Parliamentary questions
Jim Mather
709 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.
15 Feb 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it will take to ensure that users of Government Expenditure and Revenue in Scotland (GERS) data pass on in turn the caveats referred to by the UK National Statistician and Registrar General in respect of the “limitations of the data and the assumptions” and guidance about “what…
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: Where it is proposed to increases rents or other charges payable by all tenants, the landlord should consult all its tenants and have regard for the views expressed. In all cases, landlords are required to give tenants not less than four weeks notice, in writ…
15 Feb 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it will take to ensure that the caveats referred to by the UK National Statistician and Registrar General in his letter of 29 September 2004 to the Chief Statistician will be communicated to users of Government Expenditure and Revenue in Scotland data.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: Information on local authorityrents is available online in the publications of the Scottish Executive website<a href="http://www.scotland.gov.uk/">www.scotland.gov.uk</a>.</p><p>The latest statistical bulletinHSG-2006-1 shows average local authority rents for…
15 Feb 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive on how many occasions it has not referred to the UK National Statistician and Registrar General's caveats contained in his letter of 29 September 2004 to the Chief Statistician when discussing, debating or writing about Government Expenditure and Revenue in Scotland.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: Information on localauthority rents is available online in the publications of the ScottishExecutive website <a href="http://www.scotland.gov.uk/">www.scotland.gov.uk</a>.</p><p>The latest statisticalbulletin HSG-2006-1 shows average local authority rents for…
15 Feb 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive to what extent the advice the UK National Statistician and Registrar General has been followed since he wrote on 29 September 2004 to the Chief Statistician in relation to the National Statistics status of Government Expenditure and Revenue in Scotland (GERS) stating that the Executive "w…
Answer · Allan Wilson: The Scottish Community and Householder Renewables Initiative has been both successful and popular to the point where demand was so high that the Executive provided additional funding to its existing budget last year. However, in order for the scheme to contin…
15 Feb 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what its understanding is in respect of what Government Expenditure and Revenue in Scotland data “should and should not be used for”, as referred to by the UK National Statistician and Registrar General in his letter of 29 September 2004 to the Chief Statistician.
Answer · Tom McCabe: <i>Government Expenditureand Revenue in </i><i>Scotland</i> provides estimates of public sector flows ofexpenditure and revenue for Scotland on the basis of the national accounting standardsused by the UK. It aims to enhance public understanding of fiscalissu…
15 Feb 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it will take to ensure that users of Government Expenditure and Revenue in Scotland (GERS) data pass on in turn the caveats referred to by the UK National Statistician and Registrar General in respect of the “limitations of the data and the assumptions” and guidance about “what…
Answer · Tom McCabe: The<i> GovernmentExpenditure and Revenue in Scotland</i> publication sets out information onmethodologies, data sources, assumptions and limitations of the analysis andthus provides users with the necessary information on the caveats andappropriate uses. In d…
15 Feb 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it will take to ensure that the caveats referred to by the UK National Statistician and Registrar General in his letter of 29 September 2004 to the Chief Statistician will be communicated to users of Government Expenditure and Revenue in Scotland data.
Answer · Tom McCabe: I refer the member to the answerto question S2W-23226 on 13 March 2006. 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/wa.…
15 Feb 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive on how many occasions it has not referred to the UK National Statistician and Registrar Generals caveats contained in his letter of 29 September 2004 to the Chief Statistician when discussing, debating or writing about Government Expenditure and Revenue in Scotland.
Answer · Tom McCabe: The <i>GovernmentExpenditure and Revenue in Scotland</i> publication discusses in detail possiblecaveats to the analysis. When discussing, debating or writing about <i>GovernmentExpenditure and Revenue in Scotland</i> these caveats are mentioned whenappropria…
15 Feb 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive to what extent the advice the UK National Statistician and Registrar General has been followed since he wrote on 29 September 2004 to the Chief Statistician in relation to the National Statistics status of Government Expenditure and Revenue in Scotland (GERS) stating that the Executive “w…
Answer · Tom McCabe: The <i>GovernmentExpenditure and Revenue in Scotland</i> publication includes detailedinformation on the limitations of the data, the assumptions for the estimates,and its proper uses. The publication can be accessed using the following link: </p><p><ahref="h…
14 Feb 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what estimates have been made of the potential impact on the local economy of the highlands and islands if public service obligations incorporating reduced fares were introduced on flights to the highlands and islands from Glasgow, Edinburgh, Aberdeen and Inverness
Answer · Tavish Scott: A study carried out on behalfof HITRANS by the transport consultants Steer Davies Gleave in June 2004 estimatedthat the Net Present Value (NPV) over a 30-year period of the economic benefitsof a blanket imposition of Public Service Obligations (PSOs) across a…
14 Feb 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what analysis has been made of the impact on the local economy of the use of a public service obligation incorporating reduced fares on the air route from Glasgow to Barra.
