- Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Thursday, 26 February 2009
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Current Status:
Answered by Alex Neil on 11 March 2009
To ask the Scottish Executive, in order to inform responses to the consultation, Investing in Affordable Housing: A Consultation, how it plans to ensure that the proposed concentration and streamlining of development and procurement under the lead development system would safeguard local expertise that is currently harnessed directly by smaller rural housing associations.
Answer
The government''s current proposals are that associations set up development consortia and that this should be governed by a formal agreement. On page 25 of the consultation paper Investing in Affordable Housing: A Consultation it says; Consortium heads [or Lead Developers] will agree with the other consortium members what the nature of their contribution will be, how relations within the consortium will work and which organisation will eventually pay for, own and manage the new homes. They will also agree how to manage contracting and procurement in order to secure the most value from the process, and how completion and transfer of the new homes to the eventual owners and managers will work. Even when working with a Lead Developer there would still be a continuing role for smaller rural housing associations and the important contribution that their local expertise makes to development and procurement can be recognised and protected. It is also proposed to retain flexibility in funding arrangements and that associations could bid for funding without working with a Lead Developer, if they are pre-qualified. This could be another route through which smaller rural associations could continue to develop. We will look at responses to the consultation on this as well as all other points.
- Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Thursday, 26 February 2009
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Current Status:
Answered by Alex Neil on 10 March 2009
To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it plans to help housing associations overcome the situation that arises when the Scottish Government assumes a higher level of rent for the calculation of Housing Association Grant than private funders use when calculating mortgage for the same units, thus leaving a shortfall that leads to restrictions on new developments.
Answer
Scottish Government does not prescribe the actual rents a Registered Social Landlord (RSL) should charge, but for appraisal purposes we assume a benchmark rent in our grant calculation as we have a responsibility to ensure public money is used in the most efficient and effective fashion. This is a national benchmark and it is based on assessed affordability to a household with a single earner on the national minimum wage. Some RSLs choose to charge lower rents than others. Where an RSL chooses to charge actual rents below our benchmark assumption then it could have difficulty in raising the necessary private finance.
- Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 03 March 2009
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Current Status:
Answered by Nicola Sturgeon on 10 March 2009
To ask the Scottish Executive what the value has been of (a) the formula capital allocation and (b) each allocation in real terms for NHS (i) Highland, (ii) Orkney, (iii) Shetland, (iv) Western Isles and (v) Grampian in each year since 2005-06.
Answer
I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-20837 on 6 March 2009. 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: Wednesday, 11 February 2009
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Current Status:
Answered by Nicola Sturgeon on 6 March 2009
To ask the Scottish Executive what the (a) initial revenue and (b) capital allocations have been to NHS (i) Highland, (ii) Orkney, (iii) Shetland, (iv) Western Isles and (v) Grampian in each financial year since 2004, also expressed in real terms.
Answer
Details are as follows:
£ Million
| NHS Highland* | NHS Orkney | NHS Shetland | NHS Western Isles | NHS Grampian |
Initial Revenue Allocation | Real Terms | Initial Revenue Allocation | Real Terms | Initial Revenue Allocation | Real Terms | Initial Revenue Allocation | Real Terms | Initial Revenue Allocation | Real Terms |
2004-05 | 239.2 | 270.6 | 22.4 | 25.3 | 26.7 | 30.2 | 42.2 | 47.7 | 481.7 | 545.0 |
2005-06 | 272.1 | 301.7 | 25.1 | 27.8 | 29.8 | 33.0 | 47.1 | 52.2 | 547.9 | 607.4 |
2006-07 | 419.6 | 452.9 | 26.9 | 29.0 | 31.8 | 34.3 | 50.3 | 54.3 | 583.5 | 629.8 |
2007-08 | 445.8 | 467.2 | 28.7 | 30.1 | 33.9 | 36.5 | 53.6 | 56.2 | 627.3 | 657.4 |
2008-09 | 459.6 | 466.5 | 29.7 | 30.1 | 34.9 | 35.4 | 55.2 | 56.0 | 646.3 | 656.0 |
2009-10 | 469.4 | 469.4 | 30.5 | 30.5 | 35.9 | 35.9 | 56.6 | 56.6 | 660.6 | 660.6 |
Note: *From 2006-07 NHS Highland''s allocation includes their increased responsibilities following the dissolution of NHS Argyll and Clyde.
