- Asked by: Alex Neil, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 03 March 2006
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Current Status:
Answered by Cathy Jamieson on 16 March 2006
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-21873 by Cathy Jamieson on 19 January 2006, whether it considers that it would be a sensible course of action to discuss with Her Majesty’s Government the matter of CIA flights landing in Scotland, given ongoing speculation that the CIA has used Scottish airports as refuelling stops in flights engaged in the process of “extraordinary rendition”.
Answer
The Scottish Executive hasnot approved and will not approve a policy of facilitating the transfer ofindividuals through Scottish territory or airspace to places where there aresubstantial grounds to believe they would face a real risk of torture. The Scottish Executive is not aware of any credibleand reliable information to support allegations that Scottish airports arebeing used for such transfers.
- Asked by: Alex Neil, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 07 March 2006
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Current Status:
Answered by Tavish Scott on 16 March 2006
To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to assist in the delivery of a new train station in Castlecary with park and ride facilities, referred to in Building Better Transport in March 2003 as being part of a package to be taken forward by the Executive arising from recommendations made by the Central Scotland Transport Corridor Studies.
Answer
The Scottish Executive awardedFalkirk Council £450,000 from the Public Transport Fund to undertake a feasibilitystudy to improve rail services along the A80-M80 corridor, including opening a stationand park and ride site at Castlecary (now called Allandale). The study concludedin February 2006 and Transport Scotland is assessing the findings of the report.
Transport Scotland hasthe operational responsibility for this area, and can be contacted for more informationif required.
- Asked by: Alex Neil, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 07 March 2006
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Current Status:
Answered by Malcolm Chisholm on 16 March 2006
To ask the Scottish Executive what the average house price was in each local authority area in each year since 1995.
Answer
The following table shows medianhouse prices in each local authority area in each year since 1995 to 2004, the latestyear for which this information is available. Information on median and mean houseprices for different geographical areas is available from the Scottish NeighbourhoodStatistics System on the Scottish Executive Website at
http://www.sns.gov.uk.Median House Prices1995-2004 by Local Authority Area
Local Authority | 1995 | 1996 | 1997 | 1998 | 1999 | 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 |
Aberdeen City | 45,000 | 49,000 | 50,000 | 53,500 | 53,500 | 55,000 | 56,250 | 58,417 | 60,000 | 70,000 |
Aberdeenshire | 52,720 | 54,375 | 55,000 | 59,500 | 60,000 | 60,000 | 60,000 | 65,995 | 75,000 | 86,617 |
Angus | 40,000 | 42,500 | 41,000 | 43,000 | 46,875 | 47,000 | 50,000 | 52,000 | 60,000 | 68,000 |
Argyll and Bute | 40,000 | 43,000 | 45,500 | 60,000 | 46,000 | 52,000 | 46,500 | 51,198 | 55,100 | 70,000 |
Clackmannanshire | 37,000 | 37,000 | 38,000 | 41,950 | 40,000 | 41,000 | 44,625 | 43,000 | 47,000 | 64,750 |
Dumfries and Galloway | 38,000 | 39,000 | 40,250 | 40,500 | 44,500 | 43,975 | 47,000 | 48,950 | 57,000 | 77,950 |
