- Asked by: Ms Wendy Alexander, MSP for Paisley North, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Monday, 20 July 2009
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Current Status:
Answered by John Swinney on 19 August 2009
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it is consistent with the principles of best value and transparency for a local authority chief executive or director of finance to refuse a request from an elected member for real-terms data for headline budgets such as the Scottish Government provides in its draft budget.
Answer
It is not for Scottish ministers to determine whether specific actions by a local authority are consistent with best value principles. This is a matter which an elected member should pursue through normal channels within the council.
- Asked by: Ms Wendy Alexander, MSP for Paisley North, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Monday, 20 July 2009
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Current Status:
Answered by John Swinney on 28 July 2009
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it considers it desirable that local authorities publish real-terms data in the same way that it does as part of its budget documentation and what the reasons are for its position on this matter.
Answer
The Scottish Government issues regular guidance to local authorities in Scotland to ensure Councils adopt a broad consistency of practice and a minimum standard of content for the production of financial information for general use. However, local authorities have discretion, within the guidance, as to the format in which this information is published and there is no set requirement for local authorities to publish information in real-terms.
- Asked by: Ms Wendy Alexander, MSP for Paisley North, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Monday, 20 July 2009
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Current Status:
Answered by John Swinney on 28 July 2009
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it considers it desirable that local authorities publish their budgets on a consistent basis.
Answer
The Scottish Government issues regular guidance to local authorities in Scotland encouraging councils to adopt a broad consistency of practice and a minimum standard of content in the publication of their financial information for general use. However, local authorities have discretion, within the guidance, as to the format in which this information is published.
levels
- Asked by: Ms Wendy Alexander, MSP for Paisley North, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 03 June 2009
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Current Status:
Answered by Kenny MacAskill on 3 June 2009
To ask the Scottish Executive how many trainee police officers are being given on-the-job training rather than the Scottish Police College at Tulliallan programme and for what proportion of their course.
Answer
All police officers in Scotland attend the nationally approved and accredited Probationer Training Programme delivered at the Scottish Police College.
Police forces provide on-the-job training in addition to the Probationer Training Programme at the College. This training is a matter for individual forces.
- Asked by: Ms Wendy Alexander, MSP for Paisley North, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Thursday, 28 May 2009
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Current Status:
Answered by Nicola Sturgeon on 3 June 2009
To ask the Scottish Executive when data on healthcare associated infections, including Clostridium difficile, broken down by hospital, will be publicly available online.
Answer
Since January 2009, all NHS boards have been required to publish data on their websites on hospital-by-hospital performance on Clostridium difficile and other key Healthcare Associated Infection (HAI) data, and to discuss the findings at board meetings. The HAI Task Force website has also been developed to act as a portal through which the public can access the information for each NHS board area. The link can be accessed at:
http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Health/NHS-Scotland/19529/statistics.
The HAI information on NHS board websites will evolve over time as local surveillance systems become more robust and the presentation of data becomes further refined.
- Asked by: Ms Wendy Alexander, MSP for Paisley North, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 06 May 2009
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Current Status:
Answered by Stewart Stevenson on 15 May 2009
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will list the individuals and organisations invited to the planning reform progress and e-planning launch event on 29 April 2009.
