- Asked by: Linda Fabiani, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 27 September 2004
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Current Status:
Answered by Cathy Jamieson on 30 November 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to questions S2W-7810 and S2W-8651 by Cathy Jamieson on 20 May and 8 June 2004 respectively, how many police officers have now been redeployed as a result of the first phase of the contracting-out of prisoner escort and court custody services and why information on the number redeployed up to 8 June 2004 was not provided in the answer to question S2W-8651.
Answer
Phase 1 of the prisoner escort and court custody service contract covers the Glasgow and District area. Phase 2B covers the remainder of the Strathclyde area. I understand that Strathclyde Police has now deployed around 130 officers intotal. The figure for Phase 1 on its own is not available.
- Asked by: Linda Fabiani, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 04 October 2004
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Current Status:
Answered by Rhona Brankin on 26 November 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive when it expects the Eye Care Review, launched in March 2004, to report.
Answer
It is anticipated that aninitial report will be available to ministers in spring 2005.
- Asked by: Linda Fabiani, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 21 October 2004
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Current Status:
Answered by Nicol Stephen on 26 November 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive whether the commitment made on 16 September 2004 by the Deputy First Minister to ensure that all of Scotland is broadband enabled by the end of 2005 (Official Report c 10227) should be regarded as one of its targets.
Answer
Our commitment toensuring broadband access in every community in Scotlandis a commitment which we aim to achieve by the end of 2005. It is not appropriatefor this to be one of the formal Annual Evaluation Report targets, as these aretied in with the spending review process and concentrate on longer term Executivepriorities.
- Asked by: Linda Fabiani, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 21 October 2004
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Current Status:
Answered by Nicol Stephen on 26 November 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive what the implications of the dropping of the broadband target, as referred to in Annex B to Draft Budget 2005-06, are for the procurement process for ensuring that telephone exchanges not covered in the list of exchanges which BT is prepared to enable for broadband are so enabled.
Answer
I refer the member to the questionS2W-11569 answered on 26 November 2004. All answers to written parliamentary questions are availableon the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at
http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search.
- Asked by: Linda Fabiani, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 21 October 2004
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Current Status:
Answered by Nicol Stephen on 26 November 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive how the dropping of the broadband target, as referred to in Annex B to Draft Budget 2005-06, is consistent with the commitment by the Deputy First Minister on 16 September 2004 “to ensure that every community in Scotland will have access to, and make effective use of, broadband services” by the end of 2005 (Official Report c 10227).
Answer
We are committedto extending broadband connectivity for every community in Scotland and to achieve this by the end of 2005. This is laid out inthe Draft Budget 2005-06's Statement of Priorities.
This broadband commitmentis not featured as one of the Annual Evaluation Report(AER) targets in the DraftBudget, because AER targets are tied in with the spending review process and concentrateon longer term Executive priorities.
- Asked by: Linda Fabiani, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 05 November 2004
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Current Status:
Answered by Cathy Jamieson on 19 November 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive whether the protocol between it and the Scottish Trades Union Congress on pay and conditions for privatised projects applies to the Reliance contract.
Answer
I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service to respond. His response is as follows:
No.
- Asked by: Linda Fabiani, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 21 October 2004
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Current Status:
Answered by Nicol Stephen on 18 November 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive how many broadband connections have been made as a direct result of its pathfinder project.
Answer
As yet, no broadband connections have been made as a direct result of the Pathfinder project.
- Asked by: Linda Fabiani, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 21 October 2004
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Current Status:
Answered by Nicol Stephen on 18 November 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive how it will fulfil the commitment made by the Deputy First Minister on 16 September 2004 to ensure that exchanges not enabled for broadband by BT are enabled in a supplier-neutral and manner-neutral way (Official Report c 10227).
Answer
The Executive is committed to delivering broadband access to every Scottish community by end 2005. This is being taken forward by an open procurement exercise which is both supplier and technology neutral.
We will target those areas where BT are not enabling exchanges for broadband, as they clearly have no forecast provision. However, this may not necessarily result in exchange upgrades, as potentially any technology or mix of technologies could provide broadband coverage in these areas.
- Asked by: Linda Fabiani, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 21 October 2004
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Current Status:
Answered by Cathy Jamieson on 17 November 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-11075 by Cathy Jamieson on 19 October 2004, whether the budgets for the police and for the prison service will be reduced by these amounts to take account of reduced responsibilities.
Answer
I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service (SPS) to respond. His response is as follows:
The escorts contract was taken into account in the Spending Review 2004. Neither the police nor SPS had their budgets reduced as a result of that process.
- Asked by: Linda Fabiani, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 21 October 2004
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Current Status:
Answered by Cathy Jamieson on 17 November 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-10926 by Cathy Jamieson on 19 October 2004, how the costs which are not readily quantifiable were accounted for in the Reliance contract.
Answer
I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service to respond. His response is as follows:
These opportunity costs arise for the prison service when prison officers have to undertake escorts instead of their core role. The corresponding benefits arise to the prison service when escorts are undertaken by Reliance instead of the prison service. Since the costs and benefits accrue to the prison service alone, they are not accounted for in the contract with Reliance. Since they are not readily quantifiable, they were not included in the public sector comparator.
