- Asked by: Murray Tosh, MSP for West of Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 06 February 2007
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Current Status:
Answered by Rhona Brankin on 19 February 2007
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the publication in November 2006 of Communities Scotland’s research report 72, “Local housing need and affordability model for Scotland – Update”, whether it or Communities Scotland plans to commission further research into the impact on housing demand and supply of recent and projected in-migration to Scotland from EU countries and elsewhere.
Answer
There are currently no plansto commission further national research into the impact of recent and projectedin-migration to Scotland on housing demand and supply. However, following onfrom the publication of Communities Scotland research report 72, the Executiveand Communities Scotland are undertaking work examining the consistency ofhousing needs assessments at local authority area level. This will includeattempting to collect information on the level of in-migrants into each localauthority area who are unable to afford suitable housing.
Locally Communities Scotlandare supporting two housing need studies, “Exploring the Housing Needs ofMinority Ethnic Communities in Forth Valley’ and ‘Accommodation Needs Assessment for GypsyTravellers (Edinburgh, Scottish Borders, East and Mid Lothian)”. These studieswill further our understanding of the impact of recent in-migration in theseareas.
Nationally, the GeneralRegister Office for Scotland will be involved with work improving migration datasources in the UK, following a recent report of the Migration TaskForce. This will improve the evidence on which projections of the futurepopulation, and therefore the number of households, are based.
- Asked by: Murray Tosh, MSP for West of Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 06 February 2007
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Current Status:
Answered by Elish Angiolini on 15 February 2007
To ask the Scottish Executive how many actions have been initiated by local authorities in each year since 1997 for alleged breaches of building warrants; how many actions have proceeded to court, and how many have resulted in successful prosecution.
Answer
In the period April 2002 to March2006, procurators fiscal received reports in respect of 2 offences relating to breachof building warrants under Section 6(1) of the Building (Scotland) Act 1959. Detailsare set out in the following table.
Charges under Section 6(1) of the Building (Scotland) Act 1959
| | 2002-03 | 2003-04 | 2004-05 | 2005-06 |
| Charges Received | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Charges Prosecuted | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Charges Convicted | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
Notes:
1. This information has beenextracted from the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service’s case managementdatabase. The database is a live, operational database used to manage the processingof reports submitted to Procurators Fiscal by the police and other reporting agencies.If a Procurator Fiscal amends a charge submitted by a reporting agency, the databasewill record details only of the amended charge.
2. The database is charge-based.The figures quoted therefore relate to the number of charges rather than the numberof individuals charged or the number of incidents that gave rise to such charges.
3. The Crown Office and ProcuratorFiscal Service completed an upgrade of its electronic case management system inApril 2002. Only case records created after that date contain complete data whichis capable of electronic analysis.
- Asked by: Murray Tosh, MSP for West of Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 05 December 2006
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Current Status:
Answered by Tom McCabe on 19 December 2006
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-4928 by Ms Wendy Alexander on 9 June 2000, whether it will publish a list of disposals of property or land at less than full market value which were (a) agreed and (b) refused since June 2000.
Answer
I shall reply to the member as soon as possible.
- Asked by: Murray Tosh, MSP for West of Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 05 December 2006
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Current Status:
Answered by Tom McCabe on 15 December 2006
To ask the Scottish Executive when it expects to issue regulations under section 11 of the Local Government in Scotland Act 2003 to amend the consent regime to allow local authorities to dispose of land for less than the best that can reasonably be obtained.
Answer
The Executive has consultedon draft regulations under Section 11 of the Local Government (Scotland) 2003to enable local authorities to dispose of land for less than full value withoutthe need to seek the prior consent of Scottish ministers, subject to athreshold amount. The responses are currently being considered to determine ifchanges to the draft regulations are merited. A further consultation exercisemay then be necessary. It is therefore not possible to say exactly when theregulations will be issued, but the current aim is to have these finalised earlyin 2007.
- Asked by: Murray Tosh, MSP for West of Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 02 November 2006
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Current Status:
Answered by Tavish Scott on 15 November 2006
To ask the Scottish Executive, following the announcement by the Minister for Transport, during the debate on the Elgin Bypass on 21 September 2006, that a liaison officer with specific responsibility for Elgin and Moray has been appointed by Transport Scotland (Official Report, c. 27876), whether it will publish the names and contact details of all liaison officers in Transport Scotland, giving details of the local authority areas or trunk road corridors for which they are responsible.
Answer
The issues raised by Moray Councilin relation to Elgin involved a number of officials from within TransportScotland. To ensure good lines of communication between the Council and TransportScotland, a single official in Transport Scotland was identified to act as liaisonofficer. That official is the Trunk Road Area Manager with responsibility for theA96 trunk road. Trunk Road Area Managers often act as the main contact point betweencouncils and Transport Scotland.
