- Asked by: Kenneth Gibson, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 24 April 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Margaret Curran on 17 May 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it is taking to ensure that information given to council tenants in Glasgow with regard to the stock transfer proposals is accurate.
Answer
The Executive's Guidance for Local Authorities on Housing Transfer to Community Ownership sets down procedures that local authorities are expected to follow in carrying out their statutory responsibilities in respect of consultation with tenants on any transfer proposal.
- Asked by: Kenneth Gibson, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 24 April 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Margaret Curran on 17 May 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-13378 by Ms Margaret Curran on 28 February 2001, what guarantee it can provide that the costs of servicing any residual debt following Glasgow housing stock transfer will be met indefinitely by resources provided by the Scottish Executive indefinitely.
Answer
The arrangements will take account of Glasgow's existing loan portfolio and will be discussed with Glasgow City Council as part of the appraisal of the transfer proposal.
- Asked by: Kenneth Gibson, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 24 April 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Margaret Curran on 17 May 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive what steps have been taken to ensure that neighbourhood forums established to consult on Glasgow stock transfer proposals consult with tenant associations and that those tenant associations relay information to and from their own tenants.
Answer
Neighbourhood Forums were established by Glasgow City Council. The activities and procedures of these organisations is a matter for the council.
- Asked by: Kenneth Gibson, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 24 April 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Margaret Curran on 17 May 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive whether any residual debt resulting from housing stock transfer in Glasgow will (a) be removed from Glasgow City Council (GCC) and taken on by the Executive as outlined in Glasgow Housing Association's January newsletter which states "the Scottish Executive has agreed to remove the debt from GCC tenants and transfer it to tax payers across Scotland if tenants vote in favour of stock transfer" or (b) remain with GCC and be serviced by the Executive as outlined in the answer to question S1W-13378 by Ms Margaret Curran on 28 February 2001 which states "the cost of servicing the remaining (i.e. residual) debt would also be met by resources provided by the Scottish Executive" and what steps will it take to ensure that tenants are advised of the correct situation.
Answer
The arrangements are as set out in my answer to question S1W-13378. It is for Glasgow City Council in undertaking statutory consultation with tenants prior to any transfer to consider what further information in relation to this issue should be provided.
- Asked by: Kenneth Gibson, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 24 April 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Margaret Curran on 17 May 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive why no long-term detailed investment plans on Glasgow's housing stock transfer proposals will be available until January 2002, after the proposed date of the stock transfer ballot.
Answer
The Executive's Guidance for Local Authorities on Housing Transfer to Community Ownership makes it clear what information should be made available to tenants during the statutory consultation process leading up to any ballot on a transfer proposal.
- Asked by: Kenneth Gibson, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 24 April 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Margaret Curran on 17 May 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive what steps have been taken to accommodate the recommendation in the Social Inclusion, Housing and Voluntary Sector Committee's 3rd Report 2000 Housing Stock Transfer that a multi-agency task force be establish for each stock transfer proposal with a specific remit to ensure that maximisation of local labour is a key determinant in the awarding of contracts.
Answer
This is a matter for the parties involved in developing transfer proposals. A multi-agency Housing and Employment Working Group operating at an all-Scotland level is identifying the mechanisms required to maximise employment opportunities and inclusion benefits from future housing investment.
- Asked by: Kenneth Gibson, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 04 January 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Jack McConnell on 17 May 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive when it will finalise the distribution of any Excellence Fund Core Programme and Special Programme monies for 2000-2001 that have not yet been allocated.
Answer
£13.45 million remained unallocated in the Excellence Fund for financial year 2000-01, the majority of which was originally planned for initiatives linked to the new system of pay and conditions for teachers. All of this money will now be used to help with the introduction of that new system over the next three years.
- Asked by: Kenneth Gibson, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 28 March 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Sarah Boyack on 16 May 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive how much and what percentage of the #640 million funding for roads projects will be spent in (a) 2001-02, (b) 2002-03 and (c) 2003-04, within each local authority boundary.
Answer
On 27 March 2001 I announced a £680 million programme of investment in motorways and trunk roads for the three years to March 2004. Table 8.2 of the Executive's Annual Expenditure Report published on 30 March sets out detailed categories of spending. The estimated costs of individual schemes costing more than £0.5 million are shown in my answer to question S1W-14599 on 23 April. Details of planned spending are not held by local authority area.
- Asked by: Kenneth Gibson, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 29 March 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Nicol Stephen on 15 May 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it will take to ensure that children identified by a children's panel as being in need of supervision are allocated a social worker within 14 days.
Answer
Local authorities have a legal duty to give effect to supervision requirements made by children's hearings in their area.Inter-agency guidance on national standards for the processing of cases through the children's hearings system sets a maximum target of 15 working days from the issue of a supervision requirement for allocation of a social worker. The Scottish Executive will be monitoring performance against the standards. In individual cases it is for the local authority to be satisfied that it is meeting its statutory obligations.
- Asked by: Kenneth Gibson, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 22 March 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Susan Deacon on 15 May 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-11227 by Susan Deacon on 8 January 2001, why the median waiting time for a first outpatient appointment with a consultant neurologist following GP referral in Forth Valley Health Board has increased from 36 days for the year ending 31 March 1999 to 154 days for the year ending 31 March 2000 and what action it plans to take to address this situation.
Answer
This is a matter for Forth Valley Health Board.Improvements to service provision across the health board area since March 2000 have produced a significant reduction in waiting times. The board reports that all urgent referrals are now seen within seven working days and waiting times for routine neurology appointments have been halved, despite an increase in the number of new outpatients seen.
