Andy Kerr

23 Mar 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many people work in the Scottish Futures Trust, also broken down by pay grade.

Answer · John Swinney: Aside from the five Board members, there are currently eight staff working in the executive team on behalf of Scottish Futures Trust. Grading structures will be established once the newly appointed Chief Executive takes up post.</p>

23 Mar 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many civil servants work in the Infrastructure Investment Unit, also broken down by pay grade.

Answer · John Swinney: There are three staff: one C1, one B3 and one B1.</p>

23 Mar 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many civil servants worked in the Financial Partnerships Unit 12 months before it was disbanded, also broken down by pay grade.

Answer · John Swinney: There were six staff: one SCS, one C1, two B3s, one B1 and one A4.</p>

20 Mar 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what its latest thinking is on whether people living in England but working in Scotland would be required to pay a Scottish local income tax.

Answer · John Swinney: The Scottish Government intends to bring forward legislation to introduce a fairer local tax based on ability to pay in the next session of Parliament. We will continue to develop our thinking in the interim but our March 2008 consultation paper set out the b…

20 Mar 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what its latest thinking is on whether and how second homes would be taxed under a local income tax.

Answer · John Swinney: The Scottish Government has made clear that it intends to tax second homes under a fairer local tax system. That remains the government''s position. Detailed proposals will be introduced during the next session of Parliament.</p>

20 Mar 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what its latest thinking is on how water and sewerage charges would be collected under a local income tax.

Answer · John Swinney: The Scottish Government intends to bring forward legislation to introduce a fairer local tax based on ability to pay in the next session of Parliament. Our proposals will set out any effects on water and sewerage charging.</p>

20 Mar 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it received legal confirmation that its proposed local income tax was compliant with Article 9 of the European Charter of Local Self-Government.

Answer · John Swinney: It is the practice of successive governments, reflected in the Scottish Ministerial Code and the provisions of the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002, that the fact and content of legal advice is not revealed.</p>

20 Mar 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it decided what groups of people were to be exempt from the proposed local income tax and, if so, what groups these are.

Answer · John Swinney: The government has considered a number of representations on exemptions and will set out its position on exemptions in the legislation we plan to bring forward in the next session of Parliament.</p>

20 Mar 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what it estimated the (a) upfront and (b) annual costs to employers would be of introducing its local income tax.

Answer · John Swinney: The Scottish Government intends to introduce detailed proposals for a fairer local tax in the next session of Parliament. As part of the legislative process, we will publish a financial memorandum and regulatory impact assessment which will include a range of…

20 Mar 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-18225 by John Swinney on 5 December 2008, whether it will publish the financial memorandum and regulatory impact assessment prepared for its proposed council tax abolition Bill.

Answer · John Swinney: The Scottish Government intends to introduce proposals for a fairer local tax in the next session of Parliament. As part of the legislative process, we will publish a financial memorandum and regulatory impact assessment at that time.</p>

20 Mar 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it calculated revenue projections for its proposed local income tax at rates other than 3p in the pound and, if so, what the projections are.

Answer · John Swinney: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-11006 on 26 March 2008. 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/Apps2/…

20 Mar 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the most recent revenue projections are for a 3p in the pound local income tax rate and how they compare with council tax revenue projections.

Answer · John Swinney: The Scottish Government provided revenue projections in March 2008 and these were made available in Scottish Parliament Information Centre (Bib. .number 45130). These figures projected a total net revenue of £2,045 million for local income tax, including £429…

20 Mar 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive for what reasons it did not publish the most recent version of its local income tax proposals following the Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Sustainable Growth’s announcement on 11 February 2009 (Official Report c. 14893) that they would not be taken forward in the current parliamentary …

Answer · John Swinney: As I said in my statement to Parliament on 11 February 2009, two factors were behind the Government''s decision not to proceed with legislation to abolish the unfair council tax and replace it with a local income tax until after the election in 2011. The firs…

20 Mar 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many civil servants are working on its local income tax proposals, also broken down by pay grade.

Answer · John Swinney: The number of civil servants working on local income tax proposals has varied over the period since the last elections in May 2007. A core team of officials, whose number has varied from three to six and whose responsibilities also include work on the council…

20 Mar 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many civil servants have worked on its local income tax proposals since May 1997, also broken down by pay grade.

