Parliamentary questions
Andrew Wilson
771 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.
27 Jun 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will list every Private Finance Initiative or Public Private Partnership contract that has involved or is involving public sector organisations in Scotland.
Answer · Jack McConnell: The Scottish Executive publishes a list of all Private Finance Initiative projects on the Private Finance Unit page of its Internet web site. It is issued to any interested party on demand and is also sent quarterly to subscribers to the Executive's PFI Newsl…
26 Jun 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether the running costs for the Houses of Parliament at Westminster are included as comparable expenditure in the Barnett formula calculation.
Answer · Jack McConnell: No.
20 Jun 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive to list (a) the total amount of the Scottish budget under the control of the Scottish Executive and previously the Secretary of State for Scotland that was not spent by the end of each financial year since 1979, (b) the amount of this underspend that was carried forward in each year into …
Answer · Jack McConnell: The Chancellor announced in July 1998 that, other than in exceptional circumstances, in future all underspends on Departmental Expenditure Limits (DEL) would be reclaimable under End Year Flexibility. I attach two tables setting out total unspent balances, re…
20 Jun 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how much of the allocation of funding to the Scottish budget through the Barnett formula in each year for which figures are available, in cash and real terms, is the result of changes in spending in England and Wales specifically related to comparable expenditure in European Structural Fu…
Answer · Jack McConnell: Scottish consequentials are calculated using comparabilities at a Departmental level. How the UK Government Departments then allocate Departmental totals within their Departments is a matter for them.
20 Jun 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the total employment was in the public sector in the departments and agencies under the control of the Scottish Executive, and previously the Secretary of State for Scotland, in total and by department and agency in each year for which figures are available.
Answer · Jack McConnell: I refer the member to Written Parliamentary Question S1W-4038 answered on 10 March 2000.
20 Jun 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the total level of public sector employment was in each year for which figures are available, starting with the earliest possible year.
Answer · Henry McLeish: The number of employee jobs in the public sector industries since 1981 is shown in the table below. Figures include jobs in public administration, defence, education, and health related industries.<P>Employee jobs in public sector industries, Scotland 1981-19…
20 Jun 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive to detail the total expenditure in the Scottish budget, and previous block equivalents, as a percentage of Scottish non-oil Gross Domestic Product in each year since 1975 for which figures are available.
Answer · Jack McConnell: The table below sets out the available information for the total Scottish budget in cash as a proportion of Scottish non-oil GDP at market prices.<TABLE BORDER CELLSPACING=1 CELLPADDING=7 WIDTH=616><TR><TD WIDTH="38%" VALIGN="TOP"> </TD><TD WIDTH="12%" V…
20 Jun 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the total cash allocation to Scotland was through the Barnett formula in each year since its inception, in cash and real terms, with the corresponding multiplier that was used in each year.
Answer · Jack McConnell: Information is not held in a way which would allow Barnett changes to be disaggregated from other changes, such as transfers to and from Scotland's Budget. The total net effect of these changes, however, can be tracked through comparisons of the revised plans…
20 Jun 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive (a) what the annual percentage rise was in (i) the average earnings of public sector workers and (ii) overall average earnings in each year since 1979, and is estimated to be in each future year for which figures are available; (b) how each of these figures compares with the equivalent (i…
Answer · Jack McConnell: The Scottish Executive does not hold this information. The Office for National Statistics (ONS) collects data annually in the New Earnings Survey and has supplied the information shown in the tables below. Further information on earnings can be obtained direc…
10 May 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what representations it has made to Her Majesty's Government regarding the awarding of army uniform contract ST1A/1335 to Feuchter in Germany rather than Macbeans in Cumbernauld.
Answer · Henry McLeish: The Defence Clothing and Textiles Agency (DCTA) is responsible for the procurement of all clothing and textiles for the Ministry of Defence. The Scottish Executive was not approached by any Scottish clothing manufacturers about the contract prior to its award.
