Questions · George Foulkes

17 Sep 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many non-departmental public bodies have been set up since May 2008.

Answer · John Swinney: There have been no non-departmental public bodies set up since May 2008. Further details on non-departmental public bodies can be found on the following website: <a href="http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Government/public-bodies/introduction">http:/…

15 Sep 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the differences are between the Race Equality Integration and Community Support Fund, the Race, Religion and Refugee Integration Funding Stream and the Race, Religion and Refugee Integration Grant Scheme.

Answer · Stewart Maxwell: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-16312 on 9 October 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…

15 Sep 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the budget was for the Race, Religion and Refugee Integration Grant Scheme for 2007-08 and what the budget will be in each remaining year of the stream.

Answer · Stewart Maxwell: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-16312 on 9 October 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…

15 Sep 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive which organisations were allocated funding from the Race, Religion and Refugee Integration Grant Scheme and how much was awarded in each case.

Answer · Stewart Maxwell: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-16312 on 9 October 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…

15 Sep 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the criteria are for applying to the Race, Religion and Refugee Integration Grant Scheme, with particular regard to mandatory requirements and exclusions.

Answer · Stewart Maxwell: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-16312 on 9 October 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…

15 Sep 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive where the Race, Religion and Refugee Integration Grant Scheme is advertised to the public and at what cost.

Answer · Stewart Maxwell: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-16312 on 9 October 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…

15 Sep 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive where on the Scottish Government website members of the public can find information about the Race, Religion and Refuge Integration Grant Scheme.

Answer · Stewart Maxwell: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-16312 on 9 October 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…

15 Sep 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive when the Race, Religion and Refugee Integration Grant Scheme was established and which group was the first beneficiary of funding.

Answer · Stewart Maxwell: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-16312 on 9 October 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…

15 Sep 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it can confirm that the Race Equality Integration and Community Support Fund preceded the Race, Religion and Refugee Integration Grant Scheme.

Answer · Stewart Maxwell: The stream of funding which Audit Scotland referred to as the Race, Religion and Refugee Integration Grant Scheme, exists to respond to new and emerging issues which arise in communities around race, religion and refugee integration. It aims to support develo…

15 Sep 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-13380 by John Swinney on 3 June 2008, what the underspend or overspend was for each directorate for the financial year 2007-08.

Answer · John Swinney: Based on provisional outturn figures announced on 19 June 2008, the underspend/overspend for each portfolio for the financial year 2007-08 is shown in the following table: <table border=1 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=0 > <thead> <tr > <td width=340 …

15 Sep 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-13676 by John Swinney on 9 June 2008, what projections it has made of the cost of borrowing (a) £10,000, (b) £100,000, (c) £1 million, (d) £10 million and (e) £1 billion in six months’ time through a bond issue.

Answer · John Swinney: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-16309 on 24 September 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/w…

15 Sep 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-13676 by John Swinney on 9 June 2008, what projections it has made of the cost of borrowing (a) £10,000, (b) £100,000, (c) £1 million, (d) £10 million and (e) £1 billion through a bond issue.

Answer · John Swinney: The Scottish Government has examined the borrowing options available and the associated costs. We have made clear that the newly formed Scottish Futures Trust will be looking further at a range of financial approaches to funding capital schemes, including bon…

15 Sep 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will detail the remuneration of each individual appointed to each non-departmental public body and agency since May 2007.

Answer · John Swinney: Details of the remuneration of public appointees on the boards of non-departmental public bodies are on the Scottish Government website at: <a href="www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Government/public-bodies/directory">www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Government/…

15 Sep 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will list all meetings that its ministers and officials have had with the Chair of the Scottish Futures Trust company since May 2007, showing the (a) purpose and (b) location of each meeting.

Answer · John Swinney: The following tables contain information on meetings to 29 September 2008 between Scottish Ministers and Scottish Government officials and Sir Angus Grossart in connection with the Scottish Futures Trust: Scottish Ministers <table border=1 cel…

15 Sep 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what precautions it takes to ensure that appointees to Scottish Government bodies avoid conflicts of interest and publicly disclose recordable interests.

Answer · John Swinney: For OCPAS regulated appointments, conflicts of interest are fully explored at the interview stage, should an applicant get that far in the process. When ministers are asked to decide on whether to appoint a candidate who has a conflict of interest, t…

15 Sep 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it considers the Chair of the Scottish Futures Trust company to have any conflicts of interest in respect of this role.

