Parliamentary questions
George Foulkes
1,927 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.
16 Sep 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what new bodies have been created in the areas of (a) regional planning and (b) criminal justice since May 2007.
Answer · Stewart Stevenson: Four strategic development planning authorities (SDPAs) were designated on 25 June 2008, tasked with preparing and reviewing strategic development plans as required under the Planning etc. (Scotland) Act 2006. The SDPAs constitute groups of planning authoriti…
16 Sep 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how much was spent on consultants by (a) it and (b) its agencies in 2008-09 and what the equivalent figures were in 2007-08.
Answer · John Swinney: We are examining the available information and will write to the member as soon as possible. A copy will also be placed in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre (Bib. number 49262).</p>
16 Sep 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive who is responsible for investment decisions in relation to the pension funds of Scottish civil servants.
Answer · John Swinney: Matters relating to the Civil Service pension arrangements are reserved and responsibility for decisions on the administration of the scheme lie with Cabinet Office.</p>
16 Sep 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive who the trustees are of the pension funds of employees of the Scottish Executive and its agencies.
Answer · John Swinney: Matters relating to the Civil Service pension arrangements are reserved and responsibility for decisions on the administration of the scheme lie with Cabinet Office.</p>
16 Sep 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many pension funds exist for staff of the Scottish Executive and its agencies and which staff are members of each fund.
Answer · John Swinney: Matters relating to the Civil Service pension arrangements are reserved and responsibility for decisions on the administration of the scheme lie with Cabinet Office.</p>
16 Sep 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what trading operations are carried out by it and its agencies and what the profit or loss was in each such case in 2008-09.
Answer · John Swinney: The Scottish Government and its executive agencies may charge for certain services in accordance with the Scottish Public Financial Manual (available at <a href="http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Government/Finance/spfm">www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Government/…
16 Sep 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many senior civil service posts in the Scottish Executive and its agencies were eliminated in 2008-09 and what savings have been achieved as a result.
Answer · John Swinney: In any year there will be senior civil service posts which end and others which are created in-line with business needs, and, in some cases, the merger and demerger of posts. There is no management purpose in recording information which treats all individual …
16 Sep 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what common procurement initiatives were undertaken by it or its agencies in 2008-09 and what the estimated savings are.
Answer · John Swinney: The Scottish Government led a wide range of procurement initiatives over the period as part of its Public Procurement Reform Programme. Audit Scotland''s report on the programme, published on 23 July 2009, commented on savings it had achieved since its incept…
16 Sep 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many residential houses are owned by it and its agencies and which of them are unoccupied.
Answer · John Swinney: The detailed information requested is currently being collated. I will write to the member as soon as the information is available and a copy will be placed in the Scottish Parliament''s Information Centre (Bib. number 49255).</p>
16 Sep 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what initiatives were undertaken by it and its agencies in 2008-09 to generate efficiency savings and what the estimated savings are.
Answer · John Swinney: I refer the member to the answer to his question S3W-24040 on 27 May 2009. As I said in my answer to that question, the 2008-09 Outturn Report is scheduled to be published in October and will, like previous reports, be placed in the Scottish Parliament''s Inf…
16 Sep 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many staff in the Scottish Executive and its sponsored agencies applied for early retirement in 2008-09 and what the estimated cost is of such early retirements.
Answer · John Swinney: The number of staff (age 50 and above) who applied for early retirement for personal reasons or through the early retirement scheme in 2008-09 within Scottish Government Main (which covers the core Directorates, some Agencies and Associated Departments) and S…
16 Sep 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the latest performance figure is for paying undisputed invoices within 10 days in each (a) agency for which it is responsible and (b) Scottish Executive directorate.
Answer · John Swinney: The Scottish Government aspires to pay all undisputed supplier invoices within 10 working days. During the month of August 2009, as analysed in the following table, 91% of undisputed invoices were paid within 10 working days by the Scottish Government and the…
16 Sep 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the level of organ donation has been in each month since September 2008.
Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: The information requested is given in the following tables.</p> <p >Scotland: Deceased Organ Donors September 2008 to August 2009</p> <table border=1 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=0 > <thead> <tr > <td width=110 valign=bottom > <p align=center >Mont…
16 Sep 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what progress has been made on each of the 45 indicators included in Annex A of the concordat between it and COSLA, signed on 14 November 2007.
Answer · John Swinney: The Scottish Government has adopted an outcome based approach to performance as set out in the National Performance Framework. Scotland''s progress is reported on a continual basis through our open and transparent Scotland Performs website <a href="http://www…
16 Sep 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what progress has been made on each of the specified set of commitments listed in the concordat between it and COSLA, signed on 14 November 2007.
