- Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 30 September 2009
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Current Status:
Answered by Alex Neil on 27 October 2009
To ask the Scottish Executive for what reason no new supply shared equity houses in Orkney (a) were completed in (i) 2007-08 and (ii) 2008-09 and (b) are estimated to be completed in 2009-10.
Answer
New supply shared equity is one mechanism available to support first-time buyers. Housing completions in Orkney in 2007-08, 2008-09 and 2009-10 reflect the strategic priorities of the local authority, as set out in its Local Housing Strategy. This saw investment targeted in alternative grants to support first-time buyers.
- Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 30 September 2009
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Current Status:
Answered by Alex Neil on 27 October 2009
To ask the Scottish Executive what the take-up rate was for (a) new supply shared equity or shared ownership homes, (b) open market shared equity homes and (c) rural home ownership grants in the Highlands and Islands region under the (i) Homestake Open Market Pilot and (ii) Low-cost Initiative for First-Time Buyers scheme.
Answer
The following table shows the number of unit approvals in a financial year for (a) new supply shared or shared ownership (b) open market shared equity and (c) rural home ownership grants in the Highlands and Islands since 1992-93.
Year | Shared Ownership/ Shared Equity | Rural Home Ownership Grant | Open Market Shared Equity |
1992-93 | 179 | | |
1993-94 | 95 | | |
1994-95 | 83 | 37 | |
1995-96 | 140 | 46 | |
1996-97 | 38 | 39 | |
1997-98 | 49 | 35 | |
1998-99 | 55 | 33 | |
1999-2000 | 26 | 39 | |
2000-01 | 3 | 43 | |
2001-02 | 4 | 45 | |
2002-03 | 4 | 57 | |
2003-04 | 79 | 68 | |
2004-05 | 60 | 85 | |
2005-061 | 199 | 74 | |
2006-07 | 199 | 75 | |
2007-082 | 207 | 59 | |
2008-09 | 149 | 38 | 35 |
Total | 1,565 | 773 | 35 |
Notes:
1. A shared equity mechanism (called Homestake) was introduced this year. The figures from this date onwards include both shared ownership and shared equity approvals.
2. The shared equity mechanism is renamed to New Supply Shared Equity as part of the Scottish Government''s Low Cost Initiative for first time buyers (LIFT).
The data in this table is from Housing Investment Division Management reports. The official statistics on the Affordable Housing Investment Programme, and on other housing statistics, can be found at the housing statistics for Scotland web pages at:
http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Statistics/Browse/Housing-Regeneration/HSfS/KeyInfo.
- Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 30 September 2009
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Current Status:
Answered by Alex Neil on 27 October 2009
To ask the Scottish Executive for what reason there were no actual sales under the Open Market Shared Equity Scheme in (a) Orkney, (b) Shetland, (c) the Western Isles and (d) Argyll and Bute in 2008-09.
Answer
There were no sales under the Open Market Shared Equity Scheme in Orkney, Shetland, the Western Isles and Argyll and Bute in 2008-09 as these areas were not included in the pilot at that time.
- Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 30 September 2009
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Current Status:
Answered by Alex Neil on 27 October 2009
To ask the Scottish Executive for what reason there were no new supply shared equity completions in the Western Isles in (a) 2007-08 and (b) 2008-09.
Answer
New supply shared equity is one mechanism available to support first-time buyers. Housing completions in the Western Isles in 2007-08 and 2008-09 reflect the strategic priorities of the local authority, as set out in its Local Housing Strategy. This saw investment targeted in alternative grants to support first-time buyers.
- Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 30 September 2009
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Current Status:
Answered by Alex Neil on 27 October 2009
To ask the Scottish Executive what the level of funding was in (a) 1999-00, (b) 2000-01, (c) 2001-02, (d) 2002-03, (e) 2003-04, (f) 2004-05, (g) 2005-06, (h) 2006-07 and (i) 2007-08 for affordable housing projects in the Highlands and Islands region.