Answer
The individuals and organisations invited to the event on the 29 April 2009 were:
Last Name | First Name | Organisation |
Lloyd | Greg | |
Tombs | Sebastian | A+DS |
Young | Raymond | A+DS |
Ross | Rod | Aberdeen Asset Management |
Jennings | David | Aberdeen City and shire SDPA |
Bochel | Margaret | Aberdeen City Council |
Cassie | Scott | Aberdeen City Council |
Ananin | Nick | Aberdeenshire Council |
Argyle | Peter | Aberdeenshire Council |
Gore | Christine | Aberdeenshire Council |
MacLeary | Alistair | Administrative Justice & Tribunal Council |
McKie | Alastair | Anderson Strathern LLP |
Berry | John | Angelo Irish Bank |
Myles | Bob | Angus Council |
Sawers | David | Angus Council |
Gilmour | Angus | Argyll and Bute Council |
Kelly | Daniel | Argyll and Bute Council |
Macintyre | Robert | Argyll and Bute Council |
Gunning | Frank | Association of Scottish Community Councils |
Johnson | Ian | Ayrshire Joint Structure Plan |
Strachan | Tony | Bank of England |
Peet | Nick | Bank of Scotland |
Johnston | Phillip | Barclays |
Shaw | Murray | Biggart Baillie LLP |
Stirling | Mark | British Land Company PLC |
Polson | Alison | Brodies LLP |
Peck | David | Buccleuch Property |
Waugh | Nick | Buccleuch Property |
Astwood | Jonathan | Building Standards. |
Dodds | Bill | Building Standards. |
Dewar | Emma | Burness LLP |
Bryden | Duncan | Cairngorms |
McKee | Don | Cairngorms |
Rinning | Andy | Cairngorms |
Ball | Geoff | Cala Group |
MacConnell | Alastair | Cala Properties Ltd |
Batts | Dennis | Caledonian Heritable |
Fitzsimons | Jim | Capella Developments |
Bell | David | CB Richard Ellis |
Londsdale | David | CBI Scotland |
Thorburn | David | CBI Scotland |
Bury | John | City of Edinburgh Council |
Leslie | David | City of Edinburgh Council |
Lowry | Jim | City of Edinburgh Council |
Bell | Stephen | Clackmannanshire Council |
Carrick | | Clackmannanshire Council |
Hensman | Will | Clackmannanshire Council |
Bray | Keith | Comhairle nan Eilean Siar |
Ferguson | Morag | Comhairle nan Eilean Siar |
Cameron | Kathy | COSLA |
Fowlie | James | COSLA |
Gupta | Anil | COSLA |
Hay | Alison | COSLA |
Rough | Stewart | Dawn Developments |
Russell | Stewart | Dawn Group |
Telfer | Sandy | DLA Piper |
Gil | Oonagh | DPEA |
Totten | Carol | DPEA |
Hare | Bruce A | Duddingston House Properties |
Bell | David | Dumfries and Galloway Council |
Suttie | David | Dumfries and Galloway Council |
Faulds | Ann | Dundas & Wilson CS LLP |
Uren | Graham | Dundas & Wilson CS LLP |
Anderson | Rory | Dundee City Council |
Dawson | Will | Dundee City Council |
Galloway | Mike | Dundee City Council |
Kellie | Gordon | Dunedin Property |
Brown | Alan | East Ayrshire Council |
Houston | Margo | East Ayrshire Council |
Neish | Alan | East Ayrshire Council |
Cooper | Nigel | East Dunbartonshire Council |
Hunter | Neill | East Dunbartonshire Council |
Hutchinson | | East Dunbartonshire Council |
Blackie | Alan | East Lothian Council |
Collins | Pete | East Lothian Council |
Devine | Joe | East Renfrewshire Council |
Phillips | Eddie | East Renfrewshire Council |
Shankland | Graham | East Renfrewshire Council |
Di Ciacca | John Mark | Edi Group Ltd |
McKinlay | Andy | Ediston Properties |
O''Neil | Danny | Ediston Properties |
Carmichael | Alasdair | Elphinstone Group Ltd |
Ross | Ken | Elphinstone Group Ltd |
Quartermain | Steve | England |
Anderson | Avril | ePlanning Team |
Bartch | Carla | ePlanning Team |
Begg | Susan | ePlanning Team |
Jones | Graham | ePlanning Team |
