Questions and answers

Question reference: S1W-07332

Asked by: Mr Keith Harding, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 30 May 2000
Current Status: Answered by Jackie Baillie on 13 June 2000

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will publish, with regard to its Homelessness Task Force, the criteria for selecting the individual members of the task force, its budget allocation and details of the number of times it has met so far.

The membership of the Homelessness Task Force is drawn from a number of statutory, voluntary and professional bodies. The statutory and professional bodies, such as CoSLA and the Association of Directors of Social Work were invited to put forward individual nominations for membership. Invitations to the voluntary organisations were made to the Directors of the voluntary organisations concerned. The task force does not hold a budget, but the Scottish Executive reimburses members for travel and associated expenses incurred in carrying out the group's work. To date the group has met on nine occasions.

Question reference: S1W-07336

Asked by: Mr Keith Harding, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 30 May 2000
Current Status: Answered by Jackie Baillie on 13 June 2000

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will publish, with regard to its Working Group on Houses in Multiple Occupation Guidance, the criteria for selecting the individual members of the working group, its budget allocation and details of the number of times it has met so far.

The Working Group on Houses in Multiple Occupation Guidance was established in July 1999 to oversee the preparation of guidance to local authorities on the establishment and administration of the proposed mandatory licensing scheme in their areas. The Convention of Scottish Local Authorities, the Scottish Council for the Single Homeless, the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors, the Chartered Institute of Housing and the Royal Institute for Environmental Health in Scotland were invited to nominate members. The Scottish Executive laid down no criteria for selection. The group is an advisory body and has no dedicated budget allocation. The group has so far met four times on 3 September 1999, 29 October 1999, 6 December 1999 and on 4 February 2000 respectively.

Question reference: S1W-07335

Asked by: Mr Keith Harding, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 30 May 2000
Current Status: Answered by Jim Wallace on 13 June 2000

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will publish, with regard to its Part V (Police Act 1997) Voluntary Issues Review, the criteria for selecting the individual members of the review group, its budget allocation and details of the number of times it has met so far.

Question reference: S1W-07344

Asked by: Mr Keith Harding, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 30 May 2000
Current Status: Answered by Jackie Baillie on 13 June 2000

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will list the individual members, together with their remuneration and expenses, of the (i) Race Equality Advisory Forum, (ii) Review of Councils for Voluntary Service, (iii) Strategic Review of Executive Funding to the Black and Ethnic Minority Voluntary Sector and (iv) Common Housing Registers Steering Group.

Membership of these groups is detailed below.

Members of groups (i), (ii) and (iii) are entitled to claim for travelling and subsistence expenses, which are paid in accordance with Scottish Executive staff rates. Remuneration and expenses of members of group (iv) are the concern of the individual organisations.

(i) Race Equality Advisory Forum

Saqib Abbasi

Rowena Arshad

Jackie Baillie (Chair)

Ephraim Borowski

Philomena DeLima

Matthew Farrow

Tesfu Gessesse

Jatin Haria

Subhash K Joshi

Dharmendra Kanani

Aziza Khand

Martin MacEwen

Shamime Mansoori

Mukami McCrum

Philip Muinde

Dorothy Neoh

Najimee Parveen

Vijay Patel

Robina Qureshi

Selma Rahman

Sofi Taylor

Officials from the Equality Unit provide the Secretariat

(ii) Review of Councils for Voluntary Service

Jackie Baillie (Chair)

Kath Gallagher

Jon Harris

Chris Higgins

Adrienne Kelbie

Margaret Wilson

Along with officials from the Scottish Executive. This group completed its work in January 2000.

(iii) Strategic Review of Executive Funding to the Black and Ethnic Minority Voluntary Sector

Ephraim Borowski

Liz Burns

Hilary Campbell

Sandra Carter

Jon Harris

Hayat Hewitt

Steven Marwick

Dorothy Neoh

Vijay Patel

Along with officials from the Scottish Executive

In addition to the current membership, a representative from the Council for Racial Equality will be invited to the next meeting, along with Mrs Linda Goldberg of Cosgrove Care, the Jewish Association for the Mentally Handicapped.

(iv) The Common Housing Registers Steering Group

The following organisations are represented on the Common Housing Registers Steering Group:

Scottish Executive

Chartered Institute of Housing

CoSLA

Shelter

Scottish Federation of Housing Associations

Scottish Homes.