Real Terms Figures are at 2009-10 Prices (£ Million)
| NHS Highland* | NHS Orkney | NHS Shetland | NHS Western Isles | NHS Grampian |
Capital Allocation | Real Terms | Capital Allocation | Real Terms | Capital Allocation | Real Terms | Capital Allocation | Real Terms | Capital Allocation | Real Terms |
2004-05 | 8.4 | 9.5 | 0.5 | 0.6 | 0.5 | 0.6 | 1.2 | 1.4 | 17.6 | 19.9 |
2005-06 | 9.3 | 10.3 | 0.5 | 0.6 | 0.6 | 0.7 | 1.4 | 1.6 | 19.3 | 21.4 |
2006-07 | 15.5 | 16.7 | 0.6 | 0.6 | 0.7 | 0.8 | 1.6 | 1.7 | 23.2 | 25.0 |
2007-08 | 18.5 | 19.4 | 0.8 | 0.8 | 0.9 | 0.9 | 2.0 | 2.1 | 27.8 | 29.1 |
2008-09 | 18.6 | 18.9 | 0.9 | 0.9 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 1.9 | 1.9 | 29.3 | 297 |
2009-10 | 18.9 | 18.9 | 0.9 | 0.9 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 1.9 | 1.9 | 29.8 | 29.8 |
Notes:
*From 2006-07 NHS Highland''s allocation includes their increased responsibilities following the dissolution of NHS Argyll and Clyde.
Real Terms figures are at 2009-10 prices.
- Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Thursday, 12 February 2009
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Current Status:
Answered by Roseanna Cunningham on 4 March 2009
To ask the Scottish Executive what capital charge is levied on the budget of Forestry Commission Scotland per hectare of forest land.
Answer
Capital charges are not levied on a hectarage basis, but on the value of assets shown on a department''s balance sheet. The charge is 3.5% of the average value over an accounting period. Capital charges for the national forest estate amounted to £23.4 million in 2007-08 and since the estate covers some 665,000 hectares we can calculate that the average cost per hectare was £35.
- Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Thursday, 05 February 2009
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Current Status:
Answered by Shona Robison on 2 March 2009
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-20102 by Shona Robison on 4 February 2009, whether it considers that ending direct payments for new applicants would be consistent with the Community Care and Health (Scotland) Act 2002.
Answer
Local authorities have a duty under the Social Work (Scotland) Act 1968 to assess the community care needs of people and decide, in the light of the assessment, whether they should arrange any services, and if so, which services. Since June 2003, local authorities have a duty to offer direct payments in lieu of council community care services to all eligible people. In light of recent concerns, I will be asking the Self-Directed Support Reference Group to review the operation of the legislation as part of their work on developing a Self-Directed Support National Strategy.
- Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Thursday, 15 January 2009
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Current Status:
Answered by Richard Lochhead on 5 February 2009
To ask the Scottish Executive when it reached formal agreement with the Russian Government on the lifting of its restriction on the importation of Scottish fish.
Answer
I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-19845 on 5 February 2009. 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, 15 January 2009
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Current Status:
Answered by Richard Lochhead on 5 February 2009
To ask the Scottish Executive when the formal agreement with the Russian Government on the lifting of its restriction on the importation of Scottish fish was signed.
Answer
I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-19845 on 5 February 2009. 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, 15 January 2009
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Current Status:
Answered by Richard Lochhead on 5 February 2009
To ask the Scottish Executive whether there is a signed agreement with the Russian Government that secures the sale of Scottish fish to Russia and, if so, whether the Scottish Government will place a copy of the agreement in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre.
Answer
A letter agreeing that a number of the companies that were inspected by Russian veterinary inspectors could export was sent from Russia on 25 December 2008, allowing exports from 1 January 2009.
A fisheries memorandum with the Russian Federation was signed on the Scottish Government''s behalf by Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on 14 January 2009. This sets out the future terms of reference for the export of fish and fishery products between Scotland, England, Wales and Northern Ireland and the Russian Federation. A copy has been placed in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre (Bib. number 47406).
- Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 28 January 2009
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Current Status:
Answered by Shona Robison on 4 February 2009
To ask the Scottish Executive what the effect will be of the withdrawal of direct payments in the Orkney Islands council area.
Answer
I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-20102 on 4 February 2009. 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.