Parliamentary questions
Linda Fabiani
2,507 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.
23 Apr 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what performance points were accrued by the operating company of HM Prison Kilmarnock, broken down for each heading and subsection in Schedule F to the Minute of Agreement between the Secretary of State for Scotland and Kilmarnock Prison Services Limited for the Design, Construction, Mana…
Answer · Cathy Jamieson: I have asked Tony Cameron,Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service to respond. His response is asfollows:</p><table class=MsoTableGrid border=1 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=0 width=609> <thead> <tr> <td> <p> </p> </td> <td> <p align=center>Octob…
23 Apr 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many people in each parliamentary constituency in the Central Scotland region have participated in modern apprenticeship schemes, broken down by (a) gender, (b) race and (c) disability, in each year since 1999.
Answer · Lewis Macdonald: This is a matter forScottish Enterprise and Highlands and Islands Enterprise. The information requested isnot held centrally.</p>
23 Apr 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what public sector capital projects involving private finance are (a) planned and (b) under way, detailing their start and estimated completion dates; what the total estimated capital investment is for these projects, and what annual public expenditure will be required to service these pr…
Answer · Andy Kerr: I refer the member to the answergiven to question S2W-7193 on 20 April 2004. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for whichcan be found at <a href="http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/weba…
23 Apr 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what costs have been incurred by East Ayrshire Community Hospital on external consultants and advisers in each year since consideration of PFI/PPP as a funding method for the building began.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: This is a matter for NHS Ayrshireand Arran. The information requested is not held centrally.</p>
23 Apr 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many staff currently work in its (a) Private Finance and (b) Financial Partnership unit.
Answer · Andy Kerr: The Private Finance and Capital Unit in the Scottish Executive Health Department deals with all public capital and PPP issues within the NHS in Scotland. There are six full-time equivalent staff working in the Unit. The Financial Partnerships Unit in the Scot…
23 Apr 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what costs have been incurred by Law District General Hospital on external consultants and advisers in each year since consideration of PFI/PPP as a funding method for the new building began.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: This is a matter for NHS Lanarkshire.The information requested is not held centrally.</p>
23 Apr 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what costs have been incurred by Hairmyres Hospital on external consultants and advisers in each year since consideration of PFI/PPP as a funding method for the new building began.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: This is a matter for NHS Lanarkshire.The information is not held centrally.</p>
23 Apr 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what costs have been incurred by Edinburgh Royal Infirmary on external consultants and advisers in each year since consideration of PFI/PPP as a funding method for the building at Little France began.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: This is a matter for NHS Lothian.The information requested is not held centrally.</p>
23 Apr 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how much public money has been paid to non-public bodies under PFI and PPP schemes in each year since 1999.
Answer · Andy Kerr: I refer the member to the answergiven to question S2W-7194 on 20 April 2004. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for whichcan be found at <a href="http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/weba…
22 Apr 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how often its procurement decisions have been challenged under the provisions of the Government Procurement Agreement.
Answer · Tavish Scott: The Scottish Executive is not aware of any challenges to its procurement decisions under the WorldTrade Organization’s Government Procurement Agreement (GPA). The GPA contains provisionssimilar to the European Union’s Procurement Directives and provides equiv…
22 Apr 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many PPP/PFI projects have had shares transactions of more than 10% of the overall shareholding.
Answer · Andy Kerr: We are aware of a few examplesof share transactions in PPP companies following the initial contract. Such transactionscan play a useful role in re-cycling capital for other projects, and bringing innew investors. Continuity of service is provided by the conso…
22 Apr 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive which PPP/PFI projects have shareholders who are limited partnerships and who these shareholders are in each case.
Answer · Andy Kerr: The information requested isnot held centrally.</p>
22 Apr 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many PPP/PFI partners have corporate trader status.
Answer · Andy Kerr: The information requested isnot held centrally. Composite trader status is an option in Scottish PPPs and itis for the procuring authority to assess whether such a proposal by a bidder offersimproved value for money in a particular case.</p>
22 Apr 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many operational PPP and PFI projects there are and what the accounting treatment is for each project.
Answer · Andy Kerr: A list of all Scottish PPP projectscan be found on the Scottish Executive Financial Partnerships Unit’s website at <ahref="http://www.scotland.gov.uk/ppp">www.scotland.gov.uk/ppp</a>. All projectslisted are accounted for as off balance sheet, except for New E…
22 Apr 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many times bankruptcy or liquidation has affected a partner in a PPP or PFI project.
Answer · Andy Kerr: The information requested isnot held centrally.</p>
22 Apr 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many times public sector comparators for PPP or PFI projects have been reappraised before a final decision has been made on a project in each of the last five years.
Answer · Andy Kerr: The public sector comparatoris assessed at outline business case stage and then again at final business casestage. It is for the public sector body concerned to undertake this and to ensurethat value for money is monitored throughout the procurement.</p>
22 Apr 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the divergence has been between outline business case costs and out-turn costs for each PPP or PFI project in the last seven years.
