Parliamentary questions
Alex Neil
3,059 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.
6 Nov 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the (a) main items of expenditure and (b) total costs were in respect of the operation, maintenance, rent, upgrade and any other associated costs of Bute House, the official residence for the First Minister, in each of the last five years.
Answer · Tom McCabe: I shall reply to the member as soon as possible.
31 Oct 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-28965 by Peter Peacock on 31 October 2006, whether the statement that information is not held centrally in the form requested indicates that the Executive does hold information on expenditure on school buses and, if so, to what such information perta…
Answer · Robert Brown: The information held centrallyon school transport relates to gross expenditure on all forms of school transport,and cannot be disaggregated to identify expenditure on dedicated school buses.</p>
31 Oct 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-28963 by Peter Peacock on 31 October 2006, who it has commissioned to undertake the work to identify good practice in relation to school travel.
Answer · Robert Brown: Following a tendering processa contract for the work was awarded to MVA Consultancy.</p>
30 Oct 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what its estimates are of the costs associated with the second stage transfer (SST) of Glasgow Housing Association’s housing stock and whether it has earmarked any monies for SST and, if so, how much, from which budgets and for which financial years.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: The Joint Team on financialissues, which includes officials from Glasgow Housing Association, CommunitiesScotland, Glasgow City Council and the purchasers, is currently considering thecosts associated with second stage transfers of Glasgow Housing Association…
25 Oct 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive , further to the answer to question S2W-28688 by Mr Tom McCabe on 18 October 2006, how much the Relocation Advisory Service spent in (a) 2004-05 and (b) 2005-06 in respect of (i) one-off costs, (ii) software development, (iii) information packs, (iv) staff training manuals, (v) on-going c…
Answer · Tom McCabe: <table border=1 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=3> <thead> <tr> <td width=240 valign=top> Costs</p> </td> <td width=168 valign=top> <p align=center>(a) 2005-06</p> </td> <td width=168 valign=top> <p align=center>(b) 2004-05</p> </td> </tr> </th…
25 Oct 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-28686 by Mr Tom McCabe on 18 October 2006, whether the Relocation Advisory Service offers assistance with finding suitable housing for migrants seeking to relocate to Scotland
Answer · Tom McCabe: The Relocation AdvisoryService does not offer personal assistance in finding housing. It will provide informationto anyone wishing to relocate to Scotland on the housing market in Scotland,both to buy and to rent, by directing people to relevant information; …
25 Oct 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will list all the reports which it has commissioned, or is in the process of commissioning, from external sources in relation to housing stock transfer and related matters in Glasgow in each year since May 1999, giving details of the remit, cost and relevant contractor or consu…
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: I have asked Angiolina Foster, Chief Executive of Communities Scotland to respond. Her response is asfollows:</p><p>I refer the member to the answer to question S2W-29263 on 7 November 2006. All answers to written parliamentaryquestions are available on the P…
25 Oct 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will list all the reports which Communities Scotland has commissioned, or is in the process of commissioning, from external sources in respect of housing stock transfer and related matters in Glasgow in each year since May 1999, giving details of the remit, cost, and relevant c…
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: I have asked Angiolina Foster,Chief Executive of Communities Scotland, to respond. Her response is as follows:</p><p>Since 1999 our records suggestthat Communities Scotland or the Scottish Executive have commissioned two reportson housing transfer in Glasgow:…
24 Oct 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what agreement it has reached with HM Customs and Excise on VAT indemnity, in light of the Ministerial Progress Group on Second Stage Transfers’ view that the issue should be resolved before the second stage transfer of Glasgow’s housing stock.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: Discussions are on-going betweenthe Scottish Executive, HM Revenue and Customs and Glasgow Housing Association inrelation to the VAT arrangement and second stage transfers.</p>
24 Oct 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether the Minister for Communities is confident that he has been kept fully appraised by Executive and Communities Scotland officials of the financial implications and complexities of delivering Glasgow’s second stage transfer of housing stock in the form originally promised by the Exec…
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: Yes.</p>
24 Oct 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it is satisfied that Glasgow Housing Association has exhausted all possible options to deliver second stage transfer of housing stock in the form originally promised by the Executive.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: Second Stage Transfer was a corepart of the promises made to tenants by the Scottish Executive, Glasgow City Counciland Glasgow Housing Association, and these organisations are continuing to worktogether on how to achieve it.</p>
24 Oct 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has reached agreement with Glasgow Housing Association on the valuation methodology used to assess the price that individual local housing associations will be required to meet in respect of second stage transfer of housing stock.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: In 2005 the Scottish Executivereached agreement with Glasgow Housing Association on valuation principles for SecondStage Transfer rather than a particular methodology.</p>
24 Oct 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will ensure that any second stage transfer of housing stock in Glasgow will have a financially neutral effect on Glasgow Housing Association and its operations, as referred to in Glasgow City Council’s first stage consultation document.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: It is one of the conditions ofSecond Stage Transfer that it should have a broadly neutral financial effect onGlasgow Housing Association.</p>
24 Oct 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the statement by the Deputy Minister for Communities on 16 March 2006 that both the Deputy Minister and Minister for Communities view 2006 as a pivotal year for second stage transfer (SST) of housing stock in Glasgow, whether the ministers still consider this to be the case an…
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: The Scottish Executive stillconsiders that this is a pivotal year for Second Stage Transfers (SST). The workof the Joint Team on financial issues will be important in providing a shared evidencebase to allow the key partners to consider how best to move forwa…
24 Oct 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has sought independent or external advice on the financial shortfall for second stage transfer (SST) of housing stock referred to in the “Financial Realities of SST” paper provided by Glasgow Housing Association in December 2005.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: The Scottish Executive has hadaccess to various forms of advice on various financial issues related to SecondStage Transfers, including those referred to in Glasgow Housing Association’s paper.</p>
24 Oct 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answers to questions S2W-23939 and S2W-28199 by Malcolm Chisholm and Johann Lamont on 16 March and 15 September 2006 respectively, when Communities Scotland’s guidance to clarify the process and nature of second stage transfer (SST) of housing stock will be issued and when…
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: The Joint Team’s report on SecondStage Transfers is being finalised and will be made available soon. The draft guidanceon Second Stage Transfers has been available since 25 August 2006. The regulatoris currently analysing responses to the consultation on the …
11 Oct 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what previous involvement the Solicitor General has had in (a) the Shirley McKie fingerprint case and (b) the Lockerbie trial.
