Parliamentary questions
Richard Baker
2,136 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.
18 Apr 2013 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many people in the NHS Grampian area have been screened for bowel cancer in each of the last three years.
Answer · Michael Matheson: The number and percentage of eligible men and women in the NHS Grampian area who have taken part in the Scottish Bowel Screening Programme over the last three years is provided in the following table. NHS Grampian 2010 2011* 2012 Males 23,339 (55.7%) …
18 Apr 2013 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what consultations it has carried out on the existence of student associations under new regional colleges and with what outcomes.
Answer · Michael Russell: The Scottish Government has carried out two public consultations on all aspects of college reform and regionalisation which includes the existence of student associations in merged colleges. I lodged an amendment to the Post-16 Education (Scotland) Bill at s…
18 Apr 2013 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether two student associations can continue to exist under the regionalisation of Aberdeen and Banff and Buchan colleges.
Answer · Michael Russell: The provisions of the Education Act 1994 rightly do not allow for there to be separate student associations representing different college campuses because it would undermine effective and coherent student representation. However it is of course open to stud…
17 Apr 2013 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many and what percentage of contracts were awarded to supported businesses through Public Contracts Scotland in (a) 2010, (b) 2011 and (c) 2012.
Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: The information requested by the member is set out in the following table: 2010* 2011 2012 Number of Supported Businesses** awarded contracts via PCS 1 7 10 Total number of suppliers awarded contracts via PCS 1,252 8,329 13,308 Percentage of Sup…
17 Apr 2013 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many and what percentage of the suppliers awarded contracts through Public Contracts Scotland in 2012 were Scottish owned.
Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: The Scottish Government does not hold this information. Suppliers registering on Public Contracts Scotland are required to provide their address, but they are not required to provide any information on the registered office or the ownership of the company.
17 Apr 2013 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many contracts were awarded to Scotland-based small or medium-sized companies through Public Contracts Scotland in (a) 2010, (b) 2011 and (c) 2012, also broken down by (i) micro-, (ii) small and (iii) medium-sized companies and expressed as a percentage of the total number.
Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: The information requested is set out in the following table: Calendar Year 2010* Calendar Year 2011 Calendar Year 2012 **Scotland-based Micro (1-9 employees) 181 (14%) 1,789 (21%) 3,456 (26%) Scotland-based Small (10-49 employees) 274 (22%) 2.233 …
17 Apr 2013 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what the value was of contracts awarded through Public Contracts Scotland to (a) Scotland-based and (b) international small or medium-sized companies in (i) 2010, (ii) 2011 and (iii) 2012.
Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: It is not possible to calculate the value of contracts awarded via Public Contracts Scotland (PCS) because at the time of the publication of the award notice only an estimated value or range of values is provided by the contracting authority. In addition, man…
17 Apr 2013 · Portfolio Question
To ask the Scottish Government what progress it is making in taking forward the business rates incentivisation scheme.
9 Apr 2013 · General Question
To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to support local authorities in the north east to deal with the aftermath of recent flooding.
3 Apr 2013 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had regarding the recent increase in the price of student bus tickets in Aberdeen.
Answer · Keith Brown: The Scottish Government has not been involved in any discussions, although I understand that First Aberdeen met student representatives on 10 April 2013 to discuss their concerns. Bus fares and tickets are a matter for individual operators, who use their own…
2 Apr 2013 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what information it has on the average percentage of its contract clauses that community benefit clauses represent.
Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: The Scottish Government has implemented community benefit clauses in various contracts, however we do not currently have a central record containing information on the average percentage of contract clauses that community benefit clauses represent. We intend…
2 Apr 2013 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government (a) which and (b) what percentage of its (i) currently allocated contracts and (ii) contracts allocated in the last six years contain or have contained community benefit clauses.
Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: The Scottish Government have implemented community benefit clauses in various contracts. For example, the Scottish Government’s Ready for Business programme is a public social partnership pilot which aims to support social enterprises to increase their tradin…
2 Apr 2013 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government which contracts for which it has issued invitations to tender will contain community benefit clauses.
Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: The Scottish Government have implemented community benefit clauses in various contracts, however we do not currently have a central record containing information on community benefit clauses used in individual contracts. We intend to use the forthcoming Proc…
28 Mar 2013 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how vocational training placements for graduates from Aberdeen Dental School are monitored (a) in the Aberdeen area and (b) across Scotland.
Answer · Alex Neil: NHS Education for Scotland (NES) is responsible for arranging and monitoring vocational training placements across Scotland, and does so in co-operation with Scottish health boards. Vocational training placements and the development of graduates is monitored …
28 Mar 2013 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how much funding has been provided to dental practices in the Aberdeen area that offer vocational training placements for graduates from Aberdeen Dental School in each of the last five years.
Answer · Alex Neil: I refer the member to the answer to question S4W-14033 on 23 April 2013. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at: http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/parliamentaryb…
28 Mar 2013 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many dental practices in the Aberdeen area have been registered to offer vocational training placements for graduates from Aberdeen Dental School in each of the last five years.
