Parliamentary questions
Jim Mather
709 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.
19 Mar 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what representations it made to the Chancellor of the Exchequer prior to his announcement of various measures on housing in the recent budget.
Answer · Margaret Curran: Executive ministers and officials have regular discussions on a wide range of issues with colleagues in the UK government. The specific content of these discussions is confidential.</p>
19 Mar 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it is taking to review the effectiveness of current measures to improve the availability of affordable housing and what new measures it is considering in the light of any such steps.
Answer · Margaret Curran: The Executive’s currentreview of affordable housing is examining both existing and new measures forimproving availability of affordable housing. New measures under considerationinclude options for increasing the supply of land for affordable housing, otherpos…
18 Mar 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it intends to take to expand manufacturing industry and increase volume production, and therefore increase demand and lower unit costs of raw materials, in light of the increase in input inflation on raw materials, particularly steel and paper.
Answer · Jim Wallace: Commodity prices are determined by supply and demand in global markets and, as such, affect all economies. As Royal Bank of Scotland’s purchasing managers’ indexes reveal, manufacturers throughout the UK have beenaffected by price inflation in raw materials, …
18 Mar 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it is taking to lower distribution costs and increase competition, in light of the increase in input inflation on raw materials, particularly steel and paper, for manufacturing over the last two months, as referred to in the recent PMI Scotland Report, and the implications for …
Answer · Jim Wallace: The Executive made provision, in the Spending Review 2002-06 for substantially increased funding for transport infrastructure and communication links to improve the flow of people and goods within Scotland. Improved transportation infrastructure is a key fact…
17 Mar 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the estimated cost is, excluding land acquisition, of a new rural general hospital with a capacity of 80 beds, two operating theatres and one endoscopy theatre and appropriate out-patient and accident and emergency facilities.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: The calculation of the cost ofa modern hospital whether a teaching hospital, a general hospital or acommunity hospital is a complex matter critically dependent upon the range andconfiguration of services to be offered, and hence the area to be occupied. Itis …
17 Mar 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the level of capital investment has been in each Highland and Island hospital in the last (a) five, (b) 10, (c) 15 and (d) 20 years.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: This information is not heldcentrally. NHS boards were informed of their 2004-05 capital allocations on 11March with Highland, Orkney, Shetland and the Western Isles NHS boardsreceiving increases of 11.4%, 6.1%, 4.4% and 4.5% over their 2003-04allocations re…
5 Mar 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how much was collected in tolls on the Skye Bridge in 2002-03.
Answer · Nicol Stephen: Total tolls collected on theSkye Bridge in the financial year 2002-03 amounted to£3,960,852.</p>
26 Feb 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive why the recently reclassified gross domestic product tables indicate that the new methodology assumes that the oil and gas sector accounts for 1.7% of the Scottish economy and 2.7% of the UK economy.
Answer · Jim Wallace: The UK weightfor the oil and gas sector covers the whole sector, including extraction. the Scottish weight for oil and gas only covers the part of the sector related to“service activities incidental to oil and gas extraction excluding surveying”.</p><p>As the…
26 Feb 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to produce additional statistical data giving a clearer understanding of Scotland's competitiveness and productivity relative to (a) other UK nations, (b) other UK regions and (c) major Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development countries.
Answer · Jim Wallace: There is currently asignificant agenda of work on developing regional indicators of productivityand competitiveness, both within the Executive, and at the national level. DTIis planning to consult on regional productivity indicators, and the Executivewill par…
26 Feb 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to produce gross national product data for Scotland.
Answer · Jim Wallace: I refer the member to the answer given to question S2W-6270 on 10 march 2004. All answers to written parliamentaryquestions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility forwhich can be found at <ahref="http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webap…
26 Feb 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will publish a table of (a) gross domestic product per capita and (b) average income per capita showing comparative data for Scotland and the rest of the UK from 1993 to 2003.
Answer · Jim Wallace: The following table presents the estimates of GVA per head for calendar years 1993 to 2001 for Scotland and for the rest of the UK. As these estimates are derived from the income components of GVA, at the aggregate Scotland level, the per capita rates also re…
26 Feb 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it is satisfied that current gross domestic product data provide a true and fair view of the Scottish economy.
Answer · Jim Wallace: The Scottish quarterly GDPindex is only one tool used to assess the Scottish economy. This is becomplimented by, for example, the full range of labour market statistics,corporate sector activity, productivity analysis, and benefit data we haveavailable to us.…
26 Feb 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what account it takes of individual earnings, pensions and benefit payments when calculating gross domestic product.
Answer · Jim Wallace: The Scottish quarterly indexis based on the output measure of GDP, therefore household incomes, earningsetc. are not taken into account in this calculation.</p>
26 Feb 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether the calculation of gross domestic product is based solely on data from the industry sector and government services data and, if so, what the reasons are.
Answer · Jim Wallace: The calculation of GDP isbased on a wide range of data sources including monthly and quarterly turnoverinquiries carried out by the Office for National Statistics; published datasources (e.g. on employment levels or activity levels in certain industries);and …
26 Feb 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what other dates were considered when 2000 was chosen as the base year for the calculation of Scottish gross domestic product.
