- Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Thursday, 20 February 2003
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Current Status:
Answered by Hugh Henry on 27 February 2003
To ask the Scottish Executive what action is being taken to ensure that people with learning disabilities are involved in community safety partnerships.
Answer
It is for the individual partnership to determine the level of involvement of people with learning disabilities or other special interest groups. In July 1999 we produced comprehensive guidance Safer Communities in Scotland to assist Community Safety Partnerships to create the framework necessary to develop strategies and action plans. The guidance recommends that as a minimum partnerships should involve at a senior level, the local authority, police, health board and/or trust and the fire service. It also stresses that partnerships should consider the role of the private and voluntary sectors, housing associations and racial equality/community relations councils either as members of the core partnership group, or by being involved in specific working groups etc.In preparing a community safety strategy, partnerships are encouraged to undertake a community safety audit and to consult the community to enable them to be actively involved in setting priorities.
- Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Thursday, 13 February 2003
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Current Status:
Answered by Margaret Curran on 27 February 2003
To ask the Scottish Executive how much funding has been allocated to the rough sleepers initiative in the (a) Argyll and Bute and (b) West Dunbartonshire local authority area since the inception of the initiative and how successful the initiative has been.
Answer
West Dunbartonshire Council received a total of £190,357 in Rough Sleepers Initiative (RSI) grant in the years 1997-98 to 2001-02 to provide a range of support services for people who slept rough, or were at risk of doing so. Argyll and Bute Council received £397,360. A further £104,347 per annum has been transferred to West Dunbartonshire's Revenue Support Grant and a further £114,480 per annum to Argyll and Bute's Revenue Support Grant to ensure the continuation of these services. In May 2001 there were no people identified as sleeping rough in West Dunbartonshire in the two week period covered by the study; in the same two-week period in 2002 there were three people who identified themselves to RSI services as having slept rough. In May 2001 the total number of people identified as sleeping rough in Argyll and Bute in the two-week period covered by the study was eight. In the same two-week period in 2002 the number was four.Both councils are currently preparing Homelessness Strategies, and revising their RSI local outcome agreements. In doing so, both councils have taken into account the findings of earlier research to ensure the wider availability of services and accommodation across their areas and the fact that they now have a statutory duty to provide, at minimum, temporary accommodation, advice and assistance for anyone assessed as homeless.
- Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Thursday, 13 February 2003
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Current Status:
Answered by Margaret Curran on 27 February 2003
To ask the Scottish Executive what percentage of households with children have been in temporary accommodation in the (a) Argyll and Bute and (b) West Dunbartonshire local authority area in each year since 1997 and what action is being taken to reduce these figures.
Answer
Information on households with children in temporary accommodation, having being placed there by the local authority under the homelessness legislation, has been collected centrally since June 2000. Information on the position (numbers and proportions) within each local authority area is available at the end of June, September, December and March each year since 2000. This information has been published in various Scottish Executive Statistical Bulletins/Statistics Releases, as shown in the table, which are available in the Parliament's Reference Centre.
| Period | Table No. | Bulletin Ref. No. | Publication Date | Bib. Number |
| June 2000 to March 2001 | 22 | HSG/2001/4 | 27 Sep 2001 | 16396 |
| June 2001 | 28 | HSG/2001/6 | 18 Dec 2001 | 18220 |
| September 2001 | 23 | HSG/2002/1 | 26 March 2002 | 20348 |
| December 01 and March 02 | 13 | Stats Release | 24 Sep 2002 | 24382 |
| June 2002 | 4 | Stats Release | 17 Dec 2002 | 25719 |
| September 2002 | 4 | Stats Release | 11 Feb 2003 | 26454 |
These publications may also be found on the Published Data section of the Housing Statistics Branch Reference Website (
www.scotland.gov.uk/stats/housing/hsbref).Homeless households with children may be placed in temporary accommodation for a variety of different reasons. In the main, this will be an interim short-term measure on the route to permanent accommodation. The Executive is concerned to ensure that the temporary accommodation provided for homeless households with children is of a satisfactory standard and is committed to ending the use of B&B for this purpose. To this end, funding has been provided to the authorities with most children in bed and breakfast (B&B) to provide alternative forms of temporary accommodation for homeless families, of which £289,000 was allocated to Argyll and Bute. All authorities have also received funding to increase the availability of suitable temporary accommodation more generally, following the implementation of the Housing (Scotland) Act 2001.Guidance issued on the development of homelessness strategies also makes clear that these strategies should clearly identify which forms of non-permanent or intermediate accommodation are appropriate, and emphasises that the use of B&B provision for families should be eliminated. Strategies are due to be submitted by the end of March 2003.
- Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Thursday, 06 February 2003
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Current Status:
Answered by Hugh Henry on 26 February 2003
To ask the Scottish Executive what reduction there has been in mortality rates from coronary heart disease in the (a) West Dunbartonshire and (b) Argyll and Bute local authority area in each year since 1996.
Answer
The information requested is given in the following table.Mortality Rates from Coronary Heart Disease
1 Per 100,000 Population
2, 1996-2001
| Year | 1996 | 1997 | 1998 | 1999 | 2000 | 2001 |
| West Dunbartonshire | 323 | 338 | 287 | 290 | 272 | 266 |
| Argyll and Bute | 348 | 356 | 308 | 295 | 294 | 286 |
Notes:1. International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision codes 410-414 (1996 to 1999) and Tenth Revision codes I20-I25 (2000 and 2001), ischaemic heart disease.2. The rates have been calculated using the latest available mid-year population estimates. Those for 1996 to 2000 are subject to revision to make them consistent with population results from the 2001 Census. The rates have not been age standardised.
- Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Thursday, 06 February 2003
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Current Status:
Answered by Cathy Jamieson on 25 February 2003
To ask the Scottish Executive how much of the #24 million childcare package was allocated to (a) Argyll and Bute Council and (b) West Dunbartonshire Council and how the money was distributed.
Answer
In July 2001, £24 million additional resources for child care were allocated through the child poverty package over 2001-04. The money was allocated as follows: £8.5 million was made available for child care grants for lone parents in full-time higher education to pay for child care. This grant is administered through the Students Awards Agency for Scotland. Figures for the 2001-02 allocation are not available, as payments were manual and not automated. The number of students receiving the £1,000 grant in 2002-03 is as follows:Argyll and Bute Council - 13West Dunbartonshire Council - 30£7.5 million was made available to further education colleges throughout Scotland to widen child care provision, based on locally identified needs. Responsibility for administering this money lies with the Scottish Further Education Funding Council. Information on awards made by this body is not held centrally. £8 million was made available to local authorities to help stabilise and sustain out-of-school care projects, especially in disadvantaged areas. The money was allocated over a three-year period as £2 million in 2001-02, £3 million in 2002-03 and £3 million in 2003-04. Of this, Argyll and Bute council was allocated £31,400 in 2001-02 and £47,500 in 2002-03 and 2003-04. West Dunbartonshire Council was allocated £22,800 in 2001-02 and £34,100 in 2002-03 and 2003-04.Allocation of this money within each local authority area is a matter for the individual council as they have responsibility for the allocation of funds at a local level. The information requested is not held centrally.
- Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 19 February 2003
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Current Status:
Answered by Iain Gray on 25 February 2003
To ask the Scottish Executive how many young people in the (a) West Dunbartonshire and (b) Argyll and Bute council area have received education maintenance allowances in each year since 2001.
Answer
Education maintenance allowances (EMAs) were first piloted in West Dunbartonshire from the start of academic year 2001-02. Five hundred and twenty-six West Dunbartonshire young people received EMAs during 2001-02 and in year 2002-03 there are currently 680 being paid EMA.EMAs are not available to young people in Argyll and Bute unless they attend a secondary school in West Dunbartonshire. In 2001-02, five Argyll and Bute young people received EMAs and in 2002-03 there are 10.
- Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Thursday, 13 February 2003
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Current Status:
Answered by Lewis Macdonald on 25 February 2003
To ask the Scottish Executive how much Strathclyde Passenger Transport has been allocated to enable free local off-peak bus travel in its area.
Answer
Funding for concessionary travel is allocated to local authorities as part of their unhypothecated general block grant allocation. Strathclyde Passenger Transport (SPT) has been delegated as the administrator of the Strathclyde Concessionary Travel Joint Committee, and allocation of funds to SPT is a matter for the 12 unitary authorities within its area.
- Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Thursday, 13 February 2003
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Current Status:
Answered by Andy Kerr on 25 February 2003
To ask the Scottish Executive what the grant aided expenditure settlement has been for (a) Argyll and Bute Council and (b) West Dunbartonshire Council in each year since 1997 showing the percentage change year on year.
