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-13198

Asked by: Aileen Campbell, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 19 May 2008
Current Status: Answered by Stewart Maxwell on 28 May 2008

To ask the Scottish Executive how many no-fines houses constructed through Communities Scotland and its predecessor organisations have been improved or refurbished in each year for which records exist, broken down by local authority area.

Question reference: S3W-13199

Asked by: Aileen Campbell, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 19 May 2008
Current Status: Answered by Stewart Maxwell on 28 May 2008

To ask the Scottish Executive how many no-fines houses originally constructed through Communities Scotland and its predecessor organisations have been transferred to (a) housing association or (b) private ownership in each year for which records exist, broken down by local authority area.

Question reference: S3W-11336

Asked by: Aileen Campbell, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 26 March 2008
Current Status: Answered by Michael Russell on 16 April 2008

To ask the Scottish Executive what levels of light pollution have been recorded in Scotland in each year for which records exist.

Question reference: S3W-11335

Asked by: Aileen Campbell, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 26 March 2008
Current Status: Answered by Michael Russell on 16 April 2008

To ask the Scottish Executive what support it provides to local authorities seeking to reduce levels of light pollution.

The Scottish Government published a guidance note in 2007 for all local authorities, planners and property developers entitled Controlling Light Pollution and Reducing Light Energy consumption. The note can be found at:

http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/2007/03/14164512/0.

The government has also proposed to introduce new legislation to include light pollution within the Statutory Nuisance regime as part of the Public Health Bill, which is currently being considered by the Scottish Parliament. In addition, it is planned to issue associated guidance to help in the implementation of any new provisions by local authorities.

Question reference: S3W-11337

Asked by: Aileen Campbell, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 26 March 2008
Current Status: Answered by Michael Russell on 16 April 2008

To ask the Scottish Executive what guidance exists to minimise light pollution from new developments.

Question reference: S3W-10869

Asked by: Aileen Campbell, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 12 March 2008
Current Status: Answered by Linda Fabiani on 13 March 2008

To ask the Scottish Executive when the Creative Scotland Bill will be introduced to the Parliament.

I am pleased to announce that the Creative Scotland Bill was introduced to the Scottish Parliament on Wednesday, 12 March 2008. This is a significant step in establishing the cultural development body, Creative Scotland.

Scotland is experiencing a cultural renaissance and the establishment of Creative Scotland will cultivate and support the best of Scottish arts and creativity and will build on the successes of the Scottish Arts Council and Scottish Screen.

Question reference: S3W-10676

Asked by: Aileen Campbell, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 04 March 2008
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 12 March 2008

To ask the Scottish Executive how much tax has been paid by PFI/PPP consortia responsible for projects in Scotland in each year since 1999.

Question reference: S3W-10675

Asked by: Aileen Campbell, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 04 March 2008
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 12 March 2008

To ask the Scottish Executive where the registered offices are based for all PFI/PPP consortia for projects commissioned by (a) the Scottish Government, (b) local authorities and (c) NHS boards.

Question reference: S3W-10674

Asked by: Aileen Campbell, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 04 March 2008
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 12 March 2008

To ask the Scottish Executive whether any PFI/PPP consortia responsible for projects in Scotland have transferred ownership of the projects to companies based outside the United Kingdom.

Question reference: S3W-09847

Asked by: Aileen Campbell, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 13 February 2008
Current Status: Answered by Stewart Maxwell on 11 March 2008

To ask the Scottish Executive how many installations were carried out under the central heating programme in each (a) year and (b) month since the introduction of the programme in (i) the South Lanarkshire local authority area, (ii) the North Ayrshire local authority area and (iii) each Scottish parliamentary constituency in the South of Scotland region.

The fuel poverty programmes have included the provision of central heating in both the public and private sectors. In the public sector, local authorities completed installations in their properties in March 2004 and housing associations completed installations in their properties in December 2004, except Glasgow Housing Association properties where, due to the high number of properties involved, the programme was completed in March 2007. In the private sector, installations have been carried out by the managing agent.

The number of systems installed in the public sector from the start of the programme in 2001 until the programme ended in December 2004 are held as annual installation figures. The number of systems installed in each financial year over the period requested in North Ayrshire and South Lanarkshire council areas, is shown in the table:

Local Authority Area	2001-02	2002-03	2003-04	2004-0	Total
North Ayrshire	0	0	0	0	0
South Lanarkshire	863	802	1,998	0	3,663

Notes:

1. The figures include installations carried out by local authority and housing associations in each of the local authority areas indicated.

2. The figures do not include installations carried out in the private sector.

In the private sector, information is not held by local authority or parliamentary constituency area, but by main postcode. The monthly installation rate, covering the period October 2006 until January 2008 for the main postcode areas across the South of Scotland Region (DG, KA, ML and TD) is shown in the table:

	DG	KA	ML	TD	Total
October 2006	0*	2*	7*	1*	10*
November 2006	0*	2*	7*	0*	9*
December 2006	0*	3*	6*	0*	9*
January 2007	28*	130*	159*	10*	327*
February 2007	28*	129*	159*	10*	326*
March 2007	28*	129*	159*	11*	327*
April 2007	4	108	106	10	228
May 2007	4	109	107	10	230
June 2007	53	90	80	16	239
July 2007	23	63	126	10	222
August 2007	37	80	136	17	270
September 2007	33	65	125	14	237
October 2007	33	168	52	8	261
November 2007	56	99	65	24	244
December 2007	39	31	61	20	151
January 2008	44	110	122	18	294

Note: The figures are marked with an asterisk where the current managing agent (Scottish Gas) has provided figures on a three-monthly rather than a monthly basis, during the start up period covering its involvement on the programme. The figures given are the monthly average for the relevant three-month period.

Before October 2006 information on installations in the private sector are held only as annual installation figures. The total number of systems installed in the private sector in each financial year over the period requested for main postcode areas DG, KA, ML and TD is shown in the table:

Main Postcode Area	2001-02	2002-03	2003-04	2004-05	2005-06	2006-07	Total
DG	70	160	416	599	586	251	2,082
KA	230	240	459	808	1,100	407	3,244
ML	83	167	392	712	1,007	386	2,747
TD	19	69	245	427	286	152	1,198