Parliamentary questions

Peter Peacock

1,395 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.

24 Jun 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, under its proposals for NPD PPP projects, who the partners in the partnership will be.

Answer · John Swinney: This will depend on the specific circumstances of each individual project. Typically the market is invited to respond to the procurement opportunity by setting out a bid based on the input of consortium partners.

24 Jun 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, under its proposals for NPD PPP projects, where the risks associated with any asset failures lie.

Answer · John Swinney: Under Scottish Government guidance relating to value for money assessment, a full assessment of risks and optimal risk allocation for all major projects is required prior to commencement of procurement. A complex risk matrix results from that process. Standar…

24 Jun 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, under its proposals for NPD PPP projects, who owns the assets created by the capital spending for the period of any contract for the maintenance of the asset.

Answer · John Swinney: The NPD model currently being used in procurements typically provides that the land on which the assets are created is owned by the procuring public body, so that when the contract ends the land and assets revert to the public body automatically. Any new prop…

24 Jun 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether, under its proposals for NPD PPP projects, there will be a contract for the maintenance of the asset for a specified period and what the typical period might be.

Answer · John Swinney: The NPD model currently being used in procurements includes contracts for the maintenance of the asset for a specified period. The actual period will depend on each individual project, however, a typical period would be 25 to 30 years.

24 Jun 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it expects the Scottish Futures Trust to manage and deliver any particular construction programmes and, if so, when it is envisaged that the first programme will be completed.

Answer · John Swinney: The Scottish Futures Trust (SFT) will set out its activities and priorities in an operational plan as soon as possible following its establishment.

24 Jun 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what it means by each Scottish Futures Trust being a developer, deliverer and supporter of individual programmes.

Answer · John Swinney: The Scottish Futures Trust (SFT) will be one organisation with two arms to it – SFT Delivery and Development, and SFT Finance and Investment. A key role for SFT will be to strengthen public sector capability in infrastructure planning, procurement and deliver…

24 Jun 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether the Scottish Futures Trust is an initiative or a fund.

Answer · John Swinney: As stated in Taking Forward the Scottish Futures Trust (Bib. number 45605), the Scottish Futures Trust is an initiative covering a range of activities designed to support the efficiency and effectiveness of public infrastructure procurement leading to…

24 Jun 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the VAT status will be of the Scottish Futures Trust in any form and what the implications will be of such status.

Answer · John Swinney: The VAT status of the Scottish Futures Trust will be for HM Revenue and Customs to determine. The implications of compliance with UK fiscal policies are generally financial.

24 Jun 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, in light of the reference on page 18 of Taking Forward the Scottish Futures Trust to the Scottish Futures Trust as a conceptual idea, whether any other SNP manifesto commitments were conceptual ideas.

Answer · John Swinney: Yes, the proposals for a Scottish oil fund were based on a model that works well in Norway and in other forms in other states and indeed some regions internationally. The SNP manifesto set out the concept and broad approach. This is now being taken forward in…

24 Jun 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will publish the evidence used to conclude that savings within a range of 3% to 5% could accrue from its proposals, as set out on page 14 of Taking Forward the Scottish Futures Trust, and whether it considers that such savings are achievable only by the particular methods envis…

Answer · John Swinney: Page 42 of Taking Forward the Scottish Futures Trust (Bib. number 45605) sets out how the savings within a range of 3% to 5% could accrue from the setting up of the Scottish Futures Trust (SFT). It will be for the SFT company itself to consider, worki…

24 Jun 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether the NPD PPP project in Argyll and Bute could have successfully proceeded at local authority level without “level playing field support”.

Answer · John Swinney: That is a question for Argyll and Bute Council. Subsequent to the schools PPP programme, some councils have embarked on large bundled schools programmes by utilising such funding options as the prudential regime, and capital receipts.

24 Jun 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has any plans to offer the equivalent of “level playing field support” for any NPD PPP projects.

Answer · John Swinney: Level playing field support was replaced in Scotland by revenue support in 2002. The previous administration left no plans or funds in support of any new revenue support for local authority PPP projects. The new government even found that there was £65 milli…

24 Jun 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will permit only NPD PPP projects to proceed in future.

Answer · John Swinney: We have not used the “standard UK PFI” model since May 2007. We have made clear that in circumstances where that model would previously have been used, our preference is now for the NPD approach.

24 Jun 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether there is any form of NPD model referred to in Taking Forward the Scottish Futures Trust which is not also a PPP.

Answer · John Swinney: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-14553 on 18 July 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/webapp/w…

24 Jun 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether the envisaged NPD approach referred to in Taking Forward the Scottish Futures Trust is a PPP.

Answer · John Swinney: The NPD approach set out in “Taking Forward the Scottish Futures Trust” is a non-profit distributing initiative.