Kemp | Neill | ePlanning Team |
Liddle | Amanda | ePlanning Team |
Mitchell | Juliette | ePlanning Team |
Moore | Tom | ePlanning Team |
Pringle | Liz | ePlanning Team |
Robinson | Maryanna | ePlanning Team |
Smillie | Lesley | ePlanning Team |
Wilson | Robert | ePlanning Team |
Young | Fiona | ePlanning Team |
Angell | John | Falkirk Council |
Dryden | Ian | Falkirk Council |
McAuley | Janet | Falkirk Council |
Beare | John | Fife Council |
Keith | Winter | Fife Council |
Langhorn | Neil | Forestry Commission Scotland |
Vallance | Keith | Forrest Developments |
Sullivan | Michaela | Forth Ports |
Stewart | David | Forth Valley GIS |
Blair | Archie | GL Hearn |
Campbell | David | GL Hearn |
Finc | Rick | GL Hearn |
Buchan | Grahame | Glasgow and the Clyde Valley JSP |
MacDonald | Alistair | Glasgow City Council |
Adams | David | Glasgow University |
McGlip | Niall | Goodman International |
Kelly | Ian | Graham & Sibbald |
Irvine | John | Grosvenor |
Sivewright | David | Grosvenor |
Mappin | Gary | GVA Grimley |
Scott | Paul | GVA Grimley |
Slipper | Richard | GVA Grimley |
Richards | John | Hammerson Plc |
Hargest | Keith | Hargest & Wallace Planning Ltd |
Bewsey | Martin | Heath Lambert |
Perry | Martin | Henderson Global Investors |
Prior | Alan | Heriot-Watt University |
Hartland | Richard | Highland Council |
Mills-Bishop | Phil | Highland Council |
Ross | William (Ian) | Highland Council |
Duckworth | Roger | Highland Development |
Cooper | Malcolm | Historic Scotland |
MacSween | Ann | Historic Scotland |
Scott | Mike | Historic Scotland |
Fair | Jonathan | Homes For Scotland |
Lundmark | Allan | Homes For Scotland |
Hunter | David | Hunter Advisers |
Falconer | Maureen | ICO |
Critchley | Mark | IDOX |
Kellettt-Clarke | Richard | IDOX |
Riley | Andrew | IDOX |
Sime | Andy | IDOX |
Wardle | Eric | IDOX |
O''Hagan | Kate | Improvement Service |
MacBean | Keith | Inverclyde Council |
Williamson | Fraser | Inverclyde Council |
Wilson | David | Inverclyde Council |
Bell | David | Jones Lang LaSalle |
Winter | Stewart | Jones Lang LaSalle |
Grant | Jeff | Kenmore Property Group |
Kennedy | John | Kenmore Property Group |
Fraser | Lynsey | Keppie Planning |
Fothergill | Derek | Kier Scotland |
Wotherspoon | Iain | Kilmartin Property Group Ltd |
Barrack | James | Knight Property Group |
Smith | David | Land Securities PLC |
McFetridge | Ruth | LaSalle Investment Management |
McChlery | Francis | Law Society of Scotland |
Carmichael | Colin | Lloyds TSB Scotland |
Blue | Allyson | Loch Lomond & Trossachs |
Levinthal | Terry | Loch Lomond & Trossachs |
Watson | Gordon | Loch Lomond & Trossachs |
Kampff | Mick | lomond Group |
Seath | Alan | Lomond Group |
Noble | Joe | Macdonald Estates |
Simpson | Gillian | Maclay Murray & Spens |
Pirie | Sarah | MacRoberts |
Mickel | Andrew | Mactaggart & Mickel |
Campbell | Karen | Maxim |
Ballantyne | Jennifer | McGrigors LLP |
Johnson | Ian | Midlothian Council |
Wallace | Neil | Midlothian Council |
Young | Ian L | Midlothian Council |
Graham | Colin | Miller Developments |
Miller | Phil | Miller Developments |
Mather MSP | Jim | Minister for Enterprise, Energy and Tourism |
Cree | Stewart | Moray Council |
Halkett | Stewart | Moray Council |
Berry | Nick | Mountgrange Capital PLC |
Levy | David | Mountgrange Capital PLC |
Muir | Ronnie | Muir Group |
Watt | John | Muir Group |
Davies | Jestyn | Murray Estates |
Chisholm | Iain | North Ayrshire Council |
Kelly | Martin | North Ayrshire Council |
