- Asked by: Richard Lochhead, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish National Party
-
Date lodged: Thursday, 16 September 2004
-
Current Status:
Answered by Andy Kerr on 29 September 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive whether, during its recent negotiations with the European Union it has, either directly or through Her Majesty’s Government, secured any new measures that will enhance the influence of sub-state governments with primary legislative powers that do not apply to regions or local authorities that do not have such powers.
Answer
The EU Constitutional Treaty Protocol on the Application of the Principles of Subsidiarity and Proportionality specifically provides for the involvement of regional parliaments with legislative powers in the operation of the subsidiarity mechanism. This involvement does not extend to non-legislative regions or local authorities.
In co-operation with the UK Government and through the First Minister’s presidency of the group of EU regions with legislative powers, the Scottish Executive has successfully argued for the retention in the Treaty of important references that enhance the role of the regions with legislative powers and reinforce the principle of subsidiarity in European decision-making.
In particular, the Treaty provides in the Protocol on subsidiarity, in the case of framework laws, for any legislative proposal from the European Commission to contain a statement of its implications for the rules to be put in place by member states, including, where necessary, the regional legislation.
- Asked by: Richard Lochhead, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish National Party
-
Date lodged: Thursday, 16 September 2004
-
Current Status:
Answered by Andy Kerr on 29 September 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has received any notification from, or had discussions with, Her Majesty’s Government regarding any likely reduction in civil service jobs based in Aberdeen and, if so, whether it has made any representations on the matter.
Answer
The Scottish Executive has not received any notification from, or had any discussions with, Her Majesty’s Government regarding any likely reduction in civil service jobs based in Aberdeen. For those civil service posts that are the responsibility of UK ministers, it will be for them and their senior management teams to make decisions about structure, size, and organisation based on their assessment of business needs. However, the Scottish Executive would expect to be advised of any potential loss of jobs in Scotland.
- Asked by: Richard Lochhead, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish National Party
-
Date lodged: Thursday, 16 September 2004
-
Current Status:
Answered by Ross Finnie on 29 September 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive what 10 factors contribute most to CO2 emissions in Scotland, listed in descending order.
Answer
Levels of carbon dioxide emissions in Scotland by source are reported in the publication
Greenhouse Gas Inventories for England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland: 1999-2001 a copy of which has been placed in the Parliament’s Reference Centre (Bib. number 32027) and is also available on the Executive’s climate change website at
www.scotland.gov.uk/climatechange.
- Asked by: Richard Lochhead, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish National Party
-
Date lodged: Thursday, 16 September 2004
-
Current Status:
Answered by Jim Wallace on 29 September 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive what the level of expenditure by research institutions was on the development of clean technologies in each of the last five years.
Answer
The information requested is not held centrally.
- Asked by: Richard Lochhead, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish National Party
-
Date lodged: Thursday, 02 September 2004
-
Current Status:
Answered by Margaret Curran on 29 September 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive what the average cost has been of homes built by Communities Scotland, and its predecessor organisation, in each of the last 10 years.
Answer
I have asked Angiolina Foster, Chief Executive of Communities Scotland to respond. Her response is as follows:
The following table gives details of the average total build cost of homes approved for construction through registered social landlords and other bodies by Communities Scotland, and its predecessor organisation, in each of the last 10 years.
| Average Total Build Cost Of Houses Approved For Funding 1994-95 to 2003/04 (£ million) |
| 1994-95 | 0.051 |
| 1995-96 | 0.054 |
| 1996-97 | 0.056 |
| 1997-98 | 0.056 |
| 1998-99 | 0.059 |
| 1999-2000 | 0.061 |
| 2000-01 | 0.066 |
| 2001-02 | 0.071 |
| 2002-03 | 0.074 |
| 2003-04 | 0.079 |
Note: these figures relate to the average total build cost and not the average grant provided.
- Asked by: Richard Lochhead, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish National Party
-
Date lodged: Tuesday, 31 August 2004
-
Current Status:
Answered by Lewis Macdonald on 29 September 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive what measures have been taken to promote marine sources of energy production and what future plans there are for such measures.