24 Jun 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether the statements on page 7 of Taking Forward the Scottish Futures Trust are materially correct in every respect.

Answer · John Swinney: Yes.

24 Jun 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether the NPD PPP programme envisaged and set out in Taking Forward the Scottish Futures Trust differs in any material respect from the NPD PPP project used by Argyll and Bute Council to finance a number of its new school buildings.

Answer · John Swinney: The NPD project model proposed for use by the SFT has evolved in certain detailed commercial respects since Argyll and Bute and now offers improved value for money as compared to the Argyll and Bute pilot. Through SFT there is the potential to increase furthe…

24 Jun 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive when Argyll and Bute Council awarded the contract to start construction of schools under its NPD PPP project.

Answer · John Swinney: Argyll and Bute Council’s schools NPD project reached financial close on 9 September 2005.

24 Jun 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive when Argyll and Bute Council was first given approval to develop a NPD PPP project.

Answer · John Swinney: The council was first given approval to develop their schools NPD project in July 2002.

24 Jun 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether, in the context of a policy on freezing council tax, any increased costs from servicing additional debt of whatever form for the purpose of securing greater capital spending would have to be met by each local authority’s revenues from reductions in other forms of revenue spending.

Answer · John Swinney: A local authority is under a statutory duty to determine and keep under review the maximum amount it can afford to allocate to capital expenditure. This requires a local authority to determine the maximum amount it can afford to borrow, irrespective of the ty…

24 Jun 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether any finance made available by a local authority to another statutory body for the purpose of assisting that body to undertake its statutory functions would be subject to measurement under public capital spending totals at the individual body or Scottish level.

Answer · John Swinney: How expenditure is measured and recorded will depend on the type of financial assistance made available and the nature of any data collection. A local authority requires a statutory power to provide financial assistance. Where the financial assistanc…

24 Jun 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what powers a local authority has to apply capital spending within the area of another local authority when the nature of such spending would provide no direct benefit to the residents of its own local authority area.

Answer · John Swinney: Local authorities may only incur expenditure where there is a statutory power to do so. In the absence of any specific power, the Local Government in Scotland Act 2003 (the 2003 Act) provides local authorities with the power to do anything which is l…

24 Jun 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether local authorities should use their powers to pursue their own statutory responsibilities before using any powers to assist the statutory functions of other bodies.

Answer · John Swinney: Local authorities are obliged by law to meet their statutory responsibilities as set out in relevant legislation. It is for local authorities to prioritise the use of their powers for delivery of their statutory responsibilities and to achieve delivery of loc…

24 Jun 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether local authorities have powers to incur capital expenditure on matters for which they have no statutory responsibility and where the duty for applying for the finance rests with another statutory body.

24 Jun 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what form of organisation would be needed to issue bonds on behalf of a number of local authorities; what the legal status of such an organisation would be, and to whom it would be accountable.

Answer · John Swinney: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-14542 on 16 July 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/webapp/…

24 Jun 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether a local authority which took part in any collective arrangement to issue bonds would be able to decide which projects within its own area would be constructed by such finance, or whether such decisions would be taken elsewhere.

Answer · John Swinney: Discussions about the potential use of bonds will form a key part of the dialogue to be held between the Scottish Futures Trust (SFT) and the local government sector after SFT is set up later this summer. Issues such as the matter raised in the question above…

24 Jun 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether, in any form, the Scottish Futures Trust will take decisions about which projects it will support, and to whom it will be accountable for such decisions.

Answer · John Swinney: Projects to be supported by the Scottish Futures Trust (SFT) company will be a matter for SFT itself to consider once it is set up, within policies and guidance issued by Scottish Government. The SFT will be accountable through ministers.

24 Jun 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive to whom, in its private form, the Scottish Futures Trust will be accountable.

Answer · John Swinney: Within Taking Forward the Scottish Futures Trust (Bib number 45605), it is made clear that the Scottish Futures Trust (SFT) will not alter the lines of statutory responsibility and accountability which apply across the public sector. SFT will itself b…

24 Jun 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether, if the Scottish Futures Trust reaches a stage of being a direct provider of finance or project management and delivery, it will do so as a public or private body.

Answer · John Swinney: The Scottish Futures Trust’s (SFT) Development and Delivery arm will be a public sector classified body and the Finance and Investment arm will sit within the private sector.

24 Jun 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what it means by “short term” in relation to the Scottish Futures Trust being unlikely to be a direct funder of capital projects, as referred to in Taking Forward the Scottish Futures Trust.

Answer · John Swinney: The Scottish Futures Trust (SFT) is an initiative designed to support the efficiency and effectiveness of public infrastructure procurement leading to real and improved value for money solutions. The early work of the SFT will be to provide this support acros…