Parliamentary questions
Alex Neil
3,059 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.
10 Jul 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what its definitions are of vacant and derelict land.
Answer · Stewart Stevenson: Local Authorities providethe Scottish Executive with annual estimates of vacant and derelict land in thevoluntary Scottish Vacant and Derelict Land Survey.</p><p>The survey guidance definesvacant land as land that is currently not used for a purpose allocated…
29 Jun 2007 · SPCB Written Question
To ask the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body when the Scottish Commission for Human Rights is likely to become operational.
Answer · Mike Pringle: The SelectionPanel established under Standing Orders to recruit the chair of the Commissionaim to nominate the successful candidate to the Parliament in the autumn. Thereafter,the SPCB shall commence the recruitment of the Commission members aiming tocomplete…
20 Jun 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what estimate it has made of the revenue cost of providing annual council tax discounts for pensioner households of (a) £100, (b) £200, (c) £250, (d) £400, (e) £500, (f) £750 and (g) £1,000.
Answer · John Swinney: Estimated costs for2007-08, based on full collection rates, are contained in the following table:</p><table border=1 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=3> <thead> <tr> <td valign=top> <p align=center>Discount</p> </td> <td valign=top> <p align=center>Estim…
13 Jun 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the expenditure of the office of the Scottish Information Commissioner has been since his appointment, broken down into specific costs, and what the achievements of the commissioner have been to date.
Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: The Scottish HealthCouncil recruits volunteers to its Local Advisory Councils network on the basisof their skills and motivation to carry out the required work, rather than by recruitingto fill a specified complement. The council advise that the average numbe…
7 Jun 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will make prescriptions free of charge to those who are suffering from Parkinson’s disease.
Answer · Shona Robison: We remain committedto our manifesto pledge to abolish prescription charges for people with chronicconditions. We are currently considering which health conditions will fall withinthe definition of “chronic condition” and will consult on that list in due cours…
7 Jun 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the pension entitlements are of ministers.
Answer · John Swinney: Under The ScotlandAct 1998 (Transitory and Transitional Provisions) (Scotland Parliamentary PensionScheme) Order 1999 Statutory Instrument (SI) 1082, ministers who participate inthe Scottish Parliamentary Pension Scheme are entitled to a pension, based on ser…
7 Jun 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the total cost of ministerial redundancy payments has been in each year since 1999.
Answer · John Swinney: On leaving office,ministers in the Scottish Executive are entitled to a severance grant of onequarter of their final ministerial salary. This is payable under Article 6 of the Scotland Act 1998 (Transitory and Transitional Provisions) (Grants toMembers and Of…
7 Jun 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the total cost to date has been of the police enquiries into the allegations of perjury during the Tommy Sheridan versus the News of the World case.
Answer · Kenny MacAskill: This informationis not held centrally.</p><p>In any event, itwould not be appropriate, for operational reasons, to disclose informationabout on-going police investigations.</p>
7 Jun 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the revenue cost would be of implementing a council tax discount for pensioner households of (a) 10%, (b) 20%, (c) 25%, (d) 30% and (e) 50%.
Answer · John Swinney: Estimated costs for2007-08, based on full collection rates, are contained in the following table:</p><table border=1 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=3> <tr> <td valign=top> <p align=center>Discount</p> </td> <td valign=top> <p align=center>Estimated Revenue C…
7 Jun 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the average capital value per hectare is of development land in Scotland
Answer · John Swinney: The value of landwith planning consent for development varies over time with the locality and thetype of planning consent. As an indicator of broad levels of value found in the Scottish property markets the <i>Valuation Office Property Market Report 2007</i>r…
29 May 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the revenue cost would be of reducing business rates by (a) 5%, (b) 10%, (c) 15% and (d) 20%.
Answer · John Swinney: In 2007-08, if the poundage ratehad been lower than the current poundage rate by (a) 5%, (b) 10%, (c) 15% and (d) 20%, the estimated reduction in revenuewould have been (a) £95 million, (b) £189 million, (c) £284 million and (d) £379million respectively.</p>
24 May 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will set up a taskforce to consider the feasibility of establishing a Scottish Olympics team.
Answer · Stewart Maxwell: I am committed to a meetingof Scotland’s sports stakeholders as soon as possible to discussthe prominence of sport in Scotland on the world stage. As part of this discussion, Iwill seek views from stakeholders on International Olympic Committee membershipand …
24 May 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what additional investment is being made in Scotland to prepare our athletes for the London Olympics.
Answer · Stewart Maxwell: UK Sport has responsibility for the UK Performance Pathwayand through this a total of £600 million has been made available over the six yearsfrom 2006-07 to 2012-13 to support athletes, including Scottish athletes, from havingtheir talent confirmed all the wa…
24 May 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will undertake a detailed study of the costs and benefits for Scotland of the London Olympics, including the impact on lottery funding for sports, charities and the arts.
Answer · Stewart Maxwell: The Scottish Executive will commissionresearch this summer to assess the likely economic costs and benefits of the 2012games to Scotland. The study is not intended to address the impact of lotteryfunding for sports, charities and the arts.</p><p>The previous …
23 May 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it intends to abolish prescription charges.
Answer · Shona Robison: We have a manifesto commitmentto phase out prescription charges and we are currently considering in detail howwe work towards that goal.</p>
23 May 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will make representations to Her Majesty’s Government to transfer legislative responsibility for firearms control from Westminster to the Scottish Parliament.
