- Asked by: Michael Matheson, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 28 September 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Margaret Curran on 12 October 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive what criteria will be used to determine applications from local authorities for funding under the New Housing Partnerships initiative.
Answer
Decisions have still to be taken on the criteria for allocating further New Housing Partnership resources in the period 2002-04.
- Asked by: Michael Matheson, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 28 September 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Jackie Baillie on 12 October 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive when it will publish details of the additional resources to be made available to local authorities to enable them to implement their new responsibilities under the Housing (Scotland) Act 2001, particularly regarding the nature of the funding, the timescale for disbursement and the method of allocation.
Answer
We are providing £10 million to help local authorities and registered social landlords implement the new Scottish secure tenancy, £27 million to help local authorities implement the homelessness provisions in the Act, £4.5m to help local authorities and registered social landlords implement the tenant participation provisions and up to £4.5m to help local authorities develop local housing strategies. Details of the Social Justice Committee budget, including the proposed expenditure linked to the implementation of the Housing Act, have recently been provided to the Social Justice Committee and are available on the Parliamentary website.
Funding will be provided as grant aid and linked to the specific purposes for which the funding is being made available. The detailed arrangements for the allocation of this funding are currently under discussion.
- Asked by: Michael Matheson, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 26 September 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Jim Wallace on 4 October 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive whether its Freedom of Information Bill will include provisions to improve access to police road traffic accident reports.
Answer
The Freedom of Information (Scotland) Bill will, if enacted, establish a general legal right of access to information held by Scottish public authorities. The Bill also includes necessary safeguards to protect sensitive information.
Police road traffic accident reports often contain sensitive information, most notably those on accidents involving fatalities, and placing this information in the public domain may cause significant distress to, for example, victims' families. As the Bill would provide a right of access open to all, with applicants not needing to demonstrate any specific interest in the information requested, it will not normally be appropriate for police road traffic accident reports to be disclosed to the wider public under Freedom of Information. It is envisaged that public authorities will consider requests for disclosure of police road traffic accident reports under the exemption at section 34 of the Bill and, in accordance with section 2, consider whether there is a public interest in disclosure.
Police road traffic accident reports may of course continue to be made available in private to those with a legitimate interest.
- Asked by: Michael Matheson, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 13 September 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Iain Gray on 27 September 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive what the running costs of the Scottish Prison Service headquarters were in each year since 1998.
Answer
I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service, to respond. His response is as follows:
| Financial Year | Net Running Costs (£ million) |
| 1998-99 | 11.9 |
| 1999-2000 | 12.0 |
| 2000-01 | 11.9 |
- Asked by: Michael Matheson, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 13 September 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Iain Gray on 27 September 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive what its timetable is for ending slopping out, broken down by prison.
Answer
The timetable for ending slopping out is being considered as part of the Estates Review which is currently under way.
- Asked by: Michael Matheson, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 13 September 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Iain Gray on 27 September 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive what action has been taken to ensure the accurate recording of violent incidents at HM Prison Kilmarnock over the last year and whether the Scottish Prison Service is monitoring the situation.
Answer
I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service to respond. His response is as follows:
HMP Kilmarnock complies with the Scottish Prison Service incident reporting procedures in exactly the same way as all other Scottish establishments. This is monitored by both the Scottish Prison Service's Operations Directorate and their on-site Controller.
- Asked by: Michael Matheson, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 20 August 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Jim Wallace on 28 August 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive what the cost will be of refurbishing HM Prison Barlinnie's B hall.
Answer
I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service to respond. His response is as follows:The cost of refurbishment will be approximately £2.4 million including VAT.
- Asked by: Michael Matheson, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 20 August 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Jim Wallace on 28 August 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive how many companies submitted tenders for the refurbishment of HM Prison Barlinnie's B Hall.
Answer
I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service to respond. His response is as follows:Four companies submitted tenders for the refurbishment contract.
- Asked by: Michael Matheson, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 20 August 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Jim Wallace on 28 August 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive what date the tendering process for the refurbishment of HM Prison Barlinnie's B hall began.
Answer
I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service to respond. His response is as follows:The tendering process for the refurbishment of Barlinnie's B Hall began on 6 April 2001.
- Asked by: Michael Matheson, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 20 August 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Jim Wallace on 28 August 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive on what date the contract for the refurbishment of HM Prison Barlinnie's B hall was signed and who the successful tenderer was.
Answer
I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service to respond. His response is as follows:The contract was signed on 19 June 2001. The successful tenderer was John Dickie Construction Limited, Burnfield Avenue, Glasgow.