Question reference: S1W-07337

Asked by: Mr Keith Harding, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 30 May 2000
Current Status: Answered by Jackie Baillie on 13 June 2000

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will publish, with regard to its Supporting People Stakeholders' Group, the criteria for selecting the individual members of the group, its budget allocation and details of the number of times it has met so far.

The Supporting People Stakeholders' Group was established in January 2000. The Scottish Council of Voluntary Organisations, the Scottish Federation of Housing Associations, Scottish Homes, the Confederation of Scottish Local Authorities, the Scottish Council for the Single Homeless and the Scottish Health Board Managers Group were invited to nominate members. The Scottish Executive laid down no criteria for selection. The group is an advisory group and has no dedicated budget allocation. It has so far met twice on 19 January and 24 March respectively.

Question reference: S1W-07342

Asked by: Mr Keith Harding, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 30 May 2000
Current Status: Answered by Wendy Alexander on 13 June 2000

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will list the individual members, together with their remuneration and expenses, of the (i) Common Repairs Working Group, (ii) Single Social Tenancy Working Group, (iii) Homelessness Task Force and (iv) Renewing Local Democracy Group.

(i) The Common Repairs Working Group comprises representatives of the following organisations:

Scottish Executive

Scottish Consumer Council

Scottish Homes

CoSLA (Convention of Scottish Local Authorities)

CIH (Chartered Institute of Housing in Scotland)

SFHA (Scottish Federation of Housing Associations)

STO (Scottish Tenants Organisation)

Queens Cross Housing Association

The group has no budget nor have any expenses been paid to members.

(ii) The Single Social Tenancy Working Group comprises members of the following organisations:

Scottish Executive

CoSLA

Scottish Homes

SFHA

STO

TPAS (Tenant Participation Advisory Service)

TIS (Tenants Information Service)

TIGHRA (Tenant Involvement in the Islands Grampian and Highland Rural Areas

Shelter

CIH

The group has no budget nor have any expenses been paid to members.

(iii) The membership of the Homelessness Task Force is as follows:

Deputy Minister for Communities, Jackie Baillie MSP, Chair

Mr Robert Aldridge, Director, Scottish Council for Single Homeless

Ms Pat Bagot, Policy and Practice Manager, Scottish Homes

Mr David Belfall, Head of Group, Development Department, Scottish Executive

Ms Suzanne Fitzpatrick, Department of Urban Studies, Glasgow University

Councillor Rita Miller, Convener of Community Services, South Ayrshire Council

Ms Liz Nicholson, Director, Shelter Scotland

Mr David Orr, Director, Scottish Federation of Housing Associations

Ms Catriona Renfrew, Director of Commissioning, Greater Glasgow Health Board

Ms Hilary Reynolds, Department of Social Security

Mr Bill Robertson, Director, Angus Council Social Work Services, representing the Association of Directors of Social Work

Ms Margaret Taylor, Director, Glasgow Council for Single Homeless

Mr Mark Turley, Director of Housing Edinburgh City Council

Mr Mel Young, Director, The Big Issue in Scotland

The members of the group do not receive a salary or fee but are reimbursed for travel and associated expenses incurred in carrying out the group's work.

(iv) The membership of the Renewing Local Democracy Working Group is as follows:

Richard Kerley, Chairman Director of the MBA degree at University of Edinburgh Management School; former councillor

Vikram Lall, Corporate Finance Director of Bell Lawrie

Marilyn Livingstone MSP

Neil McIntosh, Former Chairman of the Commission on Local Government and the Scottish Parliament; former Chief Executive of Strathclyde Regional Council

Cllr. Norman Murray, President CoSLA; councillor and leader of East Lothian Council

Sandra Osborne MP

Sheila Ritchie, Former leader of Gordon District Council

Cllr. Daphne Sleigh, City of Edinburgh councillor

Bill Speirs, General Secretary STUC

Maureen Watt, Former Grampian Region councillor; former member of Commission on Local Government and the Scottish Parliament

The members of the group do not receive a salary or fee but are reimbursed for travel and associated expenses incurred in carrying out the group's work.

Question reference: S1W-07343

Asked by: Mr Keith Harding, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 30 May 2000
Current Status: Answered by Frank McAveety on 13 June 2000

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will list the individual members, together with their remuneration and expenses, of the (i) Leadership Advisory Panel, (ii) Part V (Police Act 1997) Voluntary Issues Review, (iii) Working Group on Houses in Multiple Occupation Guidance and (iv) Supporting People Stakeholders' Group.

