- Asked by: Kenneth Gibson, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish National Party
-
Date lodged: Wednesday, 25 September 2002
-
Current Status:
Answered by Hugh Henry on 9 October 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive what priority is given to assisting disabled people in the (a) privately-rented and (b) owner-occupied housing sectors.
Answer
Assistance to owners of private sector housing to make their houses suitable for the needs of disabled occupants is given by local authorities through housing improvement grants and from community care budgets. It is for local authorities to determine the priority given to expenditure on this type of assistance. The Scottish Executive is not aware of the detailed priorities which local authorities attach to relevant assistance in the owner-occupied and private rented sectors.
- Asked by: Kenneth Gibson, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish National Party
-
Date lodged: Wednesday, 25 September 2002
-
Current Status:
Answered by Andy Kerr on 9 October 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive how many voluntary or private sector representatives there are in the community planning task force.
Answer
The Community Planning Task Force has 22 members covering a range of key community planning partners, including private sector and voluntary sector interests. Full membership of the task force is listed in the table. Further details of the work of the Task Force can be accessed at: www.communityplanning.org.uk.
Community Planning Task Force Membership |
Willie Rae (Chair) | Chief Constable, Strathclyde Police |
Samantha Barber | Chief Executive of Scottish Business in the Community |
Dr Stuart Black | Director of Strengthening Communities, Highlands and Islands Enterprise |
Ann Clark | Head of Policy, Highland Council |
Tom Divers | Chief Executive, NHS Greater Glasgow |
Leslie Evans | Head of Local Government Division, Scottish Executive |
David Fletcher | Partnership Manager, Greater Easterhouse Partnership |
Caroline Gardner | Deputy Auditor General, Audit Scotland |
Jon Harris | Director of Corporate Strategy, COSLA |
Professor Chris Huxham | Strathclyde University Graduate Business School |
Lynne Main | Voluntary Worker, Wester Hailes Representative Council |
Stephen Maxwell | Assistant Director of Development, Scottish Council of Voluntary Organisations |
Ros Micklem | Principal of Cardonald College |
Stuart Nichol | Strategic Manager, Fife Council |
Douglas Paterson | Chief Executive, Aberdeen City Council |
David Pigott | Chief Executive, NHS Lanarkshire |
Selma Rahman | Project Co-ordinator, Children in Scotland |
Martyn Rendle | Business Director, Scottish Homes |
Douglas Sinclair | Chief Executive, Fife Council |
Bill Spiers | General Secretary, STUC |
John Thomson | Director of Strategy, Scottish Natural Heritage |
Charles Woods | Senior Director, Scottish Enterprise |
- Asked by: Kenneth Gibson, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish National Party
-
Date lodged: Wednesday, 25 September 2002
-
Current Status:
Answered by Margaret Curran on 9 October 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive what the role of the voluntary sector is in service delivery.
Answer
The voluntary sector has an important role in service delivery. It is already a major provider and innovator across many areas of activity. The voluntary sector is in close touch with many parts of Scottish society and well placed to identify and respond to changing needs.
- Asked by: Kenneth Gibson, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish National Party
-
Date lodged: Wednesday, 04 September 2002
-
Current Status:
Answered by Lewis Macdonald on 23 September 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive how much financial support has been provided in real terms to Strathclyde Passenger Transport Executive in each year from 1985-86 until the most recent year for which figures are available.
Answer
The Strathclyde Passenger Transport Executive is funded by the Strathclyde Passenger Transport Authority. The Strathclyde Passenger Transport Authority receives both revenue and capital support from both central and local government. The Scottish Executive does not hold information on the total financial support provided to the Strathclyde Passenger Transport Authority.
- Asked by: Kenneth Gibson, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish National Party
-
Date lodged: Wednesday, 14 August 2002
-
Current Status:
Answered by Margaret Curran on 18 September 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive when it will publish the Social Economy Review.
Answer
I hope to do so shortly.
- Asked by: Kenneth Gibson, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish National Party
-
Date lodged: Wednesday, 04 September 2002
-
Current Status:
Answered by Jim Wallace on 16 September 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive what guidance is given to sheriffs in relation to prosecuting and sentencing licensees that have broken the law by serving alcohol to those below the legal age for purchasing alcohol.
Answer
The Crown Office and Prosecutor Fiscal Service is the sole prosecution authority in Scotland. Prosecutions under the Licensing (Scotland) Act 1976 are subject to the same criteria as any other alleged contravention of the criminal law. Procurators Fiscal must be satisfied that there is sufficient admissible and reliable evidence before raising proceedings. The maximum penalties for offences under the licensing laws are prescribed by statute. Sentencing within these parameters is solely a matter for the consideration and discretion of the Judiciary and the Executive cannot intervene.
- Asked by: Kenneth Gibson, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish National Party
-
Date lodged: Wednesday, 14 August 2002
-
Current Status:
Answered by Malcolm Chisholm on 11 September 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to support the establishment of a specialist stroke unit.
Answer
Realising the benefits of stroke unit care will be a central element of the CHD/Stroke strategy which the Executive will publish in the autumn. The evidence for their effectiveness is also integral to the standards for stroke care currently being developed by the Clinical Standards Board for Scotland. Both the strategy and the standards will promote implementation of the recommendation in Adding Life to Years, the report of the Chief Medical Officer's Expert Group on the Healthcare of Older People which we published in January of this year, that stroke patients admitted to hospital should be managed in a stroke unit.
- Asked by: Kenneth Gibson, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish National Party
-
Date lodged: Wednesday, 14 August 2002
-
Current Status:
Answered by Malcolm Chisholm on 11 September 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive what impact a specialist stroke unit would have on the mortality and prognosis of stroke sufferers.
Answer
There is good evidence that care in specialised stroke units reduces the number of deaths, leads to fewer admissions to long-term care and increases the number of patients able to return home to independent living.
- Asked by: Kenneth Gibson, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish National Party
-
Date lodged: Wednesday, 14 August 2002
-
Current Status:
Answered by Iain Gray on 11 September 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive what support it is providing for the development of nanotechnology.
Answer
Significant amounts of Scottish Higher Education Funding Council (SHEFC) block grant funding to universities are being used to support teaching and research staff who are working in the field of nanotechnology. Most of Scotland's universities already have departments which are engaged in nanotechnology research - typically these include engineering and life sciences departments. In addition, since 1997, SHEFC has awarded nine Research Development Grants into nanotechnology related areas, totaling over £8 million. SHEFC has also funded three Joint Research Equipment Grants in nanotechnology related areas. In many cases this funding has underpinned additional support from the UK Research Councils, European Framework programmes and directly from industry.Our universities are also able to access existing support vehicles - such as the Proof of Concept Fund - to assist in the commercialisation of research in this area.
- Asked by: Kenneth Gibson, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish National Party
-
Date lodged: Wednesday, 14 August 2002
-
Current Status:
Answered by Ross Finnie on 10 September 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive when the proportion of energy produced by wind power will reach the European Union average.
Answer
It is not possible to make this forecast. The nature of renewable developments, and their timings, are matters for industry to determine, both within Scotland and the EU. Our policy is to increase the overall proportion of electricity generated in Scotland from renewable sources through use of a range of technologies, not only wind. Our current target is 18% by 2010. On 23 August, I launched a consultation document that seeks views on whether we can achieve a position whereby as much as 40% of our electricity can be generated from renewable sources by 2020.