Chamber and committees

Questions and answers

Parliamentary questions can be asked by any MSP to the Scottish Government or the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body. The questions provide a means for MSPs to get factual and statistical information.

Written questions must be answered within 10 working days (20 working days during recess)
Other questions such as Topical, Portfolio, General and First Minister's Question Times are taken in the Chamber

Urgent Questions aren't included in the Question and Answers search. There is a SPICe fact sheet listing Urgent and emergency questions.

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Question reference: S1W-18465

Asked by: Linda Fabiani, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 24 September 2001
Current Status: Answered by Jackie Baillie on 8 October 2001

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will detail all secondary legislation provided for under the Housing (Scotland) Act 2001 and the timetable for such legislation coming into force.

The powers to make secondary legislation under the Housing (Scotland) Act 2001 are summarised in the Memorandum submitted to the Subordinate Legislation Committee at the time of the introduction of the Bill into Parliament on 18 December 2000 and the supplementary Memorandum submitted to the Committee following Stage 2 amendments. These Memoranda, which are obtainable through the Parliament's Reference Centre (Bib. Number 16392 and 16393), set out the frequency with which we expect these powers to be used. The precise timing of the use of these powers will be established as we proceed with the implementation of the Act in the next eighteen months and beyond.

Question reference: S1W-18398

Asked by: Linda Fabiani, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Friday, 21 September 2001
Current Status: Answered by Sarah Boyack on 5 October 2001

To ask the Scottish Executive what standards of performance are specified in the contracts for the management and maintenance of motorways and trunk roads in relation to closure of a motorway or trunk road due to a road traffic accident.

The Scottish Executive contracts with the new trunk road Operating Companies (OCs) contain procedures to address incidents that result in trunk road and motorway closures.

The contracts require OCs to record all incidents where a trunk road is closed and they are required to initiate certain actions as soon as possible but not longer than predefined timescales following the notification of an incident that requires the closure or partial closure of a road. The contracts require the OCs to prepare an Emergency Response Plan that is issued to the emergency services. This plan contains information which enables the police, who would initiate a road closure, to call on the OCs to provide additional resources, if necessary, to assist the emergency services and maintain safety.

Question reference: S1W-18395

Asked by: Linda Fabiani, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Friday, 21 September 2001
Current Status: Answered by Jackie Baillie on 5 October 2001

To ask the Scottish Executive who the members of the Housing Improvement Task Force are; what its remit is, and how many times it has met to date.

The Housing Improvement Task Force is chaired by me and details of the membership and remit are given in the Scottish Executive News Release issued on 14 March (SE 0637/2001). Councillor Sheila Gilmour, Convener of Housing, Edinburgh Council has since joined the task force.

The Housing Improvement Task Force met on 28 March 2001 and 10 September 2001. A number of sub-groups have been established and these have also met on a number of occasions.

The Housing Improvement Task Force website (http://www.scotland.gov.uk/hitf) has been set up to provide both access to the papers and the work of the task force and a mechanism for comment and to make views known. It also contains details of the membership and remit.

Question reference: S1W-18432

Asked by: Linda Fabiani, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Friday, 21 September 2001
Current Status: Answered by Jackie Baillie on 5 October 2001

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-16469 by Jackie Baillie on 24 August 2001, what provisions are likely to require to be made in secondary legislation in order to protect any existing entitlement to the right to buy on the part of tenants whose houses are transferred to a registered social landlord which is exempt from the right to buy as a result of its charitable status.

Secondary legislation will be required based on the provisions of section 11 of Housing (Scotland) Act 2001, to ensure that all tenants with secure tenancies or with assured tenancies with a preserved right to buy, before the introduction of the Scottish secure tenancy, can continue to exercise the right to buy on existing terms and conditions after the introduction of the Scottish secure tenancy.

In addition, paragraph (13)17 of schedule 10 of the Housing (Scotland) Act 2001, when commenced, will repeal the Preserved Right to Buy as set out in section 81A of the Housing (Scotland) Act 1987 and the associated regulations. The Preserved Right to Buy applies to secure tenants whose houses are the subject of a disposal to a "private sector landlord" which is defined in the 1987 Act to include registered housing associations. At present, such tenants continue to have the right to buy even when the transferee landlord has charitable status. In order to achieve a similar result after the introduction of the Scottish secure tenancy, the intention is to use secondary legislation to continue the protection given to any pre-existing right to buy entitlement of tenants in houses which are transferred to a registered social landlord that had charitable status at Royal Assent of the 2001 Act.