10 May 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the annual rise in (a) the average earnings of public sector workers and (b) overall average earnings was in Scotland in each year since 1979 and is estimated to be in each future year for which forecasts are available, and how each of these figures compares to the equivalent UK figu…
Answer · Jack McConnell: The following table shows the average annual increases in gross weekly earnings<SUP>1</SUP> in (a) the public sector and (b) all sectors for Scotland and Great Britain over the period for which comparable data is available. UK figures are not available.<P ALI…
25 Apr 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how much the Scottish Arts Council spent in the North Lanarkshire Council area in the most recent 12 month period for which figures are available and how its spending per head in North Lanarkshire compares with the Scottish average.
Answer · Rhona Brankin: In 1998-99 the Scottish Arts Council (SAC) allocated £111,077 (equivalent to £0.43 per head of adult population) of Voted Funds to organisations based in North Lanarkshire out of its total grant from the Scottish Office of £27,184,000 (equivalent to £6.62 per…
30 Mar 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the total cost is of each Scottish Executive Minister's private office since July 1999, broken down by category of expenditure where possible.
Answer · Donald Dewar: The estimated staff costs of ministerial private offices for the period July 99-June 2000 are as follows. <TABLE BORDER CELLSPACING=1 CELLPADDING=7 WIDTH=451><TR><TD WIDTH="69%" VALIGN="TOP"><P ALIGN="CENTER">MINISTERIAL TEAM<P ALIGN="CENTER">(No. of Minister…
30 Mar 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the International Labour Organisation's unemployment level and rate for Scotland was in each month since May 1999.
Answer · Nicol Stephen: Levels and rates of unemployment in Scotland using the International Labour Market definition are published each month by the Office for National Statistics. Their Labour Market Statistics first release for Scotland is available from the Scottish Parliament I…
30 Mar 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the average increase in public sector pay has been in cash terms in each year since 1945, or the earliest year for which figures are available.
Answer · Jack McConnell: Average gross weekly earnings of employees working in the Public Sector in Scotland are available from 1986. The following table shows average annual increases since this date. The figures are compiled on a snapshot basis in April each year and estimates of a…
30 Mar 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what estimates it can provide for the varying levels of annual inflation within health budgets in terms of procurement costs, wages and other items of expenditure for each year since 1995.
Answer · Susan Deacon: In line with other public expenditure programmes, inflation in the Health Programme is taken to be the GDP deflator. Details of the annual percentage change in the GDP deflator, the percentage cash and the real terms increases in the Health Programme are as f…
28 Mar 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what is the latest estimate of population broken down by local authority area and by constituency in Scotland, and what projections are available on this basis for the future.
Answer · Jim Wallace: The latest, 1998, mid-year estimate of population and 1998-based population projections to the year 2016 for local authority areas within Scotland is published by the Registrar General in Table 1 of the booklet <I>Population Projections, Scotland (1998 based)…
28 Mar 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the total expenditure was by the Scottish Arts Council on grants to projects by local authority area in the latest year for which figures are available.
Answer · Rhona Brankin: The figures are available in SAC's annual report, a copy of which is available from SPICe.
28 Mar 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the undiscounted cost to the Scottish budget is of servicing each PFI contract which the Executive and its predecessors have entered into over the entirety of each contract, in total and by each contract agreed.
Answer · Jack McConnell: The Scottish Executive has three PFI contracts for which it is responsible. They are:<UL><P><LI>Skye Bridge</LI><P><LI>M6 DBFO </LI><P><LI>Kilmarnock Prison.</LI></UL><P>The Scottish Executive does not make service payments for Skye Bridge.<P>The undiscounted…
28 Mar 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many new claimants have joined the unemployment claimant register between May 1997 and the latest date for which figures are available and between May 1999 and the latest date for which figures are available.
Answer · Henry McLeish: There is currently no available information on people who join the claimant count, but who have not been unemployed before. Data on the total number of people who have joined the claimant count are available on the NOMIS database through the Scottish Parliame…
28 Mar 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what has been the change in the level of employment in each sector for which figures are available between 1997 and the present date.
