- Asked by: Andrew Wilson, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 03 March 2003
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Current Status:
Answered by Des McNulty on 7 March 2003
To ask the Scottish Executive how many households in the Cumbernauld and Kilsyth constituency have been (a) refused and (b) provided with heating systems under its Central Heating Installation Programme in each year since the programme became operational.
Answer
Eaga do not collect statistics on the number of applications refused. They collect cumulative statistics on the number of installations by main postcode area, not constituency area. The main postcode area covering Cumbernauld and Kilsyth is G. Eaga tell us that they have installed 2,877 central heating systems in the G postcode area between the autumn of 2000 and 28 February 2003.
- Asked by: Andrew Wilson, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 03 March 2003
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Current Status:
Answered by Des McNulty on 7 March 2003
To ask the Scottish Executive why a 96-year-old resident in the Cumbernauld and Kilsyth constituency, whose home has two 40-year-old storage heaters, in the living room and hallway, that were described in representations by North Lanarkshire Social Work Department as leaving the hallway "like a fridge", has been refused a new central heating system under its Central Heating Installation Programme, following representations from the local councillor, friends and the social work department.
Answer
Eligibility for the Central Heating Installation Programme is dependent on a number of factors, including whether there is any form of heating in the house already. In September 2002 the Scottish Executive announced that the programme would be extended from April 2004 to elderly people over 80 living in homes with partial or poorly functioning systems. However, the case raised in the question does concern me and I will investigate further and write to you.
- Asked by: Andrew Wilson, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 03 March 2003
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Current Status:
Answered by Des McNulty on 7 March 2003
To ask the Scottish Executive how many households in the Motherwell and Wishaw constituency have been (a) refused and (b) provided with heating systems under its Central Heating Installation Programme in each year since the programme became operational.
Answer
Eaga do not collect statistics on the number of applications refused. They collect cumulative statistics on the number of installations by main postcode area, not constituency area. The main postcode area covering Motherwell and Wishaw is ML. Eaga tell us that they have installed 216 central heating systems in the ML postcode area between the autumn of 2000 and 28 February 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 Lewis Macdonald on 25 February 2003
To ask the Scottish Executive , with regard to its news release SEET240/2003 of 22 January 2003, on what date (a) a performance impact study was completed and (b) regulatory dispensation for the works was received in respect of each rail project, broken down by the authorising or consulting body in each case.
Answer
Performance impact studies will be carried out and regulatory dispensations will be sought as the detailed specification for each rail scheme is developed.
- Asked by: Andrew Wilson, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 13 February 2003
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Current Status:
Answered by Iain Gray on 24 February 2003
To ask the Scottish Executive how many job losses have occurred to date as a result of the termination of the individual learning accounts scheme and how it calculated this figure.
Answer
I am unable to comment on the number of job losses which may have occurred due to the individual learning account scheme's withdrawal, as this information is not held centrally.
- Asked by: Andrew Wilson, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 13 February 2003
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Current Status:
Answered by Iain Gray on 24 February 2003
To ask the Scottish Executive how many learning providers under the individual learning account scheme have been identified as having been involved in fraudulent activity and what this figure represents as a proportion of the total number of accounts opened.
Answer
Fraud has not yet been proven in relation to any learning provider, although investigations are on-going in a number of cases. It is not, therefore, possible to state the proportion of fraudulent activity in relation to accounts opened. It will ultimately be a matter for the Procurator Fiscal Service to decide whether proceedings should be raised, and for the courts to determine whether fraud has been committed.
- Asked by: Andrew Wilson, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 13 February 2003
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Current Status:
Answered by Iain Gray on 24 February 2003
To ask the Scottish Executive whether the investigation into fraudulent activity involving the individual learning account scheme has been completed and, if not, when the investigation will be complete.
Answer
Investigations into potentially fraudulent activity have not yet been completed. Crown Office advises that the investigative process is likely to be a lengthy one and I cannot yet say when it will be completed.
- Asked by: Andrew Wilson, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 13 February 2003
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Current Status:
Answered by Iain Gray on 24 February 2003
To ask the Scottish Executive how many (a) reports have been referred to procurators fiscal and (b) arrests have been made in relation to identified fraudulent activity involving the individual learning account scheme.
Answer
Search warrants have been executed in respect of a number of learning providers who are presently being considered by Crown Office, ahead of possible referral to procurators fiscal. A large quantity of documentation and computer records has been recovered, analysis of which is likely to be a lengthy task. No case has yet been referred to procurators fiscal and it is understood that no arrests have yet been made.
- Asked by: Andrew Wilson, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 13 February 2003
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Current Status:
Answered by Iain Gray on 24 February 2003
To ask the Scottish Executive what the total cost has been of the investigation into fraudulent activity under the individual learning account scheme; what amount has been budgeted for any further investigations, and from which departmental budget such amounts will be met.
Answer
Investigations into potentially fraudulent and irregular activity under the individual learning account (ILA) scheme have not yet been concluded. Until they are, the total cost of the investigations cannot be established. While a specific budget for the investigations has not been set, the cost-effectiveness of the process is being kept under review. Direct costs, thus far, have been met from the ILA budget administered by the enterprise networks on behalf of the Enterprise, Transport and Lifelong Learning Department.
- Asked by: Andrew Wilson, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 13 February 2003
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Current Status:
Answered by Iain Gray on 24 February 2003
To ask the Scottish Executive what improvements it is considering for inclusion in the administrative structure of a successor to the individual learning account scheme to overcome any difficulties experienced in the first.
Answer
My department has undertaken a thorough review of the original individual learning account scheme, drawing on independent evaluation and extensive stakeholder consultation. The new scheme will incorporate a range of improvements, taking full account of the lessons learned from our experience of the first scheme. I will say more on this when I have had the opportunity to consider the recommendations of the Audit Scotland report on the first individual learning account scheme in Scotland, which is due to be published shortly.
