Parliamentary questions

Jamie Hepburn

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

7 Mar 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how much energy generated in Scotland has qualified for payments under the Renewables Obligation (Scotland) Scheme in each year since 1999.

Answer · Jim Mather: The information requested is not held centrally. The Renewables Obligation (Scotland) (ROS) is administered by Ofgem, whose website has information about the number of Scottish Renewables Obligation Certificates (ROCs) issued since the introduction of the ROS…

4 Mar 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will provide a breakdown of the subordinate debt borrowed by consortia in PFI/PPP schemes, also showing the projected repayment cost of each such debt over the life of each contract.

Answer · John Swinney: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-10625 on 12 March 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…

3 Mar 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how much it estimates will be paid to HM Treasury in VAT and Corporation Tax by consortia involved in PFI/PPP projects over the life of the contracts.

Answer · John Swinney: The amount of VAT and Corporation Tax to be paid by consortia involved in PFI/PPP projects over the life of the contracts is a matter for the companies involved and HM Revenue & Customs.

3 Mar 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the total cost of subordinate debt borrowed by consortia in PFI/PPP schemes has been and what the total repayment cost of such debt is projected to be by the end of the life of the contracts.

Answer · John Swinney: This information is not held centrally. It is assessed by the relevant procuring public body, with professional advice as to cost and value for money, before each PFI/PPP contract is awarded.

3 Mar 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the total cost of senior debt borrowed by consortia in PFI/PPP schemes has been and what the total repayment cost of such debt is projected to be by the end of the life of the contracts.

Answer · John Swinney: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-10622 on 12 March 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/webap…

3 Mar 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the total cost of the equity invested by consortia in PFI/PPP schemes has been and what the total return on such investments is projected to be by the end of the life of the contracts.

Answer · John Swinney: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-10621 on 12 March 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/webap…

3 Mar 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will provide a breakdown of the senior debt borrowed by consortia in PFI/PPP schemes, also showing the projected repayment cost of each such debt over the life of each contract.

3 Mar 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will provide a breakdown of the equity invested by consortia in PFI/PPP schemes, also showing the projected return on each consortium’s investment by the end of the life of each contract.

Answer · John Swinney: The Scottish Government does not hold a breakdown of the equity invested by consortia for all individual standard PFI projects. However, the normal gearing in such contracts involves about 90% senior debt, 8 to 9% junior debt, and 1 to 2% uncapped equity. The…

28 Feb 2008 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions the Cabinet Secretary for Justice has had with the Home Secretary on the introduction of ID cards.

Answer · Kenny MacAskill: I can confirm that I have had no discussions with the Home Secretary on the introduction of ID cards.

26 Feb 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the extent of the involvement of Scottish ministers was in the drafting of the UK Counter-Terrorism Bill.

Answer · Kenny MacAskill: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-9506 on 20 February 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/webap…

26 Feb 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether, as was reported in The Herald on 26 February 2008, it was involved fully in the drafting of the Counter-Terrorism Bill provisions and was completely content with them.

20 Feb 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether any officials in the Financial Partnerships Unit have contributed articles to Public Private Finance or similar publications and, if so, what remuneration they received.

Answer · John Swinney: The main remit of the Scottish Government Financial Partnerships Unit (FPU) is to provide policy support to Scottish Government ministers and procurement managers on partnership options and procurement methodology for infrastructure delivery and investment. T…

20 Feb 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what corporate functions organised by or on behalf of PPP/PFI consortia have been attended by officials in the Financial Partnerships Unit and who met the costs associated with any attendance since 1999.

Answer · John Swinney: We do not hold records on attendance by officials in the Scottish Government Financial Partnerships Unit to corporate functions organised by or on behalf of PPP/PFI consortia. Any attendance by officials at these events would have been in the interests of fur…

20 Feb 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether any officials in the Financial Partnerships Unit have attended the PPP: PFI Challenge sailing regatta organised by Britannia Events in each year that it has run and whether any officials will attend in 2008.

Answer · John Swinney: No officials in the Scottish Government Financial Partnerships Unit have attended the PPP: PFI Challenge sailing regatta organised by Britannia Events, and no officials will attend in 2008.

20 Feb 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether local authorities and registered social landlords have a statutory requirement to inform their tenants of any structural faults found in their properties and, if so, what legislation establishes this responsibility and from what date the requirement has existed.

Answer · Stewart Maxwell: Section 14 of the Housing Defects Act 1984 contained such a requirement. The Act was subsequently repealed and this provision was consolidated into Part XIV of the Housing (Scotland) Act 1987, which remains in force. The requirement is that a public …

12 Feb 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it plans to extend initiatives such as the Highland Youth Voice model to all parts of rural Scotland.

Answer · Adam Ingram: There are a range of successful local youth engagement models across Scotland, including Highland Youth Voice. While the Government is keen to encourage local youth participation, it is for local authorities to work with local young people to determine the be…

12 Feb 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what support it provides to community councils in rural areas.