The trunk road operating companiesare the main points of contact with councils and members of the public about trunkroad operational issues.
The operating companies are:
North West – Scotland Transerv (01738 455300)
North East – Bear (01738 448600)
South East – Amey (0131 660 8100)
South West – Amey (0141 781 6900).
A national telephone defect reportingnumber is also available on 0800 0281414.
A map showing the areas and trunkroads covered by the operating companies is available on the Transport Scotlandwebsite at www.transportscotland.gov.uk.
Transport Scotland hasoperational responsibility for this area and can be contacted for more informationas required.
- Asked by: Murray Tosh, MSP for West of Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 01 November 2006
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Current Status:
Answered by Tavish Scott on 15 November 2006
To ask the Scottish Executive, following the announcement by the Minister for Transport, during the debate on the Elgin Bypass on 21 September 2006, that a liaison officer with specific responsibility for Elgin and Moray has been appointed by Transport Scotland (Official Report, c. 27876), whether it will publish the names and contact details of all trunk road liaison officers in Scotland.
Answer
I refer the member to answerto question S2W-29449 on 15 November 2006. Allanswers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website,the search facility for which can be found at
http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search.
- Asked by: Murray Tosh, MSP for West of Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 20 September 2006
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Current Status:
Answered by Malcolm Chisholm on 3 October 2006
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has considered the report of the House of Commons all party parliamentary inquiry into anti-Semitism in September 2006 and whether it will take action in respect of any of the report’s conclusions.
Answer
The Scottish Executive is consideringthe report of the House of Commons all party parliamentary inquiry into anti-Semitism.However, the Executive has worked with all faith communities, including the Jewishcommunities, for a number of years and we will continue to engage with, supportand help address their needs.
- Asked by: Murray Tosh, MSP for West of Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 04 September 2006
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Current Status:
Answered by Tom McCabe on 14 September 2006
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it invited the Local Government Boundary Commission for Scotland to comment on the recommendations which applied to that commission contained in the Arbuthnott Commission report on boundary differences and voting systems.
Answer
No, however, there is nothingto prevent the Local Government Boundary Commission for Scotland fromcontributing or responding to a published report or consultation paper that hasbeen placed in the public domain. The secretary of the Boundary Commission for Scotland whois also secretary to the Local Government Boundary Commission gave evidence to theArbuthnott Commission on Boundary Differences and Voting Systems.
- Asked by: Murray Tosh, MSP for West of Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 04 September 2006
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Current Status:
Answered by Tavish Scott on 13 September 2006
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will identify all road bridges on the trunk road network where traffic movements are controlled by traffic lights and which of these bridges are programmed to be upgraded or replaced in order to allow continuous traffic movement.
Answer
There are 19 locations where traffic movement over a trunk road bridge is controlled by traffic lights. These are as follows:
Fixed Bridges with Permanent Traffic Signals:
A828Connel.
A83 Aray Bridge.
A96 Inveramsay Bridge.
A95 Dalvey Bridge.
A95 Cromdale Bridge.
A7 Skippers Bridge.
A7 Factory Bridge.
A701 St. Anne’s Bridge.
A76 Whitehill Bridge.
A82 Nevis River (Signals provided for junction)
A830 Lochy River New (Signals provided for junction).
Swing Bridges Over Canals with Permanent Traffic Signals:
A830 Banavie.
A82 Laggan.
A82 Aberchalder.
A82 Fort Augustus.
A82 Tomnahrich.
A83 Ardrishaig.
Bridges with Temporary Traffic Signals:
A82 Larig Eilde – new bridge under construction; due for removal January 2007.
A9 Berrydale Langwell/ A9 Berrydale Water – under repair; due for removal September2006.
Transport Scotland has no plans to upgrade or replace any of the above bridges to allow continuous traffic movement, except for those with temporary traffic signals.
Transport Scotland has the operational responsibility for Scottish trunk roads and can be contacted for more information if required.
- Asked by: Murray Tosh, MSP for West of Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 04 September 2006
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Current Status:
Answered by Malcolm Chisholm on 13 September 2006
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the estimate by Communities Scotland in its Investment Programme 2006-07 that the Executive’s affordable housing investment programme to build or improve 7,100 affordable homes will generate at least £200 million from the private sector to support the programme, whether it will explain how the figure of £200 million was reached.
Answer
I have asked Angiolina Foster,Chief Executive of Communities Scotland to respond. Her response is as follows:
The 2006-07 Investment Programmeestimates that at least £200 million of private finance will be generated in supportof delivering 7,100 housing approvals. The estimate was produced assuming an averagegrant rate per project of 66% and an average private sector contribution of 34%.
