Chamber and committees

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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

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Question reference: S1W-20674

Asked by: Kenneth Gibson, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 05 December 2001
Current Status: Answered by Iain Gray on 19 December 2001

To ask the Scottish Executive what the (a) outturn expenditure was in each year from 1992-93 to 2000-01 and (b) estimated outturn expenditure will be in each year from 2001-02 to 2003-04, where relevant shown in real terms, in respect of (i) the Scottish Homes/Communities Scotland approved development programme, (ii) Scottish Homes' own stock capital investment, (iii) new town stock capital investment, (iv) housing revenue account borrowing consent, (v) housing revenue account permitted spend from receipts, (vi) non-housing revenue account spending, (vii) local authority spending on private sector repair and improvement grants, (viii) the rough sleepers initiative, (ix) the empty homes initiative, (x) new housing partnerships/ community ownership, (xi) housing support grant, (xii) warm deal/central heating installation programme/fuel poverty and (xiii) capital projects funded from revenue by local authorities.

Where available, the information requested is set out in the following tables. The figures are all expressed in cash terms.

Year	Scottish Homes/Communities Scotland approved development programme
	£ million
1992-93	282.6
1993-94	306.6
1994-95	319.5
1995-96	325.0
1996-97	304.0
1997-98	210.3
1998-99	199.8
1999-2000	209.5
2000-01	215.8
2001-02	213.0¹
2002-03	214.5¹
2003-04	To be confirmed

Note:1. Estimates.

Year	Scottish Homes own stock capital investment
	£ million
1992-93	75.3
1993-94	75.0
1994-95	61.7
1995-96	50.8
1996-97	44.5
1997-98	29.5
1998-99	23.9
1999-2000	19.5
2000-01	11.5
2001-02	5.4¹
2002-03	2.0¹
2003-04	To be confirmed

Note:1. Estimates.

Year	New Town stock investment
	£ million
1997-98	7.3¹
1998-99	14.5¹
1999-2000	8.1¹
2000-01	8.6¹

Note:1. Estimates.

Year	HRA capital allocations
	£ million
1992-93	128.9
1993-94	161.6
1994-95	174.6
1995-96	168.7
1996-97	171.0
1997-98	171.9
1998-99	174.6
1999-2000	154.6
2000-01	154.6
2001-02	176.5¹

Note:1. Estimates.

Year	HRA usable receipts
	£ million
1992-93	286.6
1993-94	279.4
1994-95	284.5
1995-96	238.3
1996-97	161.5
1997-98	69.1
1998-99	63.0
1999-2000	69.4
2000-01	70.0
2001-02	65.5¹

Note:1. Estimates.

Year	Non-HRA spending
	£ million
1993-94	116.7
1994-95	122.3
1995-96	113.6
1996-97	91.5
1997-98	56.7
1998-99	55.9
1999-2000	51.9
2000-01	48.1

Three above figures include local authority private sector repair and improvement grants which are not separately disaggregated.

Year	Rough Sleepers Initiative
	£ million
1997-98	2.1
1998-99	3.2
1999-2000	5.6
2000-01	10.0
2001-02	14.6¹

Note:1. Estimates.

Year	Empty Homes Initiative
	£ million
1997-98	2.0
1998-99	5.2
1999-2000	3.8
2000-01	4.9
2001-02	7.6¹

Note:1. Estimates.

Year	New Housing Partnerships community ownership
	£ million
1997-98	10.3
1998-99	29.7
1999-2000	35.4
2000-01	52.0
2001-02	100.5¹
2002-03	93.5¹
2003-04	117.4¹

Note:1. Estimates.

Year	Housing Support Grant
	£ million
1992-93	48.5
1993-94	35.1
1994-95	25.2
1995-96	22.4
1996-97	19.5
1997-98	15.6
1998-99	12.7
1999-2000	10.6
2000-01	9.6
2001-02	9.0¹

Note:1. Estimates.

Year	Warm Deal-Central Heating Installation Programme Fuel Poverty
	£ million
1999-2000	3.0
2000-01	13.0
2001-02	33.5¹
2002-03	37.5¹
2003-04	47.5¹

Note:1. Estimates.

Year	Capital Financed from Revenue
	£ million
1992-93	14.6
1993-94	21.5
1994-95	24.7
1995-96	40.4
1996-97	22.8
1997-98	60.5
1998-99	87.3
1999-2000	106.8
2000-01	125.8
2001-02	115.8¹

Note:1. Estimates.

