- Asked by: Claire Baker, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Thursday, 26 July 2007
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Current Status:
Answered by Jim Mather on 14 August 2007
To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to ensure that best value is consistently applied by local authorities, particularly for voluntary organisations bidding to provide public services.
Answer
The Local Governmentin Scotland Act (2003) introduced the statutory responsibility of best value forlocal authorities. To ensure that best value is consistentlyapplied by local authorities Audit Scotland carries out an audit of best value andcommunity planning of each local authority, normally on a three year cycle. Allpublished audit reports are available from the Accounts Commission.
- Asked by: Claire Baker, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Thursday, 26 July 2007
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Current Status:
Answered by Jim Mather on 14 August 2007
To ask the Scottish Executive what proportion of the total number of current funding arrangements provided by (a) it and its agencies and (b) local authorities to voluntary organisations are for a period of less than three years.
Answer
The information requestedis not held centrally.
We support the practiceof three year funding for the voluntary sector across the public sector and encouragethe use of longer term funding arrangements, where possible, to provide a stableand efficient operating environment for the sector.
- Asked by: Claire Baker, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Friday, 27 July 2007
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Current Status:
Answered by Stewart Maxwell on 14 August 2007
To ask the Scottish Executive how many affordable homes it estimates will be required in each of the next four years in (a) Fife and (b) Scotland.
Answer
Local authoritiesare required to assess the extent and nature of housing need in their areas as partof their Local Housing Strategy and Development Planning processes. The government is currently conducting an exercisewhich is seeking to gain a consistent picture from local authorities of their assessmentsof affordable housing need for their areas, and the evidence which supports this.
A major piece of researchon housing need was conducted for the Scottish government by Professor Glen Bramleyand published in November 2006. This contains analysis of housing need by localauthority area, and at national level. Although the analysis does not examine projectedneed in each of the next four years, it contains projections for 2005, 2006, andat five year intervals thereafter. Further information can be found at:
http://www.communitiesscotland.gov.uk/stellent/groups/public/documents/webpages/cs_016551.pdf.
- Asked by: Claire Baker, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Friday, 27 July 2007
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Current Status:
Answered by Stewart Maxwell on 14 August 2007
To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to ensure that the target to eradicate unintentional homelessness by 2012 is met in (a) Fife and (b) Scotland.
Answer
The Government’s homelessnesstarget is to abolish priority need by 2012. I refer the member to answer to questionS3W-1134 on 26 June 2007. All answers to written parliamentaryquestions are available on the Parliament’s website the search facility for whichcan be found at:
http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search.
- Asked by: Claire Baker, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Friday, 27 July 2007
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Current Status:
Answered by Stewart Maxwell on 14 August 2007
To ask the Scottish Executive how many affordable homes are planned to be built in each of the next four years in (a) Fife and (b) Scotland.
Answer
As part of its currentStrategic Spending Review, the government is considering future investment requirementsfor affordable housing. Figures relating to plans for affordable housing provisionin future years will not be known until the conclusion of the Spending Review laterthis year.
- Asked by: Claire Baker, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Friday, 06 July 2007
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Current Status:
Answered by Stewart Stevenson on 25 July 2007
To ask the Scottish Executive whether the new Forth road crossing will be additional to the current Forth Road Bridge or a replacement.
Answer
The primary purpose of theForth Replacement Crossing study was to investigate the form, function andlocation of a replacement for the existing crossing. The study has alsoreflected on the potential role of two crossings being operated in future.
- Asked by: Claire Baker, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Friday, 06 July 2007
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Current Status:
Answered by Stewart Stevenson on 24 July 2007
To ask the Scottish Executive what contingency plans it has in place to ensure that HGV vehicles are able to cross the Firth of Forth in the event that the current Forth Road Bridge has to close to HGVs before a new crossing is built.
Answer
Detailed planning work isbeing undertaken by officials from Transport Scotland, Scottish Executiveand the Forth Estuary Transport Authority to examine what measures might berequired.
- Asked by: Claire Baker, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Friday, 06 July 2007
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Current Status:
Answered by Stewart Stevenson on 24 July 2007
To ask the Scottish Executive what it considers to be a tolerable minimum lifespan for the proposed new Forth road crossing.
Answer
Any new crossing will beconstructed with a 120 year design life. This assumes a regular and appropriatemaintenance cycle in order to sustain the structure.
- Asked by: Claire Baker, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Friday, 06 July 2007
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Current Status:
Answered by Stewart Stevenson on 24 July 2007
To ask the Scottish Executive on what date it expects the Forth Road Bridge to have to close to HGVs.
Answer
It is currently not knownwhen, or if, restrictions to HGVs will be required on the Forth Road Bridge. Thebridge is owned and operated by the Forth Estuary Transport Authority.Transport Scotland is working closely with FETA to ensure that it is aware inadvance of the timing, extent, and impact of any such restrictions should theybe required.
Transport Scotland hasoperational responsibility for this matter and can be contacted for furtherinformation.
- Asked by: Claire Baker, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Friday, 06 July 2007
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Current Status:
Answered by Stewart Stevenson on 24 July 2007
To ask the Scottish Executive when it expects to complete construction of a new road crossing for the Firth of Forth.
Answer
The earliest date forcompletion of a Forth crossing is 2016.
