- Asked by: Des McNulty, MSP for Clydebank and Milngavie, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 08 March 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Iain Gray on 16 March 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive what is being done to reduce any stigma associated with mental health.
Answer
The Framework for Mental Health Services, launched in 1997, emphasises the need for all care agencies to publicise and improve the profile of mental health services in the community. Health boards - often working in partnership with Trusts, primary care agencies and local communities - undertake a range of local health promotion initiatives aimed at raising awareness of mental health issues, including stigma.Furthermore, the Health Education Board for Scotland promotes the reduction of stigma through their support of "Scottish Mental Health Week" and in the "Think About It" campaign aimed at young people.
- Asked by: Des McNulty, MSP for Clydebank and Milngavie, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 16 February 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Jack McConnell on 6 March 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive which five local authorities specifically have the highest levels of (i) child mortality, (ii) income support dependants, (iii) male and female and overall unemployment levels, (iv) lone parent households, (v) average number of children per lone parent household and (vi) average income, all in proportionate terms.
Answer
(i) Child mortality: The local authority areas with the highest average annual death rates per 100,000 population for persons aged under 16 for 1996-98 are as follows.
Stirling* | 98 |
West Dunbartonshire | 76 |
Glasgow City | 71 |
Eilean Siar | 64 |
Argyll & Bute | 63 |
Source: General Register Office for Scotland.
*If the children killed in the Dunblane tragedy in 1996 were excluded, the average figure for Stirling would be 64.
(ii) Income support claimants. The five local authorities with the highest proportions of income support claimants are:
1 | Glasgow City | 14.8% |
2 | West Dunbartonshire | 10.9% |
3 | Dundee City | 10.0% |
4 | Inverclyde | 10.0% |
5 | North Lanarkshire | 9.6% |
Source: Department of Social Security data for income support August 1999 divided by General Registrar Office for Scotland estimates for population. Figures on total numbers of dependants are not available at this level.
(iii) Unemployment rates. The highest male, female and total unemployment rates are as follows:
Unemployment rates, January 2000 |
Men | Women | All people |
| Glasgow City | 12.7% | North Ayrshire | 4.2% | Glasgow City | 8.5% |
| Dundee City | 11.0% | Clackmannanshire | 4.0% | East Ayrshire | 7.6% |
| East Ayrshire | 10.8% | East Ayrshire | 3.8% | North Ayrshire | 7.4% |
| West Dunbartonshire | 10.5% | Glasgow City | 3.6% | Eilean Siar | 7.2% |
| North Ayrshire | 10.0% | Eilean Siar | 3.6% | Dundee City | 7.2% |
Source: Office for National Statistics, Claimant Count & Labour Force Survey.
Note: Residence based rates used - Scottish Executive methodology.
(iv) Lone parent households. The latest estimates available are for 1996. The following five local authorities were estimated to have the highest proportions of lone parent households (strictly speaking households consisting of one adult and one or more children):
Glasgow City | 9.1% |
West Dunbartonshire | 8.0% |
Dundee City | 7.8% |
Inverclyde | 7.1% |
North Ayrshire | 6.8% |
Source: Scottish Executive estimates.(v) The average number of children per lone parent household. No up to date figures are available.
(vi) Average incomes. Data on average incomes are not available at local authority level. The following gives information on average weekly earnings. There would be no reason to assume that these authorities will have the highest incomes because of varying proportions of unemployed and retired people and others not working.
Aberdeen City | £423.2 |
Edinburgh City | £396.1 |
South Ayrshire | £387.0 |
Glasgow City | £373.1 |
Renfrewshire | £373.1 |
Source: Office for National Statistics New Earnings Survey data.Note: Figures represent average gross weekly earnings in April 1999, before deductions for tax and National Insurance contributions, for full time employees whose pay was not affected by absence. This excludes authorities where data is not reliable - Angus, Clackmannanshire, East Dunbartonshire, Eilean Siar, Midlothian, Orkney, Shetland and West Dunbartonshire.
- Asked by: Des McNulty, MSP for Clydebank and Milngavie, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 16 February 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Jack McConnell on 1 March 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive whether there is any link between lower per capita grant-aided expenditure redistribution and increased levels of council tax for individual local authorities.
Answer
Council tax levels are a matter for local authorities to determine having regard to their expenditure guidelines. Authorities take into account their level of grant and other income in determining council tax levels.
- Asked by: Des McNulty, MSP for Clydebank and Milngavie, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Thursday, 10 February 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Jack McConnell on 1 March 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive what percentage of the allocation of overall local authority funding is currently distributed on the basis of deprivation indicators and what indicators are used.
