- Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Friday, 24 August 2007
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Current Status:
Answered by Stewart Maxwell on 5 September 2007
To ask the Scottish Executive how it will help to address income inequality between disabled and non-disabled people.
Answer
The Scottish Governmentis committed to creating a fairer, wealthier Scotland and will work towards this end through delivery of its five strategic objectivesand overarching purpose. It will help to address income inequality between disabledand non-disabled people through the provision of a number of policies and programmes,from the promotion of disability equality to the Workforce Plus employability framework,which seeks to maximize opportunities to access good quality sustainable employmentfor the most disadvantaged in relation to the labour market, including disabledpeople.
- Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Friday, 24 August 2007
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Current Status:
Answered by Stewart Maxwell on 5 September 2007
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will publicise more widely the funding resources available for disabled individuals and representative groups.
Answer
The Scottish Governmentis committed to equality of opportunity for disabled people and is keen to ensurethat disabled people and disability organisations receive support and informationthat meets their needs.
Wecurrently support the work of a number of national disability organisations to helpus to improve the flow of information to disabled people and disability organisations.For example, the Scottish Government funds a number of organisations to publicisethe availability of direct payments for self-directed support including UPDATE,(Scotland’s National Disability Information Service), the Scottish Personal AssistantEmployers Network (SPAEN) which provides information and support to those individualsinterested in employing personal assistants, the Scottish Consortium of Direct PaymentSupport Organisations (SCDPSO) which provides a forum for direct payments supportorganisations throughout Scotland to work together, and Contact a Family Scotlandfor a direct payments information service.
We are happy to lookat how we further improve the flow of information and will continue to explore thiswith disabled people and disability organisations.
- Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Friday, 24 August 2007
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Current Status:
Answered by Stewart Maxwell on 5 September 2007
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it is considering improvements to the legislative rights of disabled people so that they receive essential services, in order to make independent living a realisable goal for them.
Answer
Some legislative rights,for example, those relating to employment and benefits, are contained in legislationreserved to Westminster.
In the Scottish context,Scottish ministers are considering what steps need to be taken to advance independentliving in Scotland and we will announce our plans later in theyear.
- Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 15 August 2007
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Current Status:
Answered by Linda Fabiani on 5 September 2007
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it intends to increase the total funding available for the Humanitarian Health Fund.
Answer
The Humanitarian Health Fund is part of the International Development Fund. The Fund and Policy are presently under review as a conversation takes place to assess the most strategic way forward for Scotland’s investment in international development. Decisions as to the nature and totality of the funding for future grants will be made in accordance with the review outcomes.
- Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 28 August 2007
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Current Status:
Answered by Linda Fabiani on 4 September 2007
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it considers that the announcement by the Minister for Europe, External Affairs and Culture on 23 August 2007 regarding the level of the overseas aid budget fulfils the commitment outlined in The First 100 Days of an SNP Government that the aid budget would be increased by 100% in its first budget as distinct from announcing an intention to increase the budget by 2011.
Answer
Our commitment states We will convene a meeting of Scotland''s aid agencies to ensure Scotland''s overseas aid policy meets the needs of those in greatest need of support and in our first Budget for Scotland the SNP will increase Scotland''s International Development budget by 100%. That is exactly what I announced on 23 August 2007.
- Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 28 August 2007
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Current Status:
Answered by Linda Fabiani on 4 September 2007
To ask the Scottish Executive how it will work with aid agencies in Scotland.
Answer
I met with the Networkof International Development Organisations in Scotland and the Scotland-Malawi Partnership on 23 August 2007 to invite them to contribute to the discussion on thefuture of our International Development Policy. As stated in the answer to questionS3W-3300 on 27 August 2007, my officials and I will continue to meetwith aid agencies to discuss international development as required.
- Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 28 August 2007
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Current Status:
Answered by Linda Fabiani on 4 September 2007
To ask the Scottish Executive whether the announcement by the Minister for Europe, External Affairs and Culture of 23 August 2007 regarding the level of the overseas aid budget means that the fund will be increased to £9 million from 2008-09 and, if not, what the profile of the funding increase will be for each year up to and including 2011-12.
Answer
I refer the memberto the answer to question S3W-3642 on 4 September 2007. All answers to written parliamentary questions are availableon the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at
http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search.
- Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 28 August 2007
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Current Status:
Answered by Linda Fabiani on 4 September 2007
To ask the Scottish Executive what contribution it is making to the eight millennium development goals agreed by the United Nations.
Answer
The future directionof the Scottish Government’s International Development Policy - and the way in whichthe increased International Development Fund is distributed - will be informed bythe expert views of Scotland’s Aid Agencies. This will ensure it is focusedon ways in which we can contribute to achieving the millennium development goals.
- Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 28 August 2007
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Current Status:
Answered by Linda Fabiani on 4 September 2007
To ask the Scottish Executive how it will actively support the promotion and development of fair trade.
Answer
As stated in the answerto question S3W-2899 on 7 August 2007, this Scottish Government is committed toTrade Justice and will continue to support the drive to make Scotland a Fair Tradenation, based on meaningful and substantial measures. We will do this through continuedsupport for the Scottish Fair Trade Forum, who represent the key organisations andindividuals who can make this a reality.
- Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 15 August 2007
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Current Status:
Answered by Nicola Sturgeon on 4 September 2007
To ask the Scottish Executive what level of resources will be released by the closure of the Jeanie Deans Unit in Helensburgh and whether those resources will be wholly spent in Helensburgh and Lomond.
Answer
NHS Highland have informed me that resources of approximately £700,000 will be released by the closure of the Jeannie Deans Unit. The allocation of these resources is a matter for NHS Highland and Argyll and Bute Council.