Answer · John Swinney: Current legislation provides a framework for local authorities to put in place their own schemes for the establishment of community councils, to take account of local needs and geographical circumstances. The Scottish Government plays no direct role in the da…

12 Feb 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what support it provides for community development in rural areas outside the Highlands and Islands.

Answer · Richard Lochhead: The Scottish Government provides resources through a variety of mechanisms to local authorities and to a number of agencies responsible for supporting community development in rural areas within and outside the Highlands and Islands. The Scottish Go…

12 Feb 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many installations were carried out under the central heating programme in each (a) year and (b) month since its inception in (i) the North Lanarkshire local authority area, (ii) the South Lanarkshire local authority area, (iii) the Falkirk local authority area and (iv) each parliamen…

Answer · Stewart Maxwell: The fuel poverty programmes have included the provision of central heating in both the public and private sectors. In the public sector, local authorities completed installations in their properties in March 2004 and housing associations completed installatio…

6 Feb 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what criteria are included in its definition of best value in public sector procurement.

Answer · John Swinney: It is government policy that all procurement of goods and services should be based on value for money, having due regard to propriety and regularity. Value for money is defined as the optimum combination of whole-life cost and quality (or fitness for purpose)…

4 Feb 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what average (a) annual earnings and (b) house prices have been in each year since 1979.

Answer · Stewart Maxwell: Table 1 provides median annual earnings and average house price from 1979-2006 which is the most recent whole year that data is available for. 2007 data is due to be available in April. The preferred source for earnings estimates is the Annual Survey…

1 Feb 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many overseas visits each official in the Financial Partnerships Unit, or predecessor equivalent, has undertaken since 1999, broken down by (a) purpose and (b) cost of each visit.

Answer · John Swinney: This information was the subject of a Freedom of Information request in November 2007 and is still current. The response provided can be accessed on the Scottish Government Financial Partnership Unit''s website under the sub-heading PPP miscellaneous. <a href…

1 Feb 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what steps are taken to ascertain the projections of costs of each PFI/PPP project entered into by (a) the Scottish Government, (b) local authorities and (c) NHS boards.

Answer · John Swinney: It is the responsibility of every public sector procuring body, when entering into a contract, to ensure all payments committed through that contract are affordable. This applies to all contracts and not just PPP contracts. In a PPP contract, the total costs,…

1 Feb 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answers to questions S3W-7640, S3W-7639 and S3W-7637 by John Swinney on 13 December 2007, what categories of information about PFI/PPP contracts entered into by (a) the Scottish Government, (b) local authorities and (c) NHS boards are held centrally.

Answer · John Swinney: on </a>13 December 2007, what categories of information about PFI/PPP contracts entered into by (a) the Scottish Government, (b) local authorities and (c) NHS boards are held centrally. (<a name=PQRef>S3W-09428</a>) </div> <br clea…

17 Jan 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how the additional funding for wheelchair services allocated in each year of the spending review will be distributed, broken down by (a) NHS board, (b) parliamentary constituency and (c) local authority within Central Scotland region and what the funding levels would be without the additi…

Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-8593 on 25 January 2008. All answers to written parliamentaryquestions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for whichcan be found at <a href="http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/w…

16 Jan 2008 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions it has had with the Fire Brigades Union on pension entitlement for its members.

Answer · Fergus Ewing: My officials and I have had anumber of meetings with the Fire Brigades Union to discuss a range of subjects.These discussions have included pensions issues.<</p

15 Jan 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what plans exist to educate children on how to use the internet safely.

Answer · Maureen Watt: The Scottish Government wantschildren and young people to make full use of the internet and is committed to ensuringthat they are able to do so in a safe and responsible manner.Wecontinue to work with a number of agencies to raise children and young pe…

7 Jan 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the criteria will be for a person to be eligible for receipt of the kinship care allowance.

Answer · Adam Ingram: A kinship carer of a looked afterchild and approved by the local authority will be eligible for receipt of an allowanceequivalent to the rate paid by the local authority to its foster carers.

7 Jan 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many individuals or households are still liable for community charge arrears, showing the total amount of such arrears, broken down by (a) parliamentary constituency and (b) local authority area in the Central Scotland parliamentary region.

Answer · John Swinney: Information relating to the numberof individuals or households still liable for community charge is not held centrally.Information relating to the total amount of community charge outstanding for eachlocal authority area partly or wholly in the Central Scotla…

17 Dec 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive when it will publish a report on the first three years’ progress in implementation of the Scottish Biodiversity Strategy for the purposes of section 2(7)(a) of the Nature Conservation (Scotland) Act 2004.

Answer · Michael Russell: I am today publishingScotland’s Biodiversity: It’s In Your Hands - A ProgressReport 2005-07 which outlinesprogress on implementation of the Scottish Biodiversity Strategy over the last threeyears. Copies are available on the Scottish Government …