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-16986

Asked by: Murray Tosh, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 13 July 2001
Current Status: Answered by Jackie Baillie on 10 August 2001

To ask the Scottish Executive what studies it proposes to undertake in the light of the recommendation in Rural Partnership for Change: Report of the National Steering Group that ways should be considered of allowing local authorities to enter into equity loan schemes to enable the construction of affordable housing by private developers.

Question reference: S1W-16983

Asked by: Murray Tosh, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 13 July 2001
Current Status: Answered by Sarah Boyack on 10 August 2001

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it intends to create a specific affordable housing land use category, as recommended in Rural Partnership for Change: Report of the National Steering Group.

Question reference: S1W-16982

Asked by: Murray Tosh, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 13 July 2001
Current Status: Answered by Sarah Boyack on 10 August 2001

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will act on the recommendation in Rural Partnership for Change: Report of the National Steering Group that it should explore the scope for creating a standard model planning agreement to facilitate the negotiation of agreements under section 75 of the Town and Country Planning (Scotland) Act 1997 between developers and local authorities.

Question reference: S1W-16988

Asked by: Murray Tosh, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 13 July 2001
Current Status: Answered by Jackie Baillie on 10 August 2001

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will act on the recommendation in Rural Partnership for Change: Report of the National Steering Group that it should provide financial assistance to low-income households in the owner occupier sector in certain rural areas to enable them to convert or extend their houses to meet changing household needs.

Scottish Homes currently has no authority to provide financial assistance of this type. We appreciate the reasons for this recommendation and the possible benefits, but it would be difficult to administer such a scheme while ensuring safeguards on the use of public money and establishing that the benefits provide value for money. However, all aspects of assistance to owners as it relates to housing quality are within the remit of the Housing Improvement Task Force. I have made arrangements for the report to be brought to the attention of the task force so that this and other issues can receive full consideration in its work.

Question reference: S1W-16990

Asked by: Murray Tosh, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 13 July 2001
Current Status: Answered by Jackie Baillie on 10 August 2001

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it plans to implement the recommendation in Rural Partnership for Change: Report of the National Steering Group that it should require its own agencies, and seek to influence the agencies and departments of the Her Majesty's Government, to dispose of housing stock only through strategies which will assist local authorities' local housing strategies.

The report suggests that public agencies disposing of houses should consult with the relevant local authority or develop stock disposal strategies that will assist local housing strategies. It recommends that the Executive should promote such policies as good practice with agencies it can influence and should seek to have them similarly promoted by the UK government.

The Executive and Scottish Homes are prepared to enter into discussions on disposals of housing stock by other agencies in appropriate circumstances. In disposing of its own housing stock to registered social landlords, Scottish Homes takes account of local policies and needs by consulting with local authorities.

Question reference: S1W-16989

Asked by: Murray Tosh, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 13 July 2001
Current Status: Answered by Sarah Boyack on 10 August 2001

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it accepts the recommendation in Rural Partnership for Change: Report of the National Steering Group that sustainable development requirements should be incorporated into planning consents.

Question reference: S1W-16981

Asked by: Murray Tosh, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 13 July 2001
Current Status: Answered by Jackie Baillie on 10 August 2001

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will amend advice and guidance on estimating demand for housing to reflect the recommendations in Rural Partnership for Change: Report of the National Steering Group with regard to identifying and measuring housing pressure and, in particular, whether it will recommend calculating demand for housing in rural areas as a ratio of supply.

Question reference: S1W-16980

Asked by: Murray Tosh, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 13 July 2001
Current Status: Answered by Sarah Boyack on 10 August 2001

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it intends to create a specific primary dwelling land use category, as recommended in Rural Partnership for Change: Report of the National Steering Group.

Question reference: S1W-16987

Asked by: Murray Tosh, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 13 July 2001
Current Status: Answered by Jackie Baillie on 10 August 2001

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it accepts the recommendation in Rural Partnership for Change: Report of the National Steering Group that the grant appraisal for self-build houses in certain rural areas should be amended to reflect self-builders' labour costs.

Question reference: S1W-13836

Asked by: Murray Tosh, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 02 March 2001
Current Status: Answered by Jim Wallace on 31 July 2001

To ask the Scottish Executive what files it, its Executive agencies and non-departmental public bodies hold on Mr Peter Cherbi and whether it will disclose the contents of these files to him.