special Investigations Unit. Search warrants have been executed in relation to 10 learning providers in Scotland and investigations are continuing. Some 9,500 claims, the total value of which is £1.9 million, are being withheld in these cases.
- Asked by: Andrew Wilson, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 27 February 2003
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Current Status:
Answered by Iain Gray on 7 March 2003
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-34019 by Iain Gray on 24 February 2003, whether the estimate that individual learning account fraud occurred in around 3% of training providers, given by the then Minister for Enterprise, Transport and Lifelong Learning to the Enterprise and Lifelong Learning Committee on 17 April 2002 (Official Report, c 2546), remains the most accurate estimate; what the reasons were for that estimate, and what the current position is.
Answer
The 3% estimate given by my predecessor in April 2002 was based on the results of validation fieldwork carried out between January and March 2002. The further validation work carried out since March 2002 indicates that the 3% quoted last April remains a reasonably accurate estimate of the incidence of possible fraud.
- Asked by: Andrew Wilson, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 27 February 2003
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Current Status:
Answered by Iain Gray on 7 March 2003
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-34021 by Iain Gray on 24 February 2003, how many claims for monies owed under the individual learning account scheme have now been satisfactorily validated; on what dates payments were made in respect of such claims, and how much was involved in each case.
Answer
Details of claims that have been validated and paid are set out in the following table. The validation of claims and authorisation of payments were conducted separately by Scottish Enterprise and Highlands and Islands Enterprise in respect of Individual Learning Account learners in their respective areas. The details given are split accordingly.
| Date | Number of Providers Paid | Amount Paid | Number of Providers Paid | Amount Paid |
| Scottish Enterprise | Highlands and Islands Enterprise |
| 25 Oct 01 | 195 | £486,057.33 | | |
| 01 Nov 01 | 182 | £388,088.69 | | |
| 08 Nov 01 | 211 | £312,771.02 | 61 | £33,315.99 |
| 15 Nov 01 | 209 | £289,002.45 | 56 | £40,716.09 |
| 22 Nov 01 | 217 | £264,894.87 | 61 | £27,255.53 |
| 14 Feb 02 | 347 | £1,384,942.57 | 125 | £187,462.51 |
| 28 Feb 02 | 34 | £56,214.78 | 4 | £18,285.00 |
| 11 Apr 02 | 33 | £431,602.08 | 9 | £52,495.50 |
| 06 Jun 02 | 44 | £115,547.99 | 26 | £23,916.41 |
| 17 Jul 02 | 19 | £16,110.83 | 10 | £7,665.00 |
| 12 Sep 02 | 20 | £12,771.60 | 7 | £958.00 |
| 09 Jan 03 | 8 | £6,257.35 | 5 | £1,115.55 |
| Total | | £3,764,261.56 | | £393,185.58 |
