Derek Brownlee

2 Nov 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive which of its officials the members of the Independent Budget Review Group have met since the submission of the report of that group to ministers, and on which dates these meetings occurred.

Answer · Tom McCabe: Finance officials have met withmembers of the Budget Review Group on four occasions since the submission of thereport to ministers. The dates of the meetings were 12 and 23 October and 1 and7 November.</p>

2 Nov 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many copies of Future European Structural Funds Programmes in Highlands and Islands 2007-2013 were printed; to whom they were distributed, and what the cost was of (a) design, (b) printing and (c) distribution.

Answer · Allan Wilson: The Scottish Executive printed150 copies of the consultation document on <i>Future European Structural Funds Programmesin Highlands and Islands 2007-2013</i>. This consultation, and the similar and parallelconsultation for the Lowlands and Uplands Scotland, i…

2 Nov 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many copies of Future European Structural Funds Programmes in Lowlands and Uplands Scotland 2007-2013 were printed; to whom they were distributed, and what the cost was of (a) design, (b) printing and (c) distribution.

Answer · Allan Wilson: The Scottish Executive printed150 copies of the consultation document on <i>Future European Structural Funds Programmesin Lowlands and Uplands Scotland 2007-2013</i>. This consultation, and the similarand parallel consultation for the Highlands and Islands, i…

26 Oct 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the estimated cost of transitional protection arrangements for members of the Local Government Pension Scheme would have been had the same transitional arrangements been implemented in Scotland as in England and Wales.

Answer · Tom McCabe: The estimated cost of providingthe same transitional arrangements in Scotland as in England and Wales is between£299.5 million and £307 million.</p>

26 Oct 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many individuals will be affected by proposed transitional protection arrangements for members of the Local Government Pension Scheme in (a) total and (b) each year of transition.

Answer · Tom McCabe: This information is not heldcentrally. However, all existing members of the Local Government Pension Schemeare covered by the transitional protection arrangements until 31 March 2008.</p>

25 Oct 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how much expenditure has been incurred on the Independent Budget Review Group up to 25 October 2006, broken down by category.

Answer · Tom McCabe: A total of £124,629.60 hasbeen paid in fees and £9,676.92 in expenses to members of the Budget ReviewGroup up to 25 October 2006.</p><p>Time incurred by ScottishExecutive staff involved in supporting the review process and for those othersinvolved at various …

25 Oct 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how much has been paid in (a) remuneration and (b) expenses to members of the Independent Budget Review Group up to 25 October 2006.

Answer · Tom McCabe: A total of £124,629.60 hasbeen paid in fees and £9,676.92 in expenses to members of the Budget ReviewGroup up to 25 October 2006.</p>

25 Oct 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it allocates a unique identifier in its accounting systems to each of its suppliers of goods or services.

Answer · Tom McCabe: Yes.</p>

25 Oct 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how much expenditure it has incurred on (a) advertising costs, (b) conference fees and (c) any other expenditure with Holyrood Communications in each year since 2002.

Answer · Tom McCabe: Payments made to HolyroodCommunications through the Scottish Executive Accounting System, which coversboth the core Executive and many of its agencies, are as follows:</p><table border=1 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=3> <thead> <tr> <td width=219 valign=top> …

25 Oct 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how much funding its agencies have provided to TRANSform Scotland in each year since 1999-2000, broken down by category of expenditure.

Answer · Tavish Scott: Executive agencies of the Scottish Executive have not provided any funding to TRANSform Scotland since1999-2000.</p>

25 Oct 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how much funding it has provided to TRANSform Scotland in each year since 1999-2000, broken down by category of expenditure.

Answer · Tavish Scott: The Scottish Executive hasprovided funding to TRANSform Scotland in each year since 1999-2000 as follows:</p><table border=1 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=3> <tr> <td width=85 valign=top> <p>Year</p> </td> <td width=76 valign=top> <p align=right>Funding</p>…

18 Oct 2006 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether the Water Environment (Controlled Activities) (Scotland) Regulations 2005 are working satisfactorily.

