Parliamentary questions
Stewart Stevenson
2,358 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.
17 Mar 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how frequently it restates the asset values of its building estate.
Answer · Andy Kerr: The policy on restating asset values of its building estate is reported in Note 1.3 in the <I>Scottish Executive Consolidated Accounts</I> for the year ending 31 March 2002.<P>Freehold land and buildings have been restated at open market value for existing us…
17 Mar 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive over what period it depreciates the asset value of its (a) vehicles, (b) computer hardware, (c) bespoke computer software, (d) standard computer software, (e) furniture and (f) telecommunications equipment.
Answer · Andy Kerr: The policy on depreciation is provided in note 1.4 of the <I>Scottish Executive Consolidated Resource Accounts</I> for the year ended 31 March 2002. <P>The Scottish Executive depreciates the asset values over the following periods:<P>(a) vehicles - five to 10…
17 Mar 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the value of its computer systems (a) was at the time of purchase and (b) is now.
Answer · Andy Kerr: The value of the computer systems owned by the Scottish Executive is reported in the Scottish Executive Consolidated Resource Accounts for the year ended 31 March 2002. Note 6a records the value of information and communication technology systems both at purc…
17 Mar 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the value of its property interests is.
Answer · Andy Kerr: The value of the property interests for the Scottish Executive is reported in the <I>Scottish Executive Consolidated Accounts</I> for the year ending 31 March 2002. Note 6a records the net value of land and buildings as £1,053 million.
17 Mar 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what dependence Macduff harbour and surrounding businesses have on fishing.
Answer · Ross Finnie: No detailed breakdown on the fishery dependence of Macduff harbour and the surrounding businesses is available. However, the <I>Scottish Economic Report</I> published in 2002 estimates that about 7% of employment in the Banff Travel-to-Work Area, in which Mac…
17 Mar 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how much of its advertising committed in 2002-03 will be paid for by the 2003-04 budget.
Answer · Andy Kerr: Nil.
17 Mar 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the total spend of its advertising budget will be in 2002-03.
Answer · Andy Kerr: The final figure for advertising expenditure for 2002-03 is not yet available because not all invoices have been received. <P>I expect the figure to be close to the estimated £13 million announced in the Scottish Executive press release 208, of February 7, wh…
17 Mar 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive when rail services will operate without any passenger having to stand for more than 10 minutes.
Answer · Lewis Macdonald: This is an aspiration for the new Scottish passenger railway franchise, which is due to commence in 2004. The 10-minute standing target is already in operation in the Strathclyde Passenger Transport Executive area.
17 Mar 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive when arrangements will be in place to allow white fish landings to resume at Macduff harbour.
Answer · Ross Finnie: Whitefish landings at Macduff harbour may currently take place subject to certain restrictions associated with EU cod recovery provisions and other control measures.
17 Mar 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive when Peterhead Ambulance Station will commence full-time working.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: I understand that the service is continuing to review the demand made upon, and performance achieved by, the Peterhead Ambulance Station taking into account other changes which may impact on services within the area. These include the impact on workload of th…
14 Mar 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive when the Scottish Ambulance Service will end completely the use of on-call working arrangements for staff in part-time stations.
Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: The conversion of ambulance stations from part-time to full-time working is an operational matter for the Scottish Ambulance Service. Factors which will inform the service's decision include information about-patient care benefits, expected performance improv…
5 Mar 2003 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-33188 by Lewis Macdonald on 22 January 2003, whether any public money has been directly or indirectly provided to Journeyplan Ltd
Answer · Lewis Macdonald: The Scottish Executive pays grant to Traveline Scotland Ltd to allow the company to meet its contractual obligations with Journeyplan Ltd. Journeyplan Ltd are currently contracted to Traveline Scotland to maintain the Traveline Scotland data management centre…
27 Feb 2003 · SPCB Written Question
To ask the Presiding Officer what internal peer review processes there are for the Holyrood project.
Answer · David Steel: There are no arrangements for peer review within the Parliament, outwith the usual management responsibilities. The project has been audited on a regular basis, both internally and externally and the Spencely review in spring 2000 provided a thorough and help…
27 Feb 2003 · SPCB Written Question
To ask the Presiding Officer what (a) independent and (b) external review processes there are for the Holyrood project.
Answer · David Steel: The Auditor General for Scotland provides the only fully independent and external review process for the Holyrood project. However, management actions are also subject to review by the Holyrood Progress Group which includes two independent and external profes…
27 Feb 2003 · SPCB Written Question
To ask the Presiding Officer how many cost accountants are employed on the Holyrood project.
Answer · David Steel: The Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body employs Davis Langdon & Everest, (DLE) as its independent cost consultant on the Holyrood project.
27 Feb 2003 · SPCB Written Question
To ask the Presiding Officer whether the Holyrood Project Team undertook any additional research to provide responses to any enquiries regarding project management aspects of the Holyrood project or whether such responses were provided by utilising existing reporting and management systems.
Answer · David Steel: The Holyrood Project Team regularly responds to a considerable number of enquiries regarding the Holyrood project. Some of these enquiries can readily be answered by drawing on material in existing reports and others can only be dealt with by carrying out add…
27 Feb 2003 · SPCB Written Question
To ask the Presiding Officer under what conditions, and on whose authority, the project plan for the Holyrood project is revised and on what three most recent dates amendments to the plan were made.