Dundee City | 35,000 | 36,572 | 35,000 | 37,450 | 40,550 | 38,500 | 42,000 | 45,000 | 50,000 | 55,750 |
East Ayrshire | 30,000 | 31,500 | 31,000 | 33,500 | 36,000 | 35,000 | 37,500 | 37,088 | 41,000 | 54,500 |
East Dunbartonshire | 60,000 | 60,000 | 62,800 | 62,750 | 64,500 | 69,000 | 71,000 | 80,000 | 91,127 | 118,500 |
East Lothian | 50,000 | 52,000 | 53,600 | 56,000 | 57,500 | 60,000 | 65,500 | 74,000 | 90,181 | 110,000 |
East Renfrewshire | 60,000 | 67,000 | 64,995 | 70,676 | 70,503 | 69,000 | 79,000 | 88,850 | 98,000 | 126,025 |
Edinburgh, City of | 52,500 | 55,200 | 59,000 | 63,473 | 70,000 | 73,000 | 80,000 | 96,787 | 115,000 | 135,000 |
Eilean Siar | DNA | 27,050 | 29,250 | 25,000 | 30,000 | 35,000 | 37,000 | 38,000 | 39,650 | 51,075 |
Falkirk | 38,000 | 39,995 | 38,000 | 41,000 | 42,950 | 40,000 | 43,000 | 45,000 | 52,000 | 67,100 |
Fife | 35,000 | 38,000 | 45,000 | 40,000 | 42,000 | 44,000 | 45,000 | 48,000 | 56,000 | 69,000 |
Glasgow City | 38,250 | 40,000 | 40,000 | 41,000 | 43,000 | 44,000 | 49,000 | 56,000 | 69,625 | 85,500 |
Highland | 39,000 | 41,000 | 40,998 | 42,995 | 45,000 | 45,000 | 50,000 | 56,000 | 65,000 | 83,250 |
Inverclyde | 33,000 | 36,600 | 32,500 | 35,000 | 38,000 | 40,000 | 41,000 | 44,750 | 47,000 | 60,000 |
Midlothian | 47,000 | 46,050 | 48,000 | 49,725 | 53,000 | 55,000 | 59,995 | 65,125 | 80,000 | 92,875 |
Moray | 41,500 | 43,750 | 42,500 | 47,500 | 47,000 | 45,500 | 47,000 | 49,500 | 60,000 | 70,000 |
North Ayrshire | 31,000 | 32,500 | 34,581 | 36,000 | 37,500 | 36,000 | 37,850 | 40,000 | 44,000 | 57,500 |
North Lanarkshire | 34,000 | 35,500 | 35,500 | 36,000 | 38,100 | 37,000 | 40,000 | 42,236 | 45,000 | 58,500 |
Orkney Islands | 35,325 | 35,000 | 38,000 | 37,000 | 38,350 | 41,000 | 41,750 | 44,000 | 48,000 | 60,000 |
Perth and Kinross | 47,400 | 50,000 | 51,000 | 54,050 | 58,000 | 60,000 | 60,000 | 65,000 | 75,000 | 90,000 |
Renfrewshire | 38,500 | 41,000 | 40,000 | 43,000 | 43,000 | 45,500 | 42,500 | 45,000 | 53,011 | 65,000 |
Scottish Borders | 35,000 | 37,000 | 37,000 | 38,250 | 43,500 | 41,000 | 46,000 | 52,000 | 65,000 | 82,850 |
Shetland Islands | 34,750 | 42,750 | 35,338 | 38,500 | 32,000 | 35,000 | 40,000 | 45,017 | 46,000 | 60,000 |
South Ayrshire | 43,348 | 46,000 | 46,000 | 46,250 | 51,000 | 50,420 | 52,000 | 56,300 | 65,000 | 76,000 |
South Lanarkshire | 35,500 | 40,500 | 37,500 | 40,000 | 43,000 | 43,500 | 46,000 | 49,000 | 57,000 | 71,000 |
Stirling | 52,750 | 49,995 | 53,500 | 56,000 | 59,500 | 60,000 | 60,000 | 72,000 | 83,000 | 96,000 |
West Dunbartonshire | 37,995 | 38,973 | 38,000 | 37,000 | 38,000 | 39,000 | 41,000 | 43,000 | 45,000 | 60,000 |
West Lothian | 36,000 | 39,500 | 41,950 | 44,950 | 46,500 | 48,000 | 52,995 | 55,018 | 66,000 | 85,000 |
DNA: Data not available
Residential propertytransactions are recorded by Registers of Scotland. For more information, seehttp://www.ros.gov.uk/pdfs/rsdguidancenotes.pdf. This analysis includesadditional coding by the Land Valuation Information Unit at the University of Paisley and Communities Scotland.
- Asked by: Alex Neil, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 07 March 2006
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Current Status:
Answered by Malcolm Chisholm on 16 March 2006
To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to encourage the redevelopment of urban brownfield sites, in particular through the creation of affordable housing.
Answer
The Executive has a range ofpolicies and programmes in place to encourage the redevelopment of urban brownfieldsites for affordable housing and other uses.