Answer · Jim Wallace: I refer the member to the answer given to question S2W-6508 on 9 March 2004.All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at <ahref="http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webap…
26 Feb 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the justification was for choosing 2000 as the base year for the calculation of Scottish gross domestic product.
Answer · Jim Wallace: The year 2000 was chosen asthe base year for the calculation of GDP because this is the most recent yearfor which industry weights are available. As industry weights are derived from input-outputtables, the base year used in the GDP index will relate to the l…
18 Feb 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will make representations to the Chancellor of the Exchequer to exempt founders of university spin-out and start-up companies from the need to pay tax and national insurance up front on share options in such companies.
Answer · Jim Wallace: Officials have been keepingclosely in touch with Universities Scotland on this issue, and we shallconsider making representations, should the sector advise us to do so.</p>
13 Feb 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it will take to produce gross national product and other data that will provide informative measurements of wealth created and retained in Scotland.
Answer · Jim Wallace: The potential for productionof a measure of gross national income (the ESA95 equivalent of GNP) wasconsidered by the Scottish Economic Statistics Consultants Group in June 2002. Afterconsidering evidence from an initial study, the group decided that it was no…
13 Feb 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how it will produce data under the new reporting method that will reflect and display the relative economic performance of Scotland and other UK regions.
Answer · Jim Wallace: No other region of the UK currentlyproduces a quarterly GDP index, so the change in methodology does not directlyaffect them. The Office for National Statistics produces regional analysis forall regions of the UK through the annual regional accounts exercise.…
13 Feb 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether Scottish gross domestic product data are produced on the same basis as English and Welsh gross domestic product data.
Answer · Jim Wallace: England and Wales do not currently produce quarterly indices of GDP.</p><p>The only GDP data availablefor England and Wales are from the annual regional accounts produced bythe Office for National Statistics. Regional accounts include estimates of GVAfor the …
13 Feb 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive when, and by whom, it was decided to adopt the “chain-linked” methodology for calculating gross domestic product.
Answer · Jim Wallace: The introduction of annualchain-linking was recommended by the European System of National Accounts 1993(SNA93). All member states of the EU were required to adopt this methodology by2005.</p><p>The Scottish EconomicStatistics Programme published in <i>Scotti…
13 Feb 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the advantages are of using the “chain-linked” method to calculate gross domestic product in comparison with former methods used.
Answer · Jim Wallace: Benefits of the newmethodology include:</p><p>1. Annual weights are moreup-to-date and therefore more relevant, reflecting changes in the structure of the economy when they happen.</p><p>2. Rebasing revisions willoccur to a much lesser extent than under the p…
13 Feb 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to produce a Scottish measure of economic activity that more accurately reflects the economic activity of the people of Scotland than gross domestic product.
Answer · Jim Wallace: There is not one singlemeasure of economic activity of the people of Scotland, and the Executivealready considers a range of indicators alongside gross domestic product,including for example, labour market statistics, earnings, benefit claimantsand export act…
9 Feb 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, in light of economic growth being its top priority, what targets it will be asking the new senior management of Scottish Enterprise to achieve and for what reasons.
Answer · Jim Wallace: The Scottish Executive has provided strategic direction to Scottish Enterprise in <i>A Smart,Successful </i><i>Scotland</i>. Measures for tracking performance againstpriorities, and progress against these measures, are set out in the reports <i>MeasuringProgr…
9 Feb 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, in light of economic growth being its top priority, which measurement it considers to be the most important in measuring the impact of economic performance on the people of Scotland and for what reasons.
Answer · Jim Wallace: I refer the member to the answer given to question S2W-6099 on 8 March 2004.All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at: <ahref="http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/weba…
9 Feb 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, in light of economic growth being its top priority, which measurement it considers to be the most important in measuring economic performance and for what reasons.
Answer · Jim Wallace: I refer the member to the answer given to question S2W-2774 on 30 September 2003, which noted that economic performance is assessed by a number ofindicators. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search …
27 Jan 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the Scottish gross domestic product (GDP) and gross national product (GNP) have been in each year since 1900 compared with the UK figures, expressing Scottish GDP and GNP as a percentage of the UK equivalent and outlining the methodology used to compile these figures.
Answer · Jim Wallace: Gross Value Added estimates (thereplacement for GDP) for 1995 to 2001, for both Scotland and the UK werepublished by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) on 14 August 2003, andare available through the following link;</p><p><ahref="http://www.statistics.g…
27 Jan 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to liaise with business organisations, the Scottish Trades Union Congress and the public and voluntary sectors to produce a joint plan for economic growth.
Answer · Jim Wallace: The Framework for EconomicDevelopment in Scotland, published in June 2000, (FEDS) sets out theExecutive’s overarching vision for economic development in the medium and longterm. I believe that the direction set out in FEDS remains fundamentally sound,but I re…
27 Jan 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to introduce new measures to monitor the cessation of trading of businesses and companies.
Answer · Jim Wallace: I refer the member to the answer given to question S2W-5808 on 9 February 2004.All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at <ahref="http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/we…
27 Jan 2004 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what statistical information collected by Her Majesty's Government and organisations regarding the cessation of trading by businesses or companies in Scotland it uses to inform its policies on economic growth.
Answer · Jim Wallace: I refer the member to the answer given to question S2W-5808 on 9 February 2004.All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at <ahref="http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/we…