Answer · Rhona Brankin: The Water Environment (ControlledActivities) (Scotland) Regulations 2005 (“CAR”) came into force on 1 April 2006. Theyprovide a single holistic framework of controls for all activities that pose arisk to the water environment.</p><p>Smooth progress is beingma…

4 Oct 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive when it will provide a substantive answer to question S2W-27347 in respect of the answers to questions S2W-25184 to 25186 lodged on 11 April 2006.

Answer · Nicol Stephen: PQ S2W-27347 was answered on10 October 2006. All answers to written PQs are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at <ahref="http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search">http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/weba…

4 Oct 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive when it will provide a substantive answer to question S2W-34922 which was lodged on 31 March 2006.

Answer · Andy Kerr: The re-drafted strategy documenton First Responder units has been completed and is available from the Scottish AmbulanceService National Headquarters, Tipperlinn Road, Edinburgh, EH10 5UU.</p><p>The Scottish Ambulance Service’spolicy is to set up First Respo…

4 Oct 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how it monitors whether Forestry Commission Scotland’s spending delivers value for money.

Answer · Rhona Brankin: Forestry Commission Scotland’s(FCS) spending is subject to the same scrutiny as other departments of the ScottishExecutive. All departments, through their Accountable Officers, have a duty to promotethe efficient and effective use of staff and other resources…

4 Oct 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how it monitors the effectiveness of Forestry Commission Scotland’s spending against its objectives.

Answer · Rhona Brankin: Forestry Commission Scotland’s(FCS) spending is subject to the same scrutiny as other departments of the ScottishExecutive. Every two years its planned activities are examined in detail in theSpending Review to ensure that it is meeting the agreed objectives …

2 Oct 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how much has been held in the Central Unallocated Provision in each year since its introduction and whether it will provide a breakdown of how any money held was spent.

Answer · Tom McCabe: Since its introduction in October2004, the following amounts have been held in the Central Unallocated Provision(CUP):</p><table border=1 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=3> <thead> <tr> <td valign=top> <p align=center>For Year Ending</p> </td> <td valign=…

2 Oct 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the departmental unallocated provision, detailed in table 8.03 of its Draft Budget 2007-08, has been spent on in each year since 2002-03 and what it anticipates it will be spent on in 2006-07 and 2007-08.

Answer · Andy Kerr: The Departmental UnallocatedProvision (DUP) is generally established on completion of each Spending Review andannually at the beginning of each budget setting period. This recognises that therewill be emergent commitments and pressures as the landscape change…

28 Sep 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what action it is taking to address homelessness in (a) East Lothian, (b) South Lanarkshire and (c) the Scottish Borders, in light of the increase in homelessness between 2004-05 and 2005-06.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: The Executive is working withlocal government and partners on a wide range of actions to prevent and tackle homelessness,and is co-ordinating the work needed to carry out the 59 recommendations made bythe Homelessness Task Force (HTF) in 2002. For example, th…

20 Sep 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the median household income figure is in (a) Scotland and (b) each (i) parliamentary region, (ii) local enterprise company area, (iii) local authority area, (iv) parliamentary constituency and (v) Scottish Westminster parliamentary constituency.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: I refer the member to the answer to question S2W-28499 on 28 September 2006. All answers to writtenparliamentary questions are available on the Parliaments website, the search facilityfor which can be found at <ahref="http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/…

20 Sep 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the average household income figure is in (a) Scotland and (b) each (i) parliamentary region, (ii) local enterprise company area, (iii) local authority area, (iv) parliamentary constituency and (v) Scottish Westminster parliamentary constituency.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: The following table presentsthe mean and median household income estimates for Scotland basedon the Family Resources Survey. Sub-Scotland income estimates are not available.</p><p>Table: Median and Mean Household Weekly Income for Scotland, 2004-05(£ Per Week…

