- Asked by: Fiona Hyslop, MSP for Lothians, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 25 July 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Margaret Curran on 22 August 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to alter the capital receipt set-aside rules governing the use of monies received by local authorities that are obliged to sell houses under right-to-buy legislation.
Answer
The Scottish Executive has no plans to alter the housing capital receipts set-aside rules at present. It is important that we continue to reduce the debt burden on local authority tenants.
- Asked by: Fiona Hyslop, MSP for Lothians, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 25 July 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Andy Kerr on 22 August 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-25676 by Mr Andy Kerr on 27 May 2002, whether the Deputy Minister for Finance and Public Services did not intend to state to the Parliament that money was "flowing north of the border from south of the border" (Official Report, 23 January 2002, c. 5646-47) and, if so, whether he will clarify the position in the chamber of the Parliament.
Answer
I do not think that any clarification is necessary, taking into account the Deputy Minister's comments as a whole, and not just the words selected for quotation in question S1W-25676.
- Asked by: Fiona Hyslop, MSP for Lothians, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 25 July 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Malcolm Chisholm on 22 August 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive when it expects that West Lothian Healthcare NHS Trust will achieve full compliance with the limit of 56 hours of work per week set out in the New Deal for junior doctors.
Answer
The most recent monitoring data from West Lothian Healthcare NHS Trust indicate that 100% of Pre Registration House Officers are compliant with New Deal. Senior House Officers and Specialist Registrars are required to compliant by August 2003.
- Asked by: Fiona Hyslop, MSP for Lothians, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 25 July 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Andy Kerr on 22 August 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-25676 by Mr Andy Kerr on 27 May 2002, whether the answer fully complies with the letter and spirit of the Code of Practice on Access to Scottish Executive Information.
Answer
I believe that the letter and spirit of the Code of Practice on Access to Scottish Executive Information has been complied with.
- Asked by: Fiona Hyslop, MSP for Lothians, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 25 July 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Andy Kerr on 22 August 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answers to questions S1W-17642 and S1W-17643 by Angus MacKay on 18 September 2001, whether it has now considered the consultants' final report; if so, what conclusions it has drawn in the light of the report, and whether it will now make public its plans relating to the information requested in those questions.
Answer
The Scottish Executive considered the consultant's report and a range of potential options for the delivery of Facilities Management services. The Executive concluded that a Business Improvement Plan (BIP), using mainly in-house provision, would provide the best overall value for the Executive. The BIP involves the reorganisation of in house teams and for their role to expand as some current contracts will not be replaced as they end.The BIP aims to both improve facilities management services and reduce costs by £2.1 million per annum by 2004-05. Over the period 2002-03 to 2004-05 a number of changes will be made to the organisation of services delivery, to the number and extent of the contracts which support this work, and the way in which staff gain access to services. Every effort will be made to ensure that staff surpluses do not arise and redundancies are avoided through establishing staff preferences, reskilling, retraining and redeployment.
- Asked by: Fiona Hyslop, MSP for Lothians, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 25 July 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Margaret Curran on 22 August 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-17706 by Jackie Baillie on 3 October 2001, how many staff there are in the unit dedicated to dealing with asylum seekers and with refugee integration issues.
Answer
The Asylum Seeker and Refugee Integration team currently comprises three permanent members of staff and one temporary member of staff. This team works closely with a number of officials throughout the Executive on all devolved aspects of asylum and refugee integration.
- Asked by: Fiona Hyslop, MSP for Lothians, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 25 July 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Andy Kerr on 22 August 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-25676 by Mr Andy Kerr on 27 May 2002, whether the answer fully complies with the letter and spirit of its Guidance on Contacts with Members of the Scottish Parliament.
Answer
The Guidance on Contacts with Members of the Scottish Parliament is directed at Civil Servants.I am not aware of any such request to officials but would be happy to look into the matter if Ms Hyslop's concerns remain.
- Asked by: Fiona Hyslop, MSP for Lothians, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 25 July 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Andy Kerr on 22 August 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-25676 by Mr Andy Kerr on 27 May 2002, whether the answer fully complies with the letter and spirit of the Scottish Ministerial Code.
Answer
I believe that the answer complies with the letter and spirit of the Scottish Ministerial Code.
- Asked by: Fiona Hyslop, MSP for Lothians, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 25 July 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Margaret Curran on 22 August 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-14111 by Jackie Baillie on 26 March 2001, whether the pilot debtline in Fife has become operational and, if so, when; how it plans to analyse the efficacy of the pilot debtline, and whether any research on this matter has already been undertaken.
Answer
As indicated in the answer given to question S1W-24465 15 April 2002, the Fife pilot of the National Debtline project was launched by Iain Gray, then Social Justice Minister, on 22 March 2002. The Department of Trade and Industry plan to undertake an evaluation of all three pilots of the National Debtline in autumn 2002.
- Asked by: Fiona Hyslop, MSP for Lothians, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 25 July 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Margaret Curran on 22 August 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to relieve local authority housing departments of capital housing debt.
Answer
Arrangements are already in place with Treasury whereby assistance with debt is available as part of a whole stock transfer package. The Executive is not in a position to be able to relieve local authority housing departments of debt outwith stock transfer, since this would require the public sector to meet the costs of both debt redemption and investment in council stock.
