Alex Neil

25 Jun 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether a policy adviser is classed as a civil servant.

Answer · Andy Kerr: I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-27046.

25 Jun 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether the First Minister decides how many civil servants there should be in the Scottish Executive, associated departments, executive agencies and non-departmental public bodies.

Answer · Peter Peacock: Ministers exercise overall control of administration expenditure by the Scottish Executive, associated departments, executive agencies and non-departmental public bodies through the budget approval process. In practice, within these approved budgets managers …

25 Jun 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what powers the First Minister has to discipline and terminate the employment of civil servants.

Answer · Peter Peacock: Powers in relation to personnel issues such as the recruitment and appointment of staff outside the Senior Civil Service, discipline and the termination of employment of civil servants are delegated to the First Minister under the Civil Service (Management Fu…

25 Jun 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what powers the First Minister has to recruit and appoint civil servants.

Answer · Peter Peacock: I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-27034.

25 Jun 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what involvement it and the First Minister have in the process for appointing its permanent secretary.

Answer · Andy Kerr: The Head of the Home Civil Service, acting on the advice of the Senior Appointments Selection Committee, is responsible for the process of appointments to Permanent Secretary. The Civil Service Commissioners' Recruitment Code makes explicit provision for cons…

13 Jun 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many submissions received in respect of the consultation on the Scottish Prison Service estates review (a) supported and (b) opposed proposals to build new private prisons.

Answer · Jim Wallace: The consultation period ended on 12 June. The responses to the consultation are currently being analysed. Once the analysis has been completed, a report of that analysis will be published. In accordance with normal procedures, the responses themselves will al…

12 Jun 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many Sewel motions it has lodged with the Parliament in each year since 1999 and how many of these were passed.

Answer · Patricia Ferguson: The Scottish Executive lodged five Sewel motions in 1999, 11 in 2000, 13 in 2001 and four to date this year. All of these motions were approved by the Scottish Parliament.

12 Jun 2002 · SPCB Written Question

To ask the Presiding Officer, further to his answer to question S1W-26404 on 12 June 2002, what indemnity arrangements were put in place in regard to the contract with Flour City Architectural Metals (UK) Ltd.

Answer · David Steel: The only form of indemnity put in place in regard to the contract with Flour City Architectural Metals (UK) Ltd was the Parent Company Guarantee.

12 Jun 2002 · SPCB Written Question

To ask the Presiding Officer, further to his answer to question S1W-26404 on 12 June 2002, what the Parent Company Guarantee entailed and whether it included the reparation of any money lost on the contract.

Answer · David Steel: Under the Parent Company Guarantee, the SPCB can claim from the guarantor, Flour City International, all its losses, damages, costs and expenses arising out of the failure of Flour City Architectural Metals (UK) Ltd to perform its obligations provided that su…

30 May 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive when the review of the complaints and appeals procedures of the Scottish Ambulance Service will be completed.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: A working group of NHS staff, professional and patient representatives are developing proposals for revision of the NHS complaints procedure to meet the commitment in<I> Our National Health: A plan for action, a plan for change</I>. The objective is to produc…

30 May 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many complaints have been submitted under the complaints procedure of the Scottish Ambulance Service in each of the last three years and what the outcomes were.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: The following table shows the number of complaints submitted to the Scottish Ambulance Service under the NHS Complaints Procedure in the last three years, and the outcomes of these complaints:<TABLE BORDER CELLSPACING=1 CELLPADDING=7 WIDTH=604><TR><TD WIDTH="…

30 May 2002 · SPCB Written Question

To ask the Presiding Officer whether a breakdown of foreign trips which the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body has funded in each of the last two years can be provided, detailing the cost of each trip, its purpose and whether reports on the outcome of each trip have been placed in the Scottish Parliament Informatio…

Answer · David Steel: Details are set out in the attached table of visits in 2000, 2001 and 2002, funded by the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body (SPCB), outwith the United Kingdom by:<UL><LI>the Presiding Officer, the Deputy Presiding Officers; </LI><LI>cross-party delegation…

29 May 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive when work will start on the upgrading of the A77 between Kilmarnock and Glasgow.

Answer · Lewis Macdonald: Work is expected to start in early 2003, subject to the tender for the PPP contract demonstrating value for money.

29 May 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how much it has spent on tourism (a) in each of the last two years, (b) in the current year and (c) has been allocated for next year, broken down by department and agency.

Answer · Mike Watson: The Information requested is as follows:<TABLE BORDER CELLSPACING=1 CELLPADDING=7 WIDTH=604><TR><TD WIDTH="13%" VALIGN="TOP"><P>Organisation<P>Year</TD><TD WIDTH="14%" VALIGN="TOP"><P>VisitScotland (£ million)</TD><TD WIDTH="13%" VALIGN="TOP"><P>Highlands and…

29 May 2002 · SPCB Written Question

To ask the Presiding Officer what due diligence was carried out on Flour City Architectural Metals (UK) Ltd prior to it being given a contract for the Scottish Parliament and what indemnity arrangements were put in place.

