- Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Thursday, 27 November 2003
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Current Status:
Answered by Ross Finnie on 10 December 2003
To ask the Scottish Executive what action has been taken to investigate the provision of support for those in need and help reduce the level of bad debt with water and sewerage charges, as referred to in the Water Industry Commissioner for Scotland's report Strategic Review of Charges 2002-2006.
Answer
Since the Strategic Reviewof Charges in 2002 the problem of bad debt has been diminishing, as the rate ofcollection has improved for both domestic and non-domestic customers.
The main means of supportingvulnerable customers is by improving efficiency at Scottish Water, which willease pressure on charges and by retaining the link between water charges and counciltax banding and discount arrangements.
- Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Thursday, 27 November 2003
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Current Status:
Answered by Ross Finnie on 10 December 2003
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will continue the Transitional Water and Waste Water Charges Scheme in any form for domestic water users beyond March 2004.
Answer
The Executive is assessingthe impact that ending the scheme will have. It is doing this in light of the harmonisationof charges that has taken place since the scheme was introduced. It remains thecase, however, that the main means of assisting vulnerable groups are improvingefficiency at Scottish Water and retaining the link between water charges and counciltax banding and discount arrangements.
- Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Thursday, 27 November 2003
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Current Status:
Answered by Jim Wallace on 10 December 2003
To ask the Scottish Executive what options it has considered to protect people whose state benefits are paid into (a) personal bank accounts or (b) Post Office card accounts from bank arrestments as part of the proposed Personal Bankruptcy and Diligence Bill.
Answer
Discussions are continuingwith the Department of Work and Pensions on proposals for the reform ofarrestment and furthcoming following from the consultation document Enforcementof Civil Obligations in Scotland.
- Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Thursday, 27 November 2003
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Current Status:
Answered by Jim Wallace on 10 December 2003
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will work with local authorities in the context of the proposed Personal Bankruptcy and Diligence Bill to ensure that bank arrestments are not served on individuals whose state benefits are paid into (a) personal bank accounts or (b) Post Office card accounts.
Answer
Local authorities will beincluded in the consultation on proposals for the reform of arrestment and furthcomingas part of the reform of the laws of personal bankruptcy and diligence, later inthis parliamentary year.
- Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Thursday, 27 November 2003
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Current Status:
Answered by Jim Wallace on 10 December 2003
To ask the Scottish Executive whether the proposed Personal Bankruptcy and Diligence Bill will end the practice of bank arrestment being used as a form of diligence against those who receive state benefits by way of (a) personal bank accounts or (b) Post Office card accounts.
Answer
We recognised, in our April2002
Enforcement of Civil Obligations in Scotland consultation
http://www.scotland.gov.uk/consultations/justice/CivOb-00.asp, the need for protecting those living on subsistencelevels from the effects of the arrestment of their social security benefits whenin their bank or other accounts. Respondents supported but gave no clearpreference for the solutions offered. We are combining the best elements of theseoptions with further discussions with the UK departments on the practicalitiesof delivery into proposals for reform of the law of diligence to be consultedupon in this parliamentary year. This is a complex matter. I will write to themember with more detailed background information and a copy of the letter willbe placed in the Parliament’s Reference Centre.
- Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Thursday, 27 November 2003
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Current Status:
Answered by Ross Finnie on 10 December 2003
To ask the Scottish Executive what its position is on the Water Customer Consultation Panel's report Affordability of Domestic Water and Wastewater Charges and the recommendation that the scale and scope of the transitional relief scheme should be extended.
Answer
The Executive is not awarethat the Water Customer ConsultationPanels have published a report on Affordability of Domestic Water andWastewater Charges.
- Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Thursday, 20 November 2003
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Current Status:
Answered by Mary Mulligan on 9 December 2003
To ask the Scottish Executive what its position is on the rise in the number of disconnections by energy suppliers due to debt from 40 disconnections in 2001 to 458 disconnections in the first half of 2003.
Answer
The legislation and regulationof the energy sector is a reserved matter and the question of disconnections isone for the electricity supply companies. I am, however, concerned at how thesupply companies are operating in Scotland in regard to the recent increase in disconnections.
- Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Thursday, 06 November 2003
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Current Status:
Answered by Mary Mulligan on 8 December 2003
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-3050 by Mrs Mary Mulligan on 29 October 2003, whether the #40 charge towards the cost of another inspection of their central heating system acts as a disincentive to pensioners lodging legitimate appeals against the decision of specialist surveyors.
Answer
I asked my officials toinvestigate this matter to ensure that the system was not discouraginglegitimate appeals against the decisions made from the first heating survey. Iam pleased to say that Eaga Partnership have agreed to absorb the charge andthey will now cover the full cost of a second inspection as part of theirappeals process.
- Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Thursday, 04 December 2003
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Current Status:
Answered by Margaret Curran on 5 December 2003
To ask the Scottish Executive how it plans to consult the charity sector during the drafting of new legislation on charity law reform.
Answer
In my statement toParliament on 24 September I made a commitment that a draft bill to reformcharity regulation in Scotland would be prepared for consultation in spring nextyear. I also emphasised the Executive’s commitment to involving the full rangeof charity and voluntary sector interests during the preparation of the bill aswell as during the formal consultation once the draft is published.
A strategy for this processof engagement has now been set out, involving the establishment of a referencegroup, a series of specialist meetings with key stakeholders and experts, andwider information-sharing activities. Copies of the consultation strategy havebeen placed in the Parliament’s Reference Centre (Bib. number 30103) and anelectronic version will be made available on the Executive’s website.
The bill reference group metfor the first time on 25 November, and further meetings are scheduled beforeChristmas and early in the new year. It is chaired by officials, with a remitto assist the Executive to develop effective, coherent and proportionate proposalsin the draft bill.
Additionally, a wide rangeof stakeholders will be engaged on specific issues during the process ofpreparing the draft legislation.
- Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Friday, 31 October 2003
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Current Status:
Answered by Malcolm Chisholm on 21 November 2003
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-1912 by Malcolm Chisholm on 20 October 2003, whether it will ensure that the report from NHS Argyll and Clyde and NHS Greater Glasgow on the pattern of patient choice for consultant-led maternity units involves substantive discussion and consultation with communities and elected members.
Answer
It is up to NHS Argyll and Clyde and NHSGreater Glasgow how they take this work forward. I would expect localcommunities and elected members to be involved in this process.
