- Asked by: Elaine Murray, MSP for Dumfries, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Thursday, 18 November 2010
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Current Status:
Answered by John Swinney on 25 November 2010
To ask the Scottish Executive how the projected outturn efficiency of £0.448 million in the Contract Research Fund reported in the Efficiency Outturn Report for 2009-10 has been achieved.
Answer
The efficiency savings arise entirely from the securing of co-funding for research projects while obtaining 100% of the contracted outputs.
- Asked by: Elaine Murray, MSP for Dumfries, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Thursday, 18 November 2010
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Current Status:
Answered by Roseanna Cunningham on 25 November 2010
To ask the Scottish Executive how the projected outturn efficiency of £4.046 million by Scottish Environment Protection Agency reported in the Efficiency Outturn Report for 2009-10 has been achieved.
Answer
The Scottish Environment Protection Agency achieved cash releasing efficiency savings of £4.046 million for 2009-10 by improving the way it delivered services, without material detriment to the quality of the services provided. Efficiency savings were achieved as follows.
| Measures Taken | Efficiencies Achieved (£ million) |
| Implementing more efficient working practices, absorption of new work and re-engineering of service delivery. | 2.082 |
| Reduction in property maintenance and property improvement projects. | 0.618 |
| Reduction in procurement and increased in-house training. | 1.023 |
| Reduction in travel costs. | 0.163 |
| Reduction in research and development programme. | 0.05 |
| Cessation of Regional Boards. | 0.06 |
| Reduction in cost of pool vehicles. | 0.05 |
- Asked by: Elaine Murray, MSP for Dumfries, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Thursday, 18 November 2010
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Current Status:
Answered by Richard Lochhead on 25 November 2010
To ask the Scottish Executive for what reason the projected outturn efficiency reported in the Efficiency Outturn Report for 2009-10 for Marine Scotland is £1.51 million as compared with the published planned efficiency of £2.172 million.
Answer
In the Efficient Government Programme 2008-11 Marine Scotland''s predecessor bodies were set the following targets:
| Year | Target (£ million) | Outturn (£ million) |
| 2008-09 | 3.159 | 3.653 |
| 2009-10 | 2.172 | 1.51 |
| 2010-11 | 3.258 | |
Marine Scotland was created on 1 April 2009. The target figure in 2008-09 was exceeded by £0.494 million, and fell short by £0.662 million in 2009-10 giving a net shortfall over the two years of £0.168 million. The shortfall was largely related to the transition from the previous structural arrangements to create Marine Scotland. Some structural changes, which will generate significant efficiencies, have a lead time and are taking place in the second year of Marine Scotland. The expectation is that Marine Scotland will achieve the efficiency savings target over the life of the Efficient Government Programme.
- Asked by: Elaine Murray, MSP for Dumfries, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Thursday, 18 November 2010
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Current Status:
Answered by Roseanna Cunningham on 25 November 2010
To ask the Scottish Executive how the projected outturn efficiency of £0.245 million by the Cairngorms National Park Authority reported in the Efficiency Outturn Report for 2009-10 has been achieved.
Answer
The Cairngorms National Park Authority has achieved outturn efficiency savings of £0.245 million for 2009-10 as shown in the following table:
| Measures Taken | Efficiencies Achieved (£ million) |
| Staffing “ salaries and oncosts | 0.085 |
| Staffing “ training and other non-salary | 0.031 |
| Estates “ lease termination | 0.015 |
| Office running costs | 0.025 |
| Information and communications technology | 0.086 |
| Professional Services “ reduction internal audit cost | 0.003 |
| Total | 0.245 |
- Asked by: Elaine Murray, MSP for Dumfries, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Thursday, 18 November 2010
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Current Status:
Answered by Richard Lochhead on 25 November 2010
To ask the Scottish Executive how the projected outturn efficiency of £0.02 million in Animal Health and Welfare Publicity reported in the Efficiency Outturn Report for 2009-10 has been achieved.
Answer
The efficiency saving of £20,000 was achieved by using new methods of providing information to farmers and other stakeholders on animal health and welfare matters. Making greater use of text messaging and email reduced the cost of mailshots whilst maintaining the same level of service.
