- Asked by: Alex Neil, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 10 August 1999
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Current Status:
Answered by Jack McConnell on 23 August 1999
To ask the Scottish Executive further to answer to the question S1W-324 by Mr Jack McConnell on 14 July 1999, which European Union Council Working Group meetings it has attended to date.
Answer
Officials from the Scottish Executive have since 1 July attended the following European Union Council Working Group meetings:
OFFICIAL VISITS ABROAD: WORKING GROUP MEETINGS
Rural Affairs DepartmentYEAR | DATE | WORKING GROUP | OFFICIAL | DEPARTMENT | PURPOSE |
| 1999 | 9 July 22 July | Environment Working Group Environment Working Group | Mr MurrayMrs Whytock | Rural Affairs DeptRural Affairs Dept | National emission ceilings Ambient air (benzene and carbon monoxide.) |
| 1999 | 1 July 15 July | Internal Fisheries GroupInternal Fisheries Group | Gery McLaughlinGery McLaughlin | Rural Affairs DeptRural Affairs Dept | Reform of Fisheries Marketing Regime |
| 1999 | 22 July | External Fisheries Group | Andrew D Brown | Rural Affairs Dept | External Aspects of Common Fisheries Policy |
Executive Secretariat
YEAR | DATE | WORKING GROUP | OFFICIAL | DEPARTMENT | PURPOSE |
| 1999 | 8 July | Environment Committee | Mr Giverin | Executive Secretariat | Strategic Environmental Assessment Directive |
Education DepartmentYEAR | DATE | WORKING GROUP | OFFICIAL | DEPARTMENT | PURPOSE |
1999 | 8 July 9 July | Education Committee Education Committee | Mrs Johnston Mrs Johnston | Education Dept Education Dept | Socrates II + Leonardo II Socrates II + Leonardo II |
Justice Department
YEAR | DATE | WORKING GROUP | OFFICIAL | DEPARTMENT | PURPOSE |
| 1999 | 5 July | Committee on Civil Law | Peter Beaton | JD-Courts GroupCJ&ID | General Questions |
| | 14 July | Committee on Civil Law | Laura Dolan | JD-Courts GroupCJ&ID | Service of Documents Directive |
- Asked by: Alex Neil, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 24 June 1999
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Current Status:
Answered by Jack McConnell on 19 August 1999
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it intends to publish details of the current remit of its Chief Economic Adviser.
Answer
The role of the Chief Economic Adviser is to provide advice on all economic issues affecting Scotland and to act as Head of Profession for all economists employed by the Scottish Executive.
- Asked by: Alex Neil, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 30 June 1999
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Current Status:
Answered by Wendy Alexander on 18 August 1999
To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has for alleviating poverty amongst pensioners in Scotland.
Answer
Action on pensioner poverty is happening on a UK and Scottish level. Changes to taxes and benefits are improving pensioners entitlements. VAT on household fuel has been reduced from 8% to 5%. From April 1999, pensioners have a guaranteed minimum income of not less than £75 a week, and pensioner couples £116 a week. Winter Fuel Payments for pensioners will rise from £20 to £100 minimum from December 1999. To complement these changes, a range of measures will be promoted to ensure that the needs of older people on low incomes are met. For example, the Scottish Warm Deal to tackle fuel poverty specifically targets pensioners on benefit, and we are committed to encouraging the improvement and integration of concessionary fare schemes.
- Asked by: Alex Neil, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 30 June 1999
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Current Status:
Answered by Henry McLeish on 11 August 1999
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will publish the full reviews undertaken by Scottish Enterprise on the performance and impact of "Technology Ventures" during the last 12 months.
Answer
I have asked the Chairman of Scottish Enterprise to write to Alex Neil MSP on this matter and I understand that he has already done so.
- Asked by: Alex Neil, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 23 June 1999
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Current Status:
Answered by Jackie Baillie on 11 August 1999
To ask the Scottish Executive what actions it intends to take to end discrimination against single people in respect of the services delivered within its own areas of responsibility.
Answer
We are committed to mainstreaming of equality into all aspects of Scottish Executive policy and service delivery. This means that all policies will be examined for any differential impact on different groups within society. This could include people of different marital status. Where there is an unjustifiable differential impact, action will be taken.
- Asked by: Alex Neil, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 30 June 1999
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Current Status:
Answered by Sarah Boyack on 9 August 1999
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will publish the estimated cost of upgrading the A77 to dual carriageway status from the Whitletts roundabout in Ayr to Stranraer.
Answer
No estimate has been made of the cost of upgrading the A77 to dual carriageway status between Whitletts roundabout and Stranraer. A Route Action Plan (RAP) study recently undertaken on this section of the route recommended several individual schemes together with road safety improvement measures to bring the whole route up to a consistent standard.
- Asked by: Alex Neil, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 24 June 1999
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Current Status:
Answered by Henry McLeish on 2 August 1999
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will arrange for the publication of details of all financial awards, and the purpose of these awards, made by the Scottish Higher Education Funding Council to the Computer Department of Aberdeen University over the last year.
Answer
Scottish Higher Education Funding Council's allocation to Aberdeen University last year was published in the SHEFC Circular Letter No. 8/98, 18 March 1998, copies of which have been placed in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre. SHEFC made no awards direct to the Computer Department of Aberdeen University.
- Asked by: Alex Neil, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 23 June 1999
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Current Status:
Answered by Jackie Baillie on 30 July 1999
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it intends to publish details of any representations it receives in respect of the role of the voluntary sector in tackling social exclusion.
Answer
We intend to make available copies of representations received, in response to formal consultations on tackling social exclusion, provided the authors have no objections. These will be placed in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre.
- Asked by: Alex Neil, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 30 June 1999
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Current Status:
Answered by Henry McLeish on 29 July 1999
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will provide a list of all current and planned New Deal initiatives in Scotland other than those covered by the New Deal for Young People.
Answer
Employment policy is reserved to the UK Government which takes the lead on funding and delivery of the New Deal. In Scotland it does this in partnership with the Scottish Executive and contributing Scottish organisations as indicated in the answer to question S1W-00299 also answered today.
The current and planned New Deal initiatives in Scotland, other than the New Deal for Young People, are:
- New Deal for Lone Parents
- New Deal for Disabled People
- New Deal for Partners of Unemployed People
- New Deal for long-term unemployed people aged 25 plus
- New Deal 25 plus pilots
New Deal 50 plus
- Asked by: Alex Neil, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 30 June 1999
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Current Status:
Answered by Henry McLeish on 29 July 1999
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will publish details of the number of companies in Scotland which have taken on young people under the employment option of the New Deal for Young People to date and what percentage of trading businesses in Scotland this figure represents.
Answer
Employment policy is reserved to the UK Government which takes the lead on funding and delivery of the New Deal. In Scotland it does this in partnership with the Scottish Executive and contributing Scottish organisations as indicated in the answer to question S1W-00299 also answered today.The number of young people who had secured sustained jobs through the programme to the end of April was 8,600 and the number of companies which had signed New Deal employer agreements was 8,800. This represents 6 per cent of businesses registered for VAT and/or PAYE in Scotland. Information about the number of companies which have taken on New Deal recruits is not available.
