George Foulkes

5 Feb 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many Bills have been (a) published and (b) introduced since May 2007; how many Bills it plans to (i) publish and (ii) introduce in 2008, and how this compares with equivalent figures for (A) four and (B) eight years ago.

Answer · Bruce Crawford: As announced by the First Minister in his statement to Parliament on 5 September 2007, the Scottish Government aims to introduce 11 bills in the 2007-08 legislative year. Six bills have since been introduced and work is on-going to introduce the remaining bil…

5 Feb 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many press officers each of its departments employs; how many press releases have been issued by each department since May 2007; how much each department has spent on press and public relations since May 2007, and how this compares with equivalent figures for the previous year.

Answer · John Swinney: The information sought is set out in the following tables. The data relates to areas which fall under the remit of the Scottish Government Communications Directorate. Information for individual portfolios/departments is not available.</p> <p >Communications …

31 Jan 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether any consideration has been given since May 2007 to making use of the power to raise income tax by up to 3p in the pound.

Answer · John Swinney: In accordance with the agreementbetween the Scottish government and the Parliament’s Finance Committee the statementon Page 78 of <i>Scottish Budget: Spending Review 200</i>7 confirms that the ScottishGovernment will not use the existing tax raising powers in…

31 Jan 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive which local authorities have submitted funding proposals for their school building programmes since May 2007 and which of these were successful.

Answer · Maureen Watt: Funding resources provided by government are allocated to local authorities for them to deploy according to their own priorities. The funding arrangements for investment in school buildings do not operate on the basis of authorities applying for and being all…

31 Jan 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many contracts for the building of new schools have been signed in each local authority since May 2007.

Answer · Maureen Watt: Local authorities procure new schools through more than one procurement route. Seven local authorities have signed school PPP contracts since May 2007, allowing building work to progress on 45 schools, almost all new builds. Those authorities, with their shar…

31 Jan 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what help it is giving to keep rural post offices open.

Answer · John Swinney: The Scottish Government recognises the valuable social role of post offices, particularly in deprived and remote areas of Scotland. However, postal services are a matter reserved to the UK Government.</p> <p >Scottish Government is monitoring Post Office Lim…

31 Jan 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive which NHS boards have specialist staff dealing with the treatment of epilepsy and what experience staff have in each case.

Answer · Shona Robison: The table details whole-time equivalent (WTE) specialist epilepsy staff in post within NHSScotland at October 2007.</p> <table border=1 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=0 > <thead> <tr > <td width=186 rowspan=2 valign=top > <p align=center >NHS Board</p…

31 Jan 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what representations it has received and from whom on the future of the Royal Hospital for Sick Children in Edinburgh since May 2007.

Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: Representations have been received from individuals and politicians. Direct representations to me from politicians include those from Dr Ian McKee MSP, Shirley-Anne Somerville MSP, Nigel Griffiths MP, Mike Pringle MSP, Mike Rumbles MSP and Margaret Smith MSP.…

31 Jan 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how much use ministers have made of (a) ministerial cars, (b) private hire cars and (c) taxis for official travel since May 2007.

Answer · John Swinney: The number of official journeys taken by ministers since their appointment in May 2007, in ministerial cars, private hire cars, and taxis is shown in the following table:</p> <table border=1 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=0 > <tr > <td valign=top > <p ali…

31 Jan 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many cars are in the fleet of cars owned by it for use by Scottish ministers and others and which makes and models they are.

Answer · John Swinney: The Government Car Service (GCS) supports ministers and some senior officials in their official duties across Scotland. The number of cars in GCS'' fleet and the makes and models are shown in the following table:</p> <table border=1 cellspacing=0 cellpaddin…

31 Jan 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the full-time-equivalent (a) authorised complement and (b) actual number of police officers in each force was on 31 December (i) 2006 and (ii) 2007.

Answer · Kenny MacAskill: The operational deployment of resources is a matter for chief constables, and no information on planned establishment levels is held centrally.</p> <p >Figures on the number of police officers are collected on a whole-time equivalent basis for the Quarterly …

31 Jan 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many telephone interceptions have been authorised by Scottish ministers since May 2007 and how this compares with the number for the equivalent period in the previous year.

Answer · Kenny MacAskill: Details of the number of interceptionwarrants issued by the Scottish ministers are contained in the Interception of CommunicationsCommissioner’s annual reports, which are laid before this Parliament. The most recentannual report (for 2006) was laid before Par…

31 Jan 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many reports it has received from the Scottish Broadcasting Council since May 2007; on what subjects, and what action has been taken as a result.

Answer · Linda Fabiani: The Scottish Broadcasting Commission has published one report, in January 2008, in line with the work programme it published shortly after its first meeting on 26 October last year. This was an interim report about the economic phase of its work. The commissi…

31 Jan 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many reports have been received by ministers from the Council of Economic Advisers since May 2007; on what subjects, and what action has been taken as a result.

Answer · John Swinney: The Council of Economic Advisers have met twice. The council will publish their annual report in due course, although no decisions have been made regarding release date or indeed content.</p>

31 Jan 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many business start-ups there have been in each Scottish parliamentary constituency since May 2007 and what the comparative figures were for each of the previous five years.

Answer · Jim Mather: Data on the number of VAT registrationsare released annually by the Department forBusiness Enterprise and Regulatory Reform (BERR). These figures are used to monitorthe number of business start-ups. The latest available data refers to all VAT registrationstak…

31 Jan 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many new houses have been built by each local authority since May 2007.