The details are as follows:

Leadership Advisory PanelAlastair MacNishAnne MiddletonCharlotte StenhouseProfessor Ian PercyDuncan McGhieOonagh AitkenPat WattersMaggie Symonds

Members are entitled to claim travel and subsistence expenses at standard civil service rates, but receive no other remuneration. Members have been paid a total of £4,700 up to 31 May 2000.

Part V (Police Act 1997) Voluntary Issues Review

Jackie Baillie, Deputy Minister for Communities (Chair)

Brian Magee, Volunteer Development Scotland (VDS)

Susan Smith, Scottish Council for voluntary organisations (SCVO)

George Johnston, Youthlink, Scotland

Janette Wilson, Scottish Churches Committee

George Clelland, Part V Project Manager, Scottish Criminal Record Office

John Rowell, Scottish Executive, Police Division

Jan Raitt, Scottish Executive, Police Division

Peter Willman, Scottish Executive, Children & Families Division

Fiona Warner, Executive Secretariat, Voluntary Issues Unit

Sheena Maclaren, Scottish Executive, Police Division (Secretary)

The group has no dedicated budget and no expenses have been paid to members. (The time they spend on the review and their minimal expenses for travelling etc are met from their employer's running costs.)

Houses in Multiple Occupation Working Group

Richard Grant, Scottish Executive, Housing Division 2

Bill Moore, Scottish Executive, Housing Division 2

Colin Affleck, Scottish Executive, Housing Division 2

Charles Stewart, Scottish Executive, HM Inspectorate of Fire Services

Paul Stollard, Scottish Executive, Building Control Division

Alison Brown, Scottish Council for Single Homeless

Chris Campbell (from February 2000)

David Gibb, Shelter

Cathy King, CoSLA

Mike Scott, CoSLA

Paul D Letley, Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors in Scotland

Rod McCreath, Royal Environmental Health Institute of Scotland

Alan McKeown, Chartered Institute of Housing in Scotland

No remuneration or expenses are payable to members of the group.

Supporting People Stakeholders Group

Richard Grant, Scottish Executive, Housing Division 2

Bill Moore, Scottish Executive, Housing Division 2

Alister Murphy, Scottish Executive, Housing Division 2

Fiona Ferguson, Scottish Executive, Housing Division 2

Liz Lewis, Scottish Executive, Community Care Division 1

John Breslin, Scottish Executive, Housing Divison 1

Elizabeth Carmichael, Scottish Executive, Fire & Emergencies Group

David Reid, Scottish Executive, Finance Division

Ainslie McLaughlin, Scottish Executive, Local Government Division

John Payne, Scottish Executive, Joint Futures Unit

David Bookbinder, Scottish Federation of Housing Associations

Robert Aldridge, Scottish Council for Single Homeless

Laura Bannerman, CoSLA

Fanchea Kelly, CoSLA

Malcolm Mathieson, Scottish Council of Voluntary Organisations

Pat Bagot, Scottish Homes

Judi Wellden, Scottish Health Board Managers Group

No remuneration or expenses are payable to members of the group.

Question reference: S1W-06894

Asked by: Mr Keith Harding, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 16 May 2000
Current Status: Answered by Frank McAveety on 9 June 2000

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has any plans to extend the polling hours in local authority elections.

Following the McIntosh report the Executive has consulted on a number of issues including the timing of elections and the eligibility of local government employees. We are presently considering the responses to these issues. It also established the Renewing Local Democracy Working Group to consider, among other issues, the electoral system for local government: that group is expected to report shortly. The Executive will review the administrative arrangements for local government elections, including polling hours, in the light of the post-McIntosh consultation and the report of the Renewing Local Democracy Working Group.

Question reference: S1W-06927

Asked by: Mr Keith Harding, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 17 May 2000
Current Status: Answered by Sam Galbraith on 31 May 2000

To ask the Scottish Executive when it expects to give a substantive answer to question S1W-5202 lodged on 9 March 2000.

Question reference: S1W-06683

Asked by: Mr Keith Harding, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 10 May 2000
Current Status: Answered by Jack McConnell on 31 May 2000

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will list all the task forces, working groups, review groups, action groups and similar committees relating to local government finance established by the Minister for Finance since 6 May 1999.

Chamber and committees