- 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 £0.074 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 £10.6 million by Forestry Commission Scotland reported in the Efficiency Outturn Report for 2009-10 has been achieved.
Answer
The Efficiency Delivery Plans, published in April 2009, provide full details of all Scottish Government efficiency projects. The Forestry Commission Scotland efficiency target was achieved by selling those assets delivering least against the Scottish Government objectives.
- 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 £0.568 million by the Royal Botanic Gardens Edinburgh reported in the Efficiency Outturn Report for 2009-10 has been achieved.
Answer
The Royal Botanic Gardens Edinburgh achieved efficiency savings of £0.568 million in 2009-10 by the following sources:
| Efficiency Saving | Value (£ million) |
| Levering in donations for the Gateway Visitor Centre on the back of Scottish Government (SG) capital funding. | 0.096 |
| Levering in further funding to supplement SG grant-in-aid in the form of donations. | 0.085 |
| Co-funding for research projects while obtaining 100% of the contract outputs. | 0.310 |
| Improving business processes, such as staff deployment and working practices | 0.077 |
| Total | 0.568 |
- 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 it will reduce the budget for Scottish Natural Heritage from £67.9 million in 2010-11 to £60.7 million in 2011-12, as reported in table 11.06 on page 178 of Scotland’s Spending Plans and Draft Budget 2011-12.
Answer
Scottish Natural Heritage has been preparing for a reduction in its grant in aid in 2011-12 by undertaking a review of how it delivers smarter programmes by reshaping the organisation and reducing its senior management structure to become a smaller, more effective, efficient and influential public body.
Scottish Natural Heritage must determine how it will meet its statutory responsibilities and key priorities in the most cost-effective way. The Scottish Government will continue to work closely with the organisation to ensure it is adequately resourced to deliver its statutory duties and that the natural environment continues to provide the ecosystem services which underpin much of Scotland''s sustainable economic activity.
- 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 the Scottish Sustainable Development Forum is £0.032 million as compared with the published planned efficiency of £0.04 million.
Answer
The efficiency savings for the Scottish Sustainable Development Forum (SSDF) were originally estimated at £0.04 million. In reviewing the secretariat function and event costs for the SSDF annual savings of £0.032 million have been made. To ensure the delivery of SSDF business plan further efficiency savings were not possible.
- 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 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 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 24 November 2010
To ask the Scottish Executive for what reason the projected outturn efficiency reported in the Efficiency Outturn Report for 2009-10 for the Crofters Commission is £0.038 million as compared with the published planned efficiency of £0.225 million.
Answer
The planned efficiency was linked to the transfer of the Crofters Commission office to Great Glen House. Realisation of the planned efficiency is dependent on negotiations with the commission''s previous landlord. Savings are expected to begin in 2010-11.
The Crofters Commission provided £0.038 million efficiency savings from internal restructuring, and the Director General for Rural Affairs, Environment and Services portfolio exceeded the planned efficiency by £1.120 million in 2009-10.
