- Asked by: Murray Tosh, MSP for West of Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 08 October 2003
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Current Status:
Answered by Margaret Curran on 21 October 2003
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-26489 by Ms Margaret Curran on 20 June 2002, whether it will update the tables for housing approvals and completions to show the out-turn figures for 2002-03, the estimated figures for subsequent years and the completions that were funded, in whole or in part, from the approved development budget for Scottish Homes and Communities Scotland.
Answer
I have asked Angiolina Foster, acting Chief Executive of Communities Scotland to respond. Her response is as follows:
Further to the answer toquestion S1W-26489, the outturn for approvals and completions for 2002-03 andestimated figures for 2003-04 that were funded, in whole or in part, from theapproved development budget for Scottish Homes and Communities Scotland are asfollows:
| Approvals |
| Year | HA | HA | GRO | GRO | RHOG | I & R/ | NHP |
| | Rent | LCHO | OO | Rent | | Other | |
| 2002-03 | 4,043 | 76 | 475 | 93 | 64 | 8 | 1,175 |
| 2003-04 | 4,698 | 94 | 555 | 82 | 71 | 500 | 926 |
| Completions |
| Year | HA | HA | GRO | GRO | RHOG | I & R/ | NHP |
| | Rent | LCHO | OO | Rent | | Other | |
| 2002-03 | 3,839 | 213 | 794 | 169 | 53 | 0 | 1,082 |
| 2003-04 | 3,808 | 123 | 335 | 67 | 61 | 0 | 1,731 |
Note:
The units shown above relateto Scottish Homes- Communities Scotland development programme and the NewHousing Partnership Regeneration and Development Programme.
Key:
HA Rent - HousingAssociation Rent - General Needs
HA LCHO - HousingAssociation - Low Cost Home Ownership
GRO OO - Grants for Rent orOwnership - Owner Occupation
GRO Rent - Grants for Rentor Ownership - Rent
RHOG - Rural Home OwnershipGrant
I&R - Improvement &Repair Grants
NHP - New HousingPartnerships
- Asked by: Murray Tosh, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 24 February 2003
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Current Status:
Answered by Margaret Curran on 31 March 2003
To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to change its policy on whole-stock local authority housing transfers and allow local authorities pursuing partial stock transfers to bid for support to deal with overhanging debt in line with the policy recently announced for England by Her Majesty's Government.
Answer
I have now announced that, working in partnership with our colleagues in the Treasury, we have agreed that the same financial arrangements for debt write-off which apply to whole-stock transfers should also apply to partial stock transfers in Scotland.This means that partial transfers are now on the table as another option available to local authorities in addition to whole-stock transfer and retention using the new financial flexibility that the Prudential Regime will offer. The onus is now on local authorities to use these funding options to deliver for their tenants the new Scottish Standard for Social Housing.Rules will govern how partial transfers to community ownership will in practice operate: primarily we will need to see that any partial transfer proposal is part of a wider strategy to ensure that all of an authority's housing stock is brought up to the new Scottish Social Housing Standard
- Asked by: Murray Tosh, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 14 March 2003
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Current Status:
Answered by Patricia Ferguson on 28 March 2003
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will give details of all respects in which royal prerogative is delegated to it.
Answer
The Royal Prerogative is exercised by the Sovereign, not by ministers. However, Scottish ministers advise the Sovereign on the exercise of the Royal Prerogative where it is exercised in relation to devolved matters.
- Asked by: Murray Tosh, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 02 December 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Iain Gray on 5 December 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-31597 by Lewis Macdonald on 2 December 2002, whether its letter to the Convener of the Transport and Environment Committee will be issued, in paper or electronic form, to all MSPs.
Answer
I am writing today to the Convener of the Transport and Environment Committee to inform him that the Scottish passenger rail franchise is to be seven years in length, with the possibility of a three-year extension, and to explain the reasoning for that decision. I am placing a copy of that letter in the Parliament's Reference Centre (Bib. number 25467).
- Asked by: Murray Tosh, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 20 November 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Elaine Murray on 2 December 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will commission an independent review of care for the historic environment, as proposed by Scottish Environment LINK.
Answer
I met representatives from Scottish Environment LINK in June when we discussed, among other things, their tentative proposals for an audit of the historic environment in Scotland. LINK are now discussing this issue with my officials in Historic Scotland and we are awaiting a paper from LINK that sets out the aims and objectives they would propose for such an audit. A decision on whether there is a need for an audit in Scotland will be taken once these proposals have been received, evaluated and costed.
- Asked by: Murray Tosh, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 15 November 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Lewis Macdonald on 2 December 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive whether the decision of Her Majesty's Government and the Strategic Rail Authority to reduce the South Central rail franchise from 20 to seven years, and subsequent indications from UK Ministers and the Strategic Rail Authority that other passenger rail franchises may be reduced, will affect the award of the Scottish passenger rail franchise, and what its current policy is on the duration of the next Scottish franchise.
Answer
Specification of the terms on which the Scottish passenger rail franchise is let is a matter for the Scottish ministers. The Strategic Rail Authority (SRA) published its Franchising Policy Statement on 6 November 2002. Ministers are currently examining the SRA's proposals, and we will write to the Convener of the Transport and Environment Committee on these matters shortly.
- Asked by: Murray Tosh, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 06 November 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Lewis Macdonald on 26 November 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions it has had with Network Rail about its operation in Scotland and what changes it anticipates there will be in the structure, responsibilities and lines of accountability of the company in Scotland from those of Railtrack Scotland.
Answer
The Scottish Executive is in regular contact with Railtrack/Network Rail on a wide range of issues, including the company's plans for its future operations in Scotland.
- Asked by: Murray Tosh, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 06 November 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Lewis Macdonald on 25 November 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will fund the Edinburgh to London sleeper service in the new franchise for passenger rail services.
Answer
The existing level of service is to be the baseline for bids for the next Scottish passenger rail franchise. Subject to relevant spending constraints, it is intended that the baseline will be maintained and developed in the next franchise.
- Asked by: Murray Tosh, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 06 November 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Lewis Macdonald on 25 November 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has made any representations to the Strategic Rail Authority in support of commitments in the authority's 10-year plan to the upgrading of Edinburgh Waverley Station, the restoration of rail services to the Borders and the building of rail connections to Glasgow and Edinburgh airports.
Answer
The Scottish Executive is in regular contact with the Strategic Rail Authority on a wide range of issues, including Waverley Station, rail services to the Borders and rail connections to Glasgow and Edinburgh airports.
- Asked by: Murray Tosh, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 06 November 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Lewis Macdonald on 25 November 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive what power it has to issue guidance or directions to the Strategic Rail Authority on the specific rail enhancement projects that the authority will include in its forthcoming 10-year plan.
Answer
The Scottish Executive's powers to issue directions and guidance to the Strategic Rail Authority are set out in section 208 of the Transport Act 2000.
