- Asked by: Linda Fabiani, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 22 April 2004
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Current Status:
Answered by Andy Kerr on 5 May 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive what the divergence has been between outline business case costs and out-turn costs for each PPP or PFI project in the last seven years.
Answer
The Executive does not collatedivergence of costs of a PPP project from Outline Business Case stage to outturn.Executive funding for PPP projects is capped. It is for the public sector body concernedto monitor the divergence of costs between outline business case and outturn andto ensure that the project remains affordable at contract close. Once financialclose is reached, the annual payments to the private sector consortium are fixedand only increased by an inflation index, unless changes are made to the originalcontract.
- Asked by: Linda Fabiani, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 23 April 2004
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Current Status:
Answered by Andy Kerr on 5 May 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive how many staff currently work in its (a) Private Finance and (b) Financial Partnership unit.
Answer
The Private Finance and Capital Unit in the Scottish Executive Health Department deals with all public capital and PPP issues within the NHS in Scotland. There are six full-time equivalent staff working in the Unit. The Financial Partnerships Unit in the Scottish Executive Finance and Central Services Department deals with all non-health PPP projects and Executive PPP wider policy issues. There are 6.5 full-time equivalent staff currently within the unit.
- Asked by: Linda Fabiani, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 22 April 2004
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Current Status:
Answered by Andy Kerr on 5 May 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive how many PPP/PFI projects have had shares transactions of more than 10% of the overall shareholding.
Answer
We are aware of a few examplesof share transactions in PPP companies following the initial contract. Such transactionscan play a useful role in re-cycling capital for other projects, and bringing innew investors. Continuity of service is provided by the consortium. However, thedetail requested is not held centrally.
- Asked by: Linda Fabiani, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 22 April 2004
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Current Status:
Answered by Andy Kerr on 5 May 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive how many times bankruptcy or liquidation has affected a partner in a PPP or PFI project.
Answer
The information requested isnot held centrally.
- Asked by: Linda Fabiani, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 02 April 2004
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Current Status:
Answered by Andy Kerr on 4 May 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive which of its documents and publications have been issued and subsequently withdrawn in each year since 1999.
Answer
No central record of publicationswhich have been withdrawn is maintained within the Scottish Executive. The informationcould only be obtained by trawling individual departments, which would be at disproportionatecost.
- Asked by: Linda Fabiani, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 02 April 2004
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Current Status:
Answered by Tavish Scott on 4 May 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has been included in any discussions with, or any advice issued to, local authorities or COSLA, in respect of the relationship between local authorities and Members of the Scottish Parliament.
Answer
The relationship between local authorities and membersof the Scottish Parliament is a matter for individual local authorities, COSLA andthe Parliament.
- Asked by: Linda Fabiani, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 02 April 2004
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Current Status:
Answered by Andy Kerr on 4 May 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive whether local authorities meet the standards set out in the European Charter on Local Self-Government and, if not, which criteria are not met.
Answer
The UK governmentratified the European Charter on Local Self-Government. It is not for local authoritiesto meet standards set out in this Charter, instead the Charter sets out a seriesof articles on the relationship between central and local government.
- Asked by: Linda Fabiani, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 02 April 2004
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Current Status:
Answered by Andy Kerr on 4 May 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive how many staff it employs (a) directly, (b) by secondment and (c) on a contract or consultancy basis to fulfil its media relations function.
Answer
Media relations work is carriedout by the Media and Communication Division’s Press Office. The Press Office employsdirectly 50 communications specialists, including those working on strategic communicationsand media monitoring. The Press Office does not at present have any secondees orpeople working on a contract or consultancy basis.
- Asked by: Linda Fabiani, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 21 April 2004
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Current Status:
Answered by Tom McCabe on 29 April 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has taken any recent steps to address concerns of families who have an adult member with learning difficulties living in the family home and what support it intends to give such families.
Answer
The same as you? is a 10-year programme of change that addresses the needsof all people with learning disabilities, including adults who live with their families.A number of its recommendations, including that for personal life plans, will ensurebetter support for family carers.
On 15 March, the Scottish Executive issued guidance on the completion of Partnership in Practice agreementsfor 2004-07. This advised local authorities and NHS boards to ensure that localstrategies for implementing The same as you? address a number of specificissues, including both current provision and development plans for support for carers.
- Asked by: Linda Fabiani, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 23 March 2004
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Current Status:
Answered by Lewis Macdonald on 27 April 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive whether the quadrupling of the amount of aggregate to be quarried from the site of the proposed wind farm at Whitelee Forest makes the addendum to Scottish Power's proposal to build a 322 megawatt wind farm at Whitelee Forest a material change to the original application.
Answer
We have considered this in consultationwith the three planning authorities and concluded that as the revised proposal constitutesa significant change to the original application, the applicant should be requiredto prepare an addendum to the environmental statement and that these changes shouldbe subject to fresh consultation.
