- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 24 May 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Ross Finnie on 18 June 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it plans to harmonise the basis upon which domestic and commercial surface water drainage charges are calculated for metered users.
Answer
I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-26315.
- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 24 May 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Ross Finnie on 18 June 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it intends to review the basis upon which metered water charges are calculated.
Answer
This is a matter for Scottish Water. The Chief Executive's response is:Scottish Water is currently undertaking a review of tariff structures for all the services it provides to its customers. The review will seek to establish: the most appropriate tariff structures for all customers, including those with metered supplies;the most appropriate tariff structures for surface water drainage charges for all customers, including commercial customers supplied through a water meter, and a consistent approach to charging domestic, commercial and industrial customers for all services, whether metered or not, including surface water drainage charges.
- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 23 May 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Hugh Henry on 17 June 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive, in relation to the letter from the Minister for Social Justice dated 22 February 2002 regarding Mrs Richardson of Bavelaw, Galashiels, whether it will reconsider its decision and award a retrospective grant under its central heating programme on the basis of the following exceptional circumstances: Mrs Richardson's boiler was condemned in October 2001, requiring immediate replacement; she was not informed of her eligibility under the central heating programme; she did not become aware of the availability of 100% grants for central heating installation until two weeks after her heating had been installed, and any delay in installing the heating in order for the grant to be approved would have prevented Eaga Partnership (Scotland) from carrying out the work until March 2002 leaving her without heating from October 2001 to March 2002.
Answer
The central heating programme has been widely publicised. That is why more than 12,000 applications have been received over the last year from households in the private sector.The programme is targeted at households most at risk from the effects of cold and damp homes: those who lack any form of central heating. If the programme were to be extended to include those who have already installed central heating this would divert funds away from the most vulnerable. There are therefore no plans to offer retrospective grant and there are no plans to reconsider this position, either generally or in individual cases.
- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 10 June 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Jack McConnell on 13 June 2002
To ask the First Minister what measures the Scottish Executive is taking regarding the protection and security of young missing persons.
Answer
Children and young people are at the heart of our agenda. Services for young runaways are provided by a wide range of statutory and voluntary agencies. We also support preventative work to help tackle the underlying causes of running away.Ministers have established a working group to consider support for young runaways, guidance for professionals and effective early intervention and we will consult on their proposals when we receive their report.
- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 21 May 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Jim Wallace on 11 June 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive whether the revised guidance issued to Historic Scotland on the flying of the Saltire on St. Andrew's Day will include the flying of the Saltire from Edinburgh Castle in substitution for the Union flag, given that the castle is run by Historic Scotland on its behalf.
Answer
No revision is required for flag flying at Edinburgh Castle. The Saltire is flown every day at the Half Moon Battery within Edinburgh Castle by Historic Scotland. The Union flag is flown every day at the Clock Tower by the army. Historic Scotland's house flag is flown daily at the gatehouse. The Saltire is not substituted by the Union flag at any time throughout the year.
- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 15 May 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Jim Wallace on 11 June 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive, in relation to paragraph 2.3.2 of the PricewaterhouseCoopers Review of Scottish Prison Service Estates Review, why the site cost is included in the capital and development costs for the public sector comparator.
Answer
The cost of acquiring a site is not included in any option as is made clear in Paragraph 1.3. Actual design and subsequent costs are dependent on the shape and size of site. For the purposes of the Public Sector Comparator, the locationally dependent costs were based on those of the HM Prison Kilmarnock site as a typical brownfield site.
- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 15 May 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Jim Wallace on 11 June 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-24826 by Mr Jim Wallace on 13 May 2002, in relation to paragraph 2.3.2 of the PricewaterhouseCoopers Review of Scottish Prison Service Estates Review, why it considers the annual cost per prisoner place for the public sector comparator comparable with the annual cost per prisoner place shown for HM Prison Kilmarnock, given that the latter does not include the costs of the site.
Answer
I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-25935.
- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 15 May 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Jim Wallace on 11 June 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it is taking to reduce the number of police abstractions from duty for court appearances.
Answer
Legislation (for example, the Criminal Procedure (Intermediate Diets) (Scotland) Act 1998) to enhance the use and effectiveness of intermediate diets and to reduce the need to lead oral evidence at trial have led to a reduction in such abstractions. A study in 1998, for example, showed that the number of police officers attending court in Scotland on any given day had reduced by more than 41% since 1991. The current reviews of the court system being taken forward under the direction of Lord Bonomy and Sheriff Principal McInnes should also have an impact.
- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 30 April 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Cathy Jamieson on 10 June 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it is taking to provide secure accommodation in the Scottish Borders for young offenders, given an estimated required provision of five to six places and a lack of currently available provision.
Answer
The Secure Accommodation Advisory Group has provided a report on the availability and use of secure accommodation. I am considering the report's findings and will make an announcement on this shortly. However, in order to assist in the better strategic management of the secure estate, local authorities were asked in September 2001 to provide an estimate of their need for secure places. Borders Council indicated that their need for secure accommodation was steady annually, at one place and this need was being met.
- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 23 May 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Jim Wallace on 10 June 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive who prepared the report on the refurbishment of Peebles Sheriff Court.
Answer
The report on the refurbishment of Peebles Sheriff Court was prepared for the Scottish Court Service by Keppie Design, Architects, in partnership with Currie & Brown, Quantity Surveyors, White Young Green Consulting Engineers and Melville Dundas, Contractor.