National planning policy generallyencourages the reuse of previously developed land in preference to greenfield development.More specifically, Scottish Planning Policy on Planning for Housing (SPP3) statesthat where brownfield land is available, planning authorities should normally directnew housing to such land in preference to greenfield sites. SPP3 and Planning Advice Note 74 also enable planningauthorities to seek a proportion of affordable housing within most housing developments,where there is evidence of a shortage of affordable housing.
Asfar as the Executive’s own housing investment is concerned, over the three years 2002-05 an average of 79% of newbuild development supported by Communities Scotland has been on brownfield land. The Executive is also providing funding specificallyto encourage the redevelopment of brownfield sites. £20 million is being made availableto local authorities over the period 2005-08 to help them tackle contaminated landissues. The Executive has also allocated £24 million for 2006-08 through the Vacantand Derelict Land Fund for the remediation of land in Glasgow, Dundee, North Lanarkshire and South Lanarkshire – areas with the most significant levels of deprivationand vacant and derelict land.
In addition to the above, ourFebruary 2006 Regeneration Policy Statement, People and Place, outlines our commitmentto take a range of actions to tackle land issues which can sometimes inhibit regeneration.
- Asked by: Alex Neil, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 07 March 2006
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Current Status:
Answered by Malcolm Chisholm on 16 March 2006
To ask the Scottish Executive how many new houses for social rent have been built in each year since 1980, broken down by local authority area.
Answer
The following table below containscounts of new build completions in the social rented sector for 1992 to 2004, brokendown by local authority area. Data prior to 1992 is not available by current localauthority area.
NewDwellings Completed in the Social Sector by Local Authority Area; 1992 to 2004
Local Authority Area | 1992 | 1993 | 1994 | 1995 | 1996 | 1997 | 1998 | 1999 | 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 |
Scotland | 3,194 | 3,510 | 3,450 | 6,011 | 2,858 | 4,684 | 2,050 | 4,992 | 4,989 | 5,574 | 5,171 | 3,992 | 3,483 |
Aberdeen City | 269 | 178 | 42 | 452 | 157 | 327 | 21 | 115 | 98 | 203 | 79 | 169 | 98 |
Aberdeenshire | 185 | 181 | 156 | 209 | 152 | 291 | 43 | 226 | 116 | 176 | 199 | 211 | 169 |
Angus | 86 | 35 | 110 | 169 | 110 | 179 | 159 | 119 | 110 | 67 | 167 | 43 | 100 |
Argyll and Bute | 75 | 73 | 51 | 31 | 3 | 91 | 199 | 112 | 121 | 105 | 4 | 59 | 72 |
Clackmannanshire | 143 | 66 | 241 | 21 | 32 | 0 | 18 | 39 | 59 | 0 | 72 | 28 | 50 |
Dumfries and Galloway | 101 | 107 | 32 | 167 | 34 | 202 | 14 | 179 | 69 | 197 | 77 | 96 | 109 |
Dundee | 236 | 303 | 318 | 179 | 185 | 306 | 70 | 242 | 231 | 106 | 302 | 72 | 353 |
East Ayrshire | 26 | 46 | 98 | 116 | 32 | 28 | 60 | 32 | 20 | 147 | 4 | 98 | 6 |
East Dunbartonshire | 0 | 17 | 0 | 47 | 0 | 0 | 22 | 15 | 24 | 55 | 10 | 4 | 7 |
East Lothian | 26 | 52 | 23 | 93 | 16 | 22 | 19 | 61 | 79 | 9 | 18 | 14 | 16 |
East Renfrewshire | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 27 | 17 | 0 | 84 | 126 | 41 | 0 | 30 | 15 |