Answer · Stewart Maxwell: The information requested is published on the Scottish Government website at:</p> <p ><a href="http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Statistics/Browse/Housing-Regeneration/HSfS/NewBuild">http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Statistics/Browse/Housing-Regeneration/HS…

31 Jan 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what representations it has received from the Strathclyde Partnership for Transport Executive on the Glasgow Crossrail project and what its response will be.

Answer · Stewart Stevenson: <a name="OLE_LINK1">Transport </a>Scotland has received a copy of the final STAG report from Strathclyde Partnership for Transport (SPT), and this will be fed into the Strategic Transport Projects Review (STPR).</p>

31 Jan 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive which signatories of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty have replied to the letter from the First Minister and what the response has been in each case.

Answer · Bruce Crawford: We have received responses from the following states:</p> <p >Austria</p> <p >Belarus</p> <p >Cameroon</p> <p >Cuba</p> <p >Egypt</p> <p >Germany</p> <p >Grenada</p> <p >Guyana</p> <p >Indonesia</p> <p >Ireland</p> <p >Lesotho</p> <p >Mexico</p> …

31 Jan 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what meetings have taken place between ministers and members of the Electoral Commission and what matters were discussed.

Answer · John Swinney: While there are regular meetings between officials of the Scottish Government and the Electoral Commission, there have been no meetings between Scottish ministers and the Electoral Commission since the May 2007 elections.</p>

31 Jan 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what representations it has made to the consultation by the Department of Transport on proposals to develop Heathrow Airport, in light of the impact of the development on the Scottish economy.

Answer · Stewart Stevenson: We will make the Department for Transport aware of our views in due course.</p>

31 Jan 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive when it expects to publish its conclusions on the West Edinburgh Planning Framework.

Answer · Stewart Stevenson: Conclusions on the West Edinburgh Planning Framework are anticipated to be released before the end of the year.</p>

22 Jan 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it plans to offer financial assistance to the Royal Observatory in Edinburgh.

Answer · Jim Mather: The Royal Observatoryhas not asked the Scottish Government to provide financial assistance and we haveno plans to do so. The UK Government’s Science and Technology Facilities Council(STFC) has the primary responsibility for funding the Royal Observatory throu…

22 Jan 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to support physics in Scottish universities.

Answer · Fiona Hyslop: The Scottish Executivefunds Scottish universities through the Scottish Funding Council (SFC), and fundingdecisions in relation to particular subject areas are a matter for the SFC. TheSFC will continue to provide support to physics in Scottish universities th…

21 Jan 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-8271 by John Swinney on 18 January 2008, how the output of the Scottish Government’s Video Production Unit is distributed; where it can be accessed, and how its effectiveness is monitored.

Answer · John Swinney: The video and televisionproduction unit's programmes and video output are distributed on-line, and bycompact disc and DVD. They can be accessed externally on the ScottishGovernment website, and on the Scottish Government’s internal IT system. Werecord and mon…

21 Jan 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-8271 by John Swinney on 18 January 2008, how many staff are employed by the Scottish Government’s Video Production Unit.

Answer · John Swinney: Within the Scottish Government’s multimedia unit, two members of staff run the video and televisionproduction unit. One is full- time and the other has 50% of their time allocatedto these duties.</p>

18 Jan 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-8271 by John Swinney on 18 January 2008, on what projects the Scottish Government’s Video Production Unit is currently working, giving a breakdown of the costs of each project.

Answer · John Swinney: The ScottishGovernment's video and television production unit is currently working on thefollowing projects. The work is part of normal dutiesand there is no separate budget allocation.</p><p class=MsoPlainText>1. Supporting the work of the Scottish Broadcast…

18 Jan 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-8271 by John Swinney on 18 January 2008, what percentage of the Scottish Government’s Video Production Unit’s budget for 2007-08 was spent on the First Minister’s (a) Christmas and (b) New Year messages.

Answer · John Swinney: Asindicated in the answer to question S3W-8680 on 1 February 2008, there is noseparate budget for the Scottish Government’s video and television production unit.As also indicated in the answer to question S3W-8271, this was done as part ofnormal duties and th…

18 Jan 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-8271 by John Swinney on 18 January 2008, what the total budget allocation for the Scottish Government’s Video Production Unit has been in each year since 1999.

Answer · John Swinney: The total budgetallocation for the Scottish Government’s video and television production unitin each year from 1999 until 2004 is as follows:</p><p class=MsoPlainText>1999-2000 - £67,235</p><p class=MsoPlainText>2000-01 - £67,361</p><p class=MsoPlainText>2001…

18 Jan 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-8271 by John Swinney on 18 January 2008, what the total budget allocation is for the Scottish Government’s Video Production Unit.

Answer · John Swinney: The video and televisionproduction unit does not have a specific budget allocation. It forms part of the Scottish Government's multimedia unit, which covers the production ofe-learning material, material for the Scottish Government website and the Scottish Go…

18 Jan 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what consultative committees, groups, councils and other bodies have been set up by ministers since October 2007 and what the estimated cost is of running them.

Answer · John Swinney: The Scottish Government published a baseline list of 199 formally constituted national public organisations which they are committed to reduce to at least 121 by 2011. No further national public bodies have been set up by ministers since October 2007. The fol…