Question reference: S1W-20676

Asked by: Kenneth Gibson, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 05 December 2001
Current Status: Answered by Iain Gray on 19 December 2001

To ask the Scottish Executive how much private investment it estimates will be attracted in real terms in each year from 2001-02 to 2003-04 by (a) housing associations or co-ops for rented housing, (b) housing associations or co-ops for low cost home ownership, and (c) other housing providers grant-funded by Communities Scotland.

The following table sets out, in 2000-01 real terms, the private finance expected to be committed to projects approved in 2001-02. No estimates are available beyond this.

Year	Housing associations or co-ops for rented housing	Housing associations or co-ops for low cost home ownership	Other housing providers grant-funded by Communities Scotland
	£ million	£ million	£ million
2001-02	100.0¹	8.4¹	9.3¹

Note: 1. Estimates.

Question reference: S1W-20474

Asked by: Kenneth Gibson, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 28 November 2001
Current Status: Answered by Malcolm Chisholm on 12 December 2001

To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it is taking to reduce the incidence of lung disease.

Question reference: S1W-20525

Asked by: Kenneth Gibson, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 28 November 2001
Current Status: Answered by Iain Gray on 12 December 2001

To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it is taking to ensure any valuations of large scale voluntary transfers by Communities Scotland make provision for irrecoverable costs associated with any repairs to owner-occupiers' property held in common with rented housing association stock.

I have asked Bob Millar, chief executive of Communities Scotland to respond. His response is as follows:Communities Scotland, on behalf of Scottish Homes, commissions from a panel of professionally qualified independent valuers valuations of the rented housing stock to be transferred.To date no provision has been made in any of the valuations for the non-recovery of owners' contributions as private properties are not part of the core stock being sold.Although this has been raised by acquiring landlords, Communities Scotland take the view that it is inappropriate to include costs in the valuation which do not directly relate to the stock being valued for sale.

Question reference: S1W-20193

Asked by: Kenneth Gibson, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 21 November 2001
Current Status: Answered by Iain Gray on 5 December 2001

To ask the Scottish Executive what guidance it has issued to local authorities on the funding of agencies that provide non-housing debt advice.

Question reference: S1W-19830

Asked by: Kenneth Gibson, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 08 November 2001
Current Status: Answered by Nicol Stephen on 5 December 2001

To ask the Scottish Executive what targets it has set for improving the educational attainment of children in care.

Question reference: S1W-19829

Asked by: Kenneth Gibson, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 08 November 2001
Current Status: Answered by Colin Boyd on 26 November 2001

To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it is taking to ensure that persistent young offenders are brought before the courts more speedily than at present.

Most offenders under 18 are not subject to criminal proceedings. There is a presumption that cases reported against offenders under the age of 16 will be dealt with by the Reporter to the Children's Panel unless there are compelling reasons in the public interest to take criminal proceedings. Further, offenders aged 16 and 17 who are subject to a supervision requirement may also be dealt with by the Reporter.In the event that court proceedings are taken against a persistent young offender, there are at present no special provisions to expedite the case. However, consideration is being given to the priority accorded to cases against child offenders (i.e. those under 16).In addition, the committee set up under Sheriff Principal John McInnes is to examine the operation of the summary justice system. It is hoped that increased efficiency of the summary courts will impact upon the speed at which all offenders, including persistent young offenders, are brought before the courts.

Question reference: S1W-19831

Asked by: Kenneth Gibson, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 08 November 2001
Current Status: Answered by Susan Deacon on 22 November 2001

To ask the Scottish Executive what the actual cost was to the NHS in each of the past five years of patients failing to keep appointments and what steps it is taking to reduce these occurrences.

Information is not available centrally on the cost to the NHS of patients failing to keep appointments. Information is available on the numbers of patients who did not attend their first out-patient appointment with a consultant, and on the average cost of a consultant out-patient attendance. This information is published on the Information and Statistics Division website at:http://www.show.scot.nhs.uk/isd/Scottish_Health_Statistics/SHS2000/M5.pdf http://www.show.scot.nhs.uk/isd/Scottish_Health_Statistics/subject/Costs/2001/index.htmThe Executive believes that best progress in reducing the number of patients failing to attend their NHS appointments will be achieved through improved communications between the NHS and patients and by re-designing services around patients. This is now being actively taken forward by a senior NHSScotland working group.

Question reference: S1W-19826

Asked by: Kenneth Gibson, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 08 November 2001
Current Status: Answered by Peter Peacock on 22 November 2001

To ask the Scottish Executive when it plans to implement those aspects of the Report of the Renewing Local Democracy Working Group not concerned with proportional representation.

Question reference: S1W-19828

Asked by: Kenneth Gibson, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 08 November 2001
Current Status: Answered by Jack McConnell on 22 November 2001

To ask the Scottish Executive what assessment it has made of the relationship between class si'e and examination results.