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Questions and answers

Parliamentary questions can be asked by any MSP to the Scottish Government or the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body. The questions provide a means for MSPs to get factual and statistical information.

Written questions must be answered within 10 working days (20 working days during recess)
Other questions such as Topical, Portfolio, General and First Minister's Question Times are taken in the Chamber

Urgent Questions aren't included in the Question and Answers search. There is a SPICe fact sheet listing Urgent and emergency questions.

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Question reference: S1W-05907

Asked by: Kenneth Gibson, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 03 April 2000
Current Status: Answered by Henry McLeish on 2 May 2000

To ask the Scottish Executive to specify the total assistance, from all public bodies, given since 1 April 1989 to: (a) Levi Strauss; (b) Hyundai; (c) Lite On; (d) Mitsubishi; (e) Continental; (f) Caterpillar; (g) Kvaerner; (h) Viasystems; (i) National Semiconductor; (j) Wrangler, and (k) Volvo.

Comprehensive information on all financial packages available to inward investors is not held centrally and to provide a detailed list would involve disproportionate costs. However, the following information on each of the companies specified shows total assistance given in RSA and Scottish Enterprise/Local Enterprise Company packages since 1 April 1989:

Levi Strauss	£2,063,579
Hyundai	Nil
Lite On	£1,767,737
Mitsubishi	£2,583,136
Continental Tyres	Nil
Caterpillar	Nil
Kvaerner	£4,038,800
Viasystems	Nil
National Semiconductor	£2,161,980
Wrangler	Nil
Volvo	£88,000

The figures shown, where appropriate, are net amounts following recovery of payments made.

Question reference: S1W-05905

Asked by: Kenneth Gibson, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 03 April 2000
Current Status: Answered by Henry McLeish on 2 May 2000

To ask the Scottish Executive how many firms have been given location assistance totalling more than #1 million from Locate in Scotland and other relevant public bodies since 1 April 1989.

Comprehensive information on all the financial packages available to inward investors is not held centrally and to provide a detailed list would involve disproportionate costs. However, the number of companies that received Regional Selective Assistance (RSA) over £1 million total 72.Some of the companies have undertaken more than one project, and their total RSA payments over this period have exceeded £1 million. This information covers 1 April 1989 to 31 March 1999. Locate in Scotland's results for 1 April 1999 to 31 March 2000 will be published in June 2000.

Question reference: S1W-05931

Asked by: Kenneth Gibson, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 03 April 2000
Current Status: Answered by Henry McLeish on 2 May 2000

To ask the Scottish Executive how many jobs were created in Scotland at the time of the highest development of the project since 1 April 1989 by: (a) Levi Strauss; (b) Hyundai; (c) Lite On; (d) Mitsubishi; (e) Continental; (f) Caterpillar; (g) Kvaerner; (h) Viasystems; (i) National Semiconductor; (j) Wrangler, and (k) Volvo, and how many jobs existed in each of these companies as at 1 April 2000.

The Scottish Executive is not necessarily aware of job numbers in a company unless these arise as a result of a project which is being grant assisted. However, according to our best information, the table below shows details of the highest level of numbers of jobs in each company specified since 1 April 1989, and the latest information held on the number of jobs still in existence:

COMPANY	Highest No. of Jobs	Current No. of Jobs
Levi Strauss	1,546	701
Hyundai	Nil	Nil
Lite On	400	Nil
Mitsubishi	1,700	400
Continental Tyres	1,000	Nil
Caterpillar	Nil	Nil
Kvaerner	1,958	800
Viasystems	1,200	Nil
National Semiconductor	2,300	696
Wrangler	740	Nil
Volvo	c 450	c 200

Question reference: S1W-06251

Asked by: Kenneth Gibson, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 19 April 2000
Current Status: Answered by Frank McAveety on 2 May 2000

To ask the Scottish Executive what the average waiting time is from the submission of an application to receipt of a private sector housing grant for each local authority in the last year for which figures are available.

Question reference: S1W-06249

Asked by: Kenneth Gibson, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 19 April 2000
Current Status: Answered by Frank McAveety on 2 May 2000

To ask the Scottish Executive why the amount spent on private sector housing grants fell from #101,256,000 in 1995-96 to #38,483,000 in 1998-99.

Question reference: S1W-06250

Asked by: Kenneth Gibson, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 19 April 2000
Current Status: Answered by Frank McAveety on 2 May 2000

To ask the Scottish Executive what impact the reduced availability of private sector housing grants has had on the quality of stock in that sector.

Question reference: S1W-05026

Asked by: Kenneth Gibson, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 08 March 2000
Current Status: Answered by Jack McConnell on 28 April 2000

To ask the Scottish Executive whether "the abolition of section 94 consents for general services alone would immediately release around #360 million within the assigned budget", as stated by CoSLA in its Local Government Finance (Scotland) Order 2000 briefing document, and, if not, why not.

The capital spending of authorities would remain public expenditure even if the requirement for local authorities to have the consent of Scottish Ministers to undertake capital spending were abolished. This would have to be reflected in public spending totals, which would not themselves change. In these circumstances, an adjustment to the assigned budget to reflect the changed treatment of local authority capital spending may be appropriate, and consequently there may be no net benefit to the Assigned Budget or, ultimately, local authority spending.

Question reference: S1W-05693

Asked by: Kenneth Gibson, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 28 March 2000
Current Status: Answered by Jack McConnell on 28 April 2000

To ask the Scottish Executive how it plans "to put the citi'en at the centre of what it does" as stated by Mr Jack McConnell at the CoSLA conference 2000 on March 24 2000.

In our Programme for Government, we made a commitment to work across the Executive to promote modern government, of which one of the main themes would be customer-focused policy development and service delivery.

We will put the citizen at the centre through our commitment to inclusive policy-making, and civic participation in all its forms. The public can make a real contribution to better policies at both local and national level. We are encouraging that contribution through our support for the Scottish Civic Forum, through the £3 million Listening to Communities programme, through the £10 million Working for Communities programme and through the increasing use of the possibilities offered by the Internet.

We will also work across the public sector to deliver citizen-focused services that are provided in such a way as to meet the needs of the citizens, not the convenience of the service provider. In particular, we will seek to overcome obstacles to joined-up working through a variety of means, and will seek to involve and meet the needs of all different groups in society. For example, the First Minister announced on 30 March his decision that the Executive's target for delivery of 100% of its services online by 2008 was being brought forward to 2005. At a practical level, I recently announced the £25 million Modernising Government Fund, which is designed to help take forward projects involving the innovative provision of improved public services, and particularly encourages partnership working.

Question reference: S1W-05910

Asked by: Kenneth Gibson, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 03 April 2000
Current Status: Answered by Susan Deacon on 28 April 2000

To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to integrate the NHSiS with the voluntary sector in relation to medical research.

The Scottish Executive recognises and encourages the valuable contribution that the voluntary sector makes in raising funds for and in commissioning medical research. We are also committed to ensuring that our agencies, non-departmental public bodies and the NHSiS actively encourage and promote the work of the voluntary sector. As an example of this, the Chief Scientist's office is currently funding a small research project to the value of over £8,000 on enhancing the relationship between health voluntary organisations and the NHSiS.

The Scottish Executive has no plans, however, for the integration of the NHSiS with the voluntary sector in relation to medical research.

Question reference: S1W-02429

Asked by: Kenneth Gibson, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 09 November 1999
Current Status: Answered by Wendy Alexander on 27 April 2000

To ask the Scottish Executive what representations it has made to Her Majesty's Government to ensure that all those resident in Scotland in receipt of state pensions and benefits receive all their entitlements.