Answer · Alex Neil: Under European Economic Area (EEA) and UK employment law provisions in relation to open competition any UK or EEA dental graduate who meets the eligibility criteria can apply for vocational training placements. On that basis it would be illegal to arrange rec…
28 Mar 2013 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many graduates from Aberdeen Dental School have gained a vocational training placement in each of the last five years and how many (a) gained full time employment and (b) remained in the Aberdeen area on completion.
Answer · Alex Neil: The first dental students to graduate from the Aberdeen Dental School did so in June 2012, and all 13 graduates gained vocational training places in Scotland; 5 in Grampian, 6 in the Highlands and Islands, and two in the West of Scotland. As none have yet com…
14 Mar 2013 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on seconding civil servants to work on a bid for any proposal for a mutualised company to run the ScotRail franchise.
Answer · Keith Brown: In the interests of running an open and transparent procurement of the ScotRail Franchise renewal, the Scottish Government would not second civil servants to work on any bids for the franchise.
14 Mar 2013 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what the timetable is for the award of the new rail franchise for sleeper services.
Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: The timetable for the award of the new rail franchise for the Caledonian Sleeper Service and further information can be found at: http://www.transportscotland.gov.uk/rail/scottish-franchise-renewal-programme.
7 Mar 2013 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S4W-12698 by Nicola Sturgeon on 25 February 2013, which minister approved the decision to deliver the Borders Railway project using Network Rail’s Regulatory Asset Base and not the non-profit distributing model, and for what reason Network Rail’s Regula…
Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: The Minister for Transport and Veterans approved the decision to deliver the Borders Railway using Network Rail’s Regulatory Asset Base. Transport Scotland cancelled the original non-profit distributing procurement competition in September 2011 following the…
7 Mar 2013 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S4W-12698 by Nicola Sturgeon on 25 February 2013, how the staggered timing for college projects has been prioritised.
Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: Prioritisation was based on the previous development of the projects and the preparedness of their business cases for receiving approval.
7 Mar 2013 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S4W-12698 by Nicola Sturgeon on 25 February 2013, whether moving the colleges into construction around the same time might have a detrimental effect, and what the reasons are for its position on this matter.
Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: There is no detrimental effect of the colleges moving into construction around the same time as overall capacity in the construction market to deliver these projects is not constrained. The projects differ in location and or size, and have attracted interest …
7 Mar 2013 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S4W-12698 by Nicola Sturgeon on 25 February 2013, if staggering the timing of procurement of the three colleges avoided them competing with each other in the market, for what reason the colleges will now move into construction around the same time.
Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: The staggered timing of procurement took account of potential market capacity constraints in the bidding process and the ability of contractors to participate in the bidding process for more than one project. There are no overall capacity constraints in the m…
7 Mar 2013 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S4W-12698 by Nicola Sturgeon on 25 February 2013, whether any school projects will be delivered through the HUB initiative and, if so, which projects.
Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: All revenue funded HUB school projects delivered through the Schools for the Future Programme are published within the “Pipeline of Revenue Funded Projects” on the Scottish Futures Trust website which is regularly updated and can be obtained via the following…
7 Mar 2013 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S4W-12698 by Nicola Sturgeon on 25 February 2013, what funding has been made available for each school project that has been delayed by project-specific issues.
Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: Scotland’s Schools for the Future Programme is a joint £1.25 billion programme with Scotland’s local authorities which will see the delivery of 67 new or refurbished schools across all parts of Scotland. The Scottish Government is contributing £800 million to…
7 Mar 2013 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S4W-12698 by Nicola Sturgeon on 25 February 2013, when it will publish the timescale for the delivery of each of the 19 schools projects in Phase 3.
Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: Scotland’s Schools for the Future Programme, of which these 19 schools are a part, will see the delivery of 67 new or refurbished schools across all parts of Scotland by March 2018. So far six schools have been completed, nine schools are currently under cons…
7 Mar 2013 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government for what reason the projected start date of the construction of the Aberdeen Western Peripheral Route is two years after the resolution of the legal challenge to the project.
Answer · Keith Brown: Due to the protracted Practising Law Institute and legal challenges a road that should be relieving traffic from central Aberdeen now will unfortunately not be open until spring 2018. However, we ensured as much preparatory steps as possible were progressed d…
7 Mar 2013 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will seek EU assistance for the (a) construction of the Aberdeen Western Peripheral Route and (b) (i) M8, (ii) M73 and (iii) M74 motorway improvements projects.
Answer · Keith Brown: We are working together with the European Investment Bank to secure funding support through the successful bidders which provides value for money for both schemes.
4 Mar 2013 · General Question
To ask the Scottish Government when it will announce the location for the energy skills academy.
26 Feb 2013 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how much has been allocated to special educational needs' (a) support, (b) transport and (c) behavioural services in 2012-13.
Answer · Alasdair Allan: The Scottish Government provides funding to all local authorities through revenue block grant funding. This funding supports education authorities in the delivery of their duties under the Additional Support for Learning Act to provide support for children an…