Answer · John Swinney: Information from the Scottish Government and local authorities on progress on each concordat commitment is already in the public domain. Further information will be provided as it becomes available.</p>
16 Sep 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what further consideration it has given since January 2008 to proposals for a fast ferry crossing of the Firth of Forth.
Answer · Stewart Stevenson: The Scottish Government continues to support strongly the principle of cross-Forth ferry travel and is keen to see progress on hovercraft and other cross-Forth ferry services. Any specific proposals are, however, a matter for local government to take forward.…
16 Sep 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what non-departmental public bodies have been wound up since May 2008 and what the estimated saving is in each case.
Answer · John Swinney: Information about public bodies which have been wound up or merged as part of the government''s on-going Simplification Programme is available at: </p> <p ><a href="http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Government/public-bodies/Simplification-Tracker">http://www…
16 Sep 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what appointments to non-departmental public bodies have been made by ministers since January 2009.
Answer · John Swinney: Information on appointments by Scottish ministers to non-departmental public bodies regulated by the Commissioner for Public Appointments in Scotland is available on the Scottish Government website at <a href="http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Government/publ…
16 Sep 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what appointments have been made by Scottish ministers to non-departmental bodies for which the UK Government has responsibility.
Answer · John Swinney: This information is not held centrally. Appointments to UK-wide bodies are usually made by UK ministers. Scottish ministers make relatively few appointments to bodies for which the UK Government has responsibility.</p>
16 Sep 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what information has been provided to SNP MSPs by ministers on matters that are reserved to the UK Parliament.
Answer · Bruce Crawford: Scottish ministers regularly provide information to members of all parties represented in the Parliament on a wide variety of matters.</p>
16 Sep 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive on how many occasions the Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Sustainable Growth has met the President of COSLA since May 2007; what other members of COSLA were present, and what subjects were discussed at each meeting.
Answer · John Swinney: The Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Sustainable Growth has met with the President of COSLA and other members of COSLA on regular occasions since May 2007. In addition, the Cabinet Secretary has also met regularly with COSLA''s Political Group Leaders. Those…
16 Sep 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what proposals it is considering for the future of prison visiting committees.
Answer · Kenny MacAskill: We are developing a more integrated role for prison visiting committees that better reflects modern offender management structures and are exploring the prospect of linking their functions with those of Her Majesty''s Prisons Inspectorate for Scotland.</p>
16 Sep 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive when it last held a major incident exercise and what plans it has for a further exercise.
15 Sep 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what journeys have been taken by official car by the First Minister since September 2008.
Answer · John Swinney: The detailed information requested is currently being collated and I will write to the member as soon as the information is available. A copy of the letter will be placed in the Scottish Parliament''s Information Centre (Bib. Number 49267).</p>
15 Sep 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what journeys have been taken by official car by each eligible civil servant since September 2008.
Answer · John Swinney: The detailed information requested is currently being collated and I will write to the member as soon as the information is available and a copy will be placed in the Scottish Parliament Reference Centre (Bib. number 49199).</p>
11 Sep 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, given that he had only eight days of official engagements, what government work was undertaken by the Minister for Parliamentary Business during summer recess 2009.
Answer · Bruce Crawford: From 27 June 2009 to 30 August 2009 I undertook specific government work as detailed in the following table.</p> <p >But I also received ministerial papers for clearance and information on a regular basis and held telephone discussions with my Ministerial Pr…
11 Sep 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-25137 by John Swinney on 10 September 2009, what the salary is for each post for which an appointment has been made.
Answer · John Swinney: The Chief Executive of the Scottish Futures Trust, Barry White, has already made clear that the salary scales will be made public pending appointments in accordance with SFT''s publication scheme.</p>
11 Sep 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-26509 by Stewart Stevenson on 10 September 2009, whether it will clarify the situation regarding eligibility criteria for the free bus travel scheme for those who will become eligible in the next decade.
Answer · Stewart Stevenson: We have agreed to extend the eligibility criteria from 1 April 2011 to include seriously injured HM Forces personnel and veterans. We have no other plans to change the eligibility criteria.</p>
9 Sep 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what actions of the Scottish Government require parliamentary approval.
Answer · Bruce Crawford: Ministers are accountable to the parliament for the exercise of the powers, duties and functions conferred on them by statute, convention and under the royal prerogative.</p>
9 Sep 2009 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what further publications it intends to produce as part of its National Conversation.
Answer · Michael Russell: The Scottish Government will publish papers covering a range of topics.</p>