Asked by: Paul Sweeney (Labour (Co-op) - Glasgow North East)
Question to the Scotland Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, what estimate he has made of the cost to the public purse of the Glasgow city region deal to date.
Answered by David Mundell
The Glasgow City Region Deal is a 20 year programme of investment supported by both the UK and Scottish Governments.
To date, the UK Government has paid £45m to the Glasgow City Region Deal partners, a sum that has been matched by the Scottish Government. Accordingly, the total cost to the public purse so far is £90m.
Asked by: Paul Sweeney (Labour (Co-op) - Glasgow North East)
Question to the Scotland Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, when he plans to respond to the letter from the hon. Member for Glasgow North East of 3 August 2018 on the Glasgow School of Art fire and Sauchiehall Street.
Answered by David Mundell
The Office of the Secretary of State for Scotland is required to respond to such correspondence within 20 working days; however, on this occasion due to an administrative oversight a response was not issued. A response to your letter was provided on 31 October 2018.
Asked by: Paul Sweeney (Labour (Co-op) - Glasgow North East)
Question to the Scotland Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, if he will publish the (a) and (b) locations of all UK ministerial visits to Glasgow North East constituency since the 2010 General Election.
Answered by David Mundell
Ministers regularly undertake visits to constituencies across Scotland. The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Scotland last visited the Glasgow North East constituency on 31 August 2018 to tour McGhees Family bakers at 10 Keppochhill Drive, Glasgow G21 1HX.
Under the Ministerial Code, Ministers intending to make an official visit are required to inform in advance those MPs whose constituencies are to be included within the itinerary.
Asked by: Paul Sweeney (Labour (Co-op) - Glasgow North East)
Question to the Scotland Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, whether he has raised the issue of veteran suicides in Scotland in any meetings with (a) the Ministry of Defence and (b) any other ministers in the UK or Scottish Governments.
Answered by David Mundell
I have regular discussions with UK Government and Scottish Government colleagues on a number of matters. I attend meetings of the Ministerial Covenant and Veterans Board, at which both UK and Scottish Government ministers are present. The discussions of the Board have included health issues affecting the armed forces community, including suicide.
Asked by: Paul Sweeney (Labour (Co-op) - Glasgow North East)
Question to the Scotland Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of allocating additional Government funding to the Scottish Government to ensure that Glasgow’s museums and art galleries remain free to visit.
Answered by David Mundell
The UK Government fully support free access by the public to museums and art galleries. The UK Government provides funds for the Scottish Government through the Block Grant. It is a matter for the Scottish Government to allocate funding for museums in Scotland from within their budget. The hon Gentleman may therefore wish to progress the matter of additional funding for this area with them.
Asked by: Paul Sweeney (Labour (Co-op) - Glasgow North East)
Question to the Scotland Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, if he will publish the Ministerial visits undertaken to Glasgow North East constituency since 2005.
Answered by David Mundell
The information requested is not readily available and could only be provided at disproportionate cost.
Asked by: Paul Sweeney (Labour (Co-op) - Glasgow North East)
Question to the Scotland Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, if he will list all UK Government ministerial visits to the Glasgow North East burgh constituency since it was created in 2005.
Answered by David Mundell
The information requested is not readily available and could only be provided at disproportionate cost.
Asked by: Paul Sweeney (Labour (Co-op) - Glasgow North East)
Question to the Scotland Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, what recent representations he has made to representatives of RBS on ensuring the maintenance of free access to money for people in communities affected by that bank's programme of branch closures.
Answered by David Mundell
I have met with RBS to discuss their recent announcements. Decisions on opening and closing branches and the format of the provision of service are taken by the management team of each bank on a commercial basis and the Government does not intervene in these decisions.
The Government is committed to widespread free access to cash. LINK, the organisation that runs the UK’s ATM network, operates a Financial Inclusion Programme, which subsidises ATMs in areas that have poor access to cash and would not otherwise be viable. LINK has committed to protecting all free-to-use ATMs which are a kilometre or more from the next nearest free-to-use ATM.
The Payment Systems Regulator Limited (PSR) has also committed to using their powers to maintain widespread free access to cash should they need to.
Asked by: Paul Sweeney (Labour (Co-op) - Glasgow North East)
Question to the Scotland Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, what information his Department holds on the (a) amount of social housing stock there was in Glasgow North East constituency in each year from 1999 to date and (b) projected amount of social housing stock in that constituency for each year to 2020.
Answered by David Mundell
The provision of social housing is a matter for the Scottish Government and published data can be found on the following link:
http://www.gov.scot/Topics/Statistics/Browse/Housing-Regeneration/HSfS/KeyInfoTables
Asked by: Paul Sweeney (Labour (Co-op) - Glasgow North East)
Question to the Scotland Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, what representations his Department made to the Chancellor before the Autumn Budget 2017.
Answered by David Mundell
My Department is in regular contact with the Treasury, making representations on a wide range of matters with impact in Scotland. I have regular discussions with all my Cabinet colleagues including the Chancellor about matters of importance to Scotland.