Answer
The world’s first commercial wave energy project - in Islay - received support under the Scottish Renewables Obligation. More recently, the Executive has contributed over £2 million towards the establishment of the wave test facility at the European Marine Energy Centre in Orkney. Discussions with our funding partners to extend the Centre to accommodate tidal projects are at an advanced stage.
The Forum for Renewable Energy Development in Scotland (FREDS), which I chair, recently published a report identifying the way ahead for marine energy in Scotland. Three members of the sub-group which produced this report have since been among the partners which have formed the consortium based UK Centre for Marine Renewable Energy, which will drive forward some of the key tasks identifiedby the report.
Following the FREDS marine energy report, the DTI announced a £50 million UK fund for marine renewables. We will work closely with DTI colleagues on the details of this scheme. We will also consider how best the Executive can support marine developments from within our own renewables programme budget.
- Asked by: Richard Lochhead, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish National Party
-
Date lodged: Wednesday, 18 August 2004
-
Current Status:
Answered by Margaret Curran on 28 September 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive what legal obligations there are on housing associations to explain rent increases to residents.
Answer
I have asked Angiolina Foster, Chief Executive, Communities Scotland to respond. Her response is as follows:
The Housing (Scotland) Act 2001 introduced the Scottish Secure Tenancy (SST) for tenants of local authorities and registered social landlords, including housing associations registered with Communities Scotland. Under the SST landlords must give tenants not less than four weeks notice in writing, before increasing rents or other charges. Prior to increasing rents landlords must first consult with those tenants who would be affected. Landlords are required to have regard to the views expressed by those consulted.
- Asked by: Richard Lochhead, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish National Party
-
Date lodged: Wednesday, 18 August 2004
-
Current Status:
Answered by Margaret Curran on 28 September 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive how many complaints were made against each housing association in each of the last five years and how many such complaints were subsequently investigated.
Answer
I have asked Angiolina Foster, Chief Executive, Communities Scotland to respond. Her response is as follows:
The information requested is not held centrally.
The information requested may be available from the Scottish Public Services Ombudsman.
- Asked by: Richard Lochhead, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish National Party
-
Date lodged: Wednesday, 18 August 2004
-
Current Status:
Answered by Margaret Curran on 28 September 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive how many complaints of corruption were made against each housing association in each of the last five years and how many such complaints were subsequently investigated.
Answer
I have asked Angiolina Foster, Chief Executive, Communities Scotland to respond. Her response is as follows:
The information requested is not held centrally.
The information requested may be available from the Scottish Public Services Ombudsman.
- Asked by: Richard Lochhead, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish National Party
-
Date lodged: Tuesday, 31 August 2004
-
Current Status:
Answered by Margaret Curran on 28 September 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive what the average number of (a) households and (b) people on housing waiting lists has been in each local authority area in each of the last 10 years, expressed also as a percentage of the population in each case.
Answer
The numbers of applicant households on waiting lists for each local authority are published on an annual basis for 2000-01 onwards in the quarterly Scottish Executive Statistical Bulletin (Housing Series)
Housing Trends in Scotland. Table 16 in the latest bulletin HSG/2004/4 published August 2004 shows the snapshot position as at 31 March 2004 as well as changes to the lists during 2003-04. This publication can be accessed on-line through publications section of the Scottish Executive housing statistics branch website (
www.scotland.gov.uk/stats/housing/hsbref). The published figures for 2000-01, 2001-02 and 2002-03 can also be found on the housing statistics website in the housing trends bulletins HSG/2001/6, HSG/2002/3 and HSG/2003/4 respectively.This data collection began in 2001 and data are not centrally available prior to that date. The numbers reported to the Scottish Executive are for applicant households and do not specify the number of people within each household.
The projections of the numbers of households by local authority area for the relevant years are available in the data library section of the Scottish Executive housing statistics branch website:
(http://www.scotland.gov.uk/about/DD/EAS/00014844/DataLibrary.aspx).
