- Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Friday, 16 November 2007
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Current Status:
Answered by Adam Ingram on 29 November 2007
To ask the Scottish Executive what allowances will be paid to kinship carers of children who have been orphaned and have not come under local authority care.
Answer
I refer the memberto the answer to question S3W-6505 on 29 November 2007. All answers to written parliamentary questions are availableon the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at
http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search.
- Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Friday, 16 November 2007
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Current Status:
Answered by Adam Ingram on 29 November 2007
To ask the Scottish Executive what allowances will be paid to kinship carers who have taken on the care of a child prior to local authority involvement.
Answer
I refer the memberto the answer to question S3W-6505 on 29 November 2007. All answers to written parliamentary questions are availableon the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at
http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search.
- Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Friday, 16 November 2007
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Current Status:
Answered by Adam Ingram on 28 November 2007
To ask the Scottish Executive what allowances will be paid to kinship carers of children who are in the care of a local authority.
Answer
Currently local authoritieshave discretion to pay allowances to kinship carers of looked-after children.
I will be publishinga strategy for foster and kinship care later this year, which will address the provisionof a range of support, including financial, for kinship carers.
- Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Friday, 16 November 2007
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Current Status:
Answered by John Swinney on 27 November 2007
To ask the Scottish Executive how local authorities will be compensated for the loss of revenue for affordable housing from additional council tax on second homes in the event of council tax being abolished.
Answer
I intend to launcha consultation before Christmas on our proposals for the abolition of council tax,which will include discussion of the taxation of second homes.
- Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Friday, 16 November 2007
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Current Status:
Answered by John Swinney on 27 November 2007
To ask the Scottish Executive what measures will be put in place to ensure that local authorities can accurately identify the level of second home ownership in their areas to inform local housing strategies in the event of council tax being abolished.
Answer
I intend to launcha consultation before Christmas on our proposals for the abolition of council tax,which will include discussion of the identification and taxation of second homes.
- Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 31 October 2007
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Current Status:
Answered by Shona Robison on 12 November 2007
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will continue to provide Mental Health Specific Grant funding.
Answer
Provision of the MentalHealth Specific Grant is being considered, with all other government expenditure,as part of Spending Review 2007.
- Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 31 October 2007
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Current Status:
Answered by Shona Robison on 12 November 2007
To ask the Scottish Executive whether Mental Health Specific Grant funding will be increased in the next financial year.
Answer
Provision for MentalHealth Specific Grant is being considered, with all other government expenditure,as part of Spending Review 2007.
- Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Friday, 05 October 2007
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Current Status:
Answered by John Swinney on 5 November 2007
To ask the Scottish Executive what land holdings it has in Moray.
Answer
There is no full centralrecord of land holdings for the constituent bodies of the Scottish Government. Informationon significant holdings is shown in the 2007 National Asset Register which is publishedon the Treasury website.
The main ScottishGovernment land holdings in Moray are those required for the trunk road network.Centrally held records show also one freehold building - Elgin Sheriff Court with 0.3 acres of land - and 11 leaseholdbuildings.
- Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Thursday, 25 October 2007
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Current Status:
Answered by Stewart Maxwell on 1 November 2007
To ask the Scottish Executive whether guidance for local authorities is in place on the use of houses of multiple occupation to tackle homelessness.
Answer
The Scottish Government has produced a Code of Guidance on Homelessness to which all local authorities must have regard when carrying out their duties. The code is available on the government''s website at
http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/housing/homeless/guidance.
Local authorities have flexibilities in how they discharge the duty to provide temporary and permanent accommodation for homeless people but, in respect of temporary accommodation, they must adhere to the Homeless Persons (Unsuitable Accommodation) (Scotland) Order 2004. This order sets out standards which temporary accommodation for homeless households with children and pregnant women must meet.
Such accommodation must provide adequate bedrooms and adequate toilet and personal washing facilities for the exclusive use of the household. Adequate cooking facilities must also be provided. The code indicates that these facilities must meet the local authority''s houses of multiple occupation standards.
This requirement relates to any accommodation used for this purpose “ not just houses of multiple occupation.
- Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Thursday, 25 October 2007
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Current Status:
Answered by Stewart Maxwell on 1 November 2007
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has plans to review current legislation on the requirements to be met by developers of large-scale houses of multiple occupation, such as bedsits and hostels.
Answer
Revisedlegislation applying to all Houses in Multiple Occupation was passed by the Scottish Parliament under the Housing (Scotland) Act 2006. The Scottish Government expects to consult stakeholdersduring 2008 on whether secondary legislation will be required before bringingthis new legislation into force.
