Parliamentary questions
Andrew Wilson
771 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.
4 Sep 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive when the new Wishaw Hospital in Lanarkshire is expected to be completed and whether the project is proceeding on schedule.
Answer · Susan Deacon: Lanarkshire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust, which has commissioned the new Wishaw General Hospital, advises me that construction work is progressing on schedule. The Trust expects the hospital to be completed in May 2001 as planned.
4 Sep 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many hospital beds were available in Lanarkshire in each of the last 10 years and how many beds there are planned to be in each future year for which information is available.
Answer · Susan Deacon: This information is not held centrally. I have, however, asked the Chief Executive of Lanarkshire Health Board to write to you with the details you have sought. A copy of the letter will be placed in the Parliament's Reference Centre.
13 Jul 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how much money from the UK reserve was added to the Scottish budget in each year since 1979; how many applications it has made to draw money from the UK reserve; if any such applications have been made, what amount was requested in each case and which applications were successful.
Answer · Jack McConnell: I refer you to PQ S1W-5433 which provides details of the additional resources allocated to the Scottish budget from the UK Reserve since 1 July 1999. In addition the Scottish Budget will increase by £288.3 million in 2000-01 as a result of Scotland's share of…
13 Jul 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the total Scottish budget was in each year since 1979; what percentage of the overall UK budget this represented in each year and what changes took place in the areas of expenditure to be met from the Scottish budget during this time.
Answer · Jack McConnell: The table below sets out the total Scottish budget since 1993-94 and the percentage this represents of the total UK budget. The introduction of Resource Accounting and Budgeting makes strict comparison with years before 1999-2000 difficult. Figures are shown,…
13 Jul 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how much borrowing each water authority (a) currently has in place and (b) is seeking, specifying in each case the repayment period agreed or proposed.
Answer · Sarah Boyack: Total borrowing at the end of the last financial year for each of the water authorities was:<P>East of Scotland: £605.976 million<P>West of Scotland: £714.762 million<P>North of Scotland: £371.473 million<P>Further details relating to the breakdown by lender …
12 Jul 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the total value is of all assets held by the public sector in Scotland.
Answer · Jack McConnell: The information requested is not held centrally.<P ALIGN="JUSTIFY">Summarised information on the value of the assets is given in the published accounts of the bodies concerned. The Scottish Executive will publish accounts early in 2001 giving such information…
12 Jul 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what capital expenditure, in cash and real terms, in the public sector (a) was in each year for which figures are available and (b) is expected to be in each year for which projections are available.
Answer · Jack McConnell: The table below sets out capital expenditure in the public sector in cash and real terms (at 1999-2000 prices). Any analysis of capital investment in the public sector should also include capital investment levered in through Public/Private Partnerships and t…
12 Jul 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what capital expenditure in the public sector was in the last financial year, broken down by category of expenditure and specifying for each category the source of funding.
Answer · Jack McConnell: The table below sets out capital expenditure in the public sector for financial year 1999-2000, broken down by category of expenditure and source of funding:<TABLE BORDER CELLSPACING=1 CELLPADDING=2 WIDTH=576><TR><TD WIDTH="47%" VALIGN="TOP" HEIGHT=17><P ALIG…
12 Jul 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how much income was received by each local authority in each of the last five years in cash and real terms, broken down by category or source of income.
Answer · Jack McConnell: The information requested is given in the table "Income Received By Local Authorities By Category Of Source - 1996-97 to 2000-01", a copy of which has been placed in the Parliament's Reference Centre (Bib. number 7153).
12 Jul 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the total amount spent by (a) local authorities as a whole and (b) each local authority was in each of the last five years, specified in both real and cash terms.
Answer · Jack McConnell: Expenditure totals for local authorities are given in the following CIPFA publications, copies of which are available in the Parliament's Reference Centre: <I><P ALIGN="JUSTIFY">Rating Review: Actuals of Income and Expenditure 1996-97</I> (Bib number 7544)<I>…
12 Jul 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the total income, in cash and real terms, from (a) council tax in each year since its introduction; (b) the community charge in each year it was in existence, and (c) domestic rates in each year for which figures are available was in (i) Scotland as a whole and (ii) each local author…
Answer · Jack McConnell: For council tax information for years 1996-97 onwards, I refer to the answer given to question S1W-8670. Council tax and community charge figures (in cash terms) for years prior to this are given in Appendix 1 of successive editions of <I>Scottish Local Gover…
12 Jul 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the total income, in cash and real terms, from non-domestic rates in (a) Scotland as a whole and (b) each local authority area (i) has been in each year since its inception and (ii) is expected to be in the current financial year and in all future years for which projections are avai…
Answer · Jack McConnell: The amounts of non-domestic rate income collected by local authorities for years 1996-97 (the first year following local government reorganisation) to 1998-99 are shown in both cash and real terms in the following table.<TABLE BORDER CELLSPACING=1 CELLPADDING…
30 Jun 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what consideration has been given to the rescheduling of debts relating to water and sewerage services as a means of reducing the level of water and sewerage charges.
Answer · Sarah Boyack: A significant amount of debt was taken from the water and sewerage services prior to the creation of the water authorities.<P ALIGN="JUSTIFY">Rescheduling of debts by the water authorities has been considered in the past on the balance of costs and benefits. …
30 Jun 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the total amount of money raised by water and sewerage charges (a) in Scotland and (b) in each water authority area (i) was in each year for which figures are available and (ii) will be in each year for which estimates are available, specified in cash and real terms in each case.
Answer · Sam Galbraith: <TABLE BORDER CELLSPACING=1 CELLPADDING=2 WIDTH=642><TR><TD WIDTH="32%" VALIGN="TOP" HEIGHT=17></TD><TD WIDTH="14%" VALIGN="TOP" HEIGHT=17><FONT FACE="Arial"><P ALIGN="CENTER">1996-97</FONT></TD><TD WIDTH="14%" VALIGN="TOP" HEIGHT=17><FONT FACE="Arial"><P ALI…
30 Jun 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the total public sector expenditure on activities related to the delivery of water and sewerage services (a) was in each year for which figures are available and (b) will be in each year for which estimates are available, specified in cash and real terms in each case.
Answer · Sarah Boyack: The total public expenditure figures relating to the delivery of water and sewerage services are as follows:<P ALIGN="JUSTIFY">In cash terms:<TABLE BORDER CELLSPACING=1 CELLPADDING=7 WIDTH=616><TR><TD WIDTH="18%" VALIGN="TOP"><P ALIGN="JUSTIFY">£m</TD><TD WID…
29 Jun 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many police officers were employed in Scotland, in total and expressed as a full-time equivalent figure, in each year from 1979 to 2000.
Answer · Jim Wallace: The figures collected centrally are as shown in the table below.<TABLE BORDER CELLSPACING=1 CELLPADDING=7 WIDTH=545><TR><TD WIDTH="43%" VALIGN="TOP"><P ALIGN="JUSTIFY">As at 31 March:</TD><TD WIDTH="57%" VALIGN="TOP"><P ALIGN="CENTER">Number of Police Officer…
29 Jun 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many doctors were employed in Scotland, in total and expressed as a full-time equivalent figure, in each year from 1979 to 2000.
Answer · Susan Deacon: The information available on medical staff employed in the NHS in Scotland is shown in the following table. The table should be read in conjunction with the notes below.<TABLE BORDER CELLSPACING=1 CELLPADDING=2 WIDTH=177><TR><TD WIDTH="28%" VALIGN="TOP" ROWSP…
29 Jun 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many nurses were employed in Scotland, in total and expressed as a full-time equivalent figure, in each year from 1979 to 2000.
Answer · Susan Deacon: The latest information available centrally on the numbers of nurses employed in the NHS in Scotland from 1979 to 2000 is shown in the following table. Over this period the table shows that the number of qualified nurses in the NHS in Scotland has increased by…
29 Jun 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many teachers were employed in Scotland, in total and expressed as a full-time equivalent figure, in each year from 1979 to 2000.
Answer · Sam Galbraith: The information which is available is set out in the table below. The total number of teachers has only been recorded since 1991. Figures for 1999-2000 are not yet available.<TABLE BORDER CELLSPACING=1 CELLPADDING=2 WIDTH=498><TR><TD VALIGN="TOP" COLSPAN=3 HE…
29 Jun 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive which areas of Scotland had non-oil GDP per capita of less than 75% of the European Union average in the most recent year for which figures are available, based on the lowest geographic area for which figures are available.
Answer · Henry McLeish: No estimates of non-oil GDP are held centrally for areas within Scotland. Total GDP figures are available for the European Union NUTS three areas up to 1996. These were published in <I>Scottish Economic Statistics 2000</I>, a copy of which is available from S…
29 Jun 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive which public sector bodies are allocated external finance limits; what the 2000-01 limits are in each case and who sets these limits.
Answer · Jack McConnell: The table below details the public sector bodies that are set external financing limits by the Scottish Executive and provides details of the limits allocated for 2000-01:<TABLE BORDER CELLSPACING=1 CELLPADDING=7 WIDTH=609><TR><TD WIDTH="68%" VALIGN="TOP">&nb…
29 Jun 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what borrowing powers it, its departments and agencies have, specifying in each case the amount of money which may be borrowed, for what purposes money may be borrowed and what authority is required to enable such borrowing to take place.
Answer · Jack McConnell: The borrowing powers that have been taken up by Scottish Executive Ministers and other public sector bodies for financial year 2000-01 are set out in section 4 and schedule 5 of the Budget (Scotland) Act 2000. Scottish Executive Ministers also have a borrowin…
29 Jun 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will list all of the assets registered in the National Asset Register which are under the control of it, its departments or agencies, local authorities or other Scottish public bodies and any assets under the control of these bodies which are not currently on the Register.
Answer · Jack McConnell: The National Asset Register (NAR) was published in November 1997 to provide a picture at a point in time of the assets owned by central Government departments, their executive agencies, executive non-departmental public bodies (NDPBs), health bodies and other…
29 Jun 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what funds were allocated to the Scottish budget as a result of the Comprehensive Spending Review specifically to take account of any additional costs of devolution.
Answer · Jack McConnell: I refer you to Cm 4215 Serving Scotland's Needs Governments expenditure plans1999-2000 to 2001-2002 chapters 12 and 13.
29 Jun 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what categories of expenditure have been (a) excluded from and (b) added, since the inception of the Barnett formula, to the items of comparable expenditure which make up the base figure to which the Barnett formula is applied in order to calculate the annual changes in allocations to the…
Answer · Jack McConnell: Comparability percentages apply at the departmental level, changes in comparabilities reflect changes in coverage and similarity of Whitehall department's expenditure. Annex C of the revised Statement of Funding Policy published on 18 July 2000 provides …
29 Jun 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive which areas of Scottish spending are not matched, in the Barnett formula calculation of annual changes in allocations to the Scottish assigned budget, by comparable spending in England and Wales.
Answer · Jack McConnell: I refer you to the <I>Statement of Funding Policy: Funding the Scottish Parliament, National Assembly for Wales and Northern Ireland Assembly</I>.
28 Jun 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what estimated proportion of each of the level one budget headings, and of the total budget, is spent on (a) wages and salaries and (b) other related labour costs.
Answer · Jack McConnell: I refer you to the answer to question S1W-5679 which gave estimates of the proportion of each of the Level 1 Budget headings and the total budget spent on public sector pay. A further breakdown of these figures into wages and salaries and other related labour…
28 Jun 2000 · General Question
To ask the Scottish Executive who was consulted over the recently authorised decision to close Langlands, Melrose, Glenhead, Abronhill, Whitelees, St Joseph's and Sacred Heart Primary Schools in Cumbernauld earlier than previously scheduled.
Answer · Peter Peacock: We have no information as to who North Lanarkshire Council may have consulted on this matter.
27 Jun 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what central analysis is made of the overall impact of Private Finance Initiative or Public/Private Partnership contracts on the Scottish budget.
Answer · Jack McConnell: Estimates of revenue commitment resulting from service payments by the public sector are calculated in real and cash terms, rounded to the nearest £1 million, for both signed projects and projects under procurement on a year-by-year and sector-by-sector basis…
27 Jun 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will list any signed Private Finance Initiative or Public Private Partnership contracts in respect of which a business case is not currently available.
Answer · Jack McConnell: The policy to publish full business cases for Government public/private partnerships, announced last year on 24<SUP>th</SUP> June in the Scottish Parliament, applies only to projects signed by Scottish Executive Departments and Agencies from that date. It is …