- Asked by: Kenneth Gibson, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 19 April 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Jack McConnell on 10 May 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive what the aggregate external finance was for Argyll and Bute, Inverclyde, North Lanarkshire, South Lanarkshire and West Dunbartonshire Councils in 1996-97 and what it will be in 2000-01 in real terms.
Answer
The aggregate external finance allocations for each of these years are shown in real terms in the following table. These are not directly comparable due to agreed transfers to programmes outwith the main local government finance settlement, with variable effects for individual councils.
Council | AEF 1996-97 | AEF 2000-01* |
| | £ million | £ million |
Argyll & Bute | 99.679 | 113.524 |
Inverclyde | 101.850 | 101.017 |
North Lanarkshire | 334.008 | 345.867 |
South Lanarkshire | 302.247 | 313.719 |
West Dunbartonshire | 114.890 | 112.855 |
*Excludes allocations from £42 million undistributed Excellence Fund.
- Asked by: Kenneth Gibson, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 19 April 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Jack McConnell on 10 May 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive why aggregate external finance for Glasgow in 2000-01 will be #830,045,000 compared to #830,547,000 in 1996-97 and what percentage reduction this represents in real terms.
Answer
The aggregate external finance allocations to individual councils are calculated on a formula basis agreed following consultation with the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities.
The figures quoted are not directly comparable due to agreed transfers to programmes outwith the main local government finance settlement (e.g. £106 million for rail services transferred to the Strathclyde Passenger Transport Authority from 1997-98).
- Asked by: Kenneth Gibson, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 19 April 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Jack McConnell on 10 May 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive why Glasgow City Council has received the thirtieth worst of the 32 external finance settlements over the years 1996-97 to 2000-01 inclusive and what impact this has had on the Glasgow economy.
Answer
In each year since 1996-97, the City of Glasgow Council has received the highest aggregate external finance allocation per person of any mainland council in Scotland, reflecting the needs of its population and its role as an urban centre.
- Asked by: Kenneth Gibson, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 25 April 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Wendy Alexander on 9 May 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive why the total private finance generated by Scottish Homes fell from #218 million in 1995-96 to #158.345 million in 1998-99.
Answer
The 1995-96 figure is £208 million not £218 million as stated. The amount of private finance which can be generated by Scottish Homes' Development Programme in any year depends on the overall size of the programme and the nature of the projects funded in that year. The table below gives information on the overall size of the Development Programme and the amount of private finance generated in each year from 1995-96 to 1999-2000.
| | Scottish Homes' Development programme (£ million) | Private finance generated (£ million) | Private finance as a percentage of Development Programme |
1995-96 | 324.9 | 208.000 | 64.0% |
1996-97 | 304.0 | 191.340 | 62.9% |
1997-98 | 210.3 | 137.435 | 65.4% |
1998-99 | 199.7 | 158.345 | 79.3% |
1999-2000 (estimate) | 209.6 | 170.0 | 81.1% |
- Asked by: Kenneth Gibson, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 25 April 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Henry McLeish on 9 May 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it is taking to reverse the decline in new orders, investment and employment currently being experienced by manufacturers detailed in the Deloitte & Touche Scottish Chambers Business Survey for the first quarter of 2000.
Answer
We shall continue to provide support for manufacturing industry through a wide variety of schemes and initiatives, as mentioned in the answer I gave Mr Gibson in question S1W-5420 on 30 March.
- Asked by: Kenneth Gibson, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 25 April 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Henry McLeish on 9 May 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it is taking in partnership with Her Majesty's Government and Scottish manufacturing to deal with the skills shortages in manufacturing and alleviate the recruitment difficulties currently being experienced by 57.4% of Scottish manufacturers.
Answer
The Scottish Executive has recognised that manufacturing plays a vital role in the Scottish economy with the recent publication of the report
Created in Scotland - The Way Forward for Scottish Manufacturing in the 21st Century. The report describes how the Executive, in partnership with the UK Government, is committed to providing public support for Scottish companies to enhance skills and training, and to encourage the use of new technology to help manufacturers improve their competitiveness. It is also committed to improving the image of manufacturing to encourage more young people to consider a career in this sector.
Education, training and skills development represent the top priority of The Scottish Executive and considerable efforts are being made, in partnership with National Training Organisations and other employer representatives, to ensure that education and training provision is relevant to the current and projected needs of employers.