- Asked by: Elaine Murray, MSP for Dumfries, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Thursday, 18 November 2010
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Current Status:
Answered by Roseanna Cunningham on 25 November 2010
To ask the Scottish Executive how the projected outturn efficiency of £0.074 million by the Deer Commission for Scotland reported in the Efficiency Outturn Report for 2009-10 has been achieved.
Answer
The Deer Commission for Scotland''s outturn efficiency of £0.074 million in 2009-10, comprising recurring savings, was achieved through decreased accommodation costs associated with its co-location with Scottish Natural Heritage in Great Glen House.
- Asked by: Elaine Murray, MSP for Dumfries, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Thursday, 18 November 2010
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Current Status:
Answered by Roseanna Cunningham on 25 November 2010
To ask the Scottish Executive how the projected outturn efficiency of £3.071 million by Scottish Natural Heritage reported in the Efficiency Outturn Report for 2009-10 has been achieved.
Answer
Scottish Natural Heritage''s (SNH) outturn efficiency of £3.071 million for 2009-10, comprising both recurring and non-recurring savings, was achieved as follows:
| Categories | Measures Taken | Cash-Releasing Efficiencies (£ million) |
| Shared Services | Implementing Scotland''s Environment and Rural Services Frontline Delivery project. | 0.001 |
| Asset Management | Primarily the disposal of surplus freehold and leasehold property in Edinburgh and Oban. | 0.460 |
| Procurement | Primarily a change in pension provider and internet security software contracts. | 0.043 |
| Other Initiatives | Primarily vacancy management and efficient staff utilisation, reviews of landline and mobile telephone usage and increasing on-line publishing on SNH''s website. | 2.567 |
SNH also achieved time-releasing efficiencies of £0.233 million for 2009-10 by implementing: a new database to help with site condition monitoring; a new HR management information system; and, the final phase of a project to improve SNH''s recruitment process.
- Asked by: Elaine Murray, MSP for Dumfries, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Thursday, 18 November 2010
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Current Status:
Answered by Richard Lochhead on 25 November 2010
To ask the Scottish Executive how the projected outturn efficiency of £0.094 million by Veterinary Surveillance reported in the Efficiency Outturn Report for 2009-10 has been achieved.
Answer
An outturn efficiency of £0.094 million was achieved by The Scottish Agricultural College, which delivers veterinary surveillance functions in Scotland on behalf of the Scottish Government, by a combination of more efficient work and energy cost savings.
Staff cost savings of £0.064 million have been achieved through the loss of three positions that had become vacant and have not been filled.
An additional £0.030 million saving in fuel costs has been achieved through the investment in new, more efficient boilers in three of the eight veterinary investigation centres in Scotland.
- Asked by: Elaine Murray, MSP for Dumfries, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Thursday, 18 November 2010
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Current Status:
Answered by Roseanna Cunningham on 25 November 2010
To ask the Scottish Executive how the projected outturn efficiency of £0.284 million by the Loch Lomond and Trossachs Park Authority reported in the Efficiency Outturn Report for 2009-10 has been achieved.
Answer
The Loch Lomond and The Trossachs National Park Authority (LLTNPA) has achieved outturn efficiency savings of £0.284 million for 2009-10 through a combination of measures, as shown in the table below:
| Categories | Measures Taken | Savings Achieved (£ million) |
| Shared Services | Gateway Centre shared with two other operators. | 0.088 |
| Asset Management | Gateway Centre managed by a third party | 0.196 |
| Total | 0.284 |
- Asked by: Elaine Murray, MSP for Dumfries, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Thursday, 18 November 2010
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Current Status:
Answered by Roseanna Cunningham on 24 November 2010
To ask the Scottish Executive what programmes are supported by the National Assets and Flooding category of the Environmental and Rural Services Level 2 budget and how it proposes to achieve the 17% reduction in funding between 2010-11 and 2011-12, as indicated in table 11.06 on page 178 of Scotland’s Spending Plans and Draft Budget 2011-12.
Answer
The Natural Assets and Flood budget line support programmes aimed at promoting the air quality and the water environment, implementing the EU Noise Directive and the Government''s support to flood risk management. It is intended that savings will be made in terms of the level of support provided to air quality and noise actions. We will build on past actions and prioritise available resource to maximise benefits. These budget reductions will not impact on our statutory obligations in these areas.
