Parliamentary questions

Andy Kerr

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

29 Nov 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, under the terms of its concordat with COSLA, whether the reference to the “entire package to remain intact” means a commitment from COSLA or from each council to freeze council tax in each of the coming three years.

Answer · John Swinney: I refer the memberto the answer to question S3W-7273 on 14 December 2007. All answers to written parliamentary questions are availableon the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at <ahref="http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/w…

29 Nov 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, under the terms of its concordat with COSLA, how many councils will need to freeze council tax for the “entire package to remain intact”.

Answer · John Swinney: Under the packageof measures available I expect all councils to deliver on all aspects of theagreed concordat, including the council tax freeze. It is, of course, theresponsibility of each local authority to set its own council tax.

29 Nov 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, under the terms of its concordat with COSLA, whether it will provide funds to maintain parity with the English non-domestic rate poundage.

Answer · John Swinney: As outlined inour Government Economic Strategy, we shall take action to ensure that the businesspoundage rate in Scotland will not rise above England’s during the lifetime of the 2007-11 Parliament. I expect to be in aposition to announce the poundage rate fo…

29 Nov 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive when the next revaluation of non-domestic rates in Scotland and England will take place.

Answer · John Swinney: I can confirm thatthe next non-domestic rates revaluation in Scotland and in England and Wales is expected to take effect from 1 April 2010.

29 Nov 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, under the terms of its concordat with COSLA, how much a 1p increase in the non-domestic rate poundage generates.

Answer · John Swinney: According to ourlatest estimates, an increase of 1p in the non-domestic rate poundage isestimated to generate additional non-domestic rate income of around £44 millionin 2008-09.

29 Nov 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, under the terms of its concordat with COSLA, what provision it has allowed for the tax liability of small businesses.

Answer · John Swinney: I refer themember to the answer to question S3W-6576 on 29 November 2007. All answers to written parliamentary questions areavailable on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be foundat <a href="http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/w…

29 Nov 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, under the terms of its concordat with COSLA, what the estimated non-domestic rate income is for each year of the three-year period.

Answer · John Swinney: I refer the memberto the answer to question S3W-6457 on 6 December 2007. All answers to written parliamentary questions are availableon the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at <ahref="http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa…

29 Nov 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, under the terms of its concordat with COSLA, whether it intends to monitor whether local government meets its efficiency targets or makes any efficiency improvements; who will monitor such efficiencies; how this will be done; how frequently it will be done; how reports on the monitoring …

Answer · John Swinney: Local authoritieswill report annually through COSLA on local government’s progress in identifyingthe 2% efficiency gains. COSLA will provide the Scottish Government with this informationwhich will be included in the Efficiency Outturn Reports to be published …

29 Nov 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, under the terms of its concordat with COSLA, what commitments have to be delivered from within the funding envelope provided.

Answer · John Swinney: Local authoritieswill be expected to deliver on all the agreed set of national outcomes and specifiedset of commitments contained within the concordat. In return, the Scottish Governmentwill adhere to its agreed commitments including the funding envelope and …

29 Nov 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, under the terms of its concordat with COSLA, what the separate funding streams are, what their value is and whom they affect.

Answer · John Swinney: Each of the continuingring-fenced funding streams which are now part of the local government financesettlement were set out in the Scottish Government’s Finance Circular dated 13 December 2007. All other funding streams have now been absorbedwithin the annual…

29 Nov 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether the terms of its concordat with COSLA will result in an end to social work inspections.

Answer · Fiona Hyslop: As indicated inthe concordat, we will work with local government to develop an agreed responseto the Crerar review that will lead to improvements in performance managementand self-assessment across the public sector. In due course, this will enable amore focu…

29 Nov 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether the terms of its concordat with COSLA will result in an end to school inspections.

29 Nov 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, under the terms of its concordat with COSLA, what role it sees for the Parliament and its committees in the monitoring of single outcome agreements.

Answer · John Swinney: I refer the memberto the answer to question S3W-6637 on 12 December 2007. All answers to written parliamentary questions areavailable on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can befound at <a href="http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/w…

29 Nov 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, under the terms of its concordat with COSLA, what arrangements and levers will be left to it to incentivise change in services toward particular client groups or areas of policy once ring-fenced funding ends.

Answer · John Swinney: Under the termsof the concordat where changes in service provision are required, such changeswill be discussed and agreed jointly between the Scottish Government and localgovernment.

29 Nov 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, under the terms of its concordat with COSLA, what guarantees it can give that funding intended to support particular client groups or policy in particular areas of activity will now reach groups or policy areas when ring-fenced funding ends.

