Parliamentary questions

Derek Brownlee

680 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.

25 Jan 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many visitors the website www.standinguptoasbawards.com has had since its creation.

Answer · Hugh Henry: The site <a href="http://www.standinguptoasbawards.com/">www.standinguptoasbawards.com</a> has received more than 2,300 visits since being launched in November 2004. This site is a subsection of <a href="http://www.antisocialbehaviourscotland.com/">www.antiso…

25 Jan 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the "regular intervals" referred to in the newsletter Standing Up to Antisocial Behaviour: Issue 1a - December 2005, at which the newsletter is to be published, will be.

Answer · Hugh Henry: We intend to produce the newsletter at least quarterly. The newsletter forms one element of our awareness raising campaign about the positive action being taken to tackle antisocial behaviour.</p>

25 Jan 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many copies of the newsletter Standing Up to Antisocial Behaviour: Issue 1a - December 2005 were printed; to what groups they were distributed, and what the cost was of (a) printing and production and (b) distribution.

Answer · Hugh Henry: Issue 1a of the newsletter <i>Standing up to Antisocial Behaviour</i> was distributed to named individuals from organisations and groups such as local authorities, the police, the fire service, registered social landlords and education organisations as well a…

23 Jan 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what information it held on visits to www.scotland.gov.uk prior to the audit conducted by ABC Electronic referred to in an Executive news release dated 2 January 2006.

Answer · Tom McCabe: Information on the number of visits to <a href="http://www.scotland.gov.uk/">www.scotland.gov.uk</a> prior to the audit referred to in a news release date 2 January, 2006, shows:</p> <p>November 2004 – 585,123</p><p>November 2003 – 493,997</p><p>Source: ABCe.…

23 Jan 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how much ABC Electronic was paid to conduct the audit of visits to www.scotland.gov.uk referred to in an Executive news release dated 2 January 2006.

Answer · Tom McCabe: ABCe received a fee of £6,408 (exc VAT) for conducting the audit referred to in the news release dated 2 January, 2006.</p>

23 Jan 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-22245 by Mr Tom McCabe on 20 January 2006, whether it monitors the cost effectiveness of its expenditure on websites and, if so, what measures it uses.

Answer · Tom McCabe: The purpose of the Executive’s main website – <a href="http://www.scotland.gov.uk/">www.scotland.gov.uk</a> – is to provide an online presence which fulfils the ministerial commitment of open and accountable government.</p> <p>The increase in web traffic sinc…

23 Jan 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many, and what percentage of, dental practices are currently eligible for commitment payments in each NHS board area.

Answer · Lewis Macdonald: Commitment payments were introduced in 2000 and are paid to individual general dental practitioners and not to practices. The conditions of entitlement for payment of a commitment payment are set down in Determination IX of the Statement of Dental Remuneratio…

23 Jan 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what standards in respect of document creation and retention it requires of external bodies undertaking audit work in the public sector.

Answer · Tom McCabe: This is a matter for Audit Scotland. Audit Scotland was established under the Public Finance and Accountability (Scotland) Act 2000 to provide audit services on behalf of the Auditor General for Scotland and the Accounts Commission. Audit Scotland is therefor…

20 Jan 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-21779 by Mr Andy Kerr on 19 January 2006, whether it will fund in full any additional costs which have arisen, or will arise, for either academic institutions or the National Health Service as a result of the Court of the University of Glasgow ruling…

Answer · Andy Kerr: The decision as to whether additional funding is required will depend on the outcome of the meeting on 31 January 2006 with Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs, referred to the answer to question S2W-22554 on 30 January 2006. The Scottish Executive hopes that H…

20 Jan 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-21779 by Mr Andy Kerr on 19 January 2006, who will represent the Scottish Executive at the meeting on 31 January 2006 between Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs, UK Health Departments, the Department for Education and Skills, NHS Employers and the Uni…

Answer · Andy Kerr: The head of the financial performance management and accounting division of the Health Department Finance Directorate, Jane Davidson, and the technical accounting finance manager responsible for health VAT issues, Lee Shedden, will represent the Scottish Exec…

20 Jan 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what forecasts it has made of the number of people employed in the textile sector in each year from 2006 to 2010.

Answer · Nicol Stephen: The Executive has not made any forecasts of employment within the textile sector.</p>

19 Jan 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will provide a list of all non-departmental public bodies, broken down by (a) budget and (b) full-time equivalent staff numbers, in each year from 1999-2000 to 2005-06.

Answer · Tom McCabe: I refer the member to the answer to question S2W-22518 on 31 January 2006. 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/webap…

19 Jan 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the total number of full-time equivalent staff was in all non-departmental public bodies in each year from 1999-2000 to 2005-06.

19 Jan 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the total budget has been for all non-departmental public bodies in each year from 1999-2000 to 2005-06.

19 Jan 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many non-departmental public bodies there have been in each year from 1999-2000 to 2005-06.

Answer · Tom McCabe: I refer the member to the answer to question S2W-22518 on 31 January 2006 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/webapp/…

19 Jan 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to update its 2002 publication, A Guide to Public Bodies in Scotland.

Answer · Tom McCabe: There are no plans to update this publication at this time. The Public Bodies and Appointment pages of the Scottish Executive website provide a wide range of current information on all non-departmental public bodies (NDPBs) in Scotland, including details of t…

18 Jan 2006 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what percentage of single farm payments in the south of Scotland have still to be made and what action is being taken to ensure that they are paid as soon as possible.

Answer · Ross Finnie: As at 27 January, 24% of businesses in the South of Scotland constituency are awaiting payment. In contrast, some 7,000 business in the same area have been paid at total of £125,630,288.31.</p> <p>My officials are working through the outstanding claims with t…

17 Jan 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it considers that any of its spending since 1999 has been wasteful and, if so, how much.

Answer · Tom McCabe: The Scottish Executive strives at all times to ensure that the Scottish Budget is spent as effectively as possible. We monitor and review expenditure to ensure economy, efficiency and effectiveness, and with regard to propriety and good financial management. …

17 Jan 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how much has been spent since 1999 on projects which have not achieved their stated objectives.

Answer · Tom McCabe: The Scottish Executive strives at all times to ensure that the stated objectives and targets of our spending plans are met. We have published progress against targets set by each portfolio in the Annual Evaluation Reports. We also published a report of progre…

16 Jan 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what powers it has to influence or set levels of financial reserves in local authorities.

Answer · Tom McCabe: The Executive currently has no specific powers to influence or set levels of financial reserves in local authorities.</p>

16 Jan 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what guidance it issues to local authorities on the appropriate level of financial reserves which they should maintain.

Answer · Tom McCabe: There is currently no guidance issued to councils by the Executive on the appropriate level of financial reserves which they should maintain.</p>

12 Jan 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many copies of Choosing Our Future: Scotland’s Sustainable Development Strategy were printed and what the total cost was of (a) printing and (b) distribution.

Answer · Ross Finnie: Six thousand copies of <i>Choosing our Future: Scotland’s Sustainable Development Strategy</i> were printed at a total print production cost of £11,330. Pre-print design costs totalled £8,686.59 and associated project management costs were £464. Distribution …

12 Jan 2006 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W 21793 by Mr Tom McCabe on 10 January 2006, what information the Executive holds on the number of websites it has created, the number of websites it operates, the number of visitors to its websites, and the costs it incurs, and has incurred since 1999…

Answer · Tom McCabe: The information requested is not held centrally and could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.</p>