20 Sep 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the median individual income figure is in (a) Scotland and (b) each (i) parliamentary region, (ii) local enterprise company area, (iii) local authority area, (iv) parliamentary constituency and (v) Scottish Westminster parliamentary constituency.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: The following table presentsthe median individual income estimates for Scotland based on the Family ResourcesSurvey. Sub-Scotland income estimates are not available.</p><p>Table: Median IndividualWeekly Income for Scotland, 2002-03 to 2004-05¹</p><…

20 Sep 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the average individual income figure is in (a) Scotland and (b) each (i) parliamentary region, (ii) local enterprise company area, (iii) local authority area, (iv) parliamentary constituency and (v) Scottish Westminster parliamentary constituency.

Answer · Malcolm Chisholm: Mean individual income estimatesare not available for Scotland or Sub-Scotland geographies. The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) prefer to quotevalues for median individual income. The income distribution is highly skewed andthe mean value is much more …

20 Sep 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what details it holds or has access to on the distribution of earnings in (a) Scotland and (b) each (i) parliamentary region, (ii) local enterprise company area, (iii) local authority area, (iv) parliamentary constituency and (v) Scottish Westminster parliamentary constituency.

Answer · Nicol Stephen: The official source of pay estimatesis the Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (ASHE), which is carried out by the Officefor National Statistics (ONS).</p><p>Through a Service Level Agreementthe Scottish Executive has access to the micro-data for this survey …

15 Sep 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether there will be any reductions in the grant it gives to British Waterways in Scotland beyond 2007-08, in light of possible reductions in grant aid to British Waterways by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.

Answer · Tavish Scott: No decision has yet beenmade on the level of grant which the Scottish Executive will provide to BritishWaterways to fund its activities in Scotland from 2008-09 onwards. The current grant provided bythe Scottish Executive is not linked to the level of funding…

14 Sep 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what action it is taking to ensure that public sector organisations destroy sensitive data from computer equipment prior to disposal of the equipment.

Answer · Tom McCabe: British Standard BS ISO/IEC17799:2005, Information technology – Security techniques – Code of practice forinformation security management includes best practice guidance on the securedisposal and re-use of computer equipment and media.</p><p>The Scottish Exec…

14 Sep 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many individuals subscribe to the ministerial events’ podcasts, broken down into individuals from (a) within the Executive and (b) external sources.

Answer · Tom McCabe: The first video podcast of aministerial event was made available on Friday September 8. In the first sevendays (to Thursday September 14) when there were a total of 57 downloads.</p><p>The first audio podcast of FirstMinister’s questions was made available on…

14 Sep 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive on how many occasions the podcasts on (a) the Sports Summit at Stirling University, (b) schools to junk junk food and (c) the Athletes Commission for the 2014 Commonwealth Games were downloaded prior to 14 September 2006, broken down into those downloaded from (i) within the Executive and…

Answer · Tom McCabe: Ministerial Events Podcastdownloads prior to Sept 14:</p><p>(a) Nine (by Sept 18 thisfigure had risen to 90).</p><p>(b) 16 (22).</p><p>(c) 32 (33).</p><p>The figures applyprincipally to external sources. The internal SCOTS computer network used byExecutive st…

14 Sep 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the total cost was of producing and placing online the podcasts on (a) the Sports Summit at Stirling University, (b) schools to junk junk food and (c) the Athletes Commission for the 2014 Commonwealth Games.

Answer · Tom McCabe: The filming and production ofall video content on the web is part of the normal remit of the web team at St Andrew’sHouse. Regular webcasts of ministerial events have been produced since August 2002and made available through the main Executive website. Podcas…

24 Aug 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive on what date the decision was taken to publish the Improving Regulation in Scotland Unit’s Report on Regulatory Concerns and who took the decision.

Answer · Nicol Stephen: The decision to publish thereport was taken on the 8 August 2006 when Cabinet gave approval to its publication.</p>