James Kelly

28 Jan 2013 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what recent advice it has received from the Government Actuary’s Department in respect of pensions for Scottish police officers and on what dates it received such advice in (a) 2007, (b) 2008, (c) 2009, (d) 2010, (e) 2011 and (f) 2012.

Answer · John Swinney: Due to key changes in public sector pensions policy the advice and guidance issued by GAD over the requested periods have been numerous and relate to a wide number of subjects. The cost of identifying each and every item of GAD advice during the requested per…

28 Jan 2013 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government when the Scottish Energy Advisory Board (a) last met and (b) will next meet.

Answer · Fergus Ewing: The Scottish Energy Advisory Board last met on 14 November 2012. The meeting discussions included Energy Skills, Heat and the role of District Heating, and updates on key issues affecting the Energy Sectors. The next meeting of the Board will be on 6 March 20…

28 Jan 2013 · Portfolio Question

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to ensure that NHS boards meet the waiting times targets.

Answer · Alex Neil: We provide the necessary guidance and additional support when required to all NHS boards across Scotland in order to ensure that they continue to meet our current waiting times targets. The Scottish Government also engage with NHS boards on a very regular ba…

17 Jan 2013 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what the average spend per household is under the Energy Assistance Package.

Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: Over the three financial years from 2009-10 to 2011-12, the total Scottish Government programme expenditure on the Energy Assistance Package (EAP) was £100.9 million and some 233,000 households were estimated to have been assisted at an average spend per hous…

17 Jan 2013 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how much funding allocated to the Energy Assistance Package in 2012-13 (a) has been spent, (b) has been committed and (c) remains unspent.

Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: The Energy Assistance Package (EAP) budget for 2012-13 was £47.5 million, of this £44 million was allocated to EAP stage 4. The balance of £3.5 million was primarily for grant funding the Energy Saving Trust and Energy Action Scotland and funding any marketin…

17 Dec 2012 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what representations it has made to NHS boards regarding car park management.

Answer · Alex Neil: When parking charges at NHSScotland operated car parking were abolished with effect from 31 December 2008, instructions were issued for NHS boards to ensure that car parking is managed appropriately and the parking needs of patients, visitors and staff is bal…

17 Dec 2012 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what the value is of contracts issued to private companies for NHS car park management in the last five years, broken down by (a) company and (b) project.

Answer · Alex Neil: Car parking charges at NHSScotland operated car parks was abolished with effect from 31 December 2008, although that did not end the duty of NHS boards to manage their car parking appropriately. For most NHS boards, this is managed in-house. There are three N…

10 Dec 2012 · Portfolio Question

To ask the Scottish Government what consideration it has given to the availability of drugs to treat cystic fibrosis.

3 Dec 2012 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what the value is of contracts tendered to private companies for car park management in the last five years, also broken down by (a) company and (b) project.

Answer · Keith Brown: The Scottish Government has no locus in such issues, and therefore does not collate associated information. This is a matter for the contracting bodies.

26 Nov 2012 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Government what action is being taken to monitor the fairness and transparency of pharmacy applications and appeals.

19 Nov 2012 · Portfolio Question

To ask the Scottish Government what steps are being taken to give access to college places to those on waiting lists.

12 Nov 2012 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many teachers with physical education as their primary subject are employed in (a) primary and (b) secondary schools and how many there were in (i) 2011, (ii) 2010, (iii) 2009, (iv) 2008 and (v) 2007.

Answer · Alasdair Allan: Information on the number of teachers (full time equivalent) whose main subject is physical education is published on the Scottish Government website as supplementary data to the Summary Statistics for Schools in Scotland publication. Primary school teacher i…

5 Nov 2012 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Government what consideration it has given to reviewing sentencing policy.

4 Nov 2012 · SPCB Oral Question

To ask the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body what work is being undertaken to address IT performance issues in the Parliament and in constituency offices.

2 Nov 2012 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide details of all private companies involved in the (a) marketing, (b) sale and (c) execution of work and repairs, maintenance and upgrades relating to the Energy Assistance Package.

Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: The following private companies are involved in the Energy Assistance Package: (a) Marketing. Private companies which support the Scottish Government’s marketing campaigns include: (i) Marketing agencies: Story UK Ltd Tangible Whitespace Ltd Stripe Com…

25 Oct 2012 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many homes in each local authority area are defined as empty or uninhabited, broken down by (a) social and (b) privately owned housing.