Question reference: S1W-18433

Asked by: Linda Fabiani, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Friday, 21 September 2001
Current Status: Answered by Jim Wallace on 5 October 2001

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to the second supplementary question to question S1O-3689 by Mr Jim Wallace on 6 September 2001, what action it will take in relation to any leaflets distributed by Scottish Natural Heritage which are based on the provisions of the draft Land Reform (Scotland) Bill as consulted upon.

Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH), produces a wide range of publications relating to natural heritage and to outdoor recreation. Editorial responsibility for these publications rests with SNH. However, where any reference is included to Executive policy, SNH would normally clear the text with us. I understand that SNH has not as yet produced any leaflets based on the provisions of the draft Land Reform (Scotland) Bill.

Question reference: S1W-18276

Asked by: Linda Fabiani, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 20 September 2001
Current Status: Answered by Angus MacKay on 4 October 2001

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-17548 by Angus MacKay on 6 September 2001, how many of the staff on secondment from it to other organisations at any time in the period from May 1999 to date have been taken into the employment of the receiving organisation and have left the employment of the Scottish Executive.

Question reference: S1W-18278

Asked by: Linda Fabiani, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 20 September 2001
Current Status: Answered by Angus MacKay on 4 October 2001

To ask the Scottish Executive how many staff it has had on secondment from other organisations since May 1999; from which organisations these staff were seconded; at whose cost the relevant salaries were paid, and how many of these secondees were given employment by the Executive having left the employment of the organisation they were originally from.

The total number of staff on secondment to the Scottish Executive from other organisations during the period stated is 119. The organisations are as follows:

Aberdeenshire Council

Angus Council

Argyll & Bute Council

Audit Scotland

Borders Primary Care Trust

British Council

Brodies Solicitors

Cardonald College

Central Council for Education and Training in Social Work

City of Edinburgh Council

Common Services Agency

CoSLA

Dumfries and Galloway Council

Dundee City Council

East Ayrshire Council

East of Scotland Water Authority

East Renfrewshire Council

Edinburgh College of Art

Falklands Islands Government

Fife Careers Ltd

Fife Council

Fife Health Board

Glasgow City Council

Glasgow College of Nautical Studies

Highland Council

House of Commons

Islay & Jura Council for Voluntary Service

Lanarkshire Careers Service

Lanarkshire Primary Care

Lothian and Borders Police

Lothian Health

Mental Welfare Commission

National Health Service

North Lanarkshire Council

Paisley Partnership Regeneration Company

Perth and Kinross Council

Perth Royal Infirmary

Project Management International

Renfrewshire Council

Robert Gordon University

Scottish National Blood Transfusion Service

Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations

Scottish Enterprise

Scottish Enterprise Borders

Scottish Enterprise Glasgow

Scottish Federation of Housing Associations

Scottish Homes

Scottish Library & Information Council

Scottish Natural Heritage

Scottish Power

Shepherd & Wedderburn Solicitors

South Ayrshire Council

South Lanarkshire Council

Stagecoach

Stevenson College

Stirling Council

Strathclyde Euro Partnership

Strathclyde Fire Board

Strathclyde University

Summerhill Education Centre

The TASC Agency

University of Aberdeen

University of Dundee

University of Glasgow

University of Sheffield

University of Stirling

Volunteer Development Scotland

West Lothian Council

Yorkhill Hospital NHS Trust

Inward secondees normally continue to be paid by the employing organisation with the costs reimbursed, either fully or partially, by the Scottish Executive. Of these 119 inward secondments, 113 were fully reimbursed, one was partially reimbursed and five were seconded at no cost to the Scottish Executive.

Recruitment to the civil service is governed by the Civil Service Commissioners' Recruitment Code. This stipulates a range of measures to ensure that all recruitment to the civil service is through fair and open competition. Conversion of an inward secondment to a permanent appointment is permitted only in exceptional circumstances and approval must be sought from the Commissioners in all cases. None of the inward secondments listed has been converted to a permanent appointment.

Question reference: S1W-18275

Asked by: Linda Fabiani, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 20 September 2001
Current Status: Answered by Angus MacKay on 4 October 2001

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-17547 by Angus MacKay on 6 September 2001, how many of the staff on loan from it to other organisations at any time in the period from May 1999 to date have been taken into the employment of the receiving organisation and have left the employment of the Scottish Executive.

Question reference: S1W-18388

Asked by: Linda Fabiani, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 20 September 2001
Current Status: Answered by Jackie Baillie on 4 October 2001

To ask the Scottish Executive how many staff are currently employed by Scottish Homes.

Question reference: S1W-18389

Asked by: Linda Fabiani, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 20 September 2001
Current Status: Answered by Jackie Baillie on 4 October 2001

To ask the Scottish Executive how many staff will be transferred from the employ of Scottish Homes to the executive agency being set up to replace Scottish Homes.