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: S3W-21024

Asked by: Robert Brown, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Monday, 16 February 2009
Current Status: Answered by Alex Neil on 11 March 2009

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it considers that the comprehensive improvement plan submitted by Glasgow Housing Association to the Scottish Housing Regulator and the new grant conditions are resulting in satisfactory progress with local management and community ownership.

The improvement plan submitted to the Scottish Housing Regulator does not set out detailed timescales for Second Stage Transfer (SST). Progress with each SST is a matter for Glasgow Housing Association (GHA) and the respective Local Housing Organisations. The timescales need to be realistic and reflect a pace of activity which both parties can meet.

The Scottish Executive welcomes the first five transfers which are due to take place later this month and is keen to see this momentum maintained.

The Scottish Housing Regulator required GHA to undertake a fundamental review of its purpose and direction as part of the improvement planning process, and to consider the future of SST as part of this. GHA''s proposals for future tenant empowerment are set out in its draft business plan.

The Review of Grants is not yet concluded and has a clear objective in relation to SST, that the outcomes of the Review will not compromise the delivery of the GHA Second Stage Transfer programme.

Question reference: S3W-21357

Asked by: Robert Brown, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Wednesday, 25 February 2009
Current Status: Answered by Kenny MacAskill on 10 March 2009

To ask the Scottish Executive how much funding it provides for programmes in young offenders institutions aimed at tackling prisoners’ learning disabilities.

I have asked Mike Ewart, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service to respond. His response is as follows:

The SPS is committed to providing equality of opportunity for all young offenders and where possible seeks to provide young offenders with access to a wide variety of learning opportunities tailored to their needs. For example our education providers have access to a wide range of educational tools which enable them to respond to individual learning requirements.

A very specific example of how HMYOI Polmont has supported young offenders with learning disabilities is through the provision of an on-site speech and language therapy service, which is provided two days a week. Local NHS Community Speech and Language Therapy Services provide similar support to young offenders located at HMP and YOI Cornton Vale and Friarton young offenders annex at HMP Perth. The primary role of the speech and language service is to provide direct intervention for communication disorders.

Question reference: S3W-21029

Asked by: Robert Brown, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Monday, 16 February 2009
Current Status: Answered by Alex Neil on 10 March 2009

To ask the Scottish Executive what powers Scottish ministers have to give directions to Glasgow Housing Association.

Scottish ministers have the power to direct Glasgow Housing Association to delegate a specified range of housing management functions to Registered Social Landlords/Local Housing Organisations under section 68A of the Housing (Scotland) Act 2001. This is a time limited power and will end in 2011.

Scottish ministers issued the first set of directions and have delegated the exercise of the power to the Scottish Housing Regulator who will issue any future directions as appropriate.

Question reference: S3W-21026

Asked by: Robert Brown, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Monday, 16 February 2009
Current Status: Answered by Alex Neil on 10 March 2009

To ask the Scottish Executive what the timetable is for negotiating and agreeing revised management agreements between Glasgow Housing Association and local housing organisations and what the process is for consultation on this.

I have asked Karen Watt, Chief Executive of The Scottish Housing Regulator, to respond. Her response is as follows:

In January 2009, the Scottish Housing Regulator issued a consultation paper setting out the proposed terms of its review of directions issued under section 68A of the Housing (Scotland) Act 2001. The paper sets out proposals for issuing new directions to Glasgow Housing Association (GHA) and local housing organisations (LHOs) when their current management arrangements come to an end between April and September 2009.

We asked GHA, the LHOs and other interested parties to give feedback on our proposals by 27 February. We are currently considering this feedback and will issue our final proposals by the end of March.

Question reference: S3W-21021

Asked by: Robert Brown, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Monday, 16 February 2009
Current Status: Answered by Alex Neil on 10 March 2009

To ask the Scottish Executive what the timescales were for achieving a ballot in each of the three groups of initiatives approved by the Glasgow Housing Association (GHA) Board in October 2007 and whether Scottish ministers and the Scottish Housing Regulator are content with the progress and timescales set by the GHA for its programme of second-stage transfers.

The timescales set out by the GHA Board in October 2007 have been subject to discussion with the Local Housing Organisations pursuing second stage transfer. No detailed timescales were set for ballots in October 2007, only estimated timescales for the submission of business plans from purchasers in three diets (but no future diets).

Progress with each SST is a matter for GHA and the respective Local Housing Organisation. The timescales need to be realistic and reflect a pace of activity which both parties can meet.

The Scottish Executive welcomes the first five transfers which are due to take place later this month and is keen to see this momentum maintained.

Question reference: S3W-21446

Asked by: Robert Brown, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Thursday, 26 February 2009
Current Status: Answered by Kenny MacAskill on 10 March 2009

To ask the Scottish Executive how many times a Taser gun has been used (a) on a child and (b) within 10 metres of a child in each of the last two years, broken down by police authority area.

Question reference: S3W-21023

Asked by: Robert Brown, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Monday, 16 February 2009
Current Status: Answered by Alex Neil on 10 March 2009

To ask the Scottish Executive whether there have been any delays in the timescales set out by the Deputy First Minister for the submission of the comprehensive improvement plan by Glasgow Housing Association to the Scottish Housing Regulator in response to the critical inspection report of June 2007.

I have asked Karen Watt, Chief Executive of The Scottish Housing Regulator, to respond. Her response is as follows:

We published our report on our inspection of Glasgow Housing Association (GHA) on 18 September 2007. In accordance with our published guidance, we required GHA to submit an improvement plan to us within eight weeks of publication of the report. An initial version of the plan was submitted within this timescale, on 13 November 2007.

We provided GHA with our comments on the plan, as is usual practice. GHA produced subsequent revisions and a final version was submitted on 1 February 2008. This version of the plan was then agreed by us.

Question reference: S3W-21018

Asked by: Robert Brown, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Monday, 16 February 2009
Current Status: Answered by Alex Neil on 10 March 2009

To ask the Scottish Executive how and when Scottish ministers, or the Scottish Housing Regulator on behalf of ministers, fulfilled the commitment to consult with each of the 64 registered social landlords or management-only local housing organisations in year two of the operation of their remodelled management agreements with Glasgow Housing Association.

I have asked Karen Watt, Chief Executive of The Scottish Housing Regulator, to respond. Her response is as follows:

The first set of directions was issued in April 2006 under section 68A of the Housing (Scotland) Act 2001. At that time, we said that we would carry out a review in year two of their operation. We issued a consultation paper on the terms of our review in January 2009, and it is now underway.

It would not have been appropriate to carry out our review of the directions and Remodelled Management Agreement (RMA) until now. When we inspected Glasgow Housing Association (GHA) in 2007, we recommended that it carry out a fundamental review of its purpose and direction. It has been important for us to take account of GHA''s emerging proposals for future tenant empowerment and its progress with Second Stage Transfer when considering our proposals for the future management of directions.

Question reference: S3W-21025

Asked by: Robert Brown, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Monday, 16 February 2009
Current Status: Answered by Alex Neil on 10 March 2009

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it is providing written comment and direction on Glasgow Housing Association’s consultation draft 2009-10 business plan, Above and Beyond - Shaping a New Vision for GHA, and whether Scottish ministers were consulted before the draft was circulated.

Question reference: S3W-21022

Asked by: Robert Brown, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Monday, 16 February 2009
Current Status: Answered by Alex Neil on 10 March 2009

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it is content with the progress made by Glasgow Housing Association (GHA) on the second-stage transfer (SST) programme approved by its board in October 2007 and the timescales for SST initiatives detailed in the comprehensive improvement plan submitted by the GHA to the Scottish Housing Regulator.