- Asked by: John Wilson, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 09 December 2009
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Current Status:
Answered by Alex Neil on 6 January 2010
To ask the Scottish Executive how many registered social landlords were inspected by the Scottish Housing Regulator in (a) 2007-08 and (b) 2008-09.
Answer
I have asked Michael Cameron, Acting Chief Executive of the Scottish Housing Regulator to respond. His response is as follows:
(a) The Scottish Housing Regulator came into operation on 1 April 2008, following the dissolution of Communities Scotland. During 2007-08, Communities Scotland completed the inspection of nine registered social landlords.
(b) During 2008-09, the Scottish Housing Regulator completed the inspection of nine registered social landlords.
- Asked by: John Wilson, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 09 December 2009
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Current Status:
Answered by John Swinney on 6 January 2010
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it intends to relocate any of its directorates and agencies to the North Lanarkshire local authority area.
Answer
Decisions about the relocation of Scottish Government functions will be considered in terms of ensuring the best use of the existing government estate, providing best value for money for the Scottish Government as a whole and maintaining or improving the operational effectiveness of the function in question.
At present there are no plans to relocate any Scottish Government directorates or agencies to North Lanarkshire.
- Asked by: John Wilson, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 09 December 2009
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Current Status:
Answered by Alex Neil on 6 January 2010
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-25643 by Alex Neil on 5 August 2009, who the members are of the working group on housing investment reform.
Answer
Details of the membership of both investment reform working groups, along with the minutes and papers discussed at the meetings, are available from the Scottish Government''s website
www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Built-Environment/Housing/investment/affordable.
farmer
- Asked by: John Wilson, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 09 December 2009
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Current Status:
Answered by Alex Neil on 6 January 2010
To ask the Scottish Executive how many housing associations and housing co-operatives have never received inspection visits from the Scottish Housing Regulator.
Answer
I have asked Michael Cameron, Acting Chief Executive of the Scottish Housing Regulator to respond. His response is as follows:
Of the housing associations and housing co-operatives currently registered with the Scottish Housing Regulator, 14 have received inspection visits from the Scottish Housing Regulator and 148 have not.
- Asked by: John Wilson, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 09 December 2009
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Current Status:
Answered by John Swinney on 21 December 2009
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-19451 by John Swinney on 15 January 2009, how many of its staff are seconded to the Improvement Service.
Answer
One member of the Scottish Government staff is seconded to the Improvement Service.
- Asked by: John Wilson, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 14 December 2009
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Current Status:
Answered by Nicola Sturgeon on 18 December 2009
To ask the Scottish Executive whether discussions have taken place with NHS boards regarding the introduction of a living wage of £7 per hour.
Answer
NHS pay is considered on a UK-wide basis through the Pay Review Body process which makes recommendations for the individual consideration of UK ministers and ministers in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
The lowest paid staff in the NHS are covered by the Agenda for Change system and there is currently a three year pay deal in place covering the period 1 April 2008 to 31 March 2011. Under this deal, the lowest hourly rate currently available in NHSScotland is £6.76, which is significantly above the present minimum wage of £5.80 per hour. On 1 April 2010, this lowest hourly rate will rise to £6.98. It should also be noted that all Agenda for Change staff receive incremental progression as well as cost of living increases. These are, therefore, the bottom points on scales which staff move up on a yearly basis as their experience increases.
- Asked by: John Wilson, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 09 December 2009
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Current Status:
Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 16 December 2009
To ask the Scottish Executive how much public subsidy will be paid to the National Theatre for Scotland in 2010-11 and how much was paid in the two previous financial years.
Answer
The National Theatre for Scotland is due to receive £4.548 million in revenue funding for 2010-11. It received £4.38 million in 2008-09 and £4.490 million in 2009-10. It received additional financial support from the Scottish Government''s International Touring Fund amounting to £89,789 in 2008-09 and is eligible to apply to the International Touring Fund in 2010-11.
- Asked by: John Wilson, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 02 December 2009
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Current Status:
Answered by Jim Mather on 14 December 2009
To ask the Scottish Executive what average financial contribution it has made to the establishment of windfarm developments.
Answer
The Scottish Government does not provide funding for commercial wind farms. Since the launch of the Scottish Community and Householder Renewables Initiative (SCHRI) in 2003 and its successor the Community and Renewable Energy Scheme (CARES) in April 2009, the Scottish Government has allocated 125 capital grants worth a total of £3.1 million to eligible not-for-profit community based organisations developing wind turbine projects. The average financial contribution is therefore around £25,000.
- Asked by: John Wilson, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 26 November 2009
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Current Status:
Answered by Fergus Ewing on 4 December 2009
To ask the Scottish Executive how the capital expenditure figure of £24.6 million allocated to fire and rescue boards, as indicated in the local government finance settlement for 2010-11, will be distributed.
Answer
Discussions with the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities (COSLA) on the allocations for 2010-11 are progressing well and a final decision will be made in January 2011.
- Asked by: John Wilson, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 19 November 2009
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Current Status:
Answered by John Swinney on 1 December 2009
To ask the Scottish Executive how many local authorities apply discretion to granting council tax discounts of between 10% and 50% on second homes and long-term empty properties.
Answer
The following table shows the discount applied by each local authority for second homes and for long-term empty homes in the current year.
Council Tax - Second Homes and Long-Term Empty Properties, level of Discount for 2009-10
| | Second Homes Discount | Long-Term Empty Property Discount |
| Aberdeen City | 10% | 10% |
| Aberdeenshire | 10% | 10% |
| Angus | 10% | 50% |
| Argyll and Bute | 10% | 10% |
| Clackmannanshire | 50% | 50% |
| Dumfries and Galloway | 10% | 10% |
| Dundee City | 50% | 50% |
| East Ayrshire | 50% | 50% |
| East Dunbartonshire | 50% | 50% |
| East Lothian | 10% | 10% |
| East Renfrewshire | 10% | 10% |
| Edinburgh, City of | 10% | 10% |
| Eilean Siar | 10% | 10% |
| Falkirk | 10% | 10% |
| Fife | 10% | 10% |
| Glasgow City | 10% | 50% |
| Highland | 10% | 10% |
| Inverclyde | 10% | 50% |
| Midlothian | 10% | 10% |
| Moray | 10% | 10% |
| North Ayrshire | 10% | 10% |
| North Lanarkshire | 10% | 10% |
| Orkney Islands | 10% | 10% |
| Perth and Kinross | 10% | 10% |
| Renfrewshire | 50% | 50% |
| Scottish Borders | 10% | 10% |
| Shetland Islands | 10% | 10% |
| South Ayrshire | 25% | 25% |
| South Lanarkshire | 10% | 10% |
| Stirling | 10% | 10% |
| West Dunbartonshire | 50% | 50% |
| West Lothian | 10% | 10% |
Source: Council Tax Assumptions (CTAS) returns 2009.