Answer · John Swinney: Sir Angus Grossart''s role as Chair of the Scottish Futures Trust is not to decide on award of contracts but to oversee the development and direction of SFT to secure better value for our infrastructure investment than has been achieved with methods used by p…

9 Sep 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what meetings Scottish ministers have had with the Network of International Development Organisations in Scotland (NIDOS) or any of the development agencies based in Scotland regarding its international development programme.

Answer · Linda Fabiani: Scottish ministers have met with the following development agencies in Scotland. This excludes organisations which are not classed as development agencies such as higher and further education institutes but which are involved in development activity: <ta…

9 Sep 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what meetings and discussions Scottish ministers have had since May 2007 with ministers and officials of the Department for International Development regarding the Executive’s work on international development.

Answer · Linda Fabiani: The Secretary of State for International Development has not yet scheduled my requested meeting with him. However, there have been a number of official level discussions with the UK Department for International Development (DFID), and I met with the Head of D…

9 Sep 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will provide details of all international development programmes it (a) is funding in 2008-09 and (b) will fund in (i) 2009-10 and (ii) 2010-11, and which Scotland-based agencies are or will be involved in delivery.

Answer · Linda Fabiani: Funding decisions for the Malawi development programme will be made in the next few weeks. The funding process for the Sub-Saharan Africa development programme has begun and decisions will be made towards the end of the year. The Indian Subcontinent programme…

5 Sep 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-15237 by John Swinney on 25 August 2008, what action it proposes to take to increase the number of employees over the age of 65 working for it and its agencies; whether it will set relevant targets, and what discussions it has had with the Equality a…

Answer · John Swinney: All recruitment to the Scottish Government is conducted in accordance with the Civil Service Recruitment Code. Successful candidates are selected on merit on the basis of fair and open competition. The Scottish Government''s Equal Opportunities and D…

1 Sep 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the percentage has been of accounts due that have not been paid within 30 days of invoices being properly submitted to each directorate and agency for which it is responsible, at the end of each month since May 2007.

Answer · John Swinney: The annual accounts, laid in the Scottish Parliament and published on the Scottish Government website, contain information on payment performance. The production and audit of the consolidated Scottish Government accounts for 2007-08 is currently being finalis…

1 Sep 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many of its staff will have their job descriptions amended to include responsibility for dealing with correspondence on reserved matters.

Answer · Bruce Crawford: There is no requirement to amend job descriptions as tasks within the new guidance for handling ministerial correspondence on reserved matters fall under existing staff remits.

1 Sep 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether its press spokespersons will be asked to deal with issues relating to reserved matters and what the expected cost is of this change.

Answer · Bruce Crawford: Communications officers already deal with issues relating to reserved matters, and have done so since 1999. Responses are decided on a case-by-case basis and this will continue. No additional cost is anticipated.

1 Sep 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive on how many occasions Scottish ministers have referred correspondence relating to reserved matters to UK ministers in each year since 1999.

Answer · Bruce Crawford: Statistical information is not held on the number of occasions that letters received by Scottish ministers on reserved matters have been referred to UK ministers in each year since 1999.

1 Sep 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether discussion has taken place with UK ministers regarding its decision to respond directly to reserved matters.

Answer · Bruce Crawford: Discussions take place with UK ministers on a range of matters on a regular basis. No specific discussions took place with UK ministers regarding the decision to respond directly to ministerial correspondence on reserved matters.

1 Sep 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive on what basis its decision to take a policy position on reserved matters is competent within the scope of the Scotland Act 1998.

Answer · Bruce Crawford: The Scotland Act 1998 (as amended) sets out the legislative competence of the Scottish Parliament and provides for many of the functions of the Scottish ministers. Nothing in the 1998 Act prevents the Scottish Parliament or the Scottish ministers from formin…

1 Sep 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the democratic process is for formulating its view on reserved matters.

Answer · Bruce Crawford: Ministers are democratically accountable to the Scottish Parliament and, ultimately, to the Scottish people for any view they formulate as Scottish ministers, whether on a reserved or devolved matter. The Scottish Government will not hesitate to formulate a …

1 Sep 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the expected cost is of dealing with correspondence regarding reserved matters.

Answer · Bruce Crawford: The new procedure put in place to respond to ministerial correspondence on reserved matters will not require any additional resources.

1 Sep 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many extra members of staff are expected to deal with correspondence regarding reserved matters arising from recent changes to procedure.

Answer · Bruce Crawford: The procedures in place to respond to ministerial correspondence on reserved matters will not require any additional resources.

1 Sep 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many letters on reserved matters received by Scottish ministers in each year since 1999 have requested the views of ministers.

Answer · Bruce Crawford: Statistical information is not held on the number of letters received by Scottish ministers on reserved matters in each year since 1999 which have requested the views of ministers.