- Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Friday, 27 July 2007
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Current Status:
Answered by Linda Fabiani on 20 August 2007
To ask the Scottish Executive how it intends to strengthen administrative co-operation with the Northern Ireland Assembly government.
Answer
The Scottish Governmentenjoys good bilateral relations with Northern Ireland. Weintend to work together drawing from each other’s strengths and experiences; sharingknowledge where we have a common interest.
- Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Friday, 27 July 2007
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Current Status:
Answered by Linda Fabiani on 20 August 2007
To ask the Scottish Executive how it intends to raise awareness of common cultural and historical links between Scotland and Northern Ireland.
Answer
The Scottish Governmentrecognises the strong historical and cultural bond that exists between the peopleof Scotland and Northern Ireland and we are committed to working with the Northern IrelandAssembly government to build on this relationship. The First Minister signed a jointstatement with Northern Ireland’s First Minister and Deputy First Minister on June18 2007 which commits the two governments to consolidating and strengthening thesocial, educational and cultural relationship between the two countries.
Historic Scotlandare actively engaged in raising awareness of cultural and historic links betweenScotland and Northern Ireland. The Scottish government is also raising awarenessof common cultural and historical links between Scotland and Northern Ireland through the promotion of minority languageinitiatives. There is significant minority language activity in both Scotland and Northern Ireland at present and frequentcontact and discussions take place between both jurisdictions.
- Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Friday, 27 July 2007
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Current Status:
Answered by John Swinney on 14 August 2007
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it anticipates any delay in proceeding with new school buildings to be financed under PPP schemes.
Answer
The Government hasquickly confirmed that we will honour existing offers of financial support for schoolPPP projects. As a result, we do not anticipate any delays.
- Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Friday, 27 July 2007
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Current Status:
Answered by John Swinney on 14 August 2007
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it intends to proceed with previously agreed PPP schemes for new schools in West Dunbartonshire referred to in the 2007-08 spending proposals of the previous administration and, if not, how it will provide the new school facilities promised to the people of West Dunbartonshire and other local authorities with similar proposals already in place.
Answer
We said before theelections that PPP could continue as one of several delivery options open to publicsector bodies. These are complex procurements involving high procurement costs forboth public and private sector participants. Some procurements have been in processfor many months, and we do not wish to incur even higher costs and possibly delaykey investments in infrastructure. West Dunbartonshire Council’s schools projectis making good progress and we will continue to discuss progress on the projectwith West Dunbartonshire Council.
- Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Friday, 27 July 2007
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Current Status:
Answered by John Swinney on 14 August 2007
To ask the Scottish Executive whether replacing council tax with a local income tax will provide flexibility to local authorities in exercising their responsibities.
Answer
In exercising theirresponsibilities, local authorities allocate their resources on the basis of localneeds and local and national priorities. Replacing council tax with a local incometax will not change this.
- Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Friday, 27 July 2007
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Current Status:
Answered by John Swinney on 14 August 2007
To ask the Scottish Executive whether a real-terms public spending increase of 2.4% will lead to a fall in the level and quality of services financed through central funding initiatives.
Answer
Strategic SpendingReview 2007 will focus on achieving the Government’s purpose and five strategicobjectives. We will work with our partners to deliver the best possible public serviceswith the available resources.
- Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Friday, 27 July 2007
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Current Status:
Answered by John Swinney on 14 August 2007
To ask the Scottish Executive how it will ensure that the delay in the comprehensive spending review will not adversely affect the delivery of essential services.
Answer
We will publish ourspending plans as soon as possible after the announcement of the UK ComprehensiveSpending Review. However, there will be an impact on the notice we can give deliverybodies of their allocations for 2008-11. We will work with delivery partners tominimise disruption and ensure the on-going smooth delivery of services to customersin circumstances that are outwith the control of the government.
- Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 17 July 2007
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Current Status:
Answered by Maureen Watt on 14 August 2007
To ask the Scottish Executive what the Scottish Government’s position is on £90 million extra revenue for alcohol retailers per year resulting from a 40p minimum price.
Answer
This is a decisionfor South Lanarkshire Council which has a statutory responsibility to provide andmaintain school buildings.
- Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, 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 whether the proposed Housing Support Fund will assist all first-time buyers or a specific group.
Answer
The government’s intentionbehind the work to create a Scottish Housing Support Fund, which I announced duringthe housing debate in Parliament on 21 June 2007, is to attract private investmentto enable additional help to be provided for a wide range of people who struggleto afford a first home of their own. The targeting of assistance to first-time buyerswill be informed by the outcome of the current spending review and subsequent discussionswith private sector lenders and investors.
- Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, 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 of the 59 recommendations from the Homelessness Task Force report have been fully implemented.
Answer
The last progressreport on implementation of the recommendations of the Homelessness Task Force isavailable on the Scottish Government website at:
http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Housing/homeless/H-M-G/HMG23HTFandHMGprioritiesandhttp://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Housing/homeless/H-M-G/HMG23HTFandHMGprioritiesa.
