Questions and answers

Question reference: S2W-26689

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 09 June 2006
Current Status: Answered by Cathy Jamieson on 3 June 2006

To ask the Scottish Executive what policies it has implemented in the Dumbarton parliamentary constituency to tackle youth crime and what funding it has allocated for such policies in each year since 1999.

The Scottish Executive haslaunched and implemented a range of policy initiatives aimed at preventing,tackling and cutting youth crime across Scotland. These are not broken down by constituency area. Formore detail on local strategic and service delivery arrangements in the twolocal authority areas covered by the member’s constituency, I refer her to the“In Your Area” section of the dedicated youth justice website:

West Dunbartonshire

http://www.youthjusticescotland.gov.uk/youthjusticemapping.asp?ID=63.

Argyll and Bute

http://www.youthjusticescotland.gov.uk/youthjusticemapping.asp?ID=44.

Dedicated funding to addressyouth justice issues began in 2000-01. Youth justice funding arrangements arenot broken down by constituency. The following provides details of theprincipal relevant funding streams, and where possible shows allocations to West Dunbartonshire and Argyll and Bute local authorities:

GAEyouth justice funding

(todevelop capacity in the youth justice system and to support local authoritiesaiming to meet the national standards for youth justice by March 2006)

2000-01- £3.5 million (West Dumbarton – 100,000) (Argyll and Bute- 40,000)

2001-02- £5 million (West Dumbarton – 143,000) (Argyll and Bute – 56,000)

2002-03- £5 million (+ £3million in-year) (West Dumbarton – 143,000) (Argyll and Bute – 56,000)

2003-04- £10 million (West Dumbarton – 286,000) (Argyll and Bute – 112,000)

2004-05- £13 million (West Dumbarton – 361,000) (Argyll and Bute – 159,000)

2005-06- 2007-08 - £15 million per year (West Dumbarton – 416,000) (Argyll and Bute – 184,000)

LocalAction Fund

(ASBStrategy - distributed to local authorities in the redetermination orderaccording to the GAE formula)

2004-05- 2007-08 - £5 million per year (West Dumbarton 2006-07 – 129,000) (Argyll and Bute – 67,000)

Programmesfor those subject to ASBOs (ASB Strategy -distributed to local authorities inthe redetermination order according to the GAE formula)

2004-05- 2007-08 - £2 million per year (West Dumbarton – 53,000) (Argyll and Bute – 27,000)

Fundingfor restorative justice places (ASB Strategy - distributed to local authoritiesin the redetermination order according to the GAE formula)

2001-02- £2 million (West Dumbarton – 57,000) (Argyll and Bute – 23,000)

2002-03- £2m

2003-04- £1.5 million (West Dumbarton – 40,000) (Argyll and Bute – 20,000)

2004-05- 2007-08 - £1.5 million per year (West Dumbarton – 40,000) (Argyll and Bute – 20,000)

Parentingorders (ASB Strategy - distributed to local authorities in the redeterminationorder according to the GAE formula)

2004-05- £1 million for set up (West Dumbarton – 28,000) (Argyll and Bute – 12,000)

2005-06- £2 million (West Dumbarton – 53,000) (Argyll and Bute – 27,000)

2006-07and 2007-08 - £4 million (West Dumbarton – 103,000) (Argyll and Bute – 53,000)

NationalStandards for youth justice (to support local authorities aiming to meet thenational standards for youth justice by March 2006 - distributed to localauthorities in the redetermination order according to the GAE formula)

2002-03- £4.1m

2003-04- £500k

2004-05- £2 million (West Dumbarton – 42,000) (Argyll and Bute – 18,000)

2005-06- £6.5 million (West Dumbarton – 156,000) (Argyll and Bute – 87,000)

2006-07and 2007-08 - £7.5 million (West Dumbarton – 194,000) (Argyll and Bute – 99,000)

YouthCrime Prevention Fund

(todevelop capacity in the youth justice system - grant payments to identifiedrelevant local authority/voluntary organisation twice yearly )

2002-03- 2004-05 - £10 million

2005-06- £2.75 million

2006-07- £2.75 million

2007-08- £2.75 million

IntensiveSupport Fund

(todevelop capacity in the youth justice system - grant payments to relevant localauthority/voluntary organisation twice yearly)

2002-03 - £3.29 million

2003-04 - £2.18 million

2004-05 - £2 million

2005-06 - £1.8 million

2006-07 - £1.8 million

2007-08 - £1.8 million

Intensive Support and MonitoringServices –

West Dunbartonshire one of seven authorities who are part of phase 1 ofimplementation.

2004-05 - £263,000

2005-06 to 2007-08 - £379,000per year.

Question reference: S2W-26051

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 18 May 2006
Current Status: Answered by Allan Wilson on 1 June 2006

To ask the Scottish Executive whether debt owed to a credit union will be treated in the same way as debt owed to the Student Loans Company following enactment of the Bankruptcy and Diligence etc. (Scotland) Bill.

Student loans are not made ona commercial basis, and individual risk is not assessed. They are long-term loansmade from public funds in accordance with eligibility criteria set out in legislation,and therefore the Student Loans Company administers and collects public debt.

Credit unions offer a valuableservice, but they compete in the open market. Loans are made on a commercial basis,and are often short-term. Credit unions assess the risk of the borrower not payingthe debt in the same way as other private lenders. There is therefore no directcomparison between credit unions and the Student Loans Company.

The Executive does not considerthat a compelling case has been made out for treating debt owed to credit unionsin the same way as debt owed to the Student Loans Company. There are therefore noplans to make any provision to that effect in the Bankruptcy and Diligence etc.(Scotland) Bill.