Answer · David Steel: The project plan provides the general basis for managing the project and sets out the various roles and responsibilities of the parties involved. The plan also incorporates change control procedures, which are rigorously adhered to. Following reviews of the p…
27 Feb 2003 · SPCB Written Question
To ask the Presiding Officer how often actual progress on the Holyrood project is measured against the project plan by the (a) project managers and (b) Holyrood Progress Group.
Answer · David Steel: The responsibilities for programme management and reporting within the Construction Management procurement route rest with the Construction Manager (Bovis Lend Lease). The Construction Manager provides fortnightly programme updates at a strategic level to the…
27 Feb 2003 · SPCB Written Question
To ask the Presiding Officer what matrix of authority is used to determine the relationship between the seniority of personnel working on the Holyrood project and their authority to make commitments of money and other resources and to define the reporting of the exercise of that authority.
Answer · David Steel: A full scheme of delegated authorities, both functional and financial, is in place for the Holyrood project. This covers, <I>inter alia</I>, the levels at which resources can be committed and expenditure incurred. The exercise of these authorities is monitore…
27 Feb 2003 · SPCB Written Question
To ask the Presiding Officer how many of the members of the Holyrood project management team are trained in project management and what training they received.
Answer · David Steel: The Holyrood Project Team employs eight professionals from a range of project management backgrounds, all with relevant qualifications, experience and a variety of individual specialist and necessary skills to assist in the completion of the project. In addit…
27 Feb 2003 · SPCB Written Question
To ask the Presiding Officer whether the members of the Holyrood Progress Group have had any briefing or training in how to manage project managers or on any aspect of project management.
Answer · David Steel: It is not the responsibility of the Holyrood Progress Group (HPG) to manage project managers. The "construction management" method of procurement adopted for the new Parliament building project is a relatively new adaptation of more traditional procurement me…
27 Feb 2003 · SPCB Written Question
To ask the Presiding Officer what proportion of resources have been allocated to (a) overdue, (b) behind schedule and (c) on-schedule tasks for each class of resource within the Holyrood project plan.
Answer · David Steel: The responsibilities for programme management and reporting within the Construction Management procurement route rest with the Construction Manager (Bovis Lend Lease). The Construction Manager provides fortnightly programme updates at a strategic level to the…
27 Feb 2003 · SPCB Written Question
To ask the Presiding Officer what proportion of resources have been allocated to complete (a) scheduled and (b) unscheduled tasks for each class of resource within the Holyrood project plan.
Answer · David Steel: The responsibilities for programme management and reporting within the Construction Management procurement route rest with the Construction Manager (Bovis Lend Lease). The Construction Manager provides fortnightly programme updates at a strategic level to the…
27 Feb 2003 · SPCB Written Question
To ask the Presiding Officer what classes of resources there are within the Holyrood project plan.
Answer · David Steel: The responsibilities for programme management and reporting within the Construction Management procurement route rest with the Construction Manager (Bovis Lend Lease). The Construction Manager provides fortnightly programme updates at a strategic level to the…
27 Feb 2003 · SPCB Written Question
To ask the Presiding Officer how many milestones in the Holyrood project plan are not yet met and, of these, how many are overdue, expressed also as a proportion of unmet milestones.
Answer · David Steel: The responsibilities for programme management and reporting within the Construction Management procurement route rest with the Construction Manager (Bovis Lend Lease). The Construction Manager provides fortnightly programme updates at a strategic level to the…
27 Feb 2003 · SPCB Written Question
To ask the Presiding Officer how many milestones remain to be achieved in the Holyrood project plan.
Answer · David Steel: The responsibilities for programme management and reporting within the Construction Management procurement route rest with the Construction Manager (Bovis Lend Lease). The Construction Manager provides fortnightly programme updates at a strategic level to the…
27 Feb 2003 · SPCB Written Question
To ask the Presiding Officer which reports generated by the Holyrood project's management software are (a) used by the Holyrood Progress Group (HPG) in exercising its oversight role, (b) used by the project managers in the preparation of reports to the HPG and (c) used by the project managers.
Answer · David Steel: I understand that Bovis Lend Lease (Scotland) Ltd, (BLL)) the Construction Managers for the Holyrood Project use Primavera and Power Project as their project management software. Based on the output from this software, BLL prepare fortnightly reports on prog…
27 Feb 2003 · SPCB Written Question
To ask the Presiding Officer what project management software is used to record planned tasks, milestones, achievements, resources and costs for the Holyrood project.
Answer · David Steel: I understand that Bovis Lend Lease (Scotland) Ltd, (BLL)) the Construction Managers for the Holyrood Project use Primavera and Power Project as their project management software. Based on the output from this software, BLL prepare fortnightly reports on progr…
27 Feb 2003 · SPCB Written Question
To ask the Presiding Officer whether the Holyrood project is operating under ISO 9001, equivalent EU standards for quality management systems or any other recognised standards and, if the project is not operating under any of these standards, what other quality management systems standards are being used.
Answer · David Steel: The Scottish Parliament does not operate under any specific quality assurance accreditation but rather follows corporate quality assurance guarantees. The Holyrood project works within the criteria set by corporate quality standards.
27 Feb 2003 · SPCB Written Question
To ask the Presiding Officer whether the project control methodology used for the overall management of the Holyrood project is Projects in Controlled Environments (PRINCE), PRINCE2, another government-approved methodology or a non-government approved methodology.
Answer · David Steel: I understand that Bovis Lend Lease (Scotland) Ltd, (BLL)) the Construction Managers for the Holyrood Project use Primavera and Power Project as their project management software. Based on the output from this software, BLL prepare fortnightly reports on progr…