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-07716

Asked by: Alex Neil, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 07 June 2000
Current Status: Answered by Henry McLeish on 27 July 2000

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will make a statement on the future of Scottish Development Overseas.

Question reference: S1W-08398

Asked by: Alex Neil, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 29 June 2000
Current Status: Answered by Jackie Baillie on 25 July 2000

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-7207 by Ms Wendy Alexander on 22 June 2000, whether it will provide a breakdown of the estimates for grant payments in respect of Social Inclusion Partnerships current expenditure in (i) 2000-01 and (ii) 2001-02, from the estimates on the Social Inclusion Partnership Fund as contained in table 2.7 of the Annual Expenditure Report of the Scottish Executive 2000.

From 2000-01, up to 40% of expenditure incurred by Social Inclusion Partnerships will be reimbursed by the Scottish Executive in the form of a grant from the Social Inclusion Partnership Fund in the same year in which the expenditure is incurred. The remaining expenditure is reimbursed in the following financial year. Social Inclusion Partnership revenue allocations for 2000-01 and 2001-02 are shown in the table below.

Table 1: Social Inclusion Partnership revenue allocations (£000)

Social Inclusion Partnership	2000-01¹	2001-02
Aberdeen Great Northern SIP	829	850
Alloa South and East SIP	692	813
Argyll & Bute SIP	232	237
Blantyre/North Hamilton SIP	769	1,576
Cambuslang SIP	410	281
Castlemilk Partnership²	2,260	1,620
Craigmillar SIP	1,654	1,324
Drumchapel SIP	1,922	1,970
Dundee 1 SIP	2,004	1,865
Dundee 2 SIP	438	274
Dundee Xplore (Give Youth a Chance) SIP	395	419
East Ayrshire Coalfields Area SIP	913	1,026
Edinburgh Strategic Programme	510	263
Edinburgh Youth SIP	554	564
Falkirk Community Regeneration Programme	564	384
Ferguslie Park Partnership	873	791
Fife SIP	615	420
Frae Fife Ethnic Minority Capacity Building SIP	128	131
Girvan SIP	303	291
Glasgow Anti-Racist Alliance SIP	743	757
Glasgow Careleavers SIP	513	467
Glasgow East End SIP	2,171	2,225
Glasgow North SIP	2,969	3,044
Glasgow Regeneration Programme³	1,128	1,156
Glasgow Routes Out of Prostitution SIP	256	263
Gorbals SIP	577	592
Greater Easterhouse SIP	3,126	2,876
Greater Govan SIP	384	394
Greater Pollok SIP	1,768	1,812
Healthy Dundee Alliance SIP	77	79
Highlands Well-being Alliance SIP	592	745
Inverclyde SIP	1,941	1,933
Levern Valley SIP	331	210
Milton SIP	564	579
Moray Youthstart Partnership	436	447
Motherwell North SIP	1,512	1,345
North Ayr SIP	1,268	1,182
North Ayrshire SIP	615	420
North Edinburgh SIP	2,115	1,812
North Lanarkshire SIP	871	593
Paisley SIP	2,638	2,304
Perth and Kinross SIP	173	176
Scottish Borders SIP	220	227
Springburn SIP	414	429
South Coatbridge SIP	666	683
South Edinburgh SIP	653	779
Stirling SIP	461	315
Tranent Youth & Community Partnership	128	131
West Dunbartonshire SIP	1,552	1,576
Wester Hailes Partnership²	1,843	1,249
West Lothian SIP	256	184
TOTAL	49,026	46,083

Notes:

1. Figures given for 2000-01 are based on firm funding allocations, although the split between capital and current expenditure within the total allocation is subject to change. Figures given for 2001-02 are based on provisional allocations and may be subject to change.

2. The Castlemilk Partnership and the Wester Hailes Partnership are not SIPs, but are New Life for Urban Scotland Partnerships in receipt of funding from the Social Inclusion Partnership Fund

3. The Glasgow Regeneration Programme is not a SIP, but is a partnership set up under Programme for Partnership which is in receipt of funding from the Social Inclusion Partnership Fund.

Question reference: S1W-08397

Asked by: Alex Neil, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 29 June 2000
Current Status: Answered by Jackie Baillie on 25 July 2000

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-7207 by Ms Wendy Alexander on 22 June 2000, whether it will provide a breakdown of the estimates on the Annual Expenditure Report from the estimates on the Social Inclusion Partnership Fund in (i) 2000-01 and (ii) 2001-02, as contained in table 2.7 of the Annual Expenditure Report of the Scottish Executive 2000.

Question reference: S1W-08395

Asked by: Alex Neil, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 29 June 2000
Current Status: Answered by Jackie Baillie on 25 July 2000

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-7210 by Ms Wendy Alexander on 22 June 2000, whether it will provide a breakdown of the estimates on (a) the Annual Expenditure Report and (b) support cost payments to Social Inclusion Partnerships, regeneration partnerships and the Glasgow Alliance from the estimates on Partnerships in (i) 2000-01 and (ii) 2001-02, as contained in table 2.7 of the Annual Expenditure Report of the Scottish Executive 2000.

Grant payments to meet support costs incurred by Social Inclusion Partnerships (SIPs) are paid to those Social Inclusion Partnerships which were established as Priority Partnership Areas in 1996, to the remaining New Life Partnerships, and to the Glasgow Alliance and the Capital City Partnership. Firm allocations for 2000-01 and provisional allocations for 2001-02 are shown in the table below. Provisional allocations may be subject to change.

