- Asked by: Linda Fabiani, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 28 March 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Iain Gray on 25 April 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-14024 by Jackie Baillie on 22 March 2001, whether it intends to commission research into poverty levels among those people who live outside of private households.
Answer
We have no plans to do so. Household income is used as a proxy for standard of living when measuring income poverty. This does not apply to those living in institutions, and therefore they cannot be included in any estimates of the incidence of income poverty.However, low income is only one of a number of factors which determine whether or not people are in poverty or socially excluded. The Social Justice Annual Report presents 29 milestones which describe different aspects of poverty and exclusion and many of these cover people who live outwith private households.
- Asked by: Linda Fabiani, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 28 March 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Andy Kerr on 24 April 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive what consideration it has given to the proposal for a national public services trust.
Answer
I assume that a "national public services trust" refers to the SNP's proposal in January 2001 for a Scottish Trust for Public Investment (STPI) - an alternative form of model for funding Public/Private Partnerships (PPP) projects. This is not under active consideration currently.The Executive is constantly reviewing evolving methods of PPP and will continue to examine different forms, to see if more efficient and successful forms of PPP can be developed.
- Asked by: Linda Fabiani, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 15 April 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Andy Kerr on 24 April 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive how often it has consulted the Civil Service Commissioners before making a particular appointment in each year since its inception.
Answer
The Scottish Executive makes appointments to all posts excluding the Senior Civil Service in accordance with the principles set out in the code and without further reference to the commissioners. The Scottish Executive has therefore not consulted the Civil Service Commissioners before making any particular appointments at this level.Approval of individual appointments by the commissioners is required for appointments to the Senior Civil Service (apart from appointments of less than 12 months).
- Asked by: Linda Fabiani, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 28 March 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Margaret Curran on 23 April 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-16823 by Jackie Baillie on 2 August 2001, whether there are now any plans to transfer the Scottish Homes stock in Anderston, Cumbernauld or Govan C.
Answer
Residents in Anderston have been considering a range of regeneration options for the estate, and are due to make a decision later this month. Proposals will then be developed to transfer the houses in the spring of 2003.Scottish Homes only owns 11 houses in Cumbernauld, five of which are vacant. These properties are in blocks which have structural problems. Options are currently being considered for the blocks which will include the 11 houses owned by Scottish Homes.There are no plans to transfer the houses in Govan, where a management contract is being arranged.
- Asked by: Linda Fabiani, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 28 March 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Iain Gray on 23 April 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-13944 by Jackie Baillie on 20 March 2001, what percentage of the population currently live in affordable housing options.
Answer
There is no single, generally accepted definition of "affordability" which can be used for calculations of this nature. The following tables, based on information collected for the Scottish House Condition Survey (SHCS) in 1996, show the percentage of households, by tenure, spending more than a specified percentage of household income on housing costs.SHCS 1996 - Calculations Include Housing Benefit in Income and Housing Costs:
Tenure | Percentage of Households in Scotland Spending More than Specified Percentage of their Income on Housing Costs |
| 20% | 25% | 30% |
Owner Occupied | 19 | 11 | 7 |
Private Rented | 51 | 42 | 34 |
Council Rented | 59 | 42 | 28 |
Other Social Rented | 70 | 52 | 38 |
All Households | 36 | 25 | 17 |
SHCS 1996 - Calculations Exclude Housing Benefit from Income and Housing Costs:
Tenure | Percentage of Households in Scotland Spending more than Specified Percentage of their Income on Housing Costs |
| 20% | 25% | 30% |
Owner occupied | 19 | 11 | 7 |
Private rented | 35 | 26 | 20 |
council rented | 21 | 14 | 10 |
other social rented | 27 | 19 | 13 |
All Households | 21 | 13 | 9 |
Note: Calculations based on net incomes of head of household and any spouse or partner. Housing costs include mortgage repayments and expenditure on rent.
- Asked by: Linda Fabiani, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 28 March 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Iain Gray on 23 April 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive what the current estimate is of the level of resources that would be freed up in its annual budget over the next ten years by the transfer of housing stock from those local authorities actively considering wholesale stock transfer and whether it will utilise any such extra resources for the provision of social rented housing nationally or in individual local authority areas.
Answer
Resources will continue to be required to meet breakage costs, and it will not be clear until the point of transfer what these costs will be. It is therefore not possible to estimate the level of resources that may be freed up. In the year of transfer, Glasgow's resources will be used by the Scottish Executive to contribute towards the costs of "breakage" on Glasgow's existing debt. Thereafter, some of the resources will be used to fund demolition and the costs of additional new build housing. In the longer term there may be savings and any decisions on how these are allocated will depend on Scottish Executive priorities and will fall to cabinet.
- Asked by: Linda Fabiani, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 26 March 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Cathy Jamieson on 23 April 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-17687 by Mr Jack McConnell on 25 September 2001, whether there are, or have been, any school-aged children resident at Dungavel Detention Centre and what provision was, or is being, made for their education.
Answer
As indicated in the answer given to question S1W-17687 on 25 September 2001, the operation of Dungavel Detention Centre is the responsibility of the Home Office. I understand that school-age children have been accommodated at the centre but this is subject to change on a daily basis. Education is being provided by the contractor operating the centre. As noted in the answer given to question S1W-24470 today, a meeting of relevant officials is to take place in May to ensure education issues are addressed.
- Asked by: Linda Fabiani, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 26 March 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Cathy Jamieson on 23 April 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-17687 by Mr Jack McConnell on 25 September 2001, whether an agreement has been reached between it, the Home Office and South Lanarkshire Council regarding the most appropriate way to provide education services for any school-aged children resident at Dungavel Detention Centre and what the terms of any such agreement are.
Answer
As indicated in the answer given to question S1W-17687 on 25 September 2001, the operation of Dungavel Detention Centre is the responsibility of the Home Office. Discussions between the Scottish Executive, the Home Office and South Lanarkshire Council are, however, on-going in terms of education provision at the centre. In relation to this a meeting of relevant officials is to take place at the centre in May to ensure education issues are addressed.
- Asked by: Linda Fabiani, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 28 March 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Peter Peacock on 22 April 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive what the current rate of interest charged by the Public Works Loan Board for local authority housing loans is.
Answer
Money lent by the board is intended to assist local authorities to meet long-term borrowing requirements. No distinction is made between borrowing for housing or any other legitimate purpose. The interest rates at which the Public Works Loan Board makes loans to local authorities vary according to the authority's loan quota entitlement, the type of loan requested (fixed or variable rate) and the method of repayment. The rates of interest will be agreed between the board and the local authority at the time of application. The schedule of current interest rates can be viewed on the board's website:
www.pwlb.gov.uk.
- Asked by: Linda Fabiani, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 25 March 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Lewis Macdonald on 22 April 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-15784 by Sarah Boyack on 11 June 2001 in regard to the clearing of litter from motorways by on-going trunk road operating companies in the final months of the old contracts, what action has been carried out to investigate the concerns on this matter mentioned in that answer.
Answer
The Scottish Executive instructed the Performance Audit Group to investigate concerns expressed by the new operating companies and also review the records of actions taken by the previous trunk road operators in regard to the clearing of litter from motorways.