Questions and answers

Question reference: S1W-03732

Asked by: Mr Lloyd Quinan, MSP for West of Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 13 January 2000
Current Status: Answered by Jack McConnell on 27 January 2000

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will detail the amount each local authority expected to raise in capital receipts for the year 1999-2000.

The information requested is set out below.

Forecast Capital Receipts expected to be Raised in Financial Year 1999-2000 ^1,2,3

£000's

Scotland	392,155
Aberdeen City	23,298
Aberdeenshire	13,720
Angus	6,848
Argyll and Bute	4,455
Clackmannanshire	4,237
Dumfries & Galloway	8,252
Dundee City	10,175
East Ayrshire	7,960
East Dunbartonshire	5,359
East Lothian	6,105
East Renfrewshire	3,011
City of Edinburgh	18,496
Eilean Siar	3,340
Falkirk	12,460
Fife	22,150
Glasgow City	59,541
Highland	18,790
Inverclyde	5,883
Midlothian	8,356
Moray	5,898
North Ayrshire	7,740
North Lanarkshire	29,009
Orkney Islands	4,464
Perth and Kinross	7,724
Renfrewshire	9,323
Scottish Borders	4,977
Shetland	7,125
South Ayrshire	7,108
South Lanarkshire	34,417
Stirling	5,697
West Dunbartonshire	4,564
West Lothian	21,673

Source: As reported by authorities on the statistical return Capital Payments and their Financing, CPR FIN 3, and by councils in the return, Housing Capital Payments and Capital Receipts 1999-2000, as at 30 September 1999.1. Figures include both housing and non-housing capital receipts forecasts.2. Data are the forecast position to 31 March 2000, as reported by authorities at 30 September 1999.3. Receipts include EC receipts and notional receipts.

Question reference: S1W-03657

Asked by: Mr Lloyd Quinan, MSP for West of Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 11 January 2000
Current Status: Answered by Jack McConnell on 24 January 2000

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will detail the total net allocation of capital allowances (excluding adjustments for receipts which councils themselves are expected to make) made to Scottish local authorities in (a) 1995-96, (b) 1996-97, (c) 1997-98, (d) 1998-99 and (e) 1999-2000.

For details of capital allocations to local authorities for the current year and each of the last four financial years, I refer the member to my letter of 9 September, sent in response to questions S1W-743 and S1W-744. A copy is available from the Scottish Parliament Information Centre.This is the first year that capital receipts have been taken into account in the distribution of non-housing capital allocations. The gross non-housing allocations for 1999-2000 include forecast capital receipts of £94.7 million.

Question reference: S1W-03658

Asked by: Mr Lloyd Quinan, MSP for West of Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 11 January 2000
Current Status: Answered by Jack McConnell on 24 January 2000

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will detail the formula and calculation used for the non-housing capital allocation to West Dunbartonshire council in (a) 1995-96, (b) 1996-97, (c) 1997-98 and (d) 1998-99.

West Dunbartonshire Council did not exist in 1995-96. Special arrangements applied in 1996-97 to account for local government reorganisation. The bulk of the allocation was determined by inherited commitments. By agreement with CoSLA a formula allocation was used from 1997-98. West Dunbartonshire's formula share of the total was 1.7% in both 1997-98 and 1998-99.The formula agreed in 1997 has five elements. A fixed element of £1 million for every council and four variable elements for Education, Transport, non-HRA Housing, and a General element represented by population.

Question reference: S1O-00953

Asked by: Mr Lloyd Quinan, MSP for West of Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 12 January 2000
Current Status: Answered by Frank McAveety on 20 January 2000

To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it intends to take to ensure that an accurate record of the number of people who are homeless in Scotland is maintained.