Answer · John Swinney: Under theproposed agreement, local authorities will commission services which may havepreviously been funded by central government, such as those provided by thirdsector organisations. This will provide an opportunity for local servicedelivery organisations, …

29 Nov 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, under the terms of its concordat with COSLA, what information it will provide to the Parliament in order to allow it to monitor the deployment and effectiveness of funds which are currently visible and monitored, once such funds merge into the revenue or capital block grants for local go…

Answer · John Swinney: Once the currentring-fenced grants have been absorbed into the local government financesettlements it will not be possible to monitor these individual fundingstreams. Local authorities will be expected to deliver on the agreed set ofnational outcomes underpin…

29 Nov 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, under the terms of its concordat with COSLA, whether targets associated with currently ring-fenced funds will still need to be met after these funds are no longer ring-fenced.

Answer · John Swinney: Once the currentring-fenced funding has been absorbed into the local government financesettlements for 2008-11 local authorities will be expected to deliver on the agreedspecified set of national and local commitments as set out in the joint concordatand in i…

29 Nov 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, under the terms of its concordat with COSLA, whether all indicators within the single outcome agreements will have to be met in full or as a proportion, and how will this be decided, made explicit and reported on.

Answer · John Swinney: I refer the memberto the answer to question S3W-7256 on 14 December 2007. All answers to written parliamentary questions areavailable on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can befound at <a href="http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/w…

29 Nov 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, under the terms of its concordat with COSLA, what sanctions the Scottish Government will have if progress on single outcome agreements is less than that agreed or expected.

Answer · John Swinney: The concordat makesclear that local authorities will be expected to take responsibility for theirown decisions and to be answerable for these. It also states that COSLA and the Scottish Government will put in place arrangements to oversee and monitor thenew p…

29 Nov 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, under the terms of its concordat with COSLA, how often progress against the indicators and targets will be measured and who will measure such progress.

Answer · John Swinney: Local authoritieswill be required to report to the government on progress in relation toindicators and targets as part of a single outcome agreement on an annualbasis.

29 Nov 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, under the terms of its concordat with COSLA, whether it plans to set any timescales for local authorities to meet in full the indicators and targets set out in their single outcome agreements.

Answer · John Swinney: Single outcomeagreements will set out how individual local authorities will contribute tomeeting the indicators and targets. Relevant timescales will be considered.

29 Nov 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, under the terms of its concordat with COSLA, whether it agrees that no local authority need achieve progress against each indicator and target in its single outcome agreement (SOA) or achieve progress against all the agreed outcomes in its SOA if it is able to demonstrate any progress or…

Answer · John Swinney: Single outcome agreements willstipulate the progress which each council will be expected to achieve against therelevant indicators. Councils will be accountable for how they perform against eachof these indicators.The expected level of progresswill be …

29 Nov 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, under the terms of its concordat with COSLA, what its definitions are of “progress” and “towards” and how these will be measured.

Answer · John Swinney: Many of the outcomes and othercommitments from the concordat to be agreed for each local authority will be realisedover a period of more than one year. There will be annual measures of progress againstmany longer term targets which will be agreed between the …

29 Nov 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, under the terms of its concordat with COSLA, whether it will issue guidance on the preparation and reporting of single outcome agreements.

Answer · John Swinney: The concordat setsout a new relationship between the Scottish Government and local government. Aspart of the partnership, the concordat has provided for a group which willoversee the process towards implementation of the single outcome agreements. Ministersan…

29 Nov 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, under the terms of its concordat with COSLA, when in 2008-09 the procedure for each local authority to report on plans will commence.

Answer · John Swinney: The procedurewill commence in 2008-09.

29 Nov 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, under the terms of its concordat with COSLA, what its definitions are of “outcome”, “target” and “indicator” and what the difference is between (a) each term and (b) these terms and the commitments referred to on page 2 of the concordat.

Answer · John Swinney: The definitions of “outcome”,“target”, and “indicator” for the purpose of single outcome agreements are set outin the draft guidance document Single Outcome Agreements: Guidance, Format &Indicators for Scottish Local Government issued by COSLA to a…

29 Nov 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, under the terms of its concordat with COSLA, by what date the new performance reporting system will replace existing systems.

Answer · John Swinney: The Government isworking to implement single outcome agreements by 1 April 2008.

29 Nov 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, under the terms of its concordat with COSLA, how councils’ responsibilities for best value will fit with the process of agreeing single outcome agreements.

Answer · John Swinney: The best valueprinciples for local authorities to secure continuous improvement inperformance and in public reporting will continue to be a key factor inensuring local authorities have due regard to economy, efficiency andeffectiveness. The best value princip…

29 Nov 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, under the terms of its concordat with COSLA, how progress on a single outcome agreement will be reported locally.

Answer · John Swinney: The concordat setsout a new relationship between the Scottish Government and local government.Section 13 of theLocal Government in Scotland Act 2003, supported by statutory guidance, alreadyplaces a duty on councils toreport to the public on the pe…

29 Nov 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, under the terms of its concordat with COSLA, whether there will be any requirement on local authorities to report progress on the single outcome agreements publicly and locally.

Answer · John Swinney: Yes. Under the new arrangementsset out in the concordat between the ScottishGovernment and local government, councils will be required to provide timely andtransparent reporting to the Scottish Government and to local communities on progressagainst agreed out…