Answer · Andy Kerr: The Executive does not collatedivergence of costs of a PPP project from Outline Business Case stage to outturn.Executive funding for PPP projects is capped. It is for the public sector body concernedto monitor the divergence of costs between outline business …
22 Apr 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how much it has spent on advisers' fees for PPP and PFI projects in each year since 1999.
Answer · Andy Kerr: PPPprojects concern large investment over a long period of time. Initial developmentand support costs reap benefits over a large number of projects – over 80 completedprocurement to date at a value of over £2.5 billion. The following table shows howmuch the S…
22 Apr 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what impact PPP/PFI projects have had on the capital expenditure of each local authority.
Answer · Andy Kerr: In PPP projects capital and servicecosts are united in a single annual service in each year of the contract. Thereforeit has no direct effect on planned conventional capital expenditure. The detailrequested is not held centrally. However, estimated payments u…
22 Apr 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how the capital expenditure of the NHS has varied as a result of PPP/PFI projects.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: The use of PPP/PFI has made asignificant contribution to already increased levels of public capital investmentin the NHS in Scotland. PPP/PFI is used where it is appropriate to do so andvalue for money demonstrated. To date there have been 43 PPP/PFI projects…
22 Apr 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what analysis it has carried out of Professor Allyson Pollock's work on PFI.
Answer · Andy Kerr: The Executive is aware of ProfessorAllyson Pollock’s published views on PFI, including the evidence she gave to theFinance Committee’s study into PPP. However, no detailed analysis has been carriedout on her work.</p>
22 Apr 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what assessment it has made of the costs it will incur if a UK Supreme Court is established; how much it will have to contribute to the running costs of a Supreme Court, and how such costs compare with the running costs of the current system.
Answer · Cathy Jamieson: No decision has been taken onthe means of financing the proposed Supreme Court. At present the Scottish Executivemakes no direct contribution to the running costs of the Appellate Committee of the House of Lords whose functions will transfer to the new Suprem…
22 Apr 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what assessment it has made of the possible change in fees in civil cases in Scotland that may be required following the establishment of a UK Supreme Court.
Answer · Cathy Jamieson: No decision has yet been takenon the means of financing the proposed Supreme Court.</p>
21 Apr 2004 · General Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has taken any recent steps to address concerns of families who have an adult member with learning difficulties living in the family home and what support it intends to give such families.
Answer · Tom McCabe: <i>The same as you?</i> is a 10-year programme of change that addresses the needsof all people with learning disabilities, including adults who live with their families.A number of its recommendations, including that for personal life plans, will ensurebetter…
2 Apr 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive which of its documents and publications have been issued and subsequently withdrawn in each year since 1999.
Answer · Andy Kerr: No central record of publicationswhich have been withdrawn is maintained within the Scottish Executive. The informationcould only be obtained by trawling individual departments, which would be at disproportionatecost.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p>
2 Apr 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has been included in any discussions with, or any advice issued to, local authorities or COSLA, in respect of the relationship between local authorities and Members of the Scottish Parliament.
Answer · Tavish Scott: The relationship between local authorities and membersof the Scottish Parliament is a matter for individual local authorities, COSLA andthe Parliament.</p>
2 Apr 2004 · SPCB Written Question
To ask the Presiding Officer how many staff it employs (a) directly, (b) by secondment and (c) on a contract or consultancy basis to fulfil its media relations function.
Answer · Andrew Welsh: The Media Relations Officeof the Scottish Parliament currently has (a) seven full-time and one-part-timemember of staff, (b) it has no seconded staff and (c) has one externalphotography contract which allows for consultancy work. </p>
2 Apr 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many staff it employs (a) directly, (b) by secondment and (c) on a contract or consultancy basis to fulfil its media relations function.
Answer · Andy Kerr: Media relations work is carriedout by the Media and Communication Division’s Press Office. The Press Office employsdirectly 50 communications specialists, including those working on strategic communicationsand media monitoring. The Press Office does not at pr…
2 Apr 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether local authorities meet the standards set out in the European Charter on Local Self-Government and, if not, which criteria are not met.
Answer · Andy Kerr: The UK governmentratified the European Charter on Local Self-Government. It is not for local authoritiesto meet standards set out in this Charter, instead the Charter sets out a seriesof articles on the relationship between central and local government.</p>
24 Mar 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what advice it has given to planning authorities concerning the assessment and mitigation of peat slide risk at wind farm sites and whether this advice was reassessed following the peat slide at Derrybrien in the Republic of Ireland which a report from Applied Ground Engineering Consultan…
Answer · Lewis Macdonald: No such advice has been issued.We are commissioning work to develop a risk assessment tool for use in connectionwith wind farm developments on blanket peat. We shall, if necessary, issue adviceto planning authorities when this work has been completed.</p>