Answer · John Beckett: I have had no involvement inthe prosecution of Shirley McKie or the civil action by Shirley McKie against the Scottish ministers.</p><p>I was Junior Defence Counselfor Abdelbaset Ali Mohmed Al Megrahi at the Lockerbie trial (2000-01) and appealagainst convict…
11 Oct 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what previous involvement the Lord Advocate has had in the (a) Shirley McKie fingerprint case and (b) Lockerbie trial.
Answer · Elish Angiolini: I had no involvement in any of the criminal investigations or prosecutions related to this matter. I was involvedin the civil litigation by Shirley McKie against the Scottish ministers, in my capacityas a Law Officer.</p><p>I had no involvement in the Lockerb…
11 Oct 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive by what authority and under what statute civil service pensions are provided for Scottish ministers or law officers.
Answer · Tom McCabe: The posts of the Scottishministers, the Lord Advocate and the Solicitor General are covered by the Scottish Parliamentary Pension Scheme (SPPS), rather than the Civil Service Pension Scheme.The SPPS was established by the Scotland Act 1998 (Transitory and Tra…
11 Oct 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether the Lord Advocate will continue to contribute to the civil service pension scheme.
Answer · Tom McCabe: Any contributions to the PrincipalCivil Service Pension Scheme by the Lord Advocate would have ceased when she resignedfrom the civil service on 4 December 2001.</p>
11 Oct 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether a position within the Procurator Fiscal Service is being held open for the Lord Advocate to fill when she demits that office and, if so, which position is being held open.
Answer · Tom McCabe: No. The Lord Advocate resignedfrom the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service when she was nominated as SolicitorGeneral.</p>
11 Oct 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether the Lord Advocate will revert to being a civil servant when she demits that office.
Answer · Tom McCabe: No. Ms Angiolini resigned fromthe civil service on 4 December 2001. It would, however, be open to her when she demits hercurrent role, to apply for any externally advertised civil service posts. As a formercivil servant, she would also be eligible to apply to…
11 Oct 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what precedent there is of a serving civil servant being appointed as a government minister or law officer since 1970.
Answer · Tom McCabe: I can only answer for ministerialappointments to the Scottish Executive since 1999.</p><p>No serving civil servant hasbeen appointed as a Scottish Executive minister or law officer since 1999. ElishAngiolini intimated her resignation from the Civil Service on…
11 Oct 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether the Lord Advocate will consider setting up a public judicial inquiry into all the cases surrounding the Shirley McKie fingerprint case.
Answer · Elish Angiolini: I have no plans to set up a judicialinquiry into this matter.</p>
9 Oct 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how much has been spent on the provision of school buses in each of the last 10 years.
Answer · Peter Peacock: Information on expenditure onschool buses is not held centrally in the form requested.</p>
9 Oct 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it is aware of the report, Safer Journeys to School, prepared for the Northern Ireland Commissioner for Children and Young People, the Department of Regional Development and the Consumer Council for Northern Ireland and, if so, whether it believes that it contains information usef…
Answer · Peter Peacock: The Scottish Executive is awareof the Northern Island report, which echoes issues raised in the Scottish ConsumerCouncil’s report <i>Travelling to School</i>.</p><p>The Executive has commissionedwork to identify good practice on a wide range of school travel …
9 Oct 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it plans to improve safety measures on school buses.
Answer · Peter Peacock: The Scottish Executive has commissionedwork to identify good practice on a wide range of school travel issues, includingsafety measures on school buses. The intention is to publish the results in 2007.</p>
9 Oct 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many accidents involving school buses there have been in each of the last 10 years.
Answer · Peter Peacock: The information is not held centrallyin the form requested. Road accident statistics do not distinguish a school busfrom any other type of bus.</p><p>However, data on reported numbersof pupils injured in road accidents while travelling to or from school is se…
3 Oct 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-28063 by Tavish Scott on 29 September 2006, who made each of the three representations in support of regular rail services between Lanark and Edinburgh and when each was made.
Answer · Tavish Scott: Representations were receivedfrom Clydesdale Rail Action Group on 12 January 2006and South Lanarkshire Council on 9 January 2006. These were in response to the Consultationon Rail Priorities.</p><p>The third representation wasreceived on 27<sup> </sup>July 20…
2 Oct 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it is its policy, or that of the Student Awards Agency for Scotland, to assess students who have gained a Higher National Diploma and subsequently choose to enter higher education at first year level as repeating a first year of study.
Answer · Nicol Stephen: It is the current policy of the Scottish Executive that students who have gained a Higher National Diploma (HND)and subsequently choose to enter higher education at first year level areassessed as repeating a first year of study.</p><p>This policy is intended…