Parliamentary questions
Neil Findlay
2,296 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.
21 Mar 2013 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what instructions it has given to the Scottish Funding Council and what progress has been made on establishing a Scottish centre for higher education research.
Answer · Michael Russell: We have had initial discussions with the Scottish Funding Council on this recommendation and intend to discuss it further with the broad stakeholder interests in the new University Sector Advisory Forum.
21 Mar 2013 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what progress (a) it, (b) the Scottish Funding Council and (c) other stakeholders has/have made on implementing the recommendations from the Review of Higher Education Governance in Scotland that governors should be fully briefed and trained and that each governing body should be require…
Answer · Michael Russell: We expect this recommendation to be addressed in the new Code of Good Governance currently being developed by the Committee of Scottish Chairs. Discussions will be held with the Scottish Funding Council after the new Code is published to ensure this recommend…
21 Mar 2013 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what progress the Scottish Funding Council has made on investigating how the principles of the Hutton Review of Fair Pay in the Public Sector are being or should be applied to universities in Scotland.
Answer · Michael Russell: We expect this recommendation to be addressed in the new Code of Good Governance currently being developed by Committee of Scottish Chairs. Discussions will be held with the Scottish Funding Council after the new Code is published to ensure this recommendatio…
21 Mar 2013 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what progress has been made on implementing the recommendation of the Review of Higher Education Governance in Scotland on (a) the role of the Privy Council, (b) academic freedom and institutional autonomy, (c) the role of governance, (d) the appointment and role of principals, (e) remun…
Answer · Michael Russell: We expect the majority of these recommendations to be covered in the new Code of Good Governance currently being developed by the Committee of Scottish Chairs. In addition, an initial focus of the University Sector Advisory Forum, being set up by the Scottis…
21 Mar 2013 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what progress the Scottish Funding Council has made on establishing an advisory forum as recommended by the Review of Higher Education Governance in Scotland and who the members of the forum are.
Answer · Michael Russell: The advisory forum is being convened on behalf of the Scottish Government by the Scottish Funding Council (SFC). The SFC has issued draft terms of reference and membership invitations to a broad range of stakeholder interests across the sector, including staf…
21 Mar 2013 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government which recommendations from the Review of Higher Education Governance in Scotland will be (a) taken forward by (i) stakeholders as implementing partners and (ii) the sector itself, (b) have been included in the Post-16 Education (Scotland) Bill and (c) will be included in future legislati…
Answer · Michael Russell: In terms of recommendations being taken forward by stakeholders as implementing partners, the Committee of Scottish Chairs is developing the Code of Good Governance for higher education institutions and has set up a steering group to draft the code, which wil…
21 Mar 2013 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government which stakeholders have been engaged as implementing partners following the Review of Higher Education Governance in Scotland.
Answer · Michael Russell: The Committee of Scottish Chairs is developing a Code of Good Governance for higher education institutions. The Scottish Funding Council is convening a University Sector Advisory Forum with a membership covering the broad range of stakeholder interests acros…
19 Mar 2013 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S4W-13213 by John Swinney on 22 February 2013, whether it will provide the salary level for each special adviser.
Answer · John Swinney: Individual salary information is considered personal information and release would be considered a breach of data protection principles. The current Special Adviser Pay Bands and Ranges and the number of Special Advisers within each Pay Band are: Pay Band …
18 Mar 2013 · Portfolio Question
To ask the Scottish Government what actions it has taken to ensure that blacklisting is not taking place on publicly funded infrastructure projects.
Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: We are not aware of any evidence to suggest that blacklisting is taking place on publicly funded infrastructure projects in Scotland. We are totally opposed to blacklisting or the compiling of a blacklist and are developing guidance for public bodies on addr…
13 Mar 2013 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how much (a) jurors and (b) witnesses are entitled to in (i) expenses and (ii) compensation for lost wages for attending court.
Answer · Kenny MacAskill: This question relates to operational matters that are the responsibility of the Scottish Court Service (SCS) corporate body. The question has been passed to the Chief Executive of the SCS who will reply in writing within twenty days.
13 Mar 2013 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what the annual cost has been of paying expenses and other costs to witnesses and jurors for attending court since 2007, broken down by type of court.
Answer · Kenny MacAskill: This question relates to operational matters that are the responsibility of the Scottish Court Service (SCS) corporate body. The question has been passed to the Chief Executive of the SCS who will reply in writing within twenty days.
11 Mar 2013 · Topical Question
To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the reported decline in the number of college students.
4 Mar 2013 · Portfolio Question
To ask the Scottish Government what the annual cost is of cancelled court cases.
25 Feb 2013 · General Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will carry out a review of arrests made during the 1984-85 miners' strike.
24 Feb 2013 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what company provides occupational health services to Scottish Government employees.
