- Asked by: Elaine Murray, MSP for Dumfries, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 07 February 2007
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Current Status:
Answered by Tavish Scott on 19 February 2007
To ask the Scottish Executive what conditions were attached to the traffic regulation order which closed the A7 in Langholm from 15 January 2007.
Answer
The closure of the A7 at Langholmwas included in the South East Unit Trunk Roads Area (Temporary Prohibitions ofTraffic, Temporary Prohibitions of Overtaking and Temporary Speed Restrictions)(No. 12) Order 2006 which was made on 28 December 2006 and came into force on 1 January 2007.
Notice of the making of the orderwas published in The Herald on 29 December 2006.
This order allowed for the closureof a 3km section of the A7 between Skipper’s Underbridge to Factory Underbridge,between 1 January 2007 and 28 February 2007. The closure only had effect duringthis period where indicated by appropriate traffic signs.
Transport Scotland hasthe operational responsibility for this area, and can be contacted for more informationif required.
- Asked by: Elaine Murray, MSP for Dumfries, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Monday, 05 February 2007
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Current Status:
Answered by Rhona Brankin on 16 February 2007
To ask the Scottish Executive whether there is any legal barrier to a (a) housing association and (b) private housing provider providing accommodation only for persons assessed by a local authority as being homeless.
Answer
Section 20 of the Housing (Scotland)Act 1987 as amended by the Housing (Scotland) Act 2001 requires that registeredsocial landlords give reasonable preference in the selection of their tenantsto homeless persons and persons threatened with homelessness alongside thoseoccupying houses which are overcrowded, below the tolerable standard or provideunsatisfactory housing conditions, and to large families.
There is no legal barrier toprivate housing providers providing accommodation to homeless persons only.
Section 5 of the Housing (Scotland)Act 2001 gives a registered social landlord a duty to comply with a localauthority’s request to provide accommodation to a person assessed as homelessunless it has good reason not to.
- Asked by: Elaine Murray, MSP for Dumfries, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 31 January 2007
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Current Status:
Answered by Nicol Stephen on 14 February 2007
To ask the Scottish Executive what funding is available to assist individuals to establish new businesses.
Answer
Scottish Enterprise andHighlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE) have the lead responsibility for providingassistance to individuals wishing to establish a business. In addition, there area number of schemes delivered and directly funded by the Scottish Executive. Eligibilityfor support – including funding - will depend on a number of factors, such as location,scale and nature of the business.
For advice on the availabilityof funding, the individuals involved should contact Business Gateway in the ScottishEnterprise area or the Local Enterprise Company in the Highlands andIslands Enterprise area.
- Asked by: Elaine Murray, MSP for Dumfries, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 31 January 2007
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Current Status:
Answered by Nicol Stephen on 14 February 2007
To ask the Scottish Executive why an upper age limit is set for some of the grants available to establish new businesses.
Answer
The Business Start-up Grant forYoung People in the 18 to 30 age group, delivered by Scottish Enterprise’s BusinessGateway network in conjunction with the Prince’s Scottish Youth Business Trust,is the only grant scheme for new businesses with an upper age limit. This grantis specifically targeted at this age group as research suggests that funding constraintscan be a particular problem for young people.
- Asked by: Elaine Murray, MSP for Dumfries, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Friday, 26 January 2007
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Current Status:
Answered by Cathy Jamieson on 12 February 2007
To ask the Scottish Executive whether any concerns have been raised with it about the implications for national emergency planning of the reduction in size of the Territorial Army.
Answer
No concerns have been raisedwith the Scottish Executive with regard to the impact of the reduction in size of the Territorial Army on national emergency planning. Matters to do with the ArmedForces are of course a matter reserved to Westminster.
- Asked by: Elaine Murray, MSP for Dumfries, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 23 January 2007
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Current Status:
Answered by Nicol Stephen on 5 February 2007
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answers to questions S2W-19064 by Tavish Scott on 20 September 2005 and S2W-22307 by Nicol Stephen on 30 January 2006 and the publication of A Study into Broadband Reach in Scotland, when it expects broadband to be available in Ewes in Langholm, Dumfriesshire.
Answer
At the end of last year, I allocated£5 million funding to help extend coverage to those who still cannot receive a broadbandservice. We are currently prioritising areas according to need as well as the costsof potential solutions. We expect to announce the first areas to receive supportin March, with delivery thereafter.
- Asked by: Elaine Murray, MSP for Dumfries, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 23 January 2007
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Current Status:
Answered by Rhona Brankin on 5 February 2007
To ask the Scottish Executive what effect the liquidation of One Plus will have on projects such as the “Grow Your Own” training programme for community workers in north-west Dumfries.
Answer
I have asked Angiolina Foster,Chief Executive of Communities Scotland, to respond. Her response is as follows:
In light of the liquidation ofOne Plus, Dumfries and Galloway Council are working with affected projectsin their area, including the “Grow Your Own” training programme, to determine transitionalarrangements to maintain the service.
- Asked by: Elaine Murray, MSP for Dumfries, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Thursday, 18 January 2007
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Current Status:
Answered by Nicol Stephen on 2 February 2007
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it is aware of a potential withdrawal of the University of Glasgow from the Crichton Campus in Dumfries and, if so, what action it can take to help the university address any shortfall in the funding of its operations in Dumfries.
Answer
I refer the member to the answer to question S2F-2690 on 1 February 2007. All answers to parliamentaryquestions are available on the Parliament's website the search facility forwhich can be found at:
http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/business/officialReports/meetingsParliament/or-07/sor0201-02.htm#Col31720.
- Asked by: Elaine Murray, MSP for Dumfries, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Thursday, 18 January 2007
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Current Status:
Answered by Nicol Stephen on 2 February 2007
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it values the provision made at Crichton Campus in Dumfries and what its attitude would be to any diminution in the number and variety of courses on offer.
Answer
We fully support the CrichtonCampus. This successful and innovative cross-sector development is making HigherEducation accessible to those who would not otherwise have been able to engage inthe south west and is forming important links with local businesses and the community.
The Scottish Funding Councilis working with the Crichton partners to develop a strategy that protects provisionand supports an increasingly secure and effective future for the Crichton Campuswhich will continue to make higher education more accessible in the south west.
- Asked by: Elaine Murray, MSP for Dumfries, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Thursday, 18 January 2007
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Current Status:
Answered by Nicol Stephen on 2 February 2007
To ask the Scottish Executive how it supports universities which establish outreach campuses, such as Crichton Campus in Dumfries, to provide higher education in rural areas.
Answer
Scottish ministers have advisedthe Scottish Funding Council (SFC) to ensure the adequacy of provision of furtherand higher education in the South of Scotland.
Responsibility for decisionson the funding of individual higher education institutions lies with the SFC.The SFC allocates a block teaching grant to institutions. Consequently, institutionsmake their own decisions on the allocation of their resources to their activitiesand facilities.
Under the current highereducation teaching funding methodology, there is no specific funding premium forprovision of outreach campuses. However, the SFC review of college and higher educationinstitution (HEI) teaching funding methodologies will review all the costs of furtherand higher education provision and will clearly have to consider this aspect.
In respect of capital funding,the SFC provides targeted support in rural areas for joint HEI/College estates developments.This has included £5.5 million of Learning and Teaching Infrastructure Funding for2006-07 to 2007-08 at the Crichton campus for Bell College, theUniversity of Paisley and the University of Glasgow. This is in addition to £2.3 million towards infrastructurecosts for the early development at the Crichtoncampus and £21.7 million to Dumfries and Galloway College in support of its relocation to a site adjacent to thecampus.
