- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 24 January 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Andy Kerr on 7 February 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive what its position is on the planned closures of swimming pools in Jedburgh, Eyemouth and Selkirk following recently announced cuts by Scottish Borders Council, reported in The Southern Reporter on 24 January 2002, and what measures it will take to prevent these closures.
Answer
It is entirely a matter for each local authority to establish its expenditure priorities within the budget available to it. It would not be appropriate for ministers to intervene in the individual spending decisions of a council.
- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 30 January 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Peter Peacock on 7 February 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has any concerns regarding the provision of public services in the Scottish Borders.
Answer
Public Services in the Scottish Borders are subject to scrutiny throughinspection and audit and other performance review mechanisms. The Executive has not been invited to date to take any actions with regard to any public service failures but will consider any recommendations it receives as a result of statutory review processes.
- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 21 January 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Nicol Stephen on 4 February 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive when Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Education will make an assessment into the impact of the cuts made on the provision of education in the Scottish Borders by the Scottish Borders Council.
Answer
It is a matter for Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Education (HMIE) to determine the timing of inspections, including the inspection of the education functions of local councils. HMIE notified Scottish Borders Council on 28 January that it would be conducting an inspection of the education functions of the council. The main inspection activity will take place between late March and early May, with a report of the findings to be published in June 2002.
- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 16 January 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Nicol Stephen on 30 January 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive, with regard to its news release SE 4012/2001 of 19 September 2001, whether it will allocate any of the #101.9 million end-year flexibility award for education to the Scottish Borders Council education budget, in light of any further cuts to that budget being considered by the council.
Answer
All of this funding has been allocated, as indicated in the answer given to question S1W-21939.
- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 16 January 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Nicol Stephen on 30 January 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive, with regard to its news release SE 4012/2001 of 19 September 2001, (a) how much of the #101.9 million end-year flexibility award for education has been allocated, (b) to whom or to what organisations or projects it has been allocated and (c) whether local authorities may apply for funding from the award and, if so, (i) how they should do so and (ii) whether there are or have been any time limits on making such applications.
Answer
All of this funding has now been allocated. A significant proportion of EYF funding comprised a managed underspend to be set against the additional costs to local authorities arising from the teachers' pay and conditions settlement. Substantial additional resources have also been allocated to schools for use directly at school level. Funding has also been made available to authorities for increasing the number of three-year-olds in pre-school education, provision of Pupil Support Bases and ICT associated initiatives. Further EYF funding has been allocated to Social Justice projects aimed at improving the education of looked after children.Where resources have been allocated through specific grant mechanisms requiring application by education authorities, this process has been completed and all local authorities have received their appropriate allocation.
- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 23 November 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Jim Wallace on 28 January 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive what valuation was received for the former HM Prison Dungavel prior to its being offered for sale and what the final sale price was.
Answer
I have asked Mr Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service (SPS) to respond. His response is as follows:The valuation was provided to SPS by the Valuation Office Agency on a confidential basis. The Scottish Executive does not publish valuation data. The sale price was 拢450,000 and was recorded with the title deeds in the Land Register.
- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 23 November 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Jim Wallace on 28 January 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive what valuation was received for the former HM Prison Penninghame prior to its first being offered for sale; what offers were received by the first deadline; why none of the offers received were accepted; what offers were received the second time the prison was offered for sale, and what the final sale price was.
Answer
I have asked Mr Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service (SPS) to respond. His response is as follows:The valuation was provided to SPS by the Valuation Office Agency on a confidential basis, as were the offers. The Scottish Executive does not publish valuation data. The sale price was 拢275,000 and was recorded with the title deeds in the Land Register.
- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 23 November 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Jim Wallace on 21 January 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive how many prison officers (a) in total and (b) at each Scottish Prison Service prison left the service in (i) 1998-99, (ii) 1999-2000, (iii) 2000-01 and (iv) to date this year, broken down by those aged (1) under 35 and (2) over 35.