Question reference: S2W-26048

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 18 May 2006
Current Status: Answered by Tom McCabe on 1 June 2006

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has commissioned any surveys into the public perception of standards of public services and, if not, what plans it has to do so.

A range of surveys are used tomeasure both levels of satisfaction with public services and perceptions of standards.In many instances both topics are covered in the same surveys; these are describedin more detail as follows;

Scottish Household Survey (SHS)

The publication can be accessedusing the following link:

www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Statistics/16002/14048.

Scottish Social Attitudes Survey

The publication can be accessedusing the following link:

www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/2005/08/18151621/16219.

Public Attitudes to the NHS

Two stand alone surveys of publicattitudes to the NHS were commissioned by the Health Department in 2000 and2004. The 2004 report can be accessed using the following link:

www.scotland.gov.uk/library5/government/panhss-00.asp

Bus Passenger Satisfaction Survey

The 2004 report can be accessed using the following link:

www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/2005/08/09142637/26510

Growing Up in Scotland

The survey began in 2005 andthe results of the 2005 survey will be published in late autumn 2006.

The 2005 MORI Social Policy Monitorcarried questions about the public’s use of, and satisfaction with, a rangeof local government services in its first quarter survey. These were commissionedby the FCSD ASD.

Question reference: S2W-26049

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 18 May 2006
Current Status: Answered by Tom McCabe on 1 June 2006

To ask the Scottish Executive how it measures the level of satisfaction with the provision of public services.

I refer the member to the answer to question S2W-26048 on 1 June 2006. A range of surveys are used to measureboth levels of satisfaction with public services and perceptions of standards. Inmany instances both topics are covered in the same surveys. In addition, one-offsurveys are used from time to time by different departments with specific data needs.The duty of Best Value which the Scottish Executive has placed on Scotland’s publicservice organisations, encourages them to consider satisfaction with the servicesthey provide.

All answers to writtenparliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website the search facilityfor which can be at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search.

Question reference: S2W-26050

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 18 May 2006
Current Status: Answered by Allan Wilson on 1 June 2006

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will treat debt owed to credit unions as a priority debt in a protected trust deed following enactment of the Bankruptcy and Diligence etc. (Scotland) Bill.

Question reference: S2W-25892

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 12 May 2006
Current Status: Answered by Allan Wilson on 31 May 2006

To ask the Scottish Executive how it will increase the number of money advisers accredited to provide advice on the use of debt arrangement schemes.

The Debt Arrangement Scheme isbeing delivered in partnership with Money Advice Scotland and Citizens Advice Scotland, throughMoney Advice Training Resources Information and Consultancy Services (MATRICS).

The Executive is therefore workingwith MATRICS to encourage individual money advisers to become approved for the purposeof applying for debt payment programmes on behalf of debtors.

As part of that effort the Executivereviewed the scheme between December 2005 and February 2006. As a result of thatreview, the Executive announced on 24 May 2006 thatthe scheme would be amended to allow for a payment programme to include debt relief.

This change has been welcomedby the money advice sector, and it is hoped that it will lead to an increase inthe number of approved money advisers.

Further changes to the schemeare still being considered, and may be introduced after consultation with MATRICS.

Question reference: S2W-25898

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 12 May 2006
Current Status: Answered by Johann Lamont on 31 May 2006

To ask the Scottish Executive what measures it is taking to ensure the financial inclusion of older people.

Question reference: S2W-25889

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 12 May 2006
Current Status: Answered by Allan Wilson on 30 May 2006

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will amend the Bankruptcy and Diligence etc. (Scotland) Bill to include provisions for debtors with no income and no assets and, if so, what measures it will introduce.

The Executive is aware that thereare people who need debt relief but are unable to bankrupt themselves because arenot “apparently insolvent” under the current law, including people with no incomeand no assets.

The Executive set up a Debt ReliefWorking Group to look at the issue of access to bankruptcy under current law. Thegroup reported in June 2005, and the Executive is considering their recommendationsfor reform.

It is intended that considerationof the report will be completed in the near. A decision has yet to be made on whatmeasures should be introduced in the bill, if any.

Question reference: S2W-25894

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 12 May 2006
Current Status: Answered by Allan Wilson on 30 May 2006

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will exempt housing benefit from the proposal for bank arrestment in the Bankruptcy and Diligence etc. (Scotland) Bill.

The Executive intends that thereforms in the Bankruptcy and Diligence etc. (Scotland) Bill will strike a fairbalance between creditors and debtors. As part of striking the right balance, thediligence of arrestment and forthcoming will be reformed to offer much improveddebtor protections.

The new protections include aprotected minimum balance where a bank account is arrested, currently of £370. Thiswill make sure that all debtors on low incomes of any kind will have enough moneyto live on, including debtors being paid housing benefit. There is also protectionunder the Housing Benefit Regulations 2006, which provides for housing benefit tobe paid direct to a landlord where a tenant is in substantial rent arrears.

There are currently thereforeno plans to exempt housing benefit from bank arrestment.

Question reference: S2W-25896

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 12 May 2006
Current Status: Answered by Allan Wilson on 30 May 2006

To ask the Scottish Executive when it will publish its analysis of the consultation on protected trust deeds and when it will bring forward any changes to the existing legislation.

The consultation on the protectedtrust deed draft regulations closed on 28 April 2006,after a two week extension over Easter.Responses are available now onthe Scottish Executive website and an analysisof the responses will be published on the website by the end of May 2006. http://sh45inta/Publications/2006/05/10105143/0.

It is anticipated that the regulationswill be brought into force at the same time as the bankruptcy reforms in the Bankruptcyand Diligence etc. (Scotland) Bill are commenced, which will be at a date yet to bedecided.

Chamber and committees