Answer · John Swinney: Following a collaborative procurement exercise, Atos Healthcare has been awarded the contract to deliver Occupational Health Services to the Central Government sector.
20 Feb 2013 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how it will ensure that communities most affected by nearby landfill operations are the main beneficiaries of the money available from landfill tax credits and that it is not spent in communities that are not affected.
Answer · Richard Lochhead: As set out in our consultation paper, Protecting Our Resources - Consultation on a Scottish Landfill Tax, it is the intention that communities in close proximity to landfill sites will remain the main beneficiaries of the proposed replacement landfill tax cre…
20 Feb 2013 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to change how the money raised from landfill tax credits is distributed to communities affected by nearby landfill sites and what the reasons are for any such changes.
Answer · Richard Lochhead: The Scottish Government has announced its intention to use new powers in the Scotland Act 2012 to create a replacement tax on landfill when the UK system is disapplied in Scotland after the 1 April 2015. As mentioned in our consultation paper, “Protecting Our…
20 Feb 2013 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how much funding for community spending has been generated by landfill tax credits since 2007.
Answer · Richard Lochhead: The Scottish Government does not hold this information. The Landfill Tax Communities Fund and the credit system are currently reserved and is regulated by ENTRUST on behalf of Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs. The Scottish Government estimates that around £…
11 Feb 2013 · SPCB Written Question
To ask the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body what its annual budget has been in each year since 2007 and what the proposed budget is for 2013-14.
Answer · Liam McArthur : The SPCB’s annual budget for each year is as follows: 2007-08 2008-09 2009-10 2010-11 2011-12 2012-13 2013-14 £m £m £m £m £m £m £m Net Revenue Expenditure 69.7 71.6 75.6 75.7 74.2 69.4 72.1 Capital Expenditure 1.6 1.8 2.6 3.0 …
11 Feb 2013 · SPCB Written Question
To ask the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body how much it (a) cost to establish and (b) costs annually to administer the register of members' interests.
Answer · Liam McArthur: The register of members’ interests is established and administered by the clerks to the Standards, Procedures and Public Appointments Committee and the main costs arising relate to the clerks’ time in advising members whether interests are registrable, seekin…
7 Feb 2013 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government when the student support funding for colleges for 2013-14 will be confirmed.
Answer · Michael Russell: Matters relating to the funding of individual colleges fall within the responsibility of the Scottish Funding Council. I have asked its chief executive to write to the member.
7 Feb 2013 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government when the teaching grant funding for colleges for 2013-14 will be confirmed.
Answer · Michael Russell: Matters relating to the funding of individual colleges fall within the responsibility of the Scottish Funding Council. I have asked its chief executive to write to the member.
7 Feb 2013 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether the £10 million for college funding announced on 6 February 2013 is new money or is found from (a) underspend, (b) resource consequentials or (c) another source.
Answer · Michael Russell: The additional £10 million of funding for colleges is new money whose source is Barnett consequentials.
7 Feb 2013 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government for what purpose the £10 million for college funding announced on 6 February 2013 is intended.
Answer · Michael Russell: The Scottish Government and the Scottish Funding Council will work with Colleges Scotland and NUS Scotland to set priorities for this additional investment. Further information will be available in due course.
7 Feb 2013 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government where the £10 million for college funding announced on 6 February 2013 will be allocated.
Answer · Michael Russell: The Scottish Government and the Scottish Funding Council will work with Colleges Scotland and NUS Scotland to set priorities for this additional investment. Further information will be available in due course.
30 Jan 2013 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on the capacity of local authorities to allocate goods rather than money from the Scottish Welfare Fund to claimants.
Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: I refer the member to the answer to question S4W-12763 on 25 February 2013. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at: http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/parliamenta…
30 Jan 2013 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether claimants who are allocated goods from the Scottish Welfare Fund will be provided with tokens or vouchers to purchase those goods.
Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: I refer the member to the answer to question S4W-12763 on 25 February 2013. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at: http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/parliamenta…
30 Jan 2013 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what estimate it has made of the proportion of the Scottish Welfare Fund that will be allocated to claimants as (a) goods and (b) money.
Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: This is a matter for each local authority.
30 Jan 2013 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what proportion of the Scottish Welfare Fund has been earmarked for crisis (a) loans and (b) grants.
Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: We have earmarked around 30 per cent of the Scottish Welfare Fund for Crisis Grants and the remainder for Community Care Grants. The Scottish Welfare Fund will not provide loans.
30 Jan 2013 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what level of funding each local authority will receive in order to deliver the Scottish Welfare Fund and how this is calculated.
Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: The funding allocations for each local authority are set out in the following table. The basis of the distribution is previous spend for Community Care Grants and Crisis Loans; previous applications for Admin funding; and the bid made to the Department for Wo…