- Asked by: Linda Fabiani, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 08 February 2005
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Current Status:
Answered by Andy Kerr on 3 March 2005
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to the supplementary question to S2O-5214 by Mr Andy Kerr on 3 February 2005 (Official Report, c 14265), how it determined that the three hospitals in the answer would not have been built under the policies of the Scottish National Party.
Answer
Under the Scottish National Party’s proposal to set up a Scottish Trust for Public Investment (STPI), borrowing would cost more than claimed, unless guaranteed by the Scottish Executive/Treasury in which case would require investments to be controlled within block “public expenditure” totals and “on balance sheet”.
PFI is not simply about borrowing money to fund construction costs from the private sector but is about creating a structure in which better value for money is achieved by looking at the project as whole over its life.
Whilst the cost of finance is a component of this structure, cheaper finance in itself does not necessarily mean better overall value for money. The optimisation of risk allocation, competition and innovation which PFI brings should more than offset the additional costs of financing.
- Asked by: Linda Fabiani, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 31 January 2005
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Current Status:
Answered by Margaret Curran on 3 March 2005
To ask the Scottish Executive how many Sewel motions since 1999 have resulted in increased (a) powers to the Parliament, (b) powers to Scottish ministers and (b) responsibilities for Scottish ministers.
Answer
There have been no bills, and hence no Sewel motions, to amend the powers of the Parliament. There have been Sewel motions for 44 Bills amending the functions of the Scottish ministers. The term “functions” is interpreted in line with the Scotland Act as including both powers and duties.
- Asked by: Linda Fabiani, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 08 February 2005
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Current Status:
Answered by Andy Kerr on 3 March 2005
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-12671 by Mr Tom McCabe on 13 December 2004 and the supplementary question to S2O-5214 by Mr Andy Kerr on 3 February 2005 (Official Report, c 14265), whether the internal rate of return in health projects under PFI/PPP would fall into the 13% to 16% range and whether the profit stream from NHS PFI/PPP contracts in 2004-05 will, therefore, be in the region of £13 million to £16 million.
Answer
Equity internal rates of return (IRRs) vary across the PPP sector, including health, with an indicative range across the UK of 13% to 16%.
Profit streams from NHS PPP contracts relating to private sector contractors are commercially sensitive. It is the responsibility of the procuring public body to ensure that the PPP procurement route shows value for money compared to a conventional route, taking all relevant costs and benefits into account.
- Asked by: Linda Fabiani, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 08 February 2005
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Current Status:
Answered by Andy Kerr on 3 March 2005
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to the supplementary question to S2O-5214 by Mr Andy Kerr on 3 February 2005 (Official Report, c 14265), whether it will provide a more specific and substantive answer to the supplementary question regarding the effect of fixed payment PFI/PPP projects on NHS budgets, the initial rates of return to shareholders in project companies and the delivery of revenue streams to the private sector by the NHS.
Answer
In 2004-05, the estimated unitary payments for signed NHSScotland PFI contracts is £100.184 million. This represents 1.26% of forecast revenue expenditure for NHS boards.
The total costs under the PFI/PPP contract reflect not just the cost of constructing facilities but the provision of defined services over the period of the contract. Charges payable to the private sector provider are agreed locally in advance and parcelled up into annual payments. These are constant in real terms, the only increase being to take account of inflation and agreed variations in services provided. Payment levels are therefore known and budgets planned accordingly. Any NHSScotland body has to be able to demonstrate the affordability of the scheme within a full business case prior to finalising the contract.
Profit streams from NHS PPP contracts relating to private sector contractors are commercially sensitive. It is the responsibility of the procuring public sector body to ensure that the PPP procurement route shows value for money compared to a conventional procurement route.
- Asked by: Linda Fabiani, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 07 February 2005
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Current Status:
Answered by Elish Angiolini on 3 March 2005
To ask the Scottish Executive under what circumstances it would consider that restraint of any asylum seeker should be investigated to ascertain whether an offence had been committed, where an asylum seeker was restrained (a) inside and (b) outwith Dungavel House immigration removal centre.
Answer
Where an allegation of a crime is made to the police, it ought to be investigated, wherever the incident occurred. Whether an action amounts to a crime depends on the facts and circumstances of the individual case.
- Asked by: Linda Fabiani, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 16 February 2005
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Current Status:
Answered by Hugh Henry on 3 March 2005
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-3725 by Ms Margaret Curran on 12 November 2003, whether the general review of civil judicial statistics has been completed.
Answer
Phase 1 of the review of civil judicial statistics, consultation, is nearing completion.
A consultation document, Review of Civil Judicial Statistics was issued on 15 September 2004. The closing date was extended to 10 January 2005. Responsesare being analysed and the results will inform recommendations for any reform of the statistics.
- Asked by: Linda Fabiani, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 15 February 2005
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Current Status:
Answered by Hugh Henry on 3 March 2005
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has any plans to legislate to regulate builders' missives.
Answer
The Law Society of Scotland is consulting with developers and the home building industry organisation Homes for Scotland on the introduction of a new form of builders’ missive. The Society will then pilot the missive.
The Executive will consider the outcome of the pilot before making any decision on whether intervention is necessary.
- Asked by: Linda Fabiani, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 15 February 2005
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Current Status:
Answered by Hugh Henry on 3 March 2005
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will bring forward proposals for the reform of standard securities for mortgage purposes.
Answer
The Scottish Executive has no current plans for reform of standard securities for mortgage purposes. However, together with the Department of Trade and Industry, we are studying the Scottish Law Commission’s
Report on Registration of Rights in Security by Companies which is available at
http://www.scotlawcom.gov.uk/downloads/rep197.pdf.
- Asked by: Linda Fabiani, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 08 February 2005
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Current Status:
Answered by Malcolm Chisholm on 2 March 2005
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-4454 by Mrs Mary Mulligan on 15 December 2003, whether it received responses from the companies concerned regarding the rise in disconnections and, if so, what those responses were.
Answer
Officials met with the companiesconcerned in January and February 2004 and were given reassurances that steps hadbeen taken to ensure that the number of disconnections would not continue to rise.
In my recent meetings with fuelsupply companies, I have been reassured that companies are trying to keep the numberof disconnections to a minimum.
Disconnections for debt in Scotland havefallen sharply over the last year. In 2003, the total number was 756; in 2004 itwas 138.
- Asked by: Linda Fabiani, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 08 February 2005
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Current Status:
Answered by Malcolm Chisholm on 2 March 2005
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-6390 by Ms Margaret Curran on 24 March 2004, by what date it expects child poverty to be eradicated.
Answer
The Scottish Executive shares the UK Government’s commitment to eradicate child poverty by 2020.
