- Asked by: Phil Gallie, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 02 April 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Jim Wallace on 13 May 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-23033 by Mr Jim Wallace on 11 March 2002, what the crime statistics for the Strathclyde Police area reveal for the periods (a) 25 January to 30 January 2002, (b) 1 February to 6 February 2002 and (c) 8 February to 13 February 2002.
Answer
The information requested is not held centrally.
- Asked by: Phil Gallie, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 23 April 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Malcolm Chisholm on 7 May 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive how many people the NHS employs (a) directly and (b) indirectly.
Answer
A total of 130,028 staff were directly employed in NHSScotland at 30 September 2000, the latest year for which figures are available. The number of all staff indirectly employed by NHSScotland is not available centrally. More detailed information on staff employed by NHSScotland can be accessed via ISD Online's internet publication, Workforce Statistics, at:http://www.show.scot.nhs.uk/isd/NHSiS_resource/Workforce/workforce_statistics.htm.
- Asked by: Phil Gallie, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 19 April 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Margaret Curran on 3 May 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive what guidelines there are for the Rent Registration Service on reducing rent levels previously set for housing benefit purposes in respect of buildings that do not meet acceptable standards.
Answer
I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-25242.
- Asked by: Phil Gallie, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 19 April 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Margaret Curran on 3 May 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive under what criteria the Rent Registration Service sets rent levels for housing benefit purposes.
Answer
The Rent Registration Service sets rent levels for housing benefit purposes in line with legislation drawn up by the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions and approved by the UK Parliament. The legislation requires the Rent Officer to make a significantly high rent determination if he considers that the tenant's rent is significantly higher than that which the landlord might reasonably expect to obtain on the open market at that time. If the dwelling exceeds the defined size criteria for the household, the Rent Officer must determine a rent for a similar tenancy of the appropriate size for that household in the vicinity. If the rent officer considers that the rent for the dwelling is exceptionally high, he has to determine the highest rent (which is not exceptionally high) which the landlord might reasonably be expected to obtain for a similar tenancy in the same neighbourhood. The Rent Officer makes his determination on the basis of his knowledge of the local market and, in doing so, looks at similar tenancies in the same vicinity. In particular, the Rent Officer will consider the proposed rent against his or her determination of the mid-point market rent for the appropriate size of dwelling in the locality. These "Local Reference Rents" ("Single Room Rents" for claimants under 25) are calculated by formulae defined in the legislation.
- Asked by: Phil Gallie, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 19 April 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Margaret Curran on 3 May 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive whether local authorities can reduce rent levels set for housing benefit purposes by the Rent Registration Service in respect of properties that do not meet acceptable standards.
Answer
I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-25242.
- Asked by: Phil Gallie, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 19 March 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Wendy Alexander on 2 April 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive what the average quarterly start-up rate of new businesses was between (a) the first quarter of 1995 and the third quarter of 1999 and (b) the third quarter of 1999 and the latest date for which figures are available, and what the explanation is for any reduction in the start-up rate of new businesses between these dates.
Answer
The following table shows the number of new VAT registrations relative to the adult population for the years since 1995. VAT registrations provide the primary official data on business starts and only annual figures are available. VAT registrations in Scotland
| | Annual Registrations per 10,000 adults |
| 1995 | 27 |
| 1996 | 27 |
| 1997 | 30 |
| 1998 | 29 |
| 1999 | 28 |
| 2000 | 28 |
| average 1995-1999 | 28 |
| average 1999-2000 | 28 |
The Committee of Scottish Clearing Bankers produces figures for the number of new business accounts opened with their members. In the period 1995 Q1 to 1999 Q3 the average number of new accounts per quarter was 13.7 per 10,000 adults in Scotland. In the period 1999 Q3 to 2001 Q4 the average rate was 10.4 per 10,000 adults. There is no single explanation for the change in the rate but it will be strongly influenced by, among other things, the rate of growth in the economy.
- Asked by: Phil Gallie, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 19 March 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Mary Mulligan on 27 March 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive whether there is a shortfall of paediatricians in relation to positions in hospitals and, if so, what steps are being taken to address the situation.
Answer
The latest available information on the number of consultant paediatric posts and vacancies is shown in the following table.Paediatrician vacancies in Scotland
1,2Headcount at 30 September 2002
| | Became vacant: | Vacancies as a percentage of establishment: |
| | Establishment3 | In Post | Total Vacancies | After 1 April 2002 | Before 31 March 2002 | Total Vacancies | After 1 April 2002 | Before 31 March 2002 |
| Paediatrics | 126 | 121 | 5 | 3 | 2 | 4.0% | 2.4% | 1.6% |
| Paediatric surgery | 15 | 15 | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Paediatric dentistry | 10 | 9 | 1 | 1 | - | 10.0% | 10.0% | - |
Notes:1. Includes honorary appointments.2. Details posts vacant at 30 September 2002 irrespective of when the vacancy arose.3. Comprises Staff-in-Post + Total Vacancies.The Scottish Executive has made a commitment to 375 more junior doctors by 2004 and is committed to increase the number of consultants by 600 over the spending review period.
- Asked by: Phil Gallie, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 31 January 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Margaret Curran on 15 March 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive what proportion of any legal expenses incurred by Heritage Scotland Ltd it will be liable for in respect of the appeal by Ayr United Football Club concerning the club's stadium planning application.
Answer
The Scottish Executive will be liable for all of Heritage Scotland Ltd's legal expenses incurred (as taxed) up to and including the By Order hearing stage.
- Asked by: Phil Gallie, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 31 January 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Margaret Curran on 15 March 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive how much in legal fees it has incurred in preparing a defence against the appeal by Ayr United Football Club concerning the club's stadium planning application.
Answer
The information requested is not yet available, but once counsel's accounts are submitted, I shall write to the member with the necessary details and place a copy of my letter in the Parliament's Reference Centre.
- Asked by: Phil Gallie, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 12 February 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Jim Wallace on 11 March 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive what the impact of allocating resources to policing demonstrations at Faslane during the week commencing 11 February 2002 has been on day-to-day policing throughout Scotland.
Answer
This is an operational matter falling within the responsibility of the Chief Constable of Strathclyde. However, I am advised that the need to deploy a total of 880 police officers in connection with this demonstration inevitably diverted the officers concerned from other duties as well as incurring significant additional costs in extra duty and other payments. Strathclyde Police dealt with these pressures without making demands on other forces.