Question reference: S1W-02888

Asked by: Mr Lloyd Quinan, MSP for West of Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 01 December 1999
Current Status: Answered by Frank McAveety on 13 January 2000

To ask the Scottish Executive what work has been done to identify the number of households suffering from fuel poverty in Aberdeen, Aberdeenshire, Angus, Argyll and Bute, Clackmannanshire, Dumfries and Galloway, Dundee, East Ayrshire, East Dunbartonshire, East Lothian, East Renfrewshire, Edinburgh, Falkirk, Fife, Glasgow, Highlands and Islands, Inverclyde, Midlothian, Moray, North Ayrshire, North Lanarkshire, Orkney, Perth and Kinross, Renfrewshire, Scottish Borders, Shetland, South Lanarkshire, Stirling, West Dunbartonshire, West Lothian and the Western Isles and what are the results of such work, indicating the levels of fuel poverty in each area.

Question reference: S1W-03120

Asked by: Mr Lloyd Quinan, MSP for West of Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 08 December 1999
Current Status: Answered by Jack McConnell on 22 December 1999

To ask the Scottish Executive what capital allocation has been made, on the basis of need, to Argyll and Bute Council as the education element of the capital distribution formula in each of the past four years and for the next financial year.

The total formula allocation, introduced with effect from 1997-98, is issued as an unhypothecated single figure in respect of all local authority non-housing capital programmes.From 1999-2000 the total is adjusted to take into account receipts raised by every council in the country and allocations are issued on a gross basis. It is, therefore, not possible to identify separately an amount attributable to any element of the formula. The new approach means that I was able to announce on 19 November a 7.5% increase in Argyll and Bute's gross formula allocation for 2000-01. The Council will decide on its priorities for spending its allocation.

Question reference: S1W-02424

Asked by: Mr Lloyd Quinan, MSP for West of Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 09 November 1999
Current Status: Answered by Susan Deacon on 23 November 1999

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has issued guidelines similar to those issued by the Department of Health entitled No secrets: Protection of vulnerable adults.

We plan to issue next week copies of the report Protecting the Vulnerable: Caring Enough which was produced by The National Nursing, Midwifery and Health Visiting Advisory Committee for the Chief Nursing Officer. Copies will be sent to commissioners and providers of services within the NHSiS, providers in the private sector, registered nursing homes and local authority Directors of Social Work.The report is similar in scope to the Department of Health document.

Question reference: S1W-02425

Asked by: Mr Lloyd Quinan, MSP for West of Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 09 November 1999
Current Status: Answered by Susan Deacon on 23 November 1999

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has issued guidelines on the protection of vulnerable adults to all commissioners and providers of health and social care services.

Question reference: S1W-02504

Asked by: Mr Lloyd Quinan, MSP for West of Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 04 November 1999
Current Status: Answered by Rhona Brankin on 11 November 1999

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-1591 by Sarah Boyack on 30 September 1999, what measures it is taking to protect Scotland's shipping heritage with specific reference to conservation of vessels of historic importance.

We fully appreciate the significance of Scotland's shipping heritage and have to date designated up to five historic wrecks lying in Scottish waters under the Protection of Wrecks Act 1973. Though the responsibility of conservation of historic vessels lies with their owners, Historic Scotland, an Agency of the Scottish Executive, can give practical advice on conservation issues and will shortly be publishing a policy paper on the protection of underwater archaeology.

Question reference: S1O-00600

Asked by: Mr Lloyd Quinan, MSP for West of Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 03 November 1999
Current Status: Answered by Rhona Brankin on 11 November 1999

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-1591 by Sarah Boyack on 30 September 1999, what measures it is taking to protect Scotland's shipping heritage with specific reference to conservation of vessels of historic importance.

We fully appreciate the significance of Scotland's shipping heritage and have to date designated up to five historic wrecks lying in Scottish waters under the Protection of Wrecks Act 1973. Though the responsibility of conservation of historic vessels lies with their owners, Historic Scotland, an Agency of the Scottish Executive, can give practical advice on conservation issues and will shortly be publishing a policy paper on the protection of underwater archaeology.

Chamber and committees