- Asked by: Kenneth Gibson, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 25 April 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Henry McLeish on 9 May 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive how many apprentices completed training in construction-related trades in Glasgow in each of the last four years for which figures are available in (a) the public and (b) the private sector, broken down by trade.
Answer
In Scotland, Modern Apprenticeships were phased in from 1996. Typically the Modern Apprenticeship takes three to four years to complete, so a young person who started training in 1996 is likely to complete in 2000. The young people who completed training in construction-related trades during the past four years include Modern Apprentices and young people undertaking an SVQ Level 3 through the wider youth training programme, Skillseekers.The following table shows the number of young people who completed Government-funded training in Glasgow in construction related trades. It does not include young people whose training is supported by levies paid by employers to National Training Organisations.
| | 1996-97 | 1997-98 | 1998-99 | 1999-2000 |
| | Private | Public | Private | Public | Private | Public | Private | Public |
Civil engineer | | | 1 | | 1 | | 1 | |
Architect | | | 1 | | 1 | | 1 | |
Joiner | 8 | 1 | 10 | 2 | 35 | 25 | 55 | 30 |
Bricklayer | 3 | | 3 | | 6 | 2 | 10 | 2 |
Glazier | 2 | | | | 3 | | 2 | |
Plasterer | 1 | | 2 | | 1 | | 3 | 2 |
Painter | 2 | 1 | 6 | 1 | 14 | 3 | 25 | 3 |
Stonemason | 3 | | | | 3 | | | |
Slater | | | | | 5 | 2 | 8 | 1 |
Tiler | | | | | 3 | 2 | | |
Wood machinist | | | | | 8 | | 2 | |
Plant mechanic | | | 1 | | | | | |
Plumber | 15 | 17 | 16 | 9 | 19 | 4 | 11 | 7 |
Heating/vent engineer | | | 1 | | 1 | | 3 | |
Refrigeration engineer | | | | | | | 1 | |
Electrical installation | 20 | | 21 | 2 | 34 | 16 | 31 | 9 |
Total | 54 | 19 | 62 | 14 | 131 | 52 | 157 | 54 |
There are currently 985 Modern Apprenticeships in construction related trades supported by Scottish Enterprise Glasgow.
- Asked by: Kenneth Gibson, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 25 April 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Wendy Alexander on 9 May 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive why the number of dwellings built or rehabilitated by housing associations has fallen steadily since 1993-94.
Answer
The most up to date and complete data available relate to Scottish Homes' approvals for new and rehabilitated housing developments being undertaken by housing associations.These are set out in the following table. This shows that last year Scottish Homes approved the construction of 4,683 new and improved homes by housing associations, the highest total since 1995-96.
| | Housing Association approvals |
1993-94 | 6,569 |
1994-95 | 6,360 |
1995-96 | 6,725 |
1996-97 | 4,581 |
1997-98 | 3,752 |
1998-99 | 4,067 |
1999-2000 | 4,683 |
- Asked by: Kenneth Gibson, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 03 April 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Susan Deacon on 9 May 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to raise awareness of the signs and symptoms of cancer.
Answer
The Scottish Executive continues to support early detection via the well established breast and cervical cancer screening programmes.
The Cancer Challenge, a pilot study to assess the feasibility of a population-based screening programme for colorectal cancer is also underway in Fife, Tayside and Grampian Health Boards.
General advice on early signs and symptoms is available from a variety of sources including for example well women and well men clinics, GPs' surgeries and hospitals. There is a wide range of literature available published by the NHS in Scotland and the Department of Health (England) as well as by special interest groups and other voluntary organisations.
Some cancers may take a long time to develop and early symptoms can sometimes be confusing. The earlier medical advice is sought the better the chance of improved outcomes. Therefore, Scots everywhere are encouraged to take responsibility for their own health and to ensure that they do seek medical advice whenever signs or symptoms appear which may be suggestive of cancer.
- Asked by: Kenneth Gibson, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 04 April 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Tom McCabe on 8 May 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive what lessons it has learned following the result of the recent Ayr by-election.
Answer
The Scottish Executive did not contest the Ayr by-election and will continue the job it has been elected to do; working together to deliver the priorities of the people of Scotland.
