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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: S2W-25485

Asked by: Michael Matheson, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 27 April 2006
Current Status: Answered by Cathy Jamieson on 8 May 2006

To ask the Scottish Executive on how many occasions police and civilian mountain rescue teams have been assisted by military air search and rescue services in each of the last five years.

Question reference: S2W-24083

Asked by: Michael Matheson, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 09 March 2006
Current Status: Answered by Patricia Ferguson on 31 March 2006

To ask the Scottish Executive what funding it has provided for the investment in swimming pool facilities, in each year since 1999.

Question reference: S2W-24082

Asked by: Michael Matheson, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 09 March 2006
Current Status: Answered by Patricia Ferguson on 21 March 2006

To ask the Scottish Executive, in light of the statement in sportscotland’s report, The Ticking Time Bomb, published in 2001, that “if Scotland wishes to retain its present level of public pool provision over the next twenty years, there will be a need for massive re-investment in existing pools…somewhere around £540 million over 22 years”, what action it has taken to address this issue and how much funding it (a) has committed since 2001 and (b) plans to commit in the future to swimming pools.

In response to the TickingTime Bomb report, sportscotland established the lottery funded swimmingpool strand under its Sports Facilities programme. £10 million was committed tothis strand and over £8 million was awarded before the strand was subsumed withinsportscotland’s Building for Sport programme in May 2004. Projects involvingswimming pools remain eligible for funding from the Building for Sport programmeand since its introduction over £1.75 million has been awarded.

Question reference: S2W-24084

Asked by: Michael Matheson, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 09 March 2006
Current Status: Answered by Patricia Ferguson on 20 March 2006

To ask the Scottish Executive, following disclosure, in response to a freedom of information request, of the sportscotland: Property review and relocation study which stated that “if the Scottish Executive still wish sportscotland to move from their existing location then a financial incentive should be provided to encourage this”, what plans the Executive has to make additional funds available if sportscotland is relocated.

Question reference: S2W-23122

Asked by: Michael Matheson, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 09 February 2006
Current Status: Answered by George Lyon on 8 March 2006

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-22669 by George Lyon on 9 February 2006, how many pre-Christmas deliveries BT was unable to meet under the Home Computer Initiative Framework Contract and what compensation will be provided to those whom it failed to supply on time.

BT have advised that approximately 20,000 orders were delayed. Many of these were due for pre-Christmas delivery and others were scheduled for delivery in 2006.

As a goodwill gesture, BT have offered a £50 voucher for use in their online shop for those customers whose orders were not shipped by BT for delivery between 12 and 31 December. BT have also offered a 25 per cent discount voucher, also for use in their online shop, to all other customers.

This however does not preclude individual public authorities from further pursuing specific cases with BT as they deem appropriate.

Question reference: S2W-23452

Asked by: Michael Matheson, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 23 February 2006
Current Status: Answered by George Lyon on 8 March 2006

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it plans to review or change any of the provisions within the Council Tax (Discount for Unoccupied Dwellings) (Scotland) Regulations 2005 and, if so, when it will publish the results of the review or introduce changes.

A review of the regulations and associated guidance to the Council Tax (Discount for Unoccupied Dwellings) (Scotland) Regulations 2005 was carried out shortly after the Regulations came into force. The review involved local authorities, Communities Scotland, Registered Social Landlords and Scottish Water. The review was carried out to ensure the regulations were operating effectively and to invite comment on whether any amendments were required.

Following the review, amendments were made to the guidance to allow additional income raised (by reductions in discount provided for by the Regulations) to be spent on a wider range of affordable housing programmes. Monies raised can now be spent on Rural Home Ownership Grants and to support the acquisition and upgrading of properties not on the market. The guidance was also amended to clarify some technical matters and circulated to stakeholders in December 2005. At the suggestion of local authorities, we plan to conduct a further review of the regulations later this year.

Question reference: S2W-23451

Asked by: Michael Matheson, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 23 February 2006
Current Status: Answered by Tom McCabe on 6 March 2006

To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has for changing the present structure of community councils and when it plans to implement any changes.

We are currently reviewing theoperational framework for community councils and in support of this issued a DiscussionPaper in November 2005, What can we do to help community councils fulfiltheir role. The closing date for responses was 28 February 2006. Once we haveevaluated the responses we will have a clearer idea of any obstacles preventingcommunity councils being a partner in the community engagement process and willwork in partnership with them, local authorities and others in breaking down thesebarriers. The aim is to have an action plan in place by spring 2007.

Question reference: S2W-22669

Asked by: Michael Matheson, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 26 January 2006
Current Status: Answered by George Lyon on 9 February 2006

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it is satisfied with the operation of its Home Computer Initiative Framework Contract and whether it will provide a list of computer suppliers under the contract that failed to deliver equipment before the agreed date of 25 December 2005.

The Scottish Executive is encouraged that over 40 public authorities have participated in the framework which is helping achieve the overall aim of increasing home computer ownership in Scotland.

The three framework suppliers compete on price for preferred supplier status on a four-monthly basis. BT won the first e-auction and as such were the main supplier in the pre-Christmas period. BT have told us that it was due to the unexpected high demand, along with supplier and courier problems, that they were unable to meet some pre-Christmas deliveries.

Question reference: S2O-08969

Asked by: Michael Matheson, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 01 February 2006
Current Status: Answered by Patricia Ferguson on 9 February 2006

To ask the Scottish Executive how it is improving sporting achievement.

Question reference: S2W-22670

Asked by: Michael Matheson, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 26 January 2006
Current Status: Answered by George Lyon on 8 February 2006

To ask the Scottish Executive what action it is taking to ensure that public authority employees who purchase computers under its Home Computer Initiative receive the equipment from their chosen supplier within the agreed delivery period.

The Scottish Executive monitors the overall performance of the Home Computer Initiative Framework with each of the suppliers. Participating public authorities enter into individual contractual arrangements with their chosen supplier and performance of a contract is ordinarily a matter for the relevant public authority. However, following delays in pre-Christmas deliveries from BT, the Scottish Executive has been working with BT to address the problem. As a result, performance has significantly improved and we are continuing to work with BT to resolve outstanding issues.