Answer
The general revenue grant settlement allocations, with percentage increases, for Argyll and Bute Council are:
| | £ Million | % |
| 1997-98 | 108.035 | -1.83%* |
| 1998-99 | 107.728 | -0.28%* |
| 1999-2000 | 110.884 | 2.93% |
| 2000-01 | 113.524 | 2.38% |
| 2001-02 | 121.880 | 7.36% |
| 2002-03 | 136.675 | 12.14% |
| 2003-04 | 149.062 | 9.06% |
| 2004-05 | 158.074 | 6.05% |
| 2005-06 | 163.427 | 3.39% |
The general revenue grant settlement allocations, with percentage increases, for West Dunbartonshire Council are:
| | £ Million | % |
| 1997-98 | 106.067 | -7.68%* |
| 1998-99 | 105.610 | -0.43%* |
| 1999-2000 | 110.152 | 4.30% |
| 2000-01 | 112.855 | 2.45% |
| 2001-02 | 123.778 | 9.68% |
| 2002-03 | 135.502 | 9.47% |
| 2003-04 | 146.596 | 8.19% |
| 2004-05 | 152.456 | 4.00% |
| 2005-06 | 158.714 | 4.10% |
Note:*The allocations for 1997-98 and 1998-99 reflect transfers of responsibility out of general grant (e.g. for funding the Strathclyde Passenger Transport Authority) and the phasing out of transitional arrangements following local government reorganisation.
- Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Thursday, 13 February 2003
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Current Status:
Answered by Andy Kerr on 25 February 2003
To ask the Scottish Executive how much money additional to the grant aided expenditure settlement, for example through the Better Neighbourhood Services Fund and other such initiatives, it has awarded to (a) Argyll and Bute Council and (b) West Dunbartonshire Council in each year since 1997.
Answer
Argyll and Bute and West Dunbartonshire Council have benefited from additional resources for a range of specific initiatives. The following tables give details of some of the largest additional funds that have been allocated to the councils outwith the main revenue settlement since 1997.
| Argyll and Bute (£ million) | 1997-98 | 1998-99 | 1999-2000 | 2000-01 | 2001-02 | 2002-03 | 2003-04 |
| Housing Revenue Account Allocations | 1.582 | 1.607 | 1.607 | 1.607 | 1.607 | 1.607 | |
| Criminal Justice Social Work Services | 0.347 | 0.354 | 0.395 | 0.408 | 0.516 | 0.510 | |
| Pre-School Education Grant1 | 1.221 | 2.094 | 2.3740.074 | 2.6330.105 | 0.125 | | |
| Better Neighbourhood Services Fund | | | | | 0.600 | 0.900 | 1.200 |
| Strategic Waste Fund | | | | 0.080 | 1.100 | 1.810 | |
| West Dunbartonshire (£ million) | 1997-98 | 1998-99 | 1999-2000 | 2000-01 | 2001-02 | 2002-03 | 2003-04 |
| Housing Revenue Account Allocations | 5.569 | 5.657 | 5.657 | 5.657 | 5.657 | 5.657 | |
| Criminal Justice Social Work Services | 0.668 | 0.714 | 0.779 | 0.884 | 0.992 | 1.037 | |
| Pre-School Education Grant1 | 1.074 | 2.248 | 2.3410.044 | 1.6820.123 | 0.151 | | |
| Better Neighbourhood Services Fund | | | | | 2.000 | 3.000 | 4.000 |
| Strategic Waste Fund | | | | 0.046 | | 0.138 | |
Note:From 2002-03, Pre-School Education Grant is paid through general revenue grant.
- Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Thursday, 13 February 2003
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Current Status:
Answered by Lewis Macdonald on 25 February 2003
To ask the Scottish Executive what action it has taken to improve transport links between Dumbarton and Glasgow since 1999.
Answer
Through Strathclyde Passenger Transport Executive we fund rail services between Glasgow and Dumbarton, which have recently benefited from the introduction of new electric trains. We awarded West Dunbartonshire Council over £1 million for improvements to public transport in Dumbarton town centre. We recently announced proposals to re-open the Airdrie to Bathgate railway line, which will create new transport links from Dumbarton via Glasgow to Livingston and Edinburgh.