Edinburgh | 227 | 168 | 249 | 830 | 104 | 351 | 132 | 576 | 521 | 545 | 511 | 156 | 228 |
Eilean Siar | 17 | 4 | 14 | 22 | 7 | 4 | 8 | 2 | 13 | 14 | 22 | 13 | 19 |
Falkirk | 43 | 64 | 45 | 65 | 34 | 62 | 28 | 78 | 103 | 97 | 86 | 34 | 1 |
Fife | 320 | 581 | 395 | 608 | 203 | 407 | 124 | 421 | 174 | 186 | 336 | 194 | 124 |
Glasgow | 189 | 112 | 191 | 482 | 434 | 785 | 377 | 834 | 1,159 | 1,841 | 1,244 | 1,496 | 886 |
Highland | 126 | 259 | 314 | 112 | 196 | 203 | 101 | 143 | 225 | 149 | 157 | 147 | 159 |
Inverclyde | 38 | 23 | 69 | 87 | 112 | 0 | 117 | 93 | 248 | 119 | 141 | 101 | 103 |
Midlothian | 20 | 68 | 19 | 27 | 42 | 74 | 12 | 47 | 0 | 28 | 17 | 31 | 14 |
Moray | 84 | 61 | 4 | 87 | 84 | 101 | 17 | 30 | 30 | 56 | 33 | 2 | 8 |
North Ayrshire | 108 | 116 | 77 | 405 | 53 | 25 | 26 | 149 | 67 | 76 | 64 | 83 | 25 |
North Lanarkshire | 93 | 187 | 200 | 362 | 160 | 261 | 80 | 334 | 277 | 266 | 360 | 131 | 114 |
Orkney | 65 | 63 | 38 | 37 | 53 | 12 | 0 | 14 | 29 | 52 | 44 | 24 | 34 |
Perth and Kinross | 159 | 69 | 188 | 139 | 98 | 267 | 119 | 182 | 193 | 100 | 215 | 176 | 122 |
Renfrewshire | 130 | 88 | 114 | 83 | 273 | 94 | 0 | 92 | 167 | 152 | 155 | 48 | 182 |
Scottish Borders | 23 | 54 | 48 | 293 | 8 | 20 | 123 | 83 | 101 | 88 | 85 | 44 | 76 |
Shetland | 5 | 0 | 0 | 14 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 56 | 14 | 22 | 14 | 1 | 6 |
South Ayrshire | 33 | 0 | 135 | 138 | 95 | 28 | 93 | 68 | 61 | 64 | 131 | 74 | 70 |
South Lanarkshire | 132 | 258 | 149 | 375 | 65 | 206 | 24 | 61 | 274 | 126 | 316 | 103 | 196 |
Stirling | 58 | 96 | 26 | 78 | 28 | 56 | 0 | 85 | 83 | 62 | 106 | 84 | 27 |
West Dunbartonshire | 120 | 94 | 81 | 84 | 45 | 0 | 0 | 213 | 92 | 263 | 182 | 136 | 19 |
West Lothian | 57 | 87 | 23 | 199 | 16 | 265 | 44 | 207 | 105 | 162 | 20 | 90 | 75 |
Source: Scottish Executive DevelopmentDepartment: Housing Statistics NB1 return and Communities Scotland.
- Asked by: Alex Neil, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 07 March 2006
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Current Status:
Answered by Malcolm Chisholm on 16 March 2006
To ask the Scottish Executive how many households there have been on waiting lists to secure a council house in each year since 1995, broken down by local authority.
Answer
Figures on households of housingwaiting lists are accessible online through the data library in the publicationsand data section of the Scottish Executive housing statistics branch website at
www.scotland.gov.uk/stats/housing/hsbref.
This data collection began in2001 and figures are not centrally available prior to that date.
Published figures as at 31 March 2001, 2002,2003, 2004 and 2005 can be accessed through HSG/2001/4, HSG/2002/3, HSG/2003/4,HSG/2004/4, and HSG/2005/4 respectively.
- Asked by: Alex Neil, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 07 March 2006
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Current Status:
Answered by Malcolm Chisholm on 16 March 2006
To ask the Scottish Executivewhat information it has on how the proportion of households living in socially rented housing compares with (a) the rest of the United Kingdom, (b) the member states of the European Union and (c) OECD nations.
Answer
The following tables show the available information on tenure of the housing stock across the UK and EU countries. Information on tenure in other OECD nations is not held centrally.
Estimated Stock of Dwellings by Tenure: 2004
| Total Dwellings (000) | Owner Occupied | Rented Privately or with a Job/Business | Rented from RSLs | Rented from LA |
Number | % | Number | % | Number | % | Number | % |
Scotland | 2,389 | 1,583 | 66.3 | 178 | 7.5 | 250 | 10.5 | 378 | 15.8 |
England | 21,613 | 15,279 | 70.7 | 2,334 | 10.8 | 1,665 | 7.7 | 2,335 | 10.8 |
Wales | 1,296 | 955 | 73.7 | 115 | 8.9 | 64 | 4.9 | 162 | 12.5 |
Northern Ireland | 679 | 523 | 77.0 | 37 | 5.4 | 22 | 3.2 | 97 | 14.3 |
UK | 25,953 | 18,306 | 70.5 | 2,663 | 10.3 | 2,001 | 7.7 | 2,983 | 11.5 |
Sources: Scottish ExecutiveDevelopment Department: Housing Statistics, Office of the Deputy PrimeMinister.
Note: Figures are provisional.
Owner Occupied Stock as a Percentageof all Dwelling Stock, by EU Member State, 2002
EU Member State | Total Stock (000) | Owner Occupied as % of Total |
Austria | 3,7184 | 573 |
Belgium | 4,2491 | 68 |
Denmark | 2,523 | 51 |
Finland | 2,544 | 64 |
France | 29,495 | 56 |
Germany - not DDR | 30,9861 | 45 |
- ex DDR | 7,6961 | 34 |
Greece | 5,4541 | 741 |
Ireland | 1,337 | 785 |
Italy | 26,526 | 682 |
Luxembourg | 176 | 67 |
Netherlands | 6,711 | 54 |
Portugal | 5,152 | 751 |
Scotland | 2,344 | 64 |
Spain | 20,8231 | 811 |
Sweden | 4,3081 | 46 |
United Kingdom | 25,617 | 70 |
Sources: Office of the Deputy Prime Minister.
Note:
1. 2001.
2. 1991.
3. 1998.
4. 1999.
5. 2000.
- Asked by: Alex Neil, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 07 March 2006
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Current Status:
Answered by Cathy Jamieson on 16 March 2006
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has discussed with Her Majesty’s Government the briefing paper sent by the Foreign Office to the Prime Minister’s Office stating that people captured by British forces could have been sent illegally to interrogation centres, as reported in the Guardian on 21 January 2006, to establish whether there are any links between these reports and the allegations that US agencies have used Scottish airports as refuelling stops for flights engaged in the process of “extraordinary rendition”.
Answer
The Scottish Executive has notapproved and will not approve a policy of facilitating the transfer of individualsthrough Scottish territory or airspace to places where there are substantial groundsto believe they would face a real risk of torture. The Scottish Executive is not aware of any credible andreliable information to support allegations that Scottish airports are being usedfor such transfers.
- Asked by: Alex Neil, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 07 March 2006
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Current Status:
Answered by Malcolm Chisholm on 16 March 2006
To ask the Scottish Executive what support it gives to any local authority wishing to construct new homes for social rent which the local authority will directly manage.
Answer
The Executive provides fundingfor new affordable house building by Registered Social Landlords. This is done throughthe Affordable Housing Investment Programme, which is administered by CommunitiesScotland. Local authorities are able to use prudential borrowing or receipts fromthe sale of local authority houses-land.
- Asked by: Alex Neil, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 02 March 2006
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Current Status:
Answered by Cathy Jamieson on 16 March 2006
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-21578 by Cathy Jamieson on 22 December 2005, what it considers its obligations are under the UN Convention Against Torture in respect of the allegations that US agencies have used Scottish airports as refuelling stops for flights engaged in the process of “extraordinary rendition” other than those following from the fact that “torture is a crime under Scots law as required by our international obligations” and that “the investigation of alleged crimes is a matter for the police”.
Answer
The Scottish Executive hasnot approved and will not approve a policy of facilitating the transfer ofindividuals through Scottish territory or airspace to places where there aresubstantial grounds to believe they would face a real risk of torture. The Scottish Executive is not aware of any credibleand reliable information to support allegations that Scottish airports arebeing used for such transfers.