- Asked by: Kenneth Gibson, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 16 February 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Wendy Alexander on 1 March 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive why local authority rent arrears are at their highest level since 1993-94.
Answer
Rent arrears management is the responsibility of individual local authorities. Once the current study into rent arrears management being carried out by the Accounts Commission and Scottish Homes is completed, the Executive will consider whether further guidance to councils needs to be issued.
- Asked by: Kenneth Gibson, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 16 February 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Jackie Baillie on 1 March 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will provide the level of funding for the Council of Voluntary Service recommended by the Eglinton Review.
Answer
The Eglinton Review made four main recommendations in its final report, of which one dealt with a method of funding the Councils of Voluntary Service. The recommendations are:
- to re-focus the activity of the CVS to promote and support capacity building in the community;
- to develop a shared funding approach which brings together the Scottish Executive with a range of key agencies;
- to re-organise along community planning boundaries on a federal or confederal basis;
- to develop a training programme for staff and volunteer managers.
We are currently analysing the responses to our consultation on the review and are considering our response.The Scottish Executive will be taking forward discussions on the proposed shared funding approach. Our first priority is to fill the gap sites that exist in the CVS network. We are currently exploring this with CVS Scotland.
- Asked by: Kenneth Gibson, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 15 February 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Henry McLeish on 29 February 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to improve the quality of skillseeker traineeships in the light of the statement in the report Glasgow School Leavers 1998-99 published by Glasgow Careers Service that 90% of unemployed Glasgow school leavers are "not interested" in pursuing them.
Answer
The Beattie Committee report, Implementing Inclusiveness - Realising Potential and the Opportunities and Choices consultation document addressed the problems of those young people, predominantly male, who experience uncertain transitions in the immediate post-school period. I will be announcing the Executive's policy response to both these documents within the next few weeks.
- Asked by: Kenneth Gibson, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 15 February 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Sarah Boyack on 29 February 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will make funding available to support local authorities who may wish to introduce and promote congestion charging schemes.
Answer
My statement to Parliament on 10 February made clear that we will support those authorities that are committed to developing a charging scheme, by providing, on a case by case basis, matching financial support to help meet their research and development costs. I shall announce the detail later in the year.
- Asked by: Kenneth Gibson, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 15 February 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Wendy Alexander on 29 February 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive what advice and assistance it will give to local authorities to reduce their level of rent arrears.
Answer
Advice is contained in the practice note Rent Arrears Management published by The Scottish Office in March 1994. The Accounts Commission and Scottish Homes are jointly carrying out a study into rent arrears management in local authorities and in housing associations. The study is due to report in early summer.
- Asked by: Kenneth Gibson, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 13 December 1999
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Current Status:
Answered by Sarah Boyack on 28 February 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to promote, support and fund freight rail links to airports and what freight facilities grants it will make available for such a scheme.
Answer
I understand that Railtrack is currently working with Strathclyde Passenger Transport Executive to assess options for providing a rail link to Glasgow Airport. A rail link to Edinburgh airport has also been examined a number of times.A total of £18.3 million has been made available by the Executive for the Freight Facilities Grant scheme in Scotland over the next three years. This scheme provides capital grants to assist companies to take freight off the roads and on to rail and inland waterways. To date the Executive has received no applications or notes of interest for grants for rail freight links to airports.
- Asked by: Kenneth Gibson, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 10 February 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Wendy Alexander on 24 February 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-3838 by Ms Wendy Alexander on 2 February 2000, what assistance it will give to housing associations seeking charitable status.
Answer
It is for the Inland Revenue to consider applications made to it by housing associations seeking charitable status. I understand it does this on a case-by-case basis. While Scottish Homes is able to provide general advice to housing associations, the full implications of seeking charitable status is a matter for individual associations to evaluate in the light of their own professional advice.
- Asked by: Kenneth Gibson, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 10 February 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Sam Galbraith on 24 February 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive what arrangements are being made for the pupils of St Thomas Aquinas School, Glasgow to travel to the Woodside site during the rebuilding of their school.
Answer
This is a matter for Glasgow City Council.
- Asked by: Kenneth Gibson, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 10 February 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Sam Galbraith on 24 February 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive how many general purpose classrooms there will be in St Thomas Aquinas School in Glasgow on completion of the new building and whether these rooms will be of the same si'e as the current rooms.
Answer
This is a matter for Glasgow City Council.
- Asked by: Kenneth Gibson, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 10 February 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Wendy Alexander on 24 February 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive Scottish Executive why tenants and trades union representatives have been excluded from the Glasgow Housing Stock Transfer Steering Group.
Answer
The Glasgow Housing Partnership Steering Group is preparing a framework within which tenants and trade unions can be fully involved in shaping a transfer proposal. I have met with both tenants and unions but informal consultation will begin as soon as the Group has completed its work.
