- Asked by: John Wilson, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
-
Date lodged: Tuesday, 08 March 2011
-
Current Status:
Answered by Alex Neil on 21 March 2011
To ask the Scottish Executive what measures it takes to monitor the performance of local authorities in relation to empty homes
Answer
Bringing empty properties back into use is a matter for individual authorities. Where there are significant issues locally we would expect authorities to address these in their local housing strategies. However, a variety of information is collected and published on empty homes in Scotland.
Information on empty homes in Scotland is primarily collected through data from the council tax system. This information is provided by local authorities and includes data on how many properties are unoccupied, how many properties are long term empty, how much of a discount is offered for long empty properties and how much money is raised by reducing the 50% discount for long term empty properties. This includes data for both private and social sectors. Information is also collected on second homes through these data collections on council tax. Information on long-term empty housing is not routinely published but is available on request from the Statistical Support for Local Government team ([email protected]). More general council tax information can be found at:
http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Statistics/Browse/Local-Government-Finance/DatasetsCouncilTax.
More information is also collected on vacancies specifically within local authority managed social properties. This information is also provided directly from local authorities and includes information on the number of vacancies, how long the properties have been vacant and the reasons why the properties are vacant. This information is published through the Housing Statistics for Scotland publication and can be found at:
http://www.scotland.gov.uk./Topics/Statistics/Browse/Housing-Regeneration/HSfS/StockManagement.
- Asked by: John Wilson, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
-
Date lodged: Tuesday, 08 March 2011
-
Current Status:
Answered by Nicola Sturgeon on 21 March 2011
To ask the Scottish Executive what (a) medical and (b) physiological aftercare and support services are available to male victims of domestic violence in the NHS Lanarkshire area
Answer
NHS Lanarkshire does not provide gender-specific medical or physiological services for victims of domestic abuse. All patients presenting at accident and emergency and GP services receive appropriate medical attention. NHS Lanarkshire''s
Ending Violence and Abuse (EVA) Services support NHS Lanarkshire departments and medical staff to respond appropriately to male and female victims of domestic abuse.
There are a number of national help lines which provide support to men across Scotland who experience domestic abuse, including the Men''s Advice Line funded by the Scottish Government.
The Scottish Government does not hold a comprehensive map of services provided by the non-statutory sector to men experiencing domestic abuse.
- Asked by: John Wilson, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
-
Date lodged: Thursday, 24 February 2011
-
Current Status:
Answered by Keith Brown on 9 March 2011
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-39416 by Keith Brown on 23 February 2011, whether the indicative timetable for the delivery of the new class 380 trains remains confidential and, if so, for what reason.
Answer
The timetable for the delivery of the new class 380 trains is not confidential. ScotRail anticipates delivery of the full fleet of class 380 trains by June 2011.
- Asked by: John Wilson, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
-
Date lodged: Thursday, 03 February 2011
-
Current Status:
Answered by Keith Brown on 23 February 2011
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-38973 by Keith Brown on 3 February 2011, whether ScotRail has given a timetable for delivery of new Class 380 trains by Siemens.
Answer
Yes, the Scottish Executive has received an indicative timetable for the delivery of the new class 380 trains. This is subject to ongoing discussion between ScotRail and the train manufacturer Siemens.
- Asked by: John Wilson, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
-
Date lodged: Thursday, 27 January 2011
-
Current Status:
Answered by Keith Brown on 4 February 2011
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-38733 by Keith Brown on 20 January 2011, what information ScotRail is contractually obliged to provide regarding the Motherwell/Coatbridge Central/Cumbernauld route and whether the Scottish Government will provide this.
Answer
The operational information ScotRail is required to supply Transport Scotland is set out in Appendix 3 to Schedule 13.2 of the Franchise document. A copy of the
ScotRail Franchise Agreement is in the Scottish Parliament''s Information Centre (Bib. number 37777) and the Public Register version of the Franchise Agreement is available on Transport Scotland''s website:
http://www.transportscotland.gov.uk/rail/rail-franchise/public-register/contents.
The nearest relevant information that we can provide is as follows:
Services on the Motherwell/Cumbernauld route were suspended for several days in November and December 2010. Of the days when the line operated, in the four-week period to 11 December 2010 8% of services were cancelled, and in the four-week period to 8 January 2011 7% were cancelled.
- Asked by: John Wilson, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
-
Date lodged: Monday, 24 January 2011
-
Current Status:
Answered by Keith Brown on 3 February 2011
To ask the Scottish Executive how much funding was provided to ScotRail in relation to the Airdrie-Bathgate line.
Answer
The franchise payment to ScotRail is for delivering the terms of the franchise agreement including the services specified. Airdrie-Bathgate services have been included within the services specified for ScotRail to operate from December 2010. This payment is not broken down by route.
The Franchise payment for 2009-10 was £271 million, the budget for the ScotRail franchise for 2010-11 is £315 million and the draft budget for 2011-12 is £295 million.
- Asked by: John Wilson, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
-
Date lodged: Monday, 24 January 2011
-
Current Status:
Answered by Keith Brown on 3 February 2011
To ask the Scottish Executive what agreement was reached with ScotRail regarding the timetable for trains on the Airdrie-Bathgate line.
Answer
A service level commitment for new Airdrie-Bathgate services was finalised with ScotRail in December 2009. This reflects the four trains per hour assumption in the business case for Airdrie-Bathgate services. However, a revised introductory hourly timetable was agreed with ScotRail to commence from December 2010 as less rolling stock was available than planned due to delays in the delivery of the new Class 380 trains by Siemens.
- Asked by: John Wilson, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
-
Date lodged: Monday, 24 January 2011
-
Current Status:
Answered by Keith Brown on 3 February 2011
To ask the Scottish Executive whether there is a service level agreement with ScotRail regarding the Airdrie-Bathgate line and what the reasons are for its position on this matter.
Answer
I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-38973 on 3 February 2011. All answers 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/Apps2/Business/PQA/Default.aspx.
- Asked by: John Wilson, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
-
Date lodged: Thursday, 27 January 2011
-
Current Status:
Answered by John Swinney on 3 February 2011
To ask the Scottish Executive how many planning application appeals have been upheld by it in each year since 2006.
Answer
The number of appeals upheld against decisions made by local planning authorities since 2006 is:
| Year | Number of Appeals Upheld |
| 2006 | 381 |
| 2007 | 413 |
| 2008 | 372 |
| 2009 | 339 |
| 2010 | 158 |
- Asked by: John Wilson, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
-
Date lodged: Thursday, 27 January 2011
-
Current Status:
Answered by John Swinney on 3 February 2011
To ask the Scottish Executive how many local planning applications have been referred to it in each year since 2006.
Answer
The Directorate for Planning and Environmental Appeals has received the following number of appeals against decisions made by local planning authorities on planning applications since 2006:
| Year | Appeals Received |
| 2006 | 1,039 |
| 2007 | 1,106 |
| 2008 | 1,091 |
| 2009 | 908 |
| 2010 | 320 |