Miller | James | North Ayrshire Council |
Snodgrass OBE | Ian | North Ayrshire Council |
Baxter | David | North Lanarkshire Council |
Coyle | Jim | North Lanarkshire Council |
McCabe | Jim | North Lanarkshire Council |
Smith | Maggie | Northern Ireland |
Bowman | Sue | Ogilvie |
Gillon | Margaret | Orkney Islands Council |
Russell | Alison | Orkney Islands Council |
Swinney | Kenny | Orkney Islands Council |
Bean | Roland | Perth and Kinross Council |
Gaunt | Ann | Perth and Kinross Council |
Murray | Brenda | Perth and Kinross Council |
Stanley | Andrew | Pettifer Developments |
Allan | Peter | Planning Aid for Scotland |
Biberbach | Petra | Planning Aid for Scotland |
Tudhope | Ian | Premier Property Group |
Fyfe | Alison | Property Venture, UK Corporate Banking, RBS |
Cottmore | Will | PRUPIM Ltd |
Gallacher | Bill | Renfrewshire Council |
Nicolson | Iain | Renfrewshire Council |
Russell | Crawford | Renfrewshire Council |
Baxter | Neil | RIAS |
Smith | Colin | RICS Scotland |
Walker | Bruce | Robertson Homes |
Stevenson | John | RPS plc |
Burbridge | Veronica | RTPI |
Esslemont | John | RTPI |
Morton | Fiona | Ryden LLP |
Tough | David | Ryden LLP |
Forrest | Tom | SAIC |
Hall | Ken | SAIC |
Laughlin | Thomas | SAIC |
McDonald | James | SAIC |
McMahon | Brigid | SAIC |
Wilcox | Sue | Sainsburys |
Wood | Alastair | Savills |
Frater | Brian | Scottish Borders Council |
Riddell-Carre | Carolyn | Scottish Borders Council |
Rowlett | Liz | Scottish Disabilities Equality Forum |
Cooper | Stewart | Scottish Government |
Cunningham | Roseanna | Scottish Government |
Ewing | John | Scottish Government |
Foulis | Mike | Scottish Government |
Goudie | Andrew | Scottish Government |
Graham | Barry | Scottish Government |
Lochhead | Richard | Scottish Government |
Mackinnon | Jim | Scottish Government |
Manzie | Stella | Scottish Government |
Mason | John | Scottish Government |
McNairney | John | Scottish Government |
Neil | Alex | Scottish Government |
Russell | Mike | Scottish Government |
Russell | Peter | Scottish Government |
Smith | Carrie | Scottish Government |
Steele | Howard | Scottish Government |
Stephen | Suzanne | Scottish Government |
Stevenson | Stewart | Scottish Government |
Swinney | John | Scottish Government |
Trotter | Neil | Scottish Government |
Walker | Grieg | Scottish Government |
Wilson | David | Scottish Government |
Botham | Maggie | Scottish Natural Heritage |
Clark | Jane | Scottish Natural Heritage |
Thin | Andrew | Scottish Natural Heritage |
Macdonald | Dan | Scottish Property Federation |
Melhuish | David | Scottish Property Federation |
Sheridan | John | Scottish Quarry Products Association |
Moriarty | Fiona | Scottish Retail Consortium |
Hamill | Claire | Scottish Water |
Petch | Leo | Scottish Water |
Phillips | Keith | Scottish Water |
Naish | Malcolm | Scottish Widows Investment Partnership |
Patterson | Jill | Scottish Young Planners Group |
Anderson | Tom | SEPA |
Bayes | Colin | SEPA |
Green | Jo | SEPA |
White | Linda | SESplan |
MacLeod | Ewan | Shepherd and Wedderburn |
McDiarmid | Iain | Shetland Islands Council |
McCall. | Stewart | South Ayrshire Council |
McClelland | Mike | South Ayrshire Council |
Peterkin | Graham | South Ayrshire Council |
Toner | Margaret | South Ayrshire Council |
Colin | Mcdowall | South Lanarkshire Council |
Granger | Anne | South Lanarkshire Council |
Burton | Tony | SPEL |
Linton | Shirley | SSDP |
Thompson | David | SSDP |
Watt | Mark | Standard Life Investments Ltd |
Deans | Malcolm | Stewