- Asked by: Johann Lamont, MSP for Glasgow Pollok, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Thursday, 08 January 2009
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Current Status:
Answered by Nicola Sturgeon on 19 January 2009
To ask the Scottish Executive what steps have been taken to produce a self-directed support strategy.
Answer
A roundtable on self-directed support was convened in June 2008 to consider a strategy to increase the uptake of self-directed support, as a result of which an on-going reference group has been established. Members subsequently discussed a draft strategy at the October meeting which is being finalised and will be presented to members at their next meeting on 5 March 2009.
- Asked by: Johann Lamont, MSP for Glasgow Pollok, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Thursday, 08 January 2009
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Current Status:
Answered by Nicola Sturgeon on 19 January 2009
To ask the Scottish Executive which three test sites have been chosen for consideration of how to improve the uptake of self-directed support.
Answer
Dumfries and Galloway, Glasgow and Highland Councils have been selected as the three test sites. NHS Lothian and Borders Council will also be contributing to the development of the policy through other local initiatives.
- Asked by: Johann Lamont, MSP for Glasgow Pollok, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Thursday, 08 January 2009
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Current Status:
Answered by Nicola Sturgeon on 19 January 2009
To ask the Scottish Executive when the next meeting of the reference group on self-directed support will take place.
Answer
The next meeting of the reference group on self-directed support will take place on Thursday 5 March 2009.
- Asked by: Johann Lamont, MSP for Glasgow Pollok, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Thursday, 08 January 2009
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Current Status:
Answered by Stewart Maxwell on 19 January 2009
To ask the Scottish Executive when the next meeting of the Community Regeneration and Tackling Poverty learning network will be held.
Answer
I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-19492 on 19 January 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: Johann Lamont, MSP for Glasgow Pollok, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Thursday, 08 January 2009
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Current Status:
Answered by Stewart Maxwell on 19 January 2009
To ask the Scottish Executive when the first meeting of the reference group on independent living will be held.
Answer
The first meeting of the reference group on independent living will be held on 6 February 2009.
- Asked by: Johann Lamont, MSP for Glasgow Pollok, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 16 December 2008
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Current Status:
Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 16 January 2009
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will report to the Parliament on the progress of the Inspiring Scotland project.
Answer
Inspiring Scotland announced its first portfolio of supported organisations on 20 November last year. We continue to work with Inspiring Scotland to ensure the organisations it supports deliver in a manner that is fully aligned with our More Choices, More Chances strategy. Looking ahead, the Scottish Government will receive a twice yearly Investor Report from Inspiring Scotland. We expect the first such report in mid-2009. We shall make the Investor Reports available to the Parliament through the Scottish Parliament Reference Centre (Bib. number 47378).
- Asked by: Johann Lamont, MSP for Glasgow Pollok, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 16 December 2008
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Current Status:
Answered by Stewart Maxwell on 15 January 2009
To ask the Scottish Executive for what reasons interim targets have not been set towards the shared commitment to ending child poverty by 2020 in Achieving Our Potential, the Scottish Government’s anti-poverty framework.
Answer
I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-18764 on 7 January 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: Johann Lamont, MSP for Glasgow Pollok, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 16 December 2008
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Current Status:
Answered by Stewart Maxwell on 15 January 2009
To ask the Scottish Executive, with reference to the Audit Scotland report on the impact of the race equality duty on council services, what action the Scottish Government intends to take in light of comments from the chairperson of the Accounts Commission who suggests that the main focus of councils has been the development of policies and processes which, by themselves, do not meet the needs of minority ethnic communities.
Answer
It is not for the Scottish Government to comment on recommendations made by the Accounts Commission in relation to councils. Both the Scottish Government and councils are subject to the same public sector equality duties, however we do expect all public bodies to take their responsibilities under these duties seriously.
The report recommends the Scottish Government, working with key bodies, should ensure the availability to more up-to-date and useful social and demographic data on minority ethnic communities.
The Scottish Government has work underway to improve the range and quality of equality information across the public sector. This work includes promoting the use of harmonised questions on equalities which will allow for comparison of data from different sources and will involve investigating the possibility of boosts to large scale social surveys.
- Asked by: Johann Lamont, MSP for Glasgow Pollok, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Monday, 07 January 2008
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Current Status:
Answered by Fergus Ewing on 15 January 2009
To ask the Scottish Executive in what form the performance of tackling antisocial behaviour will be reported in light of the ending of ring fencing.
Answer
This issue is being considered as part of the review of national antisocial behaviour policy, the findings of which will be reported to Parliament in early 2009.
- Asked by: Johann Lamont, MSP for Glasgow Pollok, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Thursday, 15 January 2009
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Current Status:
Answered by Stewart Maxwell on 15 January 2009
To ask the Scottish Executive when it last met money advice organisations and what issues were discussed.
Answer
Scottish Government officials meet regularly with representatives of the money advice sector. Their most recent meeting with Citizens Advice Scotland, and the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities, was on 22 December 2008, when they discussed the £1 million additional funding for debt advice which I announced on 8 December.
I meet Citizens Advice Scotland formally twice a year. At my most recent meeting with them, on 9 October 2008, we discussed the credit crunch, fuel poverty, and benefits uptake and related advice, focussing on older people and their debt problems. I also meet money advice organisations informally at events and on visits.