Answer · Tavish Scott: A comprehensive study on thefuture of air services to and from Barra, including the anticipated economic impactsof any changes to the current Public Service Obligation (PSO) provision, was undertakenby Halcrow Group Ltd, on behalf of the Scottish Executive, a…
14 Feb 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what measures it will take to increase the affordability of travel to and from the highlands and islands from Glasgow, Edinburgh, Aberdeen and Inverness for non-residents of the islands or Caithness.
Answer · Tavish Scott: The Scottish Executive providesvery significant funding for all modes of public transport, including for the airportsoperated by Highlands and Islands Airports Ltd (HIAL) and for air routes subsidisedunder Public Service Obligations, which benefits all travel…
14 Feb 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive why the introduction of aid of a social character to provide discounted travel between the highlands and islands and Scotland's major cities does not include residents on NHS-funded trips and what the saving would be for NHS Western Isles if these discounts were applied to such trips.
Answer · Tavish Scott: Under the European Unionstate aid rules, “aid of a social character” cannot be combined with othertypes of aid or assistance. Trips cannot, therefore, be part funded both by theNational Health Service (NHS) and by “aid of a social character”.</p>
14 Feb 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what measures were used to determine the benefit of the use of aid of a social character to reduce fares for island residents compared with the introduction of public service obligations to reduce fares for all island travellers.
Answer · Tavish Scott: Between February 2003 and July2005 a series of studies were commissioned to assess options for improving air servicesand reducing fares within the Highlands and Islands. These included implementation of a comprehensive networkof routes attracting “aid of a so…
14 Feb 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will ensure that students originally resident on the islands or in Caithness will have access to the discounted air fares due to become available to island residents when travelling to or from their place of study.
Answer · Tavish Scott: An announcement will be madeshortly on further details of the “aid of a social character” scheme, includingon whether students from the eligible areas, who are studying outwith theseareas, will be included in the scheme.</p>
14 Feb 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it is able to offer concessionary travel resulting in free journeys for pensioners and disabled residents of islands on flights supported by public service obligations in the same way as it can for ferry travel and, if so, when it will introduce such a measure.
Answer · Tavish Scott: Public service obligations providea framework within which fare levels, including free fares, on public transportmay be determined. However, there are no current plans to extend concessionary travelto forms of public transport other than bus. The two free ret…
14 Feb 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will extend the concessionary travel scheme for pensioners and disabled island residents to include air travel as well as travel by Caledonian Macbrayne ferries, in light of the proposed introduction of aid of a social character to assist with the cost of flights to the islands.
Answer · Tavish Scott: The Scotland-wide free bus schemewill fully deliver the Partnership Agreement commitment on national concessionarytravel for older and disabled people. There are no current plans to extend the schemeto other forms of public transport. The aid of a social char…
14 Feb 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what analysis it has made of the impact on its block grant of any EU funding reductions to English regions.
Answer · Allan Wilson: As the EU budget cannot be finaliseduntil the negotiations have been completed with the European Parliament, it is notpossible at this stage to calculate the impact of any reductions in EU funding toEnglish regions on the Scottish Assigned Budget.</p>
14 Feb 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether Scotland has been fully funded in respect of EU allocations for Scottish regions and programmes under each previous funding settlement.
Answer · Allan Wilson: Scottish programmes have madefull use of resources allocated over successive funding rounds by awarding all grantavailable to projects. In 2000-06, new financial spend targets were introduced bythe EU, which have meant that the full sum of any one year’s allo…
14 Feb 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has made any calculation in respect of the impact of the EU budget on future EU funding allocations through its block grant under the Barnett formula.