Answer · Kenny MacAskill: We are committed to ensuringthat Scotland has a firearms regime that meets Scotland’sneeds. We intend to engage with the Westminster Government on a wide range ofissues including firearms.</p>
23 May 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will make representations to Her Majesty’s Government to introduce legislation to ban airguns in Scotland.
Answer · Kenny MacAskill: We cannot ignore thestrength of public feeling about the misuse of air weapons in our communities weare committed to taking appropriate steps to minimise the risk posed by airweapons. We intend to engage with the Westminster Government on a wide range ofissue…
22 May 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has reviewed Scottish Enterprise’s plans to introduce a new computer system at a cost of up to £7 million and whether such spending represents value for money for the taxpayer.
Answer · Jim Mather: The introduction of a new computersystem would be an operational matter for Scottish Enterprise to consider withinthe powers and subject to the requirements of its financial framework and the <em>Scottish Public Finance Manual</em>.</p>
22 May 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has any plans to introduce legislation to make public appointments more accountable to the Parliament.
Answer · John Swinney: Any changes to the role orfunctions of the Commissioner for Public Appointments in Scotland,who oversees public appointments in Scotland, is a matter for Parliament.</p><p>The Public Appointments andPublic Bodies etc, (Scotland) Act 2003 established the Commi…
22 May 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has any plans to introduce legislation to establish a commissioner for older people.
Answer · Shona Robison: The Scottish Government doesnot have plans in place to legislate to establish a commissioner for older people.However, as set out in <i>All Our Futures; Planning for a</i> <i>Scotland with anAgeing Population</i> we will establish a broadly based National For…
22 May 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has any plans to introduce legislation to amend the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991.
Answer · Kenny MacAskill: The Scottish Executive has writtento chief constables and other key interests to establish facts and evidenceabout how dangerous dogs legislation is applied in their areas, to seek viewson what might be done to make enforcement more effective, and whether the…
22 May 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what its updated estimate is of the additional revenue which would be raised by extending business rates to all empty industrial and commercial properties.
Answer · John Swinney: The Executive does not collector hold data centrally relating to the types of empty properties in Scotland. However,an estimate of the amount of non-domestic rates not collected in respect of allempty and partially empty properties in Scotland, including indu…
22 May 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what estimate it has made of the additional revenue which would be raised if a levy equal to 1% of its capital value, was placed on all vacant and derelict land over a hectare.
Answer · John Swinney: The Executive has not made anational estimate of the additional revenue that would be raised through such alevy. The information required toreliably make such an estimate is not held by the Scottish Executive, the Scottish Assessors or local authorities.</p>
22 May 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what estimate it has made of the additional revenue which would be raised if business rates were extended to cover all vacant and derelict land over a hectare.
Answer · John Swinney: The information required toreliably estimate the amount of additional revenue that would be raised byextending business rates to all vacant and derelict land is not held by theExecutive, the Scottish Assessors or local authorities.</p>
15 Mar 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what rules and guidelines govern the conduct of senior managers in local government, particularly in respect of their obligations to local residents and parliamentary representatives.
Answer · Tom McCabe: Local authorities are independentcorporate bodies and are responsible for their own staffing matters. <i>The LocalGovernment Code for Employees in Scotland</i>, produced by COSLA assists local authoritiesin setting out minimum standards of conduct expected of…
15 Mar 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive which of its agencies are currently undergoing a formal performance review and which will be subject to such a review within the next 12 months.
Answer · Tom McCabe: Performance reviewarrangements for Executive agencies are focused on ensuring delivery ofspecific outputs within the framework of accountability to Ministers asdetailed in the agencies framework document. Individual targets and performanceindicators are set o…
15 Mar 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the current employment status is of the Scottish Criminal Record Office fingerprint experts who were the subject of investigation in relation to the misidentification of Shirley McKie’s fingerprint.
Answer · Cathy Jamieson: The employment status of individualsis a matter for them and their employers. I refer the member to the answer to questionS2W-30252 on 18 December 2006. All answers to written parliamentary questions are availableon the Parliament’s website the search facilit…
15 Mar 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive when it will issue its formal response to the Justice 1 Committee’s 3rd Report 2007: Inquiry into the Scottish Criminal Record Office and Scottish Fingerprint Service.
Answer · Cathy Jamieson: I provided the Justice 1Committee with the Executive’s formal response to this report on 23 March.</p>
13 Mar 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it expects to publish the findings of its review of NHS prescription charges and exemption arrangements prior to dissolution of the Parliament
Answer · Lewis Macdonald: A report containing an analysis of the public consultation carried out in connection with the Scottish Executives reviewof NHS prescription charges was published on the Scottish Executive website on Tuesday 20 March 2007. Further details can be found at:</p>…
1 Mar 2007 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive when it plans to issue a final report of the ministerial task force on second stage housing stock transfer in Glasgow.
Answer · Rhona Brankin: The joint team report, publishedin December 2006, provides an analysis of the issues surrounding second stage transferin Glasgow. Following this report, my predecessor set out a clear framework to takethe transfer process forward, which the Scottish Executive…