Chamber and committees

Questions and answers

Parliamentary questions can be asked by any MSP to the Scottish Government or the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body. The questions provide a means for MSPs to get factual and statistical information.

Written questions must be answered within 10 working days (20 working days during recess)
Other questions such as Topical, Portfolio, General and First Minister's Question Times are taken in the Chamber

Urgent Questions aren't included in the Question and Answers search. There is a SPICe fact sheet listing Urgent and emergency questions.

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Question reference: S1W-08182

Asked by: Kenneth Gibson, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 21 June 2000
Current Status: Answered by Sam Galbraith on 5 July 2000

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will be possible for local authorities to implement the McCrone recommendations if it does not meet the costs centrally and, if so, why its assessment differs from that of CoSLA.

Question reference: S1W-08181

Asked by: Kenneth Gibson, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 21 June 2000
Current Status: Answered by Sarah Boyack on 5 July 2000

To ask the Scottish Executive whether engineers can fulfil public expectations in relation to the upkeep of the road network given current road maintenance levels and funding methods and, if so, why its assessment of the situation differs from that of the Institution of Civil Engineers.

The assessment published for the Institution of Civil Engineers relates to local roads in England, Scotland and Wales. Local roads are maintained by councils as local roads authorities. It is entirely a matter for each Scottish Council to decide the priority to be given to this work and allocate resources accordingly.

I have made it clear that the maintenance of the Scottish trunk road network and the reversal of past underfunding was a clear priority of the Scottish Executive. The condition of the trunk road network is being preserved as a result of the significant extra funds that have been allocated.

Question reference: S1W-07745

Asked by: Kenneth Gibson, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 08 June 2000
Current Status: Answered by Jim Wallace on 3 July 2000

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has any plans to make upward-only clauses for rent reviews illegal and to allow rents and rates to be reduced in line with market trends where appropriate.

The Executive has no such plans. Scots commercial law favours a freedom of contract approach in which commercial tenants and landlords can, with professional advice, tailor a lease to suit their own circumstances; clauses, including upward-only clauses, can only be included in a lease if agreed by both parties. The present freedom of contract approach has worked satisfactorily for a long time and it would not be appropriate for the Executive to intervene.

Question reference: S1W-06815

Asked by: Kenneth Gibson, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Friday, 12 May 2000
Current Status: Answered by Susan Deacon on 3 July 2000

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-6113 by Susan Deacon on 8 May 2000, whether it can explain why the NHSiS capital expenditure on the provision or replacement of equipment by Fife Health Board fell, in real terms, from #1.356 million in 1994-95 to #951,000 in 1998-99.

Question reference: S1W-06677

Asked by: Kenneth Gibson, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 11 May 2000
Current Status: Answered by Susan Deacon on 3 July 2000

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-6113 by Susan Deacon on 8 May 2000, what impact it considers the reduction of capital expenditure on the provision or replacement of equipment in the NHSiS, in real terms, from #55.129 million in 1994-95 to #25.022 million in 1998-99 has had on modernising equipment, improving patient outcomes and reducing waiting lists.

It is for individual health boards and NHS Trusts to determine annually the level of funding required for new and replacement medical equipment taking into account other local priorities. Health boards and NHS Trusts can use both capital and revenue resources to meet equipment costs.

Capital investment in the NHS in Scotland continues to increase from £136 million in 1998-99 to £179 million in 2000-01, rising further to £194 million in 2001-02.

Question reference: S1W-06676

Asked by: Kenneth Gibson, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 11 May 2000
Current Status: Answered by Susan Deacon on 3 July 2000

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-6113 by Susan Deacon on 8 May 2000, whether it can explain why NHSiS expenditure on the provision or replacement of equipment by Greater Glasgow Health Board fell, in real terms, from #13.556 million in 1994-95 to #3.547 million in 1998-99.

Question reference: S1W-06816

Asked by: Kenneth Gibson, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Friday, 12 May 2000
Current Status: Answered by Susan Deacon on 3 July 2000

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-6113 by Susan Deacon on 8 May 2000, whether it can explain why the NHSiS capital expenditure on the provision or replacement of equipment by Shetland Health Board fell, in real terms, from #493,000 in 1994-95 to #53,000 in 1998-99.

Question reference: S1W-07145

Asked by: Kenneth Gibson, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 24 May 2000
Current Status: Answered by Jack McConnell on 3 July 2000

To ask the Scottish Executive how much each local authority is expected to raise in non-domestic rates in 2000-01.

Figures showing the amounts of non-domestic rate income collected by local authorities for 2000-01 are not yet available. The figures for 1998-99, the most recent available, are shown in the following table.

Council	NDR Collected	Council	NDR Collected
Aberdeen City	101,318,328	Highland	53,075,991
Aberdeenshire	49,466,288	Inverclyde*	16,455,511
Angus	19,568,920	Midlothian	12,994,938
Argyll & Bute	28,299,338	Moray	19,672,200
Clackmannanshire	10,495,047	North Ayrshire	36,854,012
Dumfries & Galloway	31,789,211	North Lanarkshire	68,164,545
Dundee City	42,071,071	Orkney	6,209,691
East Ayrshire	21,876,160	Perth & Kinross	32,924,976
East Dunbartonshire	14,797,539	Renfrewshire*	46,023,557
East Lothian	24,911,565	Scottish Borders	18,548,281
East Renfrewshire	10,126,348	Shetland	12,351,868
Edinburgh, City of	186,151,389	South Ayrshire	28,296,107
Eilean Siar	4,632,944	South Lanarkshire	69,496,242
Falkirk	44,466,106	Stirling	26,955,963
Fife	101,297,014	West Dunbartonshire*	22,396,416
Glasgow City	231,326,059	West Lothian	44,096,478

* Audited figures not yet available - figures based on most recent estimate of NDR collected by councils.

Question reference: S1W-06814

Asked by: Kenneth Gibson, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Friday, 12 May 2000
Current Status: Answered by Susan Deacon on 3 July 2000

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-6113 by Susan Deacon on 8 May 2000, whether it can explain why the NHSiS capital expenditure on the provision or replacement of equipment by Dumfries and Galloway Health Board fell, in real terms, from #1.401 million in 1994-95 to #579,000 in 1998-99.

Question reference: S1W-06813

Asked by: Kenneth Gibson, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Friday, 12 May 2000
Current Status: Answered by Susan Deacon on 3 July 2000

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-6113 by Susan Deacon on 8 May 2000, whether it can explain why the NHSiS capital expenditure on the provision or replacement of equipment by Argyll and Clyde Health Board fell, in real terms, from #5.893 million in 1994-95 to #1.671 million in 1998-99.