- Asked by: Linda Fabiani, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 03 June 2004
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Current Status:
Answered by Andy Kerr on 16 June 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-8341 by Mr Andy Kerr on 2 June 2004, how it monitors value for money in those projects for which it is the procuring body.
Answer
The monitoring of value for money applies to all publicly procured projects, and the Treasury’s Green Book provides guidance on appraisal and evaluation of projects for Government. Guidance specifically on the value for money of public private partnership projects is contained in Treasury Taskforce publications which apply in Scotland. Policy Statement No. 2, Public Sector Comparatorsand Value for Money, sets out the role of comparators in public procurementhighlighting the importance of value for money. Copies are available in the Parliament’s Reference Centre (Bib. number 18565).
- Asked by: Linda Fabiani, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 03 June 2004
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Current Status:
Answered by Frank McAveety on 16 June 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive what progress has been made on the commitment in Making it work together - A programme for government, published in September 1999, to ensure that all schools have a sports co-ordinator by 2003.
Answer
At the end of December 2003, 334 secondary schools across Scotland had a school sports co-ordinator in post. This represents coverage of some 86% of secondary schools.
As part of the Executive’s Physical Activity Strategy, the school sports co-ordinator programme has been merged with the previous active primary schools programme, extended and developed to become the active schools programme. We have invested £24 million over the three years to 2005-06 to roll out the active schools programme across Scotland.
- Asked by: Linda Fabiani, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 03 June 2004
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Current Status:
Answered by Lewis Macdonald on 16 June 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive how many modern apprenticeships have been created in each year since 1999.
Answer
The detailed information on the exact number of people who begin a modern apprenticeship each year is an operational matter for Scottish Enterprise and Highlands and Islands Enterprise and is not held centrally.
- Asked by: Linda Fabiani, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 03 June 2004
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Current Status:
Answered by Frank McAveety on 16 June 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive what progress has been made on the commitment in Making it work together - A programme for government, published in September 1999, to establish a Scottish football academy and a network of local academies by 2002 as part of the wider programme of support for sport.
Answer
The Executive made available funding to support the setting up of football academies across Scotland. Unfortunately due to the financial crisis in Scottish football, few clubs in the Scottish Football League or the Scottish Premier League were in a position to access the funding. Only three football academies received funding: Rangers FC, Hearts FC/Heriot Watt University and the Highland Football Academy. The Football Academy Programme, under the Lottery SportsFund ended on 31 March 2003.
Football, however, will be a major beneficiary from the national and regional sports facilities strategy which aims to develop a network of six multi-sportfacilities across Scotland, including a national indoor arena for competition.
- Asked by: Linda Fabiani, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 03 June 2004
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Current Status:
Answered by Peter Peacock on 16 June 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-5835 by Peter Peacock on 10 February 2004, whether the statement in Making it work together - A programme for government, published in September 1999, that “we will ensure that there are at least four modern computers for each class by 2003” was a target set by it and whether that level of computer provision has been achieved.
Answer
The Scottish Executive set targets for the National Grid for Learning to achieve on average pupil to modern computer ratios of 5:1 in secondary schools and 7.5:1 in primary schools. These were expressed more succinctly in the 1999 Programme for Government as an average of “four modern computers for each class”. The latest information, from the 2002 School Census (available online at
http://www.scotland.gov.uk/stats/bulletins/00272-00.asp) shows pupil:modern computer ratios of 3:1 in special schools, 5:1 in secondary schoolsand 9:1 in primary schools. Decisions about the actual deployment of the computersare taken locally in the light of teaching practice and accommodation requirements.
- Asked by: Linda Fabiani, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 03 June 2004
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Current Status:
Answered by Andy Kerr on 16 June 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-8341 by Mr Andy Kerr on 2 June 2004, what research it is undertaking, or has commissioned, into value for money issues surrounding the general principles of PFI and PPP.
Answer
The Executive has been involved in dialogue with Treasury over the new Green Book, and over an improved approach to the appraisal of public private partnerships. Treasury issued Draft Value for Money Appraisal Guidance in February which sets out new proposals for a value for money assessment, including the reform of the Public Sector Comparator. Documentation on this can be found on Treasury’s website at
http://www.hm-treasury.gov.uk. The guidance is intended to provide a framework for evaluating the appropriateness of and value for money of PPP. A dialogue with both public and private sectors is continuing over these changes.
- Asked by: Linda Fabiani, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 01 June 2004
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Current Status:
Answered by Cathy Jamieson on 15 June 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-7832 by Cathy Jamieson on 14 May 2004, how the penalty sum will be imposed if the recording of these points results in the quarterly baseline total being exceeded.
Answer
I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service to respond. His response is as follows:
As the performance related deductionfor the performance quarter concerned has already been capped, no further deductionwill be made.
- Asked by: Linda Fabiani, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 01 June 2004
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Current Status:
Answered by Cathy Jamieson on 15 June 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive whether any performance revenue deductions have been applied to payments for services at HM Prison Kilmarnock in each quarter in which the baseline totals were exceeded.
Answer
I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service to respond. His response is as follows:I refer the member to the answer given to S2W-7756 on 7 May 2004. 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/webapp/search_wa.
- Asked by: Linda Fabiani, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 01 June 2004
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Current Status:
Answered by Cathy Jamieson on 15 June 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive how any HM Treasury guidelines on commercial confidentiality have been applied to Minute of Agreement between the Secretary of State for Scotland and Kilmarnock Prison Services Limited for the Design, Construction, Management and Financing of a Prison at Kilmarnock.
Answer
I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service to respond. His response is as follows:
The Scottish Prison Service does not receive any such guidelines from HM Treasury.
- Asked by: Linda Fabiani, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 01 June 2004
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Current Status:
Answered by Cathy Jamieson on 15 June 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-1869 by Cathy Jamieson on 9 September 2003, why the baseline total for the calculation of payment for services at HM Prison Kilmarnock has been increased.
Answer
I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service to respond. His response is as follows:
In accordance with the contract, the baseline figures are increased proportionately to reflect the Additional Prisoner Places provided.
