Parliamentary questions

George Foulkes

1,927 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.

9 Sep 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what officials were involved in the drafting and preparation of Europe and Foreign Affairs: Taking Forward our National Conversation and what the estimate is of the time it took.

Answer · Michael Russell: Officials from Culture, External Affairs and Tourism Directorate took the lead in drafting this paper and over the course of the past eight months of occasional work have sought input from time to time from a wide range of colleagues throughout the Scottish G…

9 Sep 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive who from the Scottish Executive went to Brussels for the launch of Europe and Foreign Affairs: Taking Forward our National Conversation and what the estimate is of the total cost invovled.

Answer · Michael Russell: My private secretary, one special adviser, one policy official and a communications officer all travelled to Brussels for the launch. Travel and accommodation costs (including my own) were approximately £3,114.

9 Sep 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the cost was of printing and publishing Europe and Foreign Affairs: Taking Forward our National Conversation.

Answer · Michael Russell: The total cost of printing and publishing the document was just over £6,800.

9 Sep 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what consideration has been given to defending any challenge to the proposed Referendum Bill in the Court of Session and the possible costs involved in such a challenge.

Answer · Michael Russell: This issue will be considered as part of the normal process for preparing for the introduction of a Bill.

9 Sep 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what advice has been sought from the Scottish Law Officers regarding the constitutional and legal veracity of the proposed Referendum Bill.

Answer · Michael Russell: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-27103 on 6 October 2009. 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/Apps…

9 Sep 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what consideration has been given to the possible hybridity of the proposed Referendum Bill.

Answer · Michael Russell: The question as to whether a legislative proposal may have a specific effect on particular private interests is considered in relation to the development of all Government Bills.

9 Sep 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it proposes that the proposed Referendum Bill should be subject to pre-legislative scrutiny and, if so, in what form and by whom.

Answer · Michael Russell: We will bring forward detailed plans in relation to the Referendum Bill in due course.

9 Sep 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what consultation is proposed with (a) local government, (b) trades unions, (c) industry, (d) voluntary organisations and (e) the public in relation to the proposed Referendum Bill.

Answer · Michael Russell: We will bring forward detailed plans in relation to the Referendum Bill in due course.

9 Sep 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive which ministers have been involved in ministerial discussions concerning the drafting of and preparation for the proposed Referendum Bill.

Answer · Michael Russell: All ministers have been involved in discussions about the Referendum Bill.

9 Sep 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether counsel’s opinion has been sought regarding the legislative competence of a referendum bill being introduced in the Scottish Parliament.

Answer · Michael Russell: It is the practice of successive governments, reflected in the Scottish Ministerial Code and the provisions of the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002, that the fact and content of legal advice is not revealed.

9 Sep 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what overseas visits have taken place in connection with the preparation of the proposed Referendum Bill.

Answer · Michael Russell: None.

9 Sep 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive which parliamentary draftsmen are involved in the drafting of the proposed Referendum Bill.

Answer · Michael Russell: The Office of the Scottish Parliamentary Counsel drafts all Government Bills.

9 Sep 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions have taken place with UK Government departments concerning the drafting of and preparation for the proposed Referendum Bill.

Answer · Michael Russell: Scottish Government officials discuss the development of policy with a wide range of interests including, where appropriate, officials in the UK Government.

9 Sep 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what contacts there have been with administrations outwith the United Kingdom in the drafting of and preparation for the proposed Referendum Bill.

Answer · Michael Russell: Scottish Government officials discuss the development of policy with a wide range of interests including, where appropriate, officials from other administrations.

9 Sep 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many meetings took place between officials and ministers up to the end of July 2009 in discussing the preparation for and drafting of the proposed Referendum Bill; on what dates they took place, and who was present in each case.

Answer · Michael Russell: I meet regularly with officials preparing the Referendum Bill, as has my colleague, the Minister for Parliamentary Business.

9 Sep 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive which of its officials were employed in the work of drafting and preparing for the proposed Referendum Bill.

Answer · Michael Russell: The Referendum Bill team is responsible for preparing the Referendum Bill, along with the Scottish Government''s Legal Directorate and Office of the Scottish Parliamentary Counsel.

9 Sep 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive which section of the Scotland Act 1998 it considers confers powers on it to publish a referendum bill.

Answer · Michael Russell: Bills introduced into the Scottish Parliament are published by the Parliament, not the government. Ministers'' authority to introduce Government Bills into Parliament is set out in the standing orders of the Scottish Parliament made under Section 22 of the Sc…

9 Sep 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive when it expects to publish its proposed Referendum Bill.

Answer · Michael Russell: As announced in the First Minister''s statement to Parliament on 3 September 2009, the Scottish Government will bring forward a Referendum Bill in 2010.

9 Sep 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive on what authority its civil servants can be encouraged by a senior civil servant to capitalise on conflict with UK Government departments as referred to in the report in The Scotsman on 7 September 2009.

Answer · Michael Russell: The Civil Service Code makes it clear that civil servants in the Scottish Government are accountable to Scottish ministers and the role of Civil Servants is to support Scottish ministers in developing and implementing policies and decisions that Scottish mini…

9 Sep 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what it considers to be the statutory basis of the authority of a minority government should it be defeated in a vote in the Parliament.

Answer · Bruce Crawford: The authority of any government derives from its ability to command the confidence of the Parliament. Statutory provisions (and, in particular, sections 45(2), 47(3)(c), 48(2) and 49(4)(c) of the Scotland Act 1998) have relevance only where the Parliament for…

9 Sep 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether its civil servants are able to support the pursuit of independence in the same way as other Scottish Government policies.

Answer · Michael Russell: Yes. The Civil Service Code makes it clear that civil servants in the Scottish Government are accountable to Scottish ministers, and that the role of civil servants is to support ministers in developing and implementing policies and decisions that Scottish mi…

8 Sep 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will provide details of any foreign trips undertaken by Osama Saeed on behalf of the Scottish Government, the Scottish Islamic Foundation or any other relevant body funded by the Scottish Government.

Answer · Alex Neil: Osama Saeed, Chief Executive of the Scottish Islamic Foundation, has not undertaken any foreign trips on behalf of the Scottish Government.

8 Sep 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the line management responsibility is of the Permanent Secretary for the Scottish Executive; how this is exercised on a daily or weekly basis, and what changes there have been to this since May 2007.

Answer · John Swinney: The direct line management responsibilities of the Permanent Secretary of the Scottish Government are primarily for the six officials in Director General posts within the Scottish Government and, within the framework of the independence of the Lord Advocate i…

8 Sep 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive who (a) is responsible for drawing up the agenda and (b) produces notes or minutes of its senior management team meetings.

Answer · John Swinney: The agenda for the meetings is agreed by a group of senior managers in the Scottish Government as are the notes.

7 Sep 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will list the topics of the 14 workstreams that make up the National Conversation; which directors lead each team, and how much of each director’s time each week is devoted to this work.

Answer · Michael Russell: Policy development work on the National Conversation includes an assessment of constitutional change across the full range of matters currently devolved and reserved in the Scotland Act. This work is carried out across directorates as part of officials'' norm…

7 Sep 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive which ministers have attended each of its senior management team meetings for all or previous meetings.

Answer · John Swinney: No current ministers have attended any of the meetings. In September 2007 Ms Linda Fabiani MSP attended for one item of a meeting to speak to senior staff about ministers'' experience of the first months in office. This was used to inform a senior staff discu…

7 Sep 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive who the members are of its senior management team, also providing (a) job title, (b) length of service and (c) time in current post with the Scottish Executive.

Answer · John Swinney: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-27031 on 18 September 2009. 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…

7 Sep 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the full or regular attendance is at meetings of its senior management team.

Answer · John Swinney: The Permanent Secretary brings together the top two tiers of his staff at regular senior management meetings. These staff are the Directors General and Directors from across the Scottish Government. He also invites the Chief Executives of Executive Agencies, …

7 Sep 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive to define “The Purpose” as referred to in the Scottish Government Senior Management Team meeting minutes of 27 April 2009 reportedly leaked to Scotland on Sunday and published on 6 September 2009.

Answer · John Swinney: The Scottish Government does not comment on leaked documents. The Purpose of the government is clearly set out in the Government Economic Strategy: to focus the government and public services on creating a more successful country, with opportunities for all t…

3 Sep 2009 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many Scotland-domiciled students studying in Scotland are over the age of 25 and in receipt of a full student loan.

Answer · Fiona Hyslop: Data on student loans is provided by the Student Loans Company (SLC). 14,354 Scottish-domiciled students, studying in Scotland and at least 25-years-old were in receipt of a student loan in academic year 2007-08. Of those students, 14,181 took out the full lo…