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-00830

Asked by: Kenneth Gibson, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 09 August 1999
Current Status: Answered by Susan Deacon on 23 August 1999

To ask the Scottish Executive what effect additional traffic congestion caused by the possible loss of the Underground service on match days at Ibrox Stadium is likely to have on the safe operation of Accident and Emergency services based at the Southern General Hospital.

I understand that only a small proportion of football supporters use the Glasgow underground system when travelling to Ibrox. In the event that underground services are cancelled on match days this should only have a minor additional impact on traffic in the Southern General Hospital's catchment area. It is most unlikely that this would disrupt the safe operation of Accident and Emergency Services at the Southern General Hospital.

Question reference: S1W-00455

Asked by: Kenneth Gibson, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 07 July 1999
Current Status: Answered by Henry McLeish on 13 August 1999

To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has for the future of the Glasgow Careers service.

The existing contract between the First Minister and Glasgow Careers Service Company expires on 31 March 2000. The company will be asked to re-contract and it is expected that the contract documentation will issue towards the end of September. Providing Glasgow Careers Service Company are able to meet the contract conditions the new contract will take effect from 1 April 2000 and will last for a period of 5 years.

Question reference: S1W-00618

Asked by: Kenneth Gibson, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 20 July 1999
Current Status: Answered by Henry McLeish on 5 August 1999

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it is aware of any businesses in Scotland which were made bankrupt as a result of the late payment of bills by local authorities in Scotland in the financial years 1997/98 and 1998/99 and, if so, how many.

Question reference: S1W-00619

Asked by: Kenneth Gibson, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 20 July 1999
Current Status: Answered by Jack McConnell on 3 August 1999

To ask the Scottish Executive what steps have been taken to ensure that public sector organisations which are within its general responsibility and who are able to borrow in European currencies, review their currency portfolios or any derivative contracts in order to avoid being locked into higher interest payments in the event of the entry of the United Kingdom into European Monetary Union.

The only relevant public sector organisations currently borrowing from European Institutions are local authorities.The Scottish Executive and the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities (COSLA) are both represented on the Joint Central/Local Government Working Group set up to consider the introduction of the Euro and possible later entry by the United Kingdom. Our involvement is designed to minimise any disruption or disadvantage which may result from UK adoption of the Euro.

Question reference: S1W-00588

Asked by: Kenneth Gibson, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Friday, 16 July 1999
Current Status: Answered by Jack McConnell on 2 August 1999

To ask the Scottish Executive what is the expected impact on the financial systems of local authorities in Scotland in the event of the United Kingdom entering European Monetary Union and what measures will be put in place to deal with the impact.

There would be considerable implications for financial systems. For example systems including payroll, pension, purchasing and billing operations would need to be adapted to handle the Euro as would council tax and business rate collection arrangements. Coin-operated machines would need altered and pricing policies examined.The precise implications would vary from council to council. In the event of the UK joining it would be up to each council to identify the impact on its operations; and to plan accordingly. But in that event support and guidance would be offered based, amongst other things, on experience in first-wave countries and on pilot projects. Information and experience will be shared through the central/local government working group and the local authorities' own network of officials.

Question reference: S1W-00584

Asked by: Kenneth Gibson, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Friday, 16 July 1999
Current Status: Answered by Jack McConnell on 30 July 1999

To ask the Scottish Executive to provide a list of the local authorities in Scotland who pay more than 25 per cent of their bills from contractors and suppliers after 30 days from the date due for payment.

Information on the percentage of invoices paid within 30 days is published by the Accounts Commission in their Annual Report "Comparing the Performance of Scottish Councils 1997-98" (Figure 3). Based on this information, the authorities that paid more than 25 per cent of their bills after 30 days during 1997-98 were as follows:Aberdeen City, Aberdeenshire, Dundee City, City of Edinburgh, Falkirk, Fife, City of Glasgow, Inverclyde, Midlothian, Moray, North Ayrshire, North Lanarkshire, Perth and Kinross, Renfrewshire, Scottish Borders, Stirling, and West Lothian.

Question reference: S1W-00586

Asked by: Kenneth Gibson, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Friday, 16 July 1999
Current Status: Answered by Jack McConnell on 30 July 1999

To ask the Scottish Executive to specify the estimated cost to local authorities in Scotland of converting from Sterling to the Euro and whether local authorities will be expected to meet this cost from their existing resources.

Question reference: S1W-00585

Asked by: Kenneth Gibson, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Friday, 16 July 1999
Current Status: Answered by Jack McConnell on 30 July 1999

To ask the Scottish Executive what plans have been made to prepare local authorities in Scotland for the possible entry of the United Kingdom into European Monetary Union between 2002 and 2005.

The Scottish Executive and the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities (COSLA) are both represented on the Joint Central/Local Government Working Group set up by the Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions (DETR) to consider the introduction of the Euro.In addition HM Treasury will step up its contacts with first-wave member states in order to learn from their experiences and will work with other Government Departments, the Scottish Executive and local government to develop pilot projects to act as a guide for preparations in other organisations.

Question reference: S1W-00507

Asked by: Kenneth Gibson, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Friday, 09 July 1999
Current Status: Answered by Sam Galbraith on 30 July 1999

To ask the Scottish Executive what support it is providing to schools in the current financial year in order to reduce the number of pupils being expelled.

The Scottish Executive is providing £6m in the current financial year to education authorities through the Excellence Fund and the pilot Alternatives to Exclusion Programme. These resources will support authorities in making provision for pupils at risk of exclusion and thereby assist them achieve the national objective of reducing exclusion by a third by 2002 and to ensure that full time education is provided for all pupils excluded for over three weeks.

Question reference: S1W-00573

Asked by: Kenneth Gibson, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 15 July 1999
Current Status: Answered by Jack McConnell on 29 July 1999

To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to recognise Glasgow's metropolitan status in serving an area much wider than its designated boundaries.

We already recognise the additional pressures which Glasgow and other major urban centres face. The local government finance settlement takes account of commuters and other non-residents in the assessments for a number of council services.These distribution arrangements are kept under review, with the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities, through the joint local government finance Distribution Committee.