- Asked by: Fiona Hyslop, MSP for Lothians, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 19 October 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Wendy Alexander on 9 November 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive what methodology was used in the calculation of the statistic that 90% of those who will benefit under the Scottish Executive central heating scheme announced by the Minister for Communities on 19 September 2000 will be lifted out of fuel poverty.
Answer
The figure was an estimate based on information derived from the Scottish House Condition Survey 1996 and relates to the beneficiaries of the scheme who are currently fuel poor.
- Asked by: Fiona Hyslop, MSP for Lothians, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 24 August 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Wendy Alexander on 14 September 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive, regarding its proposals for the Housing Bill published in Better Homes for Scotland's Communities, which categories of charitable housing association will be exempt and which will not be exempt from the right to buy if the exemptions for charitable housing associations remain on the same basis as stated on page 24 of that document.
Answer
Better Homes for Scotland's Communities envisages that the current legislative provisions, as set out in section 63(1)(e) of the Housing (Scotland) Act 1987, would continue to apply. This provides that all housing associations who had claimed and been granted the special tax exemption for charities prior to 14 November 1985 or from the date of first being registered if this is later than this date, are exempt from the right to buy. In addition, the exemption from the right to buy applies if the rules of the housing association in force before 14 November 1985 or the date of first registration (whichever is later), would have entitled the landlord to the tax exemption if it had been claimed.
- Asked by: Fiona Hyslop, MSP for Lothians, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 23 August 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Wendy Alexander on 13 September 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive what the implications are for its social justice strategy as outlined in the document Social Justice...a Scotland where everyone matters, specifically for the milestones and targets within its responsibility, of the recommendation in the recent report into poverty in Scotland by the Scottish Affairs Select Committee that Her Majesty's Government should conduct a review of the activities of licensed credit brokers who encourage vulnerable people to take on financial commitments that they cannot sustain and, in the light of any such implications, what representations it will make to Her Majesty's Government regarding this recommendation.
Answer
The licensing of credit brokers is a matter for DTI.
Social Justice...a Scotland where everyone matters contains milestones which are UK benchmarks in reserved areas where policy delivery is largely outwith the Scottish Executive. Any implications of this recommendation would largely be for these milestones.
However poverty can only be successfully tackled by the Government and the Executive working together. The Scottish Executive will continue its regular dialogue with UK ministers on how the Scottish Executive and the UK Government can best work together to tackle poverty through the Joint Ministerial Committee on Poverty.
- Asked by: Fiona Hyslop, MSP for Lothians, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 23 August 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Wendy Alexander on 13 September 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive what the implications are for its social justice strategy as outlined in the document Social Justice...a Scotland where everyone matters, specifically for the milestones and targets within its responsibility, of the recommendation in the recent report into poverty in Scotland by the Scottish Affairs Select Committee that Her Majesty's Government should look "very carefully at how best it could further promulgate advice to pensioners and maximise take-up of benefits" and, in the light of any such implications, what representations it will make to Her Majesty's Government regarding this recommendation.
Answer
The member is referred to the answer given to question S1W-9367.
- Asked by: Fiona Hyslop, MSP for Lothians, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 23 August 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Wendy Alexander on 13 September 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive what the implications are for its social justice strategy as outlined in the document Social Justice...a Scotland where everyone matters, specifically for the milestones and targets within its responsibility, of the recommendation in the recent report into poverty in Scotland by the Scottish Affairs Select Committee that "the Government should introduce take-up targets for the DSS to encourage a positive outward-looking attitude to benefit provision" and, in the light of any such implications, what representations it will make to Her Majesty's Government regarding this recommendation.
Answer
The member is referred to the answer given to question S1W-9367.
- Asked by: Fiona Hyslop, MSP for Lothians, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 23 August 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Wendy Alexander on 13 September 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive what the implications are for its social justice strategy as outlined in the document Social Justice...a Scotland where everyone matters, specifically for the milestones and targets within its responsibility, of the recommendation in the recent report into poverty in Scotland by the Scottish Affairs Select Committee that the level of state retirement pension should be linked to changes in national average earnings and, in the light of any such implications, what representations it will make to Her Majesty's Government regarding this recommendation.
Answer
The member is referred to the answer given to question S1W-9367.
- Asked by: Fiona Hyslop, MSP for Lothians, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 23 August 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Wendy Alexander on 13 September 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive what the implications are for its social justice strategy as outlined in the document Social Justice...a Scotland where everyone matters, specifically for the milestones and targets within its responsibility, of the recommendation in the recent report into poverty in Scotland by the Scottish Affairs Select Committee that an "in-depth review of the working of the Social Fund and its impact on some of the most vulnerable sections of the community is long overdue" and, in the light of any such implications, what representations it will make to Her Majesty's Government regarding this recommendation.
Answer
The operation of the Social Fund is a matter for DSS.
Social justice....a Scotland where everyone matters contains milestones which are UK benchmarks in reserved areas where policy delivery is largely outwith the Scottish Executive. Any implications would be largely for these milestones.
However poverty can only be successfully tackled by the Government and the Executive working together. The Scottish Executive will continue its regular dialogue with UK ministers on how the Scottish Executive and the UK Government can best work together to tackle poverty through the Joint Ministerial Committee on Poverty.
- Asked by: Fiona Hyslop, MSP for Lothians, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 23 August 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Wendy Alexander on 13 September 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive what the implications are for its social justice strategy as outlined in the document Social Justice...a Scotland where everyone matters, specifically for the milestones and targets within its responsibility, of the recommendation in the recent report into poverty in Scotland by the Scottish Affairs Select Committee that local social security offices be given local autonomy and local budgets and, in the light of any such implications, what representations will it make to Her Majesty's Government regarding this recommendation.
Answer
The member is referred to the answer given to question S1W-9367.
- Asked by: Fiona Hyslop, MSP for Lothians, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 23 August 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Wendy Alexander on 13 September 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive what the implications are for its social justice strategy as outlined in the document Social Justice...a Scotland where everyone matters, specifically for the milestones and targets within its responsibility, of the recommendation in the recent report into poverty in Scotland by the Scottish Affairs Select Committee for a carefully evaluated pilot project in Glasgow to establish the worth and viability of disregarding the working families' tax credit as income for the purpose of assessing entitlement to housing and council tax benefit and, in the light of any such implications, what representations it will make to Her Majesty's Government regarding this recommendation.
Answer
The member is referred to the answer given to question S1W-9367.
- Asked by: Fiona Hyslop, MSP for Lothians, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 23 August 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Wendy Alexander on 13 September 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive what the implications are for its social justice strategy as outlined in the document Social Justice...a Scotland where everyone matters, specifically for the milestones and targets within its responsibility, of the recommendation in the recent report into poverty in Scotland by the Scottish Affairs Select Committee that the earnings disregard for disabled people should immediately be increased to a more appropriate ceiling and that it should apply for a period of six months and, in the light of any such implications, what representations it will make to Her Majesty's Government regarding this recommendation.
Answer
The level of and the conditions governing entitlement to benefits is a matter for DSS.
Social justice...a Scotland where everyone matters contains milestones which are UK benchmarks in reserved areas where policy delivery is largely outwith the Scottish Executive. Any implications would be largely for these milestones.
However poverty can only be successfully tackled by the Government and the Executive working together. The Scottish Executive will continue its regular dialogue with UK ministers on how the Scottish Executive and the UK Government can best work together to tackle poverty through the Joint Ministerial Committee on Poverty.
