Parliamentary questions

Andy Kerr

326 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.

29 Jan 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has approved a schools investment programme.

Answer · Keith Brown: On 17 June 2009, the then Cabinet Secretary for Education and Lifelong Learning announced a new £1.25 billion school building programme, which will see investment in around 55 new or refurbished schools. We have asked the Scottish Futures Trust to co-ordinate…

29 Jan 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether the Scottish Futures Trust has developed a schools investment programme.

Answer · Keith Brown: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-31241 on 11 February 2010. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament''s website, the search facility for which can be found at <a href="http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/…

29 Jan 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive when a procurement and contracting strategy for the schools investment programme will be implemented.

Answer · Keith Brown: The programme has commenced with the pilot project which is a joint procurement with East Renfrewshire and Midlothian.

29 Jan 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has approved a procurement and contracting strategy for the schools investment programme.

Answer · Keith Brown: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-31239 on 11 February 2010. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament''s website, the search facility for which can be found at <a href="http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/…

29 Jan 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether the Scottish Futures Trust has established a procurement and contracting strategy for the schools investment programme.

Answer · Keith Brown: The Scottish Futures Trust is working with local authorities and the Scottish Government in developing a procurement and contracting strategy for the first 35 schools which have been announced as part of new £1.25 billion school building programme.

29 Jan 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how the (a) estimated capital value and (b) timescale of the Scottish Crime Campus at Gartcosh compares with the original project cost and timescale estimates.

Answer · Kenny MacAskill: The project was launched in January 2007 with an estimated cost of £65 million and a target date for completion of late 2010. The project has increased in size and scope and, subject to contract, the current estimated cost is £82 million and full occupation i…

29 Jan 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how the (a) estimated capital value and (b) timescale of the Glasgow Airport Rail Link compares with the original project cost and timescale estimates.

Answer · Stewart Stevenson: The original cost and timescale of the Glasgow Airport Rail Link (GARL) project are set out in the following table: Glasgow Airport Rail Link (GARL) Cost (All Figures in £ Million) and Schedule <table border=1 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=0 …

29 Jan 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how the (a) estimated capital value and (b) timescale of the Borders railway project compares with the original project cost and timescale estimates.

Answer · Stewart Stevenson: The Waverley Railway (Scotland) Act 2006 received Royal Assent in July 2006. At this stage in the project, the cost was estimated at approximately £130 million at 2002 prices, and a possible completion date in 2011 was proposed. However, there was no commitme…

29 Jan 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how the (a) estimated capital value and (b) timescale of the Southern General Hospital compares with the original project cost and timescale estimates.

Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: When the new South Glasgow Hospitals and laboratory project was formally announced on 22 May 2008 by Shona Robinson MSP the value of the project was £841.7 million. The value of the scheme remains within £841.7 million. The February 2008 Outline Busi…

29 Jan 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how the (a) estimated capital value and (b) timescale of the Aberdeen Western Peripheral Route compares with the original project cost and timescale estimates.

Answer · Stewart Stevenson: When the preferred line of the Aberdeen Western Peripheral Route was announced on 2 May 2006 the total scheme cost estimate was £295-£395 million with construction commencing in 2009. A substantial public enquiry was subsequently required in response to the o…

29 Jan 2010 · Written Question

Answer · John Swinney: The Scottish Government is committed to delivering a tightly managed and sustainable capital programme, which includes effective governance and management of individual capital projects. We report annually to Parliament on actual expenditure compared with the…

29 Jan 2010 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will publish the profile of every infrastructure project of over £10 million.

Answer · John Swinney: The Scottish Government is committed to delivering a tightly managed and sustainable capital programme. We publish details of our proposed capital spending plans in the annual draft budget, provide six-monthly reports to the Public Audit Committee on major ca…

3 Dec 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether an application has been made for Trans-European Network funds.

Answer · Stewart Stevenson: Bidding for Trans-European Network “ Transport (TEN-T) funding is a reserved issue and is coordinated by the UK Department for Transport. The UK submitted twelve applications for funding from the TEN-T programme in 2009. Two of these were in relatio…

3 Dec 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether an application for Trans-European Network funds has been discussed by officials and ministers.

Answer · Stewart Stevenson: The preparation of applications for funding from the Trans-European Network “ Transport programme for 2009 were discussed by ministers and officials.

3 Dec 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will provide the notes and records of visits or studies undertaken by officials in relation to airport rail links.

Answer · Stewart Stevenson: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-29622 on 15 December 2009, which set out the purpose of visits undertaken by Transport Scotland officials, in relation to airport rail links, from January 2006. In the majority of instances the purpos…

3 Dec 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what visits and study tours were undertaken by officials regarding airport rail links.