Answer · Henry McLeish: Levels of employment by major industrial division in Scotland are shown in the table below. Figures are given for winter 1997, winter 1999 and the difference between these levels.<P>Employment in Scotland, 1997 and 1999 (000s)<TABLE BORDER CELLSPACING=1 CELLP…
28 Mar 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what estimated proportion of each of the level 1 budget headings is spent on labour costs.
Answer · Jack McConnell: The estimated proportion of each of the Level 1 Budget headings and the total budget spent on public sector pay is provided in the following table:<TABLE BORDER CELLSPACING=1 CELLPADDING=2 WIDTH=633><TR><TD WIDTH="70%" VALIGN="TOP" HEIGHT=17><P ALIGN="RIGHT">…
28 Mar 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what estimated proportion of the overall Scottish budget is spent on labour costs.
Answer · Jack McConnell: The estimated proportion of the overall Scottish budget spent on public sector pay, excluding the element of support to private/voluntary sectors and nationalised industries which is spent on pay, is 49% for 2000-01.
28 Mar 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the annual percentage real terms increase in funding was for the health service in Scotland in each year since 1945, or the earliest year for which figures are available.
Answer · Susan Deacon: Data is available from 1979-80 and is as detailed in the following table:<TABLE BORDER CELLSPACING=1 CELLPADDING=7 WIDTH=564><TR><TD WIDTH="50%" VALIGN="TOP"><P ALIGN="JUSTIFY">Year</TD><TD WIDTH="50%" VALIGN="TOP"><P ALIGN="JUSTIFY">Annual % Real Terms incre…
28 Mar 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the total funding for the health service in Scotland was for each year since 1945, or the earliest year for which figures are available, in cash and real terms at 1998-99 prices.
Answer · Susan Deacon: Data is available from 1978-79 and is as detailed in the following table:<TABLE BORDER CELLSPACING=1 CELLPADDING=7 WIDTH=612><TR><TD WIDTH="33%" VALIGN="TOP"><FONT FACE="Arial,Helvetica"><P>Year</FONT></TD><TD WIDTH="33%" VALIGN="TOP"><FONT FACE="Arial,Helvet…
28 Mar 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the total central grant funding to Higher Education institutions was per student in each year since 1978-79 in real terms and at 1998-99 prices.
Answer · Henry McLeish: Information is not available in the format or time period requested. Scottish universities were not funded from the Scottish block until 1993-94. Funding for higher education institutions is not centrally allocated. The Scottish Higher Education Funding Counc…
28 Mar 2000 · SPCB Written Question
To ask the Presiding Officer what is the total amount of VAT expected to be paid to Her Majesty's Treasury from the latest estimates of the Holyrood Project and what this sum is as a proportion of the overall cost of the project.
Answer · David Steel: Based on the "whole project" estimate of £195 million, the VAT element of 171/2% equates to approximately £29 million, of which around £3.5 million is recoverable.
15 Mar 2000 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will make representations to Her Majesty's Government requesting that the Inland Revenue allow charitable status to be granted to community radio stations in Scotland.
Answer · Jack McConnell: The Scottish Executive is in regular contact with the United Kingdom Government on a wide range of issues, including those concerning charitable status.
15 Mar 2000 · General Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the expected date is by which local authorities will be required to register land on the contaminated land register regulated by the Scottish Environment Protection Agency.
Answer · Sarah Boyack: Local authorities will not be required to register land on a contaminated land register by a specific date. Following implementation of the new contaminated land regime, which, subject to Parliament, we hope to bring into force in Scotland early in June this …
9 Feb 2000 · General Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what amount of revenues, charges and receipts received and accruing to Scottish Executive departments and agencies have been passed to Her Majesty's Treasury since 1997-98 in total, actual and estimated, and in constant prices.
Answer · Jack McConnell: In 1997-98 the total estimate for receipts was £1,552 million. The actual amount received was £1,539 million. Of this £1,298 million was retained by departments.<P>I refer the Member to the answer I gave to his earlier question (S1O-964) for the corresponding…