Answer · John Swinney: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-22180 on 30 March 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/Apps2/…

20 Mar 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it acknowledges that Strathclyde Partnership for Transport considers that the opening of a direct Ayr to Edinburgh rail service, as contained in the Glasgow Crossrail proposals, would result in an additional 93 million rail passenger kilometres every year and what evidence the Sco…

Answer · Stewart Stevenson: The Strategic Transport Projects Review (STPR) has been published and recommends significant investment in rail throughout Scotland, including the Edinburgh to Glasgow Improvement Programme (EGIP), rail enhancements between Inverclyde/Ayrshire and Glasgow and…

13 Mar 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to the second supplementary to question S3F-11526 by Alex Salmond on 12 March 2009 (Official Report c. 15743), whether all contract documentation and tenders for successful and unsuccessful bids for school buildings will be published under its freedom of information…

Answer · Keith Brown: Local authorities rarely have reason to share such documentation, tenders and bids with government.</p>

12 Mar 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what information it will publish on Scottish Futures Trust bids and invitations to tender.

Answer · John Swinney: The Scottish Futures Trust is subject to the requirements of the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002 and will produce and maintain its own publication scheme which is independently approved by the Scottish Information Commissioner.</p> <p >Project bid…

5 Mar 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how the Scottish Futures Trust will aggregate contracts.

Answer · John Swinney: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-21619 on 18 March 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/Apps2/…

5 Mar 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether Transport Scotland is obliged to take the advice of the Scottish Futures Trust on the funding and delivery of transport projects such as the proposed Forth Replacement Crossing.

Answer · John Swinney: The aim of the Scottish Futures Trust is to work in collaboration with public sector bodies to arrive at investment solutions which maximise value for money.</p>

5 Mar 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-18829 by John Swinney on 6 January 2009, what method of funding for the proposed Forth Replacement Crossing the Scottish Futures Trust has recommended to Transport Scotland.

Answer · John Swinney: The Scottish Futures Trust participated in the collaborative process which arrived at the decision to procure the Forth Replacement Crossing conventionally using public funds.</p>

5 Mar 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what funding models it has selected for projects that are pending.

Answer · John Swinney: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-21619 on 18 March 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/Apps2/…

5 Mar 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what funding models the Scottish Futures Trust has considered and whether there are any that it has rejected.

Answer · John Swinney: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-21619 on 18 March 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/Apps2/…

5 Mar 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what criteria the Scottish Futures Trust will use to decide which funding model is suitable for an individual infrastructure project.

Answer · John Swinney: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-21619 on 18 March 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/Apps2/…

5 Mar 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive when and for what projects the non-profit distributing model has been used by it or the previous administration.

Answer · John Swinney: This information is available from the Scottish Government website by selecting the following link <a href="http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Government/Finance/18232/12308">http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Government/Finance/18232/12308</a> and clicking on …

5 Mar 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether an average length of contract is envisaged under the proposed Scottish Futures Trust model and, if so, what that length is.

Answer · John Swinney: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-21619 on 18 March 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/Apps2/…

5 Mar 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has ever disallowed a private sector bidder from submitting a traditional PPP as a standard variant for any previous contracts.

Answer · John Swinney: The Scottish Government has not been a direct contracting party to any projects involving private finance which have entered procurement after May 2007. We are also not aware of such requests being made by other public bodies which have projects involving pri…

5 Mar 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether the traditional model of PPP will be allowable as a standard variant in future Scottish Futures Trust contracts.

Answer · John Swinney: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-21619 on 18 March 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/Apps2/…

5 Mar 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether the Scottish Futures Trust will adopt the same non-profit distributing model as adopted by the previous administration and, if not, how the models will differ.

Answer · John Swinney: The Scottish Futures Trust will work collaboratively with the public and private sectors to help identify and deploy approaches that best meet the needs and circumstances of individual projects and programmes, taking account of a range of potential delivery a…

5 Mar 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether the Scottish Futures Trust will operate as a not-for-profit organisation.

Answer · John Swinney: As stated in the Business case <i >Taking forward the Scottish Futures Trust</i> (Bib. number 45605), the Scottish Futures Trust is to be run on non-profit distributing principles.</p>