Answer · Allan Wilson: The EU budget will not be finaliseduntil the negotiations have been completed with the European Parliament as partof the Inter-Institutional Agreement. Moreover, some of the allocations within thebudget are subject to negotiation within the United Kingdom, pa…
14 Feb 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how much of its block grant under each previous settlement was received as a consequence of EU funding allocations to HM Treasury, broken down by settlement.
Answer · Allan Wilson: HM Treasury does not receive EU funding allocations. EU funding is received by UK Departments to fund European Structural Funds as well as a number of other EU programmes. The level of EU funding to European Structural Funds programmes allocable to the UK is …
13 Feb 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how much additional financial support is made available to the Highland Council as a result of the number of rural primary schools for which it is responsible.
Answer · Peter Peacock: Highland Council receivesadditional support of £4.755 million in 2005-06 as a result of a redistributionof the Primary School Teaching Staff Grant Aided Expenditure (GAE) allocationwhich is based on the 18% of Highland pupils who are educated in small schools…
31 Jan 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has been approached by Quebec and/or Catalonia with a view to joining their network of shared representative offices overseas and, if so, whether the Executive will join that network.
Answer · Tom McCabe: Scottish Development International (SDI) has discussed the proposal for a trade promotion co-operation initiative with the International Cooperation office of Catalonia. The idea is at an early stage and it is not clear at this point that the industries and r…
31 Jan 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to increase Scottish representation abroad, other than through Foreign and Commonwealth office establishments.
Answer · Tom McCabe: Scotland is represented overseas through the Scottish Affairs Offices in Washington DC, Brussels and Beijing. We are also represented by as many as 484 British embassies, high commissions, consulates and honorary consulates overseas. We have no current plans …
31 Jan 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it maintains the position that the Fresh Talent initiative is not restricted to attracting university or further education graduates as migrants to Scotland.
Answer · Tom McCabe: When we published <i>New Scots: Attracting Fresh Talent to Meet the Challenge of Growth</i> in February 2004, we identified five target groups for the Fresh Talent Initiative. These are international students, those looking for employment, entrepreneurs inter…
31 Jan 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answers to questions S2W-22294, S2W-22295 and S2W-22296 by Mr Tom McCabe on 23 January 2006, when it expects to be able to provide the information requested on migrants to Scotland under the Fresh Talent initiative.
Answer · Tom McCabe: I refer the member to the answers to questions S2W-22294, S2W-22295 and S2W-22296 on 23 January 2006. This information is not available. Due to the variety of ways in which individuals move to Scotland, this information would be very difficult to collect, and…
31 Jan 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answers to questions S2W-22294, S2W-22295 and S2W-22296 by Mr Tom McCabe on 23 January 2006, what information it currently holds on the skill levels, employment sectors and qualifications of migrants to Scotland under the Fresh Talent initiative.
Answer · Tom McCabe: I refer the member to the answers to questions S2W-22294, S2W-22295 and S2W-22296 on 23 January 2006. This information is not available. Due to the variety of ways in which individuals move to Scotland, this information would be very difficult to collect, and…
31 Jan 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answers to questions S2W-22294, S2W-22295 and S2W-22296 by Mr Tom McCabe on 23 January 2006, whether it (a) intends to collect this information and (b) has asked the Home Office for any of this information and, if so, what specific information it has requested and when it …
Answer · Tom McCabe: I refer the member to the answers to questions S2W-22294, S2W-22295 and S2W-22296 on 23 January 2006. This information is not available. Due to the variety of ways in which individuals move to Scotland, this information would be very difficult to collect, and…
25 Jan 2006 · General Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the justification is for the level of borrowing, proposed in the Water Industry Commission¿s determination of charges to 2010, being described as ¿prudent¿.
Answer · Rhona Brankin: The Executive asked the Water Industry Commission, Scottish Water’s independent economic regulator, to determine the amount that Scottish Water should be able to borrow in 2006-10.</p> <p>In doing so, we required the commission to achieve the prudent outcome …
24 Jan 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-22213 by Tavish Scott on 23 January 2006, which “regulatory standards” are referred to in the answer.
Answer · Tavish Scott: A comprehensive set of “regulatory standards” control the operation of ferry services in the UK. These international and domestic regulations cover matters such as safety, the classification and maintenance of vessels, security and impact on the environment. …