Table 1: Support cost allocations to Social Inclusion Partnerships, the Glasgow Alliance, Capital City Partnership and New Life Partnerships

£	2000-01	2001-02
Wester Hailes Partnership	100,000	100,000
Castlemilk Partnership	100,000	100,000
Ferguslie Park Partnership	100,000	100,000
Motherwell North SIP	90,000	90,000
North Ayr SIP	60,000	60,000
Aberdeen Great Northern SIP	60,000	60,000
Dundee 1 SIP	90,000	90,000
Craigmillar SIP	60,000	60,000
North Edinburgh SIP	60,000	60,000
West Dunbartonshire SIP	120,000	120,000
Inverclyde SIP	120,000	120,000
Paisley SIP	120,000	120,000
Glasgow Alliance	683,000	683,000
Capital City Partnership	120,000	120,000

Question reference: S1W-06625

Asked by: Alex Neil, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Friday, 05 May 2000
Current Status: Answered by Donald Dewar on 21 July 2000

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-4192 by Donald Dewar on 13 April 2000, whether it will detail by department, including the First Minister's Office, its performance in relation to its targets for replying to correspondence from MPs or MSPs for the period 1 March to 30 April.

The information requested in relation to the target of 17 working days for the period 1 March to 30 April 2000 is detailed in the table below. The figures include correspondence sent to the First Minister, which is distributed among departments according to the subject matter of the letters.

Department	Number of replies issued	% or replies to MPs or MSPs issued within 17 working day target
TOTAL	1,466	41%
Crown Office	55	43%
Development	488	43%
Education	163	37%
Enterprise & Lifelong Learning	129	39%
Health	181	37%
Justice	223	38%
Rural Affairs	204	49%
Others	23	35%

The performance against target figures reflects the increased number of letters received by Ministers. A new computer-based ministerial correspondence system is now fully operational across the Executive. This system utilises scanning and electronic transmission technology to speed up turnaround times.

Question reference: S1W-07394

Asked by: Alex Neil, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 31 May 2000
Current Status: Answered by Rhona Brankin on 18 July 2000

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has made representations to Her Majesty's Government about the failure to date of the New Opportunities Fund to make any awards in Scotland.

Question reference: S1W-08396

Asked by: Alex Neil, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 29 June 2000
Current Status: Answered by Wendy Alexander on 13 July 2000

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-7208 by Ms Wendy Alexander on 22 June 2000, whether it will provide a breakdown of the estimates on (a) the Annual Expenditure Report, (b) pathfinder costs and (c) supporting social justice aims from the estimates on Working For Communities in (i) 2000-01 and (ii) 2001-02, as contained in Table 2.7 of the Annual Expenditure Report of the Scottish Executive 2000.

The breakdown of Pathfinder costs is as follows:

Working for Communities	2000-01 Plans	2001-02 Plans
	£000	£000
Pathfinder costs
West Edinburgh	150	150
Greater Easterhouse	240	240
Auchenback 'Active'	270	270
Dick's Hill New Community Horizons Programme	130	120
Lochaber Communications Network	170	100
Cultenhove for Change	140	150
Inverclyde Youth Partnership	100	120
Local Service Delivery on Dumbarton Road Corridor	60	40
Housing Wider Action	90	110
Fife Community Benefits	180	180
Great Northern Community	110	110
Dawson Estate Management Initiative	140	150
Western Isles	80	80
Total	1,860	1,820

The resources shown against Supporting Social Justice aims are available for other aspects of the social inclusion agenda and as such will be allocated to relevant objectives, such as the development of the social economy, digital inclusion and community empowerment, as appropriate.

The figures requested at (a) are the sum of the other two items.

Question reference: S1W-08399

Asked by: Alex Neil, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 29 June 2000
Current Status: Answered by Wendy Alexander on 13 July 2000

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-7205 by Ms Wendy Alexander on 22 June 2000, whether it will provide a breakdown of the estimates on the Annual Expenditure Report from the estimates for new housing partnerships in (i) 2000-01 and (ii) 2001-02, as contained in Table 2.5 of the Annual Expenditure Report of the Scottish Executive 2000.

Following submission of bids by councils, the New Housing Partnership Steering Group earmarked £15.5 million in 2000-01 and £7.9 million in 2001-02, of NHP funds for feasibility and other works related to stock transfer. To achieve consistency of awards, the Steering Group recommended that councils should discuss their proposed spending programme on transfer feasibility with Scottish Homes. A number of councils have still to agree their costs for these two years and it is not possible therefore to produce a breakdown of the figures.

Question reference: S1W-08394

Asked by: Alex Neil, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 29 June 2000
Current Status: Answered by Jackie Baillie on 13 July 2000

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-7212 by Ms Wendy Alexander on 22 June 2000, whether it will detail the spend to date on research and consultative work regarding equalities contained in Table 2.8 of the Annual Expenditure Report of the Scottish Executive 2000.

For the period April to June 2000, over £14,000 has been spent on research and consultation within the Equality Programme Budget. This includes the costs of analysing the responses to the Scottish Executive consultation paper, Towards an Equality Strategy, developing and applying methods of consultation such as the Women in Scotland Consultative Forum and the Race Equality Advisory Forum, the organisation of the Health Research Seminar held on 28 June in Edinburgh and ongoing work on gender disaggregated statistics.

Question reference: S1W-05010

Asked by: Alex Neil, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Friday, 03 March 2000
Current Status: Answered by Iain Gray on 12 July 2000

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will provide a progress report on the monitoring of services for sensory impaired people.

The provision of services for people with a sensory impairment is the responsibility of local authorities. The report, Sensing Progress, prepared by the Social Work Services Inspectorate, provided guidance and made recommendations for the planning and delivery by local authorities of services for people with a sensory impairment. The Inspectorate will provide a progress report through its annual report.