Parliamentary questions
Andrew Wilson
771 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.
27 Mar 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how much of the funding distributed from the Scottish budget was distributed through non-departmental public bodies in each year for which figures are available, given as a cash figure and as a percentage of the overall budget.
Answer · Angus MacKay: Annex 2 of the 2000 Annual Expenditure Report, <I>Investing In You</I> shows Non-Departmental Public Bodies expenditure within Total Budget for 1994-95 to 2000-01.<P>This is published on the Scottish Executive's website at:<P><A HREF="http://www.scotland.gov.…
22 Mar 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will list all the official correspondence it has received on the issue of housing in Cumbernauld.
Answer · Jackie Baillie: The Scottish Executive has received four letters in this connection since 1 April 2000 and a number of representations have been made to the Minister by Cathie Craigie, MSP for Cumbernauld and Kilsyth.
9 Mar 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive on what basis, in terms of replacement cost, actual cost and any other categories used, the capital value of assets used by its core and associated departments and its agencies has been assessed.
Answer · Angus MacKay: The tangible fixed assets of the Scottish Executive, its associated departments and its agencies are valued in accordance with the principles set out in the Resource Accounting Manual<I>.</I><P>The annual accounts of each body state the detailed accounting po…
2 Mar 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will list the specific sources of revenue and income available to each of its core and associated departments in the latest year for which figures are available.
2 Mar 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many specific amendments were made to its budget within the course of the budget in the last full year for which figures are available.
Answer · Angus MacKay: Amendments to the 2000-01 Scottish Budget are set out in the Autumn, Winter and Spring Revisions documents.
2 Mar 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-9636 by Angus MacKay on 20 November 2000, whether it will detail the budget of each of the bodies listed in each year for which figures are available.
Answer · Angus MacKay: Non-departmental public bodies vary in their accounting procedures and many, such as Advisory NDPBs, have no budget responsibilities. Annual reports and accounts are the main vehicles by which NDPBs discharge their accountability functions to enable the Parli…
2 Mar 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions it has had with Her Majesty's Treasury regarding the categories of comparable expenditure which will be used in assessing the annual changes in funding to accommodate capital charge payments from the Scottish budget.
Answer · Angus MacKay: Capital charges are currently classified as Annually Managed Expenditure (AME). The main component of AME comprises the Resource Accounting and Budgeting (RAB) adjustments such as capital charges, etc. AME is not subject to the Barnett formula and funding is …
28 Feb 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will list any taxes and charges paid from resources from the Scottish budget other than value added tax and National Insurance contributions which return to Her Majesty's Treasury and whether it will estimate the amount paid from the Scottish budget in respect of each such tax…
Answer · Angus MacKay: There are no significant charges or taxes other than VAT and NICs that are paid to HM Treasury directly from the Scottish Budget.
28 Feb 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the amount of (a) employers' and (b) employees' National Insurance contributions paid from the Scottish budget was in each year for which figures are available, in total and broken down into the amount paid from the budgets of each of its core and associated departments and each of …
Answer · Angus MacKay: The table sets out the employers' and employees' National Insurance Contributions (NICs) for the core Scottish Executive, Associated Departments and Agencies.<TABLE BORDER CELLSPACING=1 CELLPADDING=7 WIDTH=612><TR><TD WIDTH="18%" VALIGN="TOP"> </TD><TD W…
28 Feb 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how much cash was moved within the Scottish budget in each financial year for which figures are available (a) in total, (b) due to inter-departmental transfers, (c) due to new resources being added in, (d) due to resources being transferred out and (e) for any other reason.
Answer · Angus MacKay: In-year changes to the Scottish Budget for the years 1999-2000 and 2000-01 are set out in the Autumn, Winter and Spring Revisions for both years.
28 Feb 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how much was spent on new capital investment in and refurbishment of Scottish Executive property in each year for which figures are available, specifying the amount spent in each year on each project.
Answer · Angus MacKay: Responsibility for property, including refurbishments, was delegated to the Scottish Office from Property Holdings (an Agency of the Cabinet Office) on 1 April 1996. These responsibilities were assumed by the Scottish Executive on 1 July 1999.<P>The cost of r…
28 Feb 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will list the payments made from the Scottish budget to Her Majesty's Treasury in each year for which figures are available, specifying in each case the type of payment and the amount of the payment.
27 Feb 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will list the contingent liabilities entered into by its core and associated departments and its agencies, specifying the amount involved in each.
Answer · Angus MacKay: The annual accounts of the core Scottish Executive, its associated departments and its agencies, provide details on quantifiable contingent liabilities. At 31 March 2000, these are:<TABLE BORDER CELLSPACING=1 CELLPADDING=7 WIDTH=616><TR><TD WIDTH="24%" VALIGN…
27 Feb 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the amount of value added tax paid from the Scottish budget was in each year for which figures are available, in total and broken into the amount paid by each of its core and associated departments and each of its agencies.
Answer · Angus MacKay: VAT was paid (net of recoveries) in the financial year 1999-2000 by the following:<TABLE BORDER CELLSPACING=1 CELLPADDING=7 WIDTH=609><TR><TD WIDTH="70%" VALIGN="TOP"> </TD><TD WIDTH="30%" VALIGN="TOP"><P ALIGN="CENTER">Amount £000</TD></TR><TR><TD WIDTH…
27 Feb 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what payments its core and associated departments and its agencies made for the rental or lease of properties in each year for which figures are available.
Answer · Angus MacKay: In 1999-2000 the Scottish Executive paid £11,274,000 and in 2000-01 the Executive will pay £11,619,000 (estimated) in rental and lease payments. These figures are inclusive of VAT where payable.
27 Feb 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the cost was to its core and associated departments and its agencies of making employers' contributions to staff pensions in each year for which figures are available and how much it estimates will be spent in any future years for which projections are available.
Answer · Angus MacKay: The following table provides details of the Scottish Executive Accruing Superannuation Liability Charges to the Principal Civil Service Pension Scheme for its core, Associated Departments and Agencies for 1999-2000 and 2000-01 and the estimated figures for 20…
27 Feb 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will list the capital assets of its core and associated departments and its agencies which appear in the National Asset Register.
Answer · Angus MacKay: The first National Asset Register was published in November 1997 to inform on the assets owned by central Government departments, associated departments and their executive agencies. A second National Asset Register has been prepared and is due to be publishe…
27 Feb 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how much it has cost to value all of the capital assets of its core and associated departments and its agencies in preparation for the introduction of a resource account budgeting system and what the estimated ongoing costs will be of assessing the value of these assets.
Answer · Angus MacKay: Preparation for resource accounting and budgeting began some 5 years ago. <P>For the core and associated departments the initial set-up costs amounted to £170k, and estimated annualised ongoing costs amount to c£40k.<P>Agencies have been producing annual acco…
27 Feb 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the value is of all capital assets used by its core and associated departments and its agencies which will be included in the assessment of capital charges under the new resource account budgeting system, broken down to as low a level as the information is available.
Answer · Angus MacKay: The value of fixed assets as at 31 March 2000 which would be included in the assessment of capital charges as reported in the resource accounts is as follows:<TABLE BORDER CELLSPACING=1 CELLPADDING=7 WIDTH=601><TR><TD WIDTH="37%" VALIGN="TOP"><P ALIGN="CENTER…
22 Feb 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the total amount is of capital resources provided through all private finance initiative and public private partnership projects and what the average rate of interest paid to all lenders for the provision of that capital is.
Answer · Angus MacKay: The total estimated capital value of Private Finance Initiative projects at signed and preferred bidder stage in cash terms is shown in the attached tables. An average rate of interest paid to all lenders for the provision of capital is not held centrally. In…
22 Feb 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many teachers were employed per (a) primary and (b) secondary school pupil in each year for which figures are available and how many are expected to be employed in any future years for which projections are available.
Answer · Jack McConnell: Historical figures for pupil:teacher ratios are published regularly in Statistical Bulletins. The following table sets out the pupil:teacher ratio for publicly funded primary and secondary schools for selected years since 1980 together with the fraction of a …
22 Feb 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the average si'e is of (a) a primary one, (b) a primary two, (c) a primary three and (d) a primary four class.
Answer · Jack McConnell: The table below sets out the latest available average class size in (a) primary one, (b) primary two, (c) primary three and (d) primary four from the 1999 school census. The figures relate to single stage classes in publicly funded schools.<TABLE BORDER CELLS…
22 Feb 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the average si'e is of (a) a primary and (b) a secondary school class.
Answer · Jack McConnell: The latest information from the 1999 school census shows that the average class size in publicly funded primary schools was 24.6. This figure covers both single stage and composite classes. A composite class includes children from more than one stage - for ex…
7 Feb 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1O-2801 by Mr Alasdair Morrison on 18 January 2001, whether it will list all of the official correspondence it has received on plans to invest in town centre development in Cumbernauld and Kilsyth.
Answer · Sam Galbraith: No correspondence has been directed to the Scottish Executive on plans to invest in town centre development in Cumbernauld and Kilsyth.
17 Jan 2001 · General Question
To ask the Scottish Executive in what circumstances it has a continuing responsibility for the standard of houses previously sold by government bodies.
Answer · Jackie Baillie: Responsibility for the repair and maintenance of houses sold by government bodies rests with those who bought them.
9 Jan 2001 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how much (a) each parliamentary constituency and (b) each local authority area received in lottery funding during the 12 months to 31 December 2000.
Answer · Sam Galbraith: These are matters for the lottery distributor concerned, and I have asked them to respond to the member directly: a copy of the reply will be placed in the Parliament's Reference Centre.
22 Nov 2000 · General Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the difference was in per capita health spending between Scotland and England in 1997-98 and what it will be by the year 2003-04.
Answer · Susan Deacon: On a cash basis, actual Scottish health expenditure per head in 1997-98 was £147 more than in England. Planned expenditure per head for 2003-04 is £194 greater than England.
9 Nov 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-357 by Mr Jack McConnell on 20 September 1999, whether it will (a) provide an up-to-date list of the public sector capital projects involving private finance (i) completed, (ii) planned and (iii) underway, giving both the start and estimated completi…
Answer · Angus MacKay: An up-to date list of all currently active projects known to the Executive, giving the dates requested, where available, and the total estimated capital value of known projects is available in SPICe. The annual public expenditure required to service these pro…
8 Nov 2000 · General Question
To ask the Scottish Executive why the level of health spending in Scotland is rising less rapidly than in England.
Answer · Susan Deacon: We get the same £ for £ increase per head of population as England. The Executive's full spending plans are outlined in <I>Investing in You</I>.
25 Oct 2000 · General Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to respond to calls from people in Cumbernauld and Kilsyth for there to be a new local authority separate from North Lanarkshire Council.
Answer · Peter Peacock: The current local authority boundaries were established in 1996. Local authorities need a period of stability to address the modernisation agenda and to allow them to concentrate on the efficient and effective delivery of services.