- Asked by: Kenneth Gibson, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 15 February 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Wendy Alexander on 29 February 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive what advice and assistance it will give to local authorities to reduce their level of rent arrears.
Answer
Advice is contained in the practice note Rent Arrears Management published by The Scottish Office in March 1994. The Accounts Commission and Scottish Homes are jointly carrying out a study into rent arrears management in local authorities and in housing associations. The study is due to report in early summer.
- Asked by: Kenneth Gibson, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 13 December 1999
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Current Status:
Answered by Sarah Boyack on 28 February 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to promote, support and fund freight rail links to airports and what freight facilities grants it will make available for such a scheme.
Answer
I understand that Railtrack is currently working with Strathclyde Passenger Transport Executive to assess options for providing a rail link to Glasgow Airport. A rail link to Edinburgh airport has also been examined a number of times.A total of £18.3 million has been made available by the Executive for the Freight Facilities Grant scheme in Scotland over the next three years. This scheme provides capital grants to assist companies to take freight off the roads and on to rail and inland waterways. To date the Executive has received no applications or notes of interest for grants for rail freight links to airports.
- Asked by: Kenneth Gibson, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 10 February 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Sam Galbraith on 24 February 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive what provision is being made within the plans for the rebuilding of St Thomas Aquinas School in Glasgow for (a) a specific area designated for support for learning; (b) a safe haven area to protect pupils who are being victimised; (c) a shower area for pupils and staff; (d) a language unit for pupils with recognised special educational needs; (e) staff rooms; (f) specific science storage space; (g) specifically designed rooms for the teaching of music, and (h) adequate storage space for musical instruments.
Answer
This is a matter for Glasgow City Council.
- Asked by: Kenneth Gibson, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 10 February 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Sam Galbraith on 24 February 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive what arrangements are being made for the pupils of St Thomas Aquinas School, Glasgow to travel to the Woodside site during the rebuilding of their school.
Answer
This is a matter for Glasgow City Council.
- Asked by: Kenneth Gibson, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 10 February 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Wendy Alexander on 24 February 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive what impact it anticipates proposed changes in housing benefit will have on the financial viability of the proposed Glasgow housing stock transfer.
Answer
The UK Government has not to date published any specific proposals for changes in housing benefit.
- Asked by: Kenneth Gibson, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 10 February 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Sam Galbraith on 24 February 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive how many general purpose classrooms there will be in St Thomas Aquinas School in Glasgow on completion of the new building and whether these rooms will be of the same si'e as the current rooms.
Answer
This is a matter for Glasgow City Council.
- Asked by: Kenneth Gibson, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 10 February 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Wendy Alexander on 24 February 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-3838 by Ms Wendy Alexander on 2 February 2000, what assistance it will give to housing associations seeking charitable status.
Answer
It is for the Inland Revenue to consider applications made to it by housing associations seeking charitable status. I understand it does this on a case-by-case basis. While Scottish Homes is able to provide general advice to housing associations, the full implications of seeking charitable status is a matter for individual associations to evaluate in the light of their own professional advice.
- Asked by: Kenneth Gibson, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 10 February 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Wendy Alexander on 24 February 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive Scottish Executive why tenants and trades union representatives have been excluded from the Glasgow Housing Stock Transfer Steering Group.
Answer
The Glasgow Housing Partnership Steering Group is preparing a framework within which tenants and trade unions can be fully involved in shaping a transfer proposal. I have met with both tenants and unions but informal consultation will begin as soon as the Group has completed its work.
- Asked by: Kenneth Gibson, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 18 January 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Wendy Alexander on 24 February 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive how much was spent in financial years 1997-98 and 1998-99 on stock transfer feasibility studies, how much will be spent this financial year and how much will be spent in each of the next two financial years.
Answer
The option of transfer to community ownership involves extensive consultation and provision of advice to tenants as well as option appraisals and stock condition surveys. Outturn expenditure on these activities in 1997-98 and 1998-99 was £101,000 and £2,201,000 respectively. In 1999 up to £33 million was earmarked over the period 1999-2002 for possible transfer feasibility and option appraisals, including consultation with nearly 500,000 tenants.
- Asked by: Kenneth Gibson, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 09 November 1999
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Current Status:
Answered by Sarah Boyack on 23 February 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to restrict housing and large scale retail development on greenbelt land and encourage development on brownfield sites.
Answer
The Executive's policies on the location of housing and retail development are set out in National Planning Policy Guidelines 3: Land for Housing and 8: Town Centres and Retailing. NPPG3 indicates that priority should be given to the re-use of urban brownfield sites wherever possible and that the release of sites in the Green Belt should be considered only in exceptional circumstances. NPPG8 contains a firm commitment to the protection and enhancement of existing town centres in preference to sites outwith town centres. This guidance indicates that new retail developments should not conflict with Green Belt policy.