Answer · Margaret Burgess: The following table shows the numbers of dwellings receiving a discount for being long term empty or an exemption for being unoccupied: As at 3 September 2012 Long Term Empty Discounts Unoccupied Exemptions Scotland 25,454 45,833 Aberdeen City 849 …

24 Oct 2012 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how much funding is given to (a) EDF, (b) Eon, (c) Npower, (d) Scottish Gas, (e) Scottish Power and (f) Scottish and Southern Energy through the (i) Energy Assistance Package and (ii) any other relevant energy schemes.

Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: (i) The Scottish Government pays Scottish Gas under contract to manage and deliver central heating and insulation installations under stage 4 of the Energy Assistance Package. Scottish Gas has received the following amounts to deliver the corresponding number…

18 Oct 2012 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what savings the Scottish Futures Trust has made from its Property Asset Management Programme; what the estimated savings are for each of the next five years and how these will be achieved.

Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: The Scottish Futures Trust (SFT) is working in partnership with public sector bodies and is in the first year of a five year programme to deliver £500m total savings across the Local Civil Estate and £28m annual savings across the Scottish Government Civil Es…

11 Oct 2012 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what percentage of contracts for the Forth Replacement Crossing have been allocated to (a) Scottish and (b) non-Scottish companies and how much these contracts are worth.

Answer · Keith Brown: As of 31 July 2012 60.5% (156) subcontracts issued by the main contractors noted above have been to Scottish companies and 39.5% (102) to non-Scottish companies. The total value of Scottish subcontracts is about £31 million of the total of about £174 million…

4 Oct 2012 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many staff have been employed by the Students Awards Agency for Scotland in each year since 2007.

Answer · Michael Russell: The number of staff employed by the Student Awards Agency for Scotland (SAAS) is included in the statement of accounts prepared by SAAS each year and laid before the Scottish Parliament by Scottish Ministers. These are also published in the Annual Report and …

4 Oct 2012 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how much funding the Student Awards Agency for Scotland has received each year since 2007.

Answer · Michael Russell: A statement of accounts is prepared by the Student Awards Agency for Scotland (SAAS) each year and laid before the Scottish Parliament by Scottish Ministers. These are published in the Annual Report and Accounts and available at www.saas.gov.uk. From the An…

4 Oct 2012 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many applications the Student Awards Agency for Scotland has processed each year since 2007, broken down by applications for (a) tuition fees, (b) student loan, (c) Young Students' Bursary, (d) Independent Students' Bursary, (e) additional loan, (f) supplementary grant and (g) other …

Answer · Michael Russell: The Student Awards Agency for Scotland (SAAS) only supports higher education students, at HNC level or above, studying at college or university. Official statistics are published each year which give accurate numbers for students supported by SAAS. The most …

2 Oct 2012 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many practising GPs there are, broken down by (a) parliamentary constituency and (b) NHS board.

Answer · Alex Neil: Information on the number of GPs broken down by parliamentary constituency is not available. Information Services Division (ISD) of National Services Scotland publishes statistics annually and the latest information and historical information on GPs practici…

1 Oct 2012 · Portfolio Question

To ask the Scottish Government how it promotes access to college places.

29 Sep 2012 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S4W-03648 by Kenny MacAskill on 3 November 2011, what projects the money has been used for by the Scottish Football Association's football facilities stream.

Answer · Kenny MacAskill: I refer the member to the answer to question S4W-09965 on 29 October 2012. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/parliamentaryb…

29 Sep 2012 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S4W-03648 by Kenny MacAskill on 3 November 2011, what facilities the money has been used for, broken down by organisation.

Answer · Kenny MacAskill: Between 2007 and 2011, sportscotland managed CashBack facilities funding for football projects across Scotland, the details of which are shown in the following table. Details of further football facilities funded through CashBack can be found at: http://www.…

29 Sep 2012 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S4W-03648 by Kenny MacAskill on 3 November 2011, what projects the money has been used for, broken down by organisation.

Answer · Kenny MacAskill: I refer the member to the answer to question S4W-9963 on 17 October 2012. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at: http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/parliamentar…

29 Sep 2012 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S4W-03648 by Kenny MacAskill on 3 November 2011, how much (a) of each amount listed has been allocated and (b) each organisation has received since November 2011.

Answer · Kenny MacAskill: Since the inception of the highly successful Cashback Programme in 2007, over £46 million recovered from the proceeds of crime has been invested throughout Scotland, directly benefitting over 600,000 young people and generating over 11,000 young person volunt…

24 Sep 2012 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Government what the priorities of the 2013-14 draft budget are.

24 Sep 2012 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how much money will be raised by the Public Health Supplement in 2012-13.

Answer · Derek Mackay: The Scottish Government estimates that the Public Health Supplement will raise £25 million in 2012-13.