- Asked by: Kenneth Gibson, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 02 November 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Sam Galbraith on 8 February 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive what impact this year's increase in water and sewerage rates has had on small voluntary organisations.
Answer
In the case of premises such as charity shops, offices and depots whose relief from water charges began to be phased out from 1 April 2000, the impact of increased charges and withdrawal is set out in the following table:
Year | Total Net Revenue |
| 1999-2000 | £2,223,596 |
| 2000-01 | £3,160,163 |
| Change | £936,567 |
The charges are being phased out over five years, and the costs above represent the impact of the first stage of withdrawal, which is 20% of total reliefs for the organisations concerned.
- Asked by: Kenneth Gibson, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 28 November 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Jim Wallace on 6 February 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it is taking to minimise any disruption to the Glasgow courts caused by recent industrial action by Unison.
Answer
Local authorities are responsible for the running of their respective district courts. The industrial action of UNISON arises out of a dispute between the relevant local authorities and UNISON on behalf of its members. The Procurator Fiscal sought where possible in law to expedite some summary cases by accelerating them to be dealt with before the industrial action. Some cases may be dealt with after the conclusion of the industrial action.
- Asked by: Kenneth Gibson, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 20 December 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Jim Wallace on 31 January 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-11591 by Mr Jim Wallace on 12 December 2000, what assessment it has made of the impact in Scotland of any proposed introduction across the United Kingdom of British Energy Saving Time.
Answer
The Executive has made no such assessment, as there are no plans to introduce British Energy Saving Time. The fact that there are no such plans being considered was made clear by Mr Brian Wilson MP, Minister of State at the Scotland Office, in an announcement on 20 November 2000.
- Asked by: Kenneth Gibson, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 08 December 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Susan Deacon on 30 January 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it is taking to reduce the number of student nurses who drop out of training colleges due to a perceived poor quality of clinical placements offered.
Answer
We have continually urged universities and NHS Trusts to work together to minimise the drop-out rate of student nurses and midwives, by addressing a range of issues including:
the preparation of the clinical mentors who support students during placements;
the timing, nature and support provided for students' early experiences of clinical placements;
course design to facilitate student progression through successive academic challenges and clinical experiences;
availability of student support services for nursing students.The discontinuation rate can most accurately be measured retrospectively, after each cohort has completed its programme of study. Figures calculated on this basis by the National Board for Nursing, Midwifery and Health Visiting for Scotland, give evidence of an improvement over recent years.
- Asked by: Kenneth Gibson, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 06 December 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Jack McConnell on 30 January 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it is taking or plans to take to ensure effective and systematic implementation of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child.
Answer
The Scottish Executive is committed to the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child. Making it Work Together - a Programme for Government emphasised our commitment to improving the lives of our nation's children and set out a range of targets to that end. The UK Government submitted its second report to the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child - which included a Scottish chapter - in August 1999. We will consider carefully the UN Committee's observations on that report once received.
- Asked by: Kenneth Gibson, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 08 December 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Peter Peacock on 30 January 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive why Glasgow City Council is to receive the 27th highest increase in aggregate external finance over the years 2001-02 to 2003-04.
Answer
Glasgow City Council's grant allocation was calculated by formula based on long-established methods of establishing each council's need to spend on services. A floor mechanism was also introduced to ensure that all councils would benefit from increases of at least 5%, 4% and 3.4% over the three years. Glasgow continues to receive substantially more grant per person than any other mainland council and has benefited by £16 million from the floor.
- Asked by: Kenneth Gibson, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 15 December 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Susan Deacon on 30 January 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive whether its intention to end the "postcode lottery of care" as described by the Minister for Health and Community Care on 14 December 2000 (Official Report, col.1039) will result in services being equally available in all health board areas and, if so, when this will be achieved.
Answer
Our National Health: a plan for action; a plan for change, published on 14 December, sets out fully the range of measures which will be taken to develop and achieve strong national and clinical standards across NHSScotland.
- Asked by: Kenneth Gibson, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 16 January 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Jackie Baillie on 30 January 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive which local authorities currently require tenants who are exercising their right to buy to take out a particular building insurance policy as a condition of buying their home and which of these authorities receive commissions from the insurance premiums generated.
Answer
Conditions attached to right to buy sales relating to insurance policies are a matter for local authorities and prospective purchasers to agree. Information on these matters is not held centrally.
- Asked by: Kenneth Gibson, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 16 January 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Sarah Boyack on 30 January 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive what the economic and social consequences will be of delaying the construction of the M74 Northern Extension until the completion of a public inquiry and what the cost of the inquiry will be.
Answer
If a public inquiry is necessary then that is part of the statutory process and is not a delay. It is not possible to estimate the cost of an inquiry until the scope of any objections to the scheme are known.
- Asked by: Kenneth Gibson, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 16 January 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Jackie Baillie on 30 January 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive whether any conflict of interest exists where a local authority is factor of property in an area where there is a mixture of tenanted and owner-occupied property.
Answer
Where a tenant has exercised his or her right to buy their council property, they should be allowed the full enjoyment and use of the house as owner. However, if ownership of the building is shared between the local authority and RTB owners, specific conditions may be put in place to cover arrangements for carrying out factoring services and repair and maintenance work. In general terms, such conditions may be required to ensure that all parties will pay their share of the costs towards any communal work carried out. The precise conditions of sale are a matter for agreement between the landlord and purchaser and it is for each party to satisfy themselves, in consultation with their legal advisors prior to completing the transaction, that all terms are reasonable. Any dispute over the conditions would normally be resolved by the Lands Tribunal for Scotland.