Answer · Stewart Stevenson: In addition to frequent visits to Glasgow and Edinburgh airports to examine operational details of relevance to rail links, Transport Scotland personnel have made the following relevant visits since 1 January 2006: <table border=0 cellspacing=0 cellpadd…

2 Dec 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive to where the £57 million difference in the Other Transport Agency Programmes level 3 budget line between draft Budget 2009-10 and draft Budget 2010-11 has been reallocated

Answer · John Swinney: The amount in question is proposed for reallocation to meet pressures on the Scottish Government budget as a whole following the cuts imposed by the Chancellor of the Exchequer.

25 Nov 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-29002 by Nicola Sturgeon on 24 November 2009 regarding the capital cost of building the new Southern General Hospital, whether the cost of the three buildings will be capped at £670 million.

Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-29188, on 2 December 2009. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament''s website, the search facility for which can be found at <a href="http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/App…

25 Nov 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-29003 by Nicola Sturgeon on 24 November 2009, who will be liable if the costs of the new Southern General Hospital contract are exceeded.

Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: I refer the member to the answers to question S3W-29188, on 2 December 2009. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament''s website, the search facility for which can be found at <a href="http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/Ap…

16 Nov 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what reports are available to show what work the Scottish Futures Trust has done to identify continued financing for the Glasgow Airport Rail Link.

Answer · Stewart Stevenson: Our reluctant decision to cancel the branch line element of the Glasgow Airport Rail Link (GARL) project was taken in the context of our wider consideration of the draft Scottish budget for 2010-11. The background was one of significant reductions imposed by …

3 Jun 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how much was provided for unitary charge payments within the revenue element of the Local Government Finance Settlement to local authorities in 2009-10 and how much will be provided in 2010-11, 2011-12 and 2012-13, broken down by local authority.

Answer · John Swinney: Under the concordat agreement with the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities (COSLA), support from the Scottish Government for the unitary charge payments for Public Private Partnership projects was rolled up and included as part of the general revenue gra…

28 May 2009 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to review local courts.

Answer · Kenny MacAskill: Scottish Court Service is currently consulting on proposals for unification of the administration of summary criminal courts in the Sheriffdom of North Strathclyde. Following the decision of the Justice Committee to vote down our proposals for court reorganis…

21 May 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how much of the additional £1 billion capital per annum for local government is already allocated to unitary charge payments on PPP projects.

Answer · John Swinney: The Scottish Government provides local authorities with support for meeting the unitary charge payments for PPP projects through the revenue element of the Local Government Finance Settlement. In addition, the Scottish Government is supporting new capital inv…

21 May 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how it anticipates bridging the gap between the monies available to local authorities for new school buildings and Audit Scotland’s estimate that approximately £5 billion needs to be spent on the schools estate to ensure that it is fit for purpose.

Answer · Fiona Hyslop: The Scottish Government is already supporting £2 billion worth of construction on schools - £1 billion in projects that we have signed off or are in the pipeline and the Infrastructure Investment Plan shows authorities plan to invest a further £1 billion over…

21 May 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how Scottish Enterprise unitary charge payments will be funded and from what budget they are to be drawn down.

Answer · Jim Mather: Funding of unitary charge payments is an operational matter for Scottish Enterprise. I will ask its chief executive to write to you in this regard.

21 May 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether the capital settlement of £3 billion over three years associated with its concordat with local government is included in the announced £14 billion for capital investment over three years from March 2008.

Answer · John Swinney: Yes.

21 May 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether the announced £14 billion for capital investment over the three years from March 2008 has been allocated to directorates to fund a range of projects and, if so, which directorates and projects will benefit.

Answer · John Swinney: I refer the member to the Scottish Government''s Infrastructure Investment Plan (Bib. number 45134) which was published on 27 March 2008 following the outcome of the 2007 Spending Review. The plan can be found at the following link: <a href=…

23 Mar 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive in what way the Infrastructure Investment Unit and the Scottish Futures Trust offer better value for public money than the disbanded Financial Partnerships Unit.

Answer · John Swinney: The Scottish Futures Trust is an arms length company which will bring to bear wider expertise than we have had in the past on public sector infrastructure investment. In addition, it will have the expertise and capacity to deliver better value for Scottish ta…

23 Mar 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will list the functions of the (a) Infrastructure Investment Unit, (b) Scottish Futures Trust and (c) disbanded Financial Partnerships Unit.

Answer · John Swinney: The main functions of the Scottish Futures Trust (SFT) are as follows: To act as a focal point in Scotland for action in infrastructure investment by bringing together public and private sectors, promoting and disseminating innovation, good p…

23 Mar 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many employees there will be in the Scottish Futures Trust when it reaches full complement, also broken down by pay grade.

Answer · John Swinney: Staffing is a matter for the Scottish Futures Trust Board.