Answer
I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service to respond. His response is as follows:Prison Officers who have left the service, broken down by those aged under 35 and 35 and over.
| Apr 1998 - Mar 1999 | | Apr 1999 - Mar 2000 | |
| Age upon Leaving | | Age upon Leaving | |
Establishment | Under 35 | 35 & Over | Total | Under 35 | 35 & Over | Total |
Aberdeen | 5 | 1 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
Barlinnie | 4 | 10 | 14 | 10 | 13 | 23 |
Castle Huntly | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 4 |
Cornton Vale | 3 | 4 | 7 | 4 | 2 | 6 |
Dumfries | 1 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 4 |
Dungavel | 0 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 10 | 11 |
Edinburgh | 11 | 12 | 23 | 12 | 10 | 22 |
Friarton | 2 | 2 | 4 | 1 | 3 | 4 |
Glenochil | 3 | 15 | 18 | 11 | 9 | 20 |
Greenock | 2 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 4 |
Headquarters | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
Inverness | 1 | 5 | 6 | 2 | 1 | 3 |
Longriggend | 3 | 3 | 6 | 10 | 20 | 30 |
Low Moss | 1 | 4 | 5 | 4 | 2 | 6 |
Noranside | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
Penninghame | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 6 |
Perth | 14 | 8 | 22 | 6 | 20 | 26 |
Peterhead | 4 | 4 | 8 | 7 | 8 | 15 |
Polmont | 2 | 5 | 7 | 2 | 18 | 20 |
Shotts | 8 | 7 | 15 | 6 | 21 | 27 |
Total | 65 | 87 | 152 | 83 | 152 | 235 |
| Apr 2000 - Mar 2001 | Apr 2001 to Date |
| Age Upon Leaving | Age upon Leaving |
Establishment | Under 35 | 35 & Over | Total | Under 35 | 35 & Over | Total |
Aberdeen | 3 | 3 | 6 | 6 | 2 | 8 |
Barlinnie | 14 | 16 | 30 | 5 | 10 | 15 |
Castle Huntly | 1 | 3 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
Cornton Vale | 12 | 4 | 16 | 5 | 5 | 10 |
Dumfries | 1 | 5 | 6 | 1 | 5 | 6 |
Dungavel | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Edinburgh | 20 | 12 | 32 | 11 | 14 | 25 |
Friarton | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Glenochil | 9 | 6 | 15 | 15 | 6 | 21 |
Greenock | 6 | 4 | 10 | 3 | 4 | 7 |
Headquarters | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
Inverness | 1 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 5 | 10 |
Longriggend | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Low Moss | 2 | 3 | 5 | 2 | 1 | 3 |
Noranside | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
Penninghame | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Perth | 12 | 7 | 19 | 6 | 12 | 18 |
Peterhead | 19 | 6 | 25 | 7 | 7 | 14 |
Polmont | 7 | 6 | 13 | 4 | 2 | 6 |
Shotts | 11 | 3 | 14 | 13 | 7 | 20 |
Total | 120 | 83 | 203 | 85 | 81 | 166 |
- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 23 November 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Jim Wallace on 21 January 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-7101 by Mr Jim Wallace on 7 June 2000, how many (a) officers and (b) other staff the Scottish Prison Service has been notified currently receive Working Families Tax Credit.
Answer
I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service (SPS) to respond. His response is as follows:Eligibility for Working Families Tax Credit (WFTC), which is a matter for the Inland Revenue, does not depend solely on income. SPS have been notified of 48 members of staff to receive WFTC, of whom 25 are prison officers.
- Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 07 January 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Andy Kerr on 21 January 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-17558 by Angus MacKay on 13 September 2000, how much has been (a) claimed by and (b) paid to Scottish Borders Council under the Bellwin scheme following heavy snowfalls in February 2001 and what the reasons are for any difference between the two amounts.
Answer
Under the terms of the Bellwin Scheme, detailed in Finance Circular 9/2000, Scottish Borders Council claimed costs of 拢642,580. 拢39,685 was disallowed because it covered works which were insurable and normal staff costs which are ineligible under the scheme. This reduced the claim to 拢602,895.after the deduction of a threshold, which is 拢222,328 for Scottish Borders, 85% of the remainder was eligible for payment.The sum of 拢291,134 (90% of amount payable) was paid on 21 December 2001. The remaining 10% will be paid following receipt by the Executive of an audited claim.
