- Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Monday, 05 January 2004
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Current Status:
Answered by Hugh Henry on 15 January 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive what the level of use is of restriction of liberty orders across Scotland.
Answer
1,093 restriction of libertyorders have been imposed in the period from national rollout on 1 May 2002 to 31 December 2003.This includes six orders restricting offenders away from a specified place and11 restricting offenders to and from specified places.
- Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Monday, 05 January 2004
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Current Status:
Answered by Hugh Henry on 15 January 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive what the level of use is by Dumbarton Sheriff Court of restriction of liberty orders as a disposal.
Answer
Dumbarton Sheriff Court has not yet imposed a restriction of liberty order.
- Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Monday, 05 January 2004
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Current Status:
Answered by Hugh Henry on 15 January 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive what the criteria are for the use of a restriction of liberty order.
Answer
Offenders must be aged 16 orover and must consent to the order. The court must obtain and considerinformation about the places involved and the attitudes of the persons mostlikely to be affected by the enforced presence of the offender. In addition,provisions in the Criminal Justice (Scotland) Act 2003 made restriction of liberty orders a directalternative to custody.
- Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 26 November 2003
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Current Status:
Answered by Mary Mulligan on 15 December 2003
To ask the Scottish Executive, in respect of its fuel poverty reduction target, whether it is aware of statistics published by Ofgem on the number of disconnections broken down by energy company.
Answer
Yes and we have expressedour concern about the rise in disconnections to the companies concerned.
- Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Thursday, 20 November 2003
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Current Status:
Answered by Mary Mulligan on 15 December 2003
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has made any representations to energy companies about the rising number of disconnections.
Answer
The legislation andregulation of the energy sector is a reserved matter and the performance of theenergy companies is monitored by the regulator, Ofgem, and also by the consumerwatchdog, energywatch. We have, however, expressed our concern to the energycompanies about the rise in disconnections and how the companies are operatingin Scotland.
- Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Thursday, 27 November 2003
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Current Status:
Answered by Ross Finnie on 10 December 2003
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will continue the Transitional Water and Waste Water Charges Scheme in any form for domestic water users beyond March 2004.
Answer
The Executive is assessingthe impact that ending the scheme will have. It is doing this in light of the harmonisationof charges that has taken place since the scheme was introduced. It remains thecase, however, that the main means of assisting vulnerable groups are improvingefficiency at Scottish Water and retaining the link between water charges and counciltax banding and discount arrangements.
- Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Thursday, 27 November 2003
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Current Status:
Answered by Ross Finnie on 10 December 2003
To ask the Scottish Executive how effective the Transitional Water and Waste Water Charges Scheme has been in providing assistance to the poorest households.
Answer
The objective of theTransitional Water and Sewerage Charges Reduction Scheme was to help low incomehouseholds adjust to higher water and wastewater charges. The focus of thescheme was on households in band A, in the former North of Scotland WaterAuthority where increases were particularly steep, and those in band B acrossthe whole of Scotland. The scheme has been effective in achieving this.
It remains the case, however,that the main means of assisting vulnerable groups are improving efficiency atScottish Water, which will ease pressure on charges and retaining the linkbetween water charges and council tax banding and discount arrangements.
- Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Thursday, 27 November 2003
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Current Status:
Answered by Ross Finnie on 10 December 2003
To ask the Scottish Executive what action has been taken to investigate the provision of support for those in need and help reduce the level of bad debt with water and sewerage charges, as referred to in the Water Industry Commissioner for Scotland's report Strategic Review of Charges 2002-2006.
Answer
Since the Strategic Reviewof Charges in 2002 the problem of bad debt has been diminishing, as the rate ofcollection has improved for both domestic and non-domestic customers.
The main means of supportingvulnerable customers is by improving efficiency at Scottish Water, which willease pressure on charges and by retaining the link between water charges and counciltax banding and discount arrangements.
- Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Thursday, 27 November 2003
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Current Status:
Answered by Ross Finnie on 10 December 2003
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will address in a revised system of water relief for domestic consumers the issue of closing the gap between the income support allowance for water and sewerage and the actual charges levied.
Answer
Income support is a reservedmatter for the UK Government.
- Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Thursday, 27 November 2003
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Current Status:
Answered by Jim Wallace on 10 December 2003
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has any plans for further consultation on the reform of bank arrestments.
Answer
We intend to consult on proposalsfor the reform of arrestment and furthcoming as part of the reform of the lawsof personal bankruptcy and diligence, later in this parliamentary year.