Answer
A significant proportion of the total local government settlement for the current year is directed towards services that can assist in promoting social inclusion and tackling deprivation, including, for example, education (£2.6 billion), social work (£1.1 billion), concessionary travel (£34 million) and supported employment (£7.5 million).
Within the settlement, specific indicators of deprivation and poverty redistribute £72 million, which is 1.3% of total Grant-Aided Expenditure. A number of deprivation indicators are used, including Income Support recipients, children entitled to free school meals, children in households subject to "family stress", an area deprivation measure and homeless households. These indicators and services are described in detail in the annual GAE "Green Book", copies of which are available from the Scottish Parliament Information Centre.
We have agreed with COSLA to review this year the account taken of indicators of deprivation and poverty within the distribution system. Pending the completion of the review, we have agreed that, in addition to the existing deprivation adjustments, special payments totalling £20.6 million should be included within the 2000-01 local government settlement for those councils experiencing above average levels of deprivation and poverty.Separate provision is made outwith the local government settlement to assist councils in tackling the causes and consequences of deprivation and poverty, including through the Social Inclusion Partnership Fund, which totals over £56 million in the current year.
- Asked by: Des McNulty, MSP for Clydebank and Milngavie, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 09 February 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Jack McConnell on 1 March 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive what immediate action it intends to take in response to the report by the Accounts Commission on collection rates for council tax.
Answer
I confirm that the Executive will consider all of the legislative recommendations of the joint Scottish Executive/CoSLA Working Group on Council Tax Collection. I am pleased that CoSLA have responded positively to the practical recommendations. I have today set up an official group to consult on the recommendations and develop legislative proposals where appropriate. I have provided SPICe with a copy of the core membership, remit and outline timetable for action.
- Asked by: Des McNulty, MSP for Clydebank and Milngavie, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 16 February 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Jack McConnell on 1 March 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive what its preferred poverty and deprivation indicators are and how the individual local authorities score in relation to these.
Answer
The Scottish Executive's targets and milestones for social justice were set out in November 1999 in our document Social Justice - a Scotland where everybody matters. Data at local authority level on these matters is not held centrally.A number of indicators of deprivation are used within the distribution of local government revenue funding between councils: my reply to Mr McNulty's question S1W-4318 refers. The indicators, and the scores of each local authority against them, are set out in the Grant-Aided Expenditure 2000-01 "Green Book", copies of which are available from the Scottish Parliament Information Centre.
- Asked by: Des McNulty, MSP for Clydebank and Milngavie, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 16 February 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Jack McConnell on 1 March 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive which five local authorities have the lowest financial allocations from it relative to their recognised poverty levels.
Answer
All councils receive allocations based on their relative expenditure needs, taking account of a range of factors, including deprivation. One of the indicators of deprivation used within the distribution system is numbers of Income Support recipients as a proportion of total population. The five councils with the highest numbers of IS recipients as a proportion of their total populations (Glasgow City, West Dunbartonshire, Dundee City, Inverclyde and Eilean Siar) all receive grant support per capita above the Scottish average.
- Asked by: Des McNulty, MSP for Clydebank and Milngavie, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 26 January 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Jack McConnell on 3 February 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive what provision it will make to ensure continuity of projects supported by European structural funds in the period between this round and the next.
Answer
Support for European Social Fund projects under the previous programme round has been extended up to 30 June 2000, and longer in exceptional cases. Revenue projects under the European Regional Development Fund already approved can continue until 31 December 2001. We are working with the various partnerships through plan teams to ensure that the new plans are agreed with the European Commission as early as possible so as to avoid undue dislocation between programmes.
- Asked by: Des McNulty, MSP for Clydebank and Milngavie, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Friday, 25 June 1999
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Current Status:
Answered by Jackie Baillie on 2 July 1999
To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it intends to take to extend social inclusion provision in West Dumbartonshire, given that this area has the highest claimant count unemployment in Scotland and the lowest percentage of VAT registered businesses in the UK.
Answer
We are already supporting a Social Inclusion Partnership (SIP) in West Dunbartonshire with core funding of more than £6m over 3 years. West Dunbartonshire is also benefiting from the wide range of national Government programmes to promote social inclusion, such as the New Deal and New Community Schools.
- Asked by: Des McNulty, MSP for Clydebank and Milngavie, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Thursday, 24 June 1999
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Current Status:
Answered by Jackie Baillie on 2 July 1999
To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it intends to take to extend social inclusion provision in West Dumbartonshire, given that this area has the highest claimant count unemployment in Scotland and the lowest percentage of VAT registered businesses in the UK.
Answer
We are already supporting a Social Inclusion Partnership (SIP) in West Dunbartonshire with core funding of more than £6m over 3 years. West Dunbartonshire is also benefiting from the wide range of national Government programmes to promote social inclusion, such as the New Deal and New Community Schools.
