- Asked by: Tricia Marwick, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 12 December 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Margaret Curran on 3 January 2003
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-31962 on 11 December 2002, why the information on the number of applications for grants to remove lead piping in domestic premises is not held centrally.
Answer
The Improvement and Repairs Grants scheme, under which grants are available for the replacement of lead water pipes, is operated by local authorities using funds from the general capital allocation. Information about applications outstanding at any given time is therefore held by the local authorities themselves. Information is collected centrally on the number of applications approved, and the amount of expenditure, for each year. In 2001-02, 1,389 grants for replacement of lead water pipes were approved, with a total value of £832,749. The Scottish Executive has no plans at present to collect information on outstanding applications.
- Asked by: Tricia Marwick, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 12 December 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Margaret Curran on 3 January 2003
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-31962 on 11 December 2002, what plans it has to hold the information on the number of applications for grants to remove lead piping in domestic premises centrally.
Answer
I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-32607 today. 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: Tricia Marwick, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 11 December 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Andy Kerr on 3 January 2003
To ask the Scottish Executive how many non-departmental public bodies have been (a) abolished and (b) established since 1999.
Answer
A total of 49 public bodies have been abolished or de-classified since 1999. Fourteen new public bodies have been created. Since July 2002 information on public bodies has been available on the Public Body and Appointment Website at:
http://www.scotland.gov.uk/government/publicbodies/. It was previously set out in the annual Cabinet Office publication
Public Bodies.
- Asked by: Tricia Marwick, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 11 December 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Andy Kerr on 3 January 2003
To ask the Scottish Executive how many non-departmental public bodies it is planning to establish.
Answer
Proposals to establish new non-departmental public bodies (NDPBs) are under consideration by the Executive but final decisions will not be made until the full options appraisal and exacting scrutiny as required by Public Bodies Proposals for Change have been completed. Until that time I am unable to make any announcement. No new NDPBs will be established unless there is an absolutely clear need, and where other organisational options have been ruled out. The creation of any new public body will be announced to the relevant committee of the Parliament.
- Asked by: Tricia Marwick, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 02 December 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Andy Kerr on 19 December 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive how much has been paid in lump sum payments to each of its former special advisers since May 1999.
Answer
Since May 1999, 11 former special advisers have received a total of £154,754.25 in severance pay. Individual severance payments are not revealed in order to protect the privacy of the individual. Severance pay is paid in recognition of the fact that it is not always possible for special advisers to receive the period of notice which would, in normal practice, be given.
- Asked by: Tricia Marwick, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 02 December 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by David Steel on 13 December 2002
To ask the Presiding Officer how much Dr Richard Simpson MSP will receive in lump sum payments following his resignation as a junior Scottish minister.
Answer
Under The Scotland Act 1998 (Transitory and Transitional Provisions) (Grants to Members and Officeholders) Order 1999 Dr Simpson is entitled to receive a lump sum payment equal to one quarter of his former officeholder's salary. The actual amount payable will be £5,674.75.The order was made by the Secretary of State for Scotland under transitional powers contained in the Scotland Act. These rules will be examined in due course as part of the review of the various grants dealt with under the Transitional Order ahead of its replacement by Parliament.
- Asked by: Tricia Marwick, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 25 November 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Margaret Curran on 11 December 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive what the current level of outstanding grant applications is for the removal of lead piping in domestic premises in each local authority area.
Answer
Information on the number of applications for grant to remove lead piping in domestic premises which have not been approved, or have been approved and not paid, is not held centrally.
- Asked by: Tricia Marwick, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 25 November 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by David Steel on 10 December 2002
To ask the Presiding Officer on what date the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body (SPCB) agreed that it would give support in respect of (a) IT, (b) the media office, (c) Standards Committee clerking, (d) the office of the Chief Executive, (e) the office of the Presiding Officer and (f) web site design to the Scottish Parliament and Business Exchange and whether the minutes of the meeting at which the decision was made will be made publicly available
Answer
The decision to support The Exchange including through "contribution in kind" was taken by SPCB on 6 February 2001. The minutes of the SPCB were not made publicly available until June 2001. However, the extract of the minutes for that meeting is detailed below."SCOTTISH PARLIAMENT AND BUSINESS EXCHANGE - SPCB (2001) Paper 17The Corporate Body approved the membership and support and ongoing subscription for the Business Exchange."
- Asked by: Tricia Marwick, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 25 November 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by David Steel on 9 December 2002
To ask the Presiding Officer what the cost has been of any hospitality paid for by the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body in relation to the Scottish Parliament and Business Exchange in each year since the scheme started.
Answer
£735 was expended in 2001-02 and £629 in 2002-03.
- Asked by: Tricia Marwick, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 25 November 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by David Steel on 9 December 2002
To ask the Presiding Officer what the cost to the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body has been in staff time in respect of supporting the Scottish Parliament and Business Exchange, broken down by financial year and showing separately the cost of support in relation to (a) IT, (b) the media office, (c) Standards Committee clerking, (d) the office of the Chief Executive, (e) the office of the Presiding Officer and (f) website design.
Answer
Modest staff support has been provided to the Exchange since its inception but Parliament staff do not generally keep time sheets logging individual work activities. Staff time spent on supporting the Scottish Parliament and Business Exchange cannot therefore accurately be calculated.