Answer · David Steel: Flour City Architectural Metals (UK) was subject to the same due diligence procedures as other successful tenderers. Their ability to perform the contract was based on the professional and financial standing of the parent company, Flour City International, an…

29 May 2002 · SPCB Written Question

To ask the Presiding Officer how much the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body spent on Tartan Day celebrations in the United States of America in each of the last two years.

Answer · David Steel: Actual expenditure arising from a Deputy Presiding Officer, a cross party delegation, and one support officer, undertaking an agreed one week programme during Tartan Day 2001, was £40,409. <P>The estimated expenditure arising from the Presiding Officer, a cro…

29 May 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how much it spent on Tartan Day celebrations in the United States of America in each of the last two years, broken down by department and agency.

Answer · Patricia Ferguson: It has not proved possible to collate all the relevant information in the time available for answering this question. I will write to the member once the full information is to hand and will place a copy of the letter in the Parliament's Reference Centre.

16 May 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether the incident at HM Prison Kilmarnock, reported on 15 May 2002, when a prison warder was stabbed in the neck by a prisoner was classed under the key performance indicators as a serious assault and, if not, what it was classified as.

Answer · Jim Wallace: I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service to respond. His response is as follows:<P>This incident was classed as a serious assault.

16 May 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether the prisoner involved in the assault of a prison warder at HM Prison Kilmarnock, reported on 15 May 2002, has since been moved to another prison establishment.

Answer · Jim Wallace: I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service to respond. His response is as follows:<P>The incident has been referred to the police for investigation. We do not comment on the location of any prisoner, not least when he or she may…

14 May 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how much the Better Government for Older People and Older People Advisory Group event at Victoria Quay on 28 and 29 May 2002 will cost.

Answer · Frank McAveety: The cost to the Scottish Executive of providing buffet lunches and coffee for local authority and older people's representatives attending the event at Victoria Quay is being met from within existing running costs. Other costs are a matter for the Better Gove…

14 May 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the aim is of the Better Government for Older People and Older People Advisory Group event at Victoria Quay on 28 and 29 May 2002; how the outcomes of the event will influence its policy, and what action will be taken in respect of such outcomes.

Answer · Frank McAveety: The aim of the event, which is being organised by the Better Government for Older People Network and the Scottish Older People's Advisory Group, is to work towards a Scottish Better Government for Older People Network. The Scottish Executive is providing faci…

30 Apr 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what parliamentary procedures are involved in the preparation and passage of an Order in Council to transfer reserved powers from Her Majesty's Government to the Scottish Parliament.

Answer · Patricia Ferguson: I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-25483.

30 Apr 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, in relation to the transfer of reserved powers from Her Majesty's Government to the Scottish Parliament, whether an Order in Council requires the approval of both the House of Commons and the Scottish Parliament.

Answer · Patricia Ferguson: Yes. Orders in Council under section 30 of the Scotland Act must be laid in draft before, and approved by resolution of, the Scottish Parliament and each House of Parliament at Westminster before a recommendation to make the order can be made to Her Majesty i…

17 Apr 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many police officers are being trained to deal with disturbances at HM Prison Kilmarnock and what the duties of such officers will be.

Answer · Jim Wallace: This is an operational matter for Strathclyde Police and the information requested is not held centrally.

17 Apr 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether police officers of Strathclyde Police are being trained to manage disturbances at HM Prison Kilmarnock.

Answer · Jim Wallace: This is an operational matter for Strathclyde Police and the information requested is not held centrally.

17 Apr 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the cost is of training police officers of Strathclyde Police to deal with disturbances at HM Prison Kilmarnock.

Answer · Jim Wallace: This is an operational matter for Strathclyde Police and the information requested is not held centrally.

17 Apr 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive who is responsible for meeting the financial costs of training police officers of Strathclyde Police Force to deal with disturbances at HM Prison Kilmarnock.

Answer · Jim Wallace: This is an operational matter for the force and information of this sort is not held centrally. Generally, however, the costs of training officers of Strathclyde Police would be met partly by the force from within the budget set for it by Strathclyde Joint Po…

10 Apr 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive when it intends to act on the recommendations in the report Research and Knowledge Transfer in Scotland produced by the Scottish Higher Education Funding Council and Scottish Enterprise joint task group.

Answer · Iain Gray: The Executive is considering the issues raised by this report in the context of its current review of higher education, the second consultation paper on which was published on 26 April.

10 Apr 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what assessment it has made of the impact of Tartan Day on visitor numbers to Scotland.

Answer · Mike Watson: I have asked VisitScotland to undertake an analysis of the impact of Tartan Day on tourism to Scotland.

10 Apr 2002 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will make infliximab available throughout Scotland to arthritis sufferers in line with the practice of the National Institute of Clinical Excellence (NICE) in England and Wales.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: Infliximab is available on NHS prescription and its use depends on the clinical judgement of specialists experienced in the management of rheumatoid arthritis.<P>The Health Technology Board for Scotland will look at the NICE guidance on the use of the anti-TN…