Answer
Nearly £260 million of grant funding from the Affordable Housing Investment Programme has been invested in the four Local Authorities in the Highlands and Islands, namely Highland Council, Orkney Island Council, Shetland Islands Council and Comhairle nan Eilean Siar during the period 1 April 1999 to 31 March 2008. A breakdown of this investment is shown in the following table.
Year | Spend (£ million) |
1999-2000 | 10.157 |
2000-01 | 11.037 |
2001-02 | 13.864 |
2002-03 | 15.815 |
2003-04 | 21.002 |
2004-05 | 27.388 |
2005-06 | 44.060 |
2006-07 | 58.300 |
2007-08 | 58.235 |
Total | 259.858 |
- Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 30 September 2009
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Current Status:
Answered by Alex Neil on 27 October 2009
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-27284 by Alex Neil on 23 September 2009, when it expects to make a decision on the future of the Open Market Shared Equity Pilot scheme.
Answer
The Scottish Government committed to a one year temporary expansion of the Open Market Shared Equity Pilot scheme and this is being successfully delivered. We plan to carry out an independent evaluation of the Low-cost Initiative for First Time Buyers (LIFT) shared equity schemes next year in order to inform the schemes'' long-term future. In the meantime, we are currently reviewing the relative balance of support for the LIFT schemes in the planning of the 2010-11 Affordable Housing Investment Programme.
- Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Thursday, 01 October 2009
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Current Status:
Answered by Nicola Sturgeon on 23 October 2009
To ask the Scottish Executive what standard of staffing and equipment is required for a designated accident and emergency unit.
Answer
The staffing and equipment required to run an accident and emergency unit is a matter for NHS boards and varies depending on the size of the unit and the number of attendees. A wide range of health professionals, which includes consultants, doctors, nurses and support staff are required to care for patients needing emergency care.
Planning guidance on accident and emergency departments within hospitals in Scotland is provided in the Scottish Health Planning Note (SHPN 22) available from the following link:
http://www.hfs.scot.nhs.uk/online-services/publications/property/scottish-health-planning-notes/.
A further source of information is the College of Emergency Medicine publication The Way Ahead - December 2008, which sets out the workforce, facilities and equipment needed to deliver the core service in emergency medicine. The document is available at:
http://www.collemergencymed.ac.uk/CEM/About%20the%20College/Current%20Issues%20and%20Statements/The%20Way%20Ahead/default.asp.
- Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Monday, 28 September 2009
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Current Status:
Answered by Shona Robison on 6 October 2009
To ask the Scottish Executive what initiatives are in place to encourage people to give blood.
Answer
The Scottish National Blood Transfusion Service launched a new, integrated marketing strategy in June 2008. This has already led to an increase of 70,000 new donors and the return of 40,000 donors. The service is working with management in the private and public sector to form partnerships and develop new blood donation opportunities within the workplace. It is also harnessing new technology, such as sending text messages, emails and use of the web and allowing text booking for donors. It is reviewing the location of donor centres to minimise queuing and improve the quality of accessibility of the experience of donors.
- Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Monday, 28 September 2009
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Current Status:
Answered by Shona Robison on 6 October 2009
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it supports blood donors being paid time off work to give blood.
Answer
The Scottish Government supports the World Health Organization advice that blood donation should be based on the altruistic principle of voluntary, unpaid donation as the cornerstone of blood safety. The Scottish National Blood Transfusion Service works closely with employers and asks for their continued support and endorsement of blood donation. The service is currently redesigning its blood collection strategy to allow it to collect from smaller workplaces and use less space than at present.
- Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Monday, 28 September 2009
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Current Status:
Answered by Shona Robison on 6 October 2009
To ask the Scottish Executive what action it is taking to ensure that blood donors can access donation sessions in remote and rural areas.
Answer
The Scottish National Blood Transfusion Service (SNBTS) is working closely with rural communities to review methods of collection from remote, rural and island communities. SNBTS is fully aware of the need to continually seek innovative ways to encourage donors and values every donation.