- Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Monday, 15 February 2010
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Current Status:
Answered by Alex Neil on 8 March 2010
To ask the Scottish Executive how many enquiries for assistance that have not yet led to purchase have been received by the Low-cost Initiative for First-Time Buyers scheme in (a) Highland, (b) Western Isles, (c) Orkney, (d) Shetland, (e) Moray and (f) Argyll and Bute.
Answer
The following table shows the number of Open Market Shared Equity Programme (OMSEP) application forms issued, the number of application forms returned, the number of passports issued and the number of sales that have taken place. We do not centrally collate details of purchasers for all LIFT products.
| | Number of application forms issued | Number of application forms returned | Number of passports issued | Number of sales up to 31 December 2009 |
| Highland | 279 | 125 | 125 | 72 |
| Western Isles | 3 | 3 | 2 | 1 |
| Orkney | 43 | 12 | 10 | 5 |
| Shetland | 27 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Moray | 51 | 9 | 9 | 0 |
| Argyll & Bute | 54 | 19 | 13 | 5 |
An update to Housing Statistics for Scotland - AHIP Summary will be published towards the end of May 2010 on the Scottish Government website and will include number of sales in the period January “ March 2010.
- Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Monday, 15 February 2010
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Current Status:
Answered by Nicola Sturgeon on 2 March 2010
To ask the Scottish Executive how many roadside emergency ambulance incidents there were in the NHS (a) Highland, (b) Orkney, (c) Shetland and (d) Western Isles areas in each of the last three years.
Answer
The information requested is not held centrally.
- Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Monday, 15 February 2010
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Current Status:
Answered by Nicola Sturgeon on 2 March 2010
To ask the Scottish Executive how many new outpatient attendances there were in NHS (a) Highland, (b) Orkney, (c) Shetland and (d) Western Isles in each of the last three years.
Answer
The number of new outpatient attendances for the last three financial years ending 31 March in Highland, Orkney, Shetland and Western Isles is shown in the following table.
Number of New Outpatient Attendances
| NHS Board | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 |
| Highland | 68,132 | 69,837 | 71,694 |
| Orkney | 3,094 | 3,175 | 3,286 |
| Shetland | 5,504 | 5,052 | 5,445 |
| Western Isles | 6,790 | 6,934 | 6,791 |
Source: ISD Scotland, ISD(s)1.
PProvisional.
Further information on outpatient attendances can be found on the ISD website at:
http://www.isdscotland.org/isd/4156.html.
- Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Monday, 15 February 2010
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Current Status:
Answered by Alex Neil on 23 February 2010
To ask the Scottish Executive how many purchases for properties using assistance from the Low-cost Initiative for First-Time Buyers scheme have fallen through due to buyers failing to secure a mortgage on the open market.
Answer
The Scottish Government does not hold this information.
- Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Thursday, 04 February 2010
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Current Status:
Answered by Michael Russell on 4 February 2010
To ask the Scottish Executive , of the 251 new schools referred to in the SNP press release of 25 January 2010, SNP build more schools than promised, how many were planned or under construction prior to May 2007.
Answer
Given normal lead-in times for major capital projects, it is not unexpected that planning and construction began on a number of the 251 schools prior to May 2007. This was the same situation faced by the first Scottish Executive administration. Of the school projects completed during the first administration''s term of office, over half were pre-devolution projects.
Responsibility for funding those projects fell largely upon the first Executive administration, just as responsibility for paying for most of the 260 projects has fallen on this government.
- Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 16 December 2009
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Current Status:
Answered by John Swinney on 29 January 2010
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-29603 by John Swinney on 11 December 2009, whether staff continue to be paid while attending the mobile blood transfusion units visiting Scottish Government buildings during working hours.
Answer
Scottish Government staff are afforded opportunities to donate blood during working hours. In addition Scottish Government staff continue to be paid whilst donating blood at the mobile blood transfusion units visiting the Scottish Government buildings.
- Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Thursday, 14 January 2010
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Current Status:
Answered by Stewart Stevenson on 29 January 2010
To ask the Scottish Executive when it expects the conclusions of the traffic capacity study carried out by Scotland Transerv on the A9 Longman roundabout to be published.
Answer
Transport Scotland recently received the report and this is currently being considered. It is expected to be published in March and a copy will be placed in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre (Bib. number 50129).
- Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Thursday, 07 January 2010
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Current Status:
Answered by Shona Robison on 21 January 2010
To ask the Scottish Executive what emergency funding is available to ensure that no older person is unable to access key services due to the current weather conditions.
Answer
The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) provide cold weather payments to those in receipt of income related benefits, including pension credit, when specified criteria are met. Payments of £25 are made when the area in which the person lives is, or is forecasted to be, zero degrees celsius or below for a period of seven consecutive days. Payments are made automatically to those who qualify. As with all DWP benefits the policy on cold weather payments is reserved to the UK Government.
As for local authority and health board funding for the delivery of key services during the severe weather, both are expected to deal with some rise and fall in expenditure demands within the money allocated to them by the Scottish Government.
- Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Thursday, 07 January 2010
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Current Status:
Answered by Shona Robison on 21 January 2010
To ask the Scottish Executive what services are available to older people who are housebound due to the current weather conditions to enable them to purchase groceries and other essential items.
Answer
Local authorities, health boards, voluntary organisations and private care providers are working hard to ensure that housebound people receive the help they need during the severe weather conditions, including assistance with purchasing groceries and other essential items. The Scottish Government, local authorities and voluntary organisations are publicising the help available as set out in my answer to question S3W-30510 on 18 January 2010. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament''s website, the search facility for which can be found at
http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/Apps2/Business/PQA/Default.aspx.
- Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Thursday, 07 January 2010
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Current Status:
Answered by Shona Robison on 18 January 2010
To ask the Scottish Executive what information is available to older people who are housebound due to the current weather conditions and how such information is relayed.
Answer
The Scottish Government is working with local authorities and local radio to help individuals in communities find help for themselves and others. We are publicising “ through the Weather Wise section of the government''s website “ local authority helpline numbers for those experiencing difficulties. In addition, local authorities and voluntary organisations are involved in a range of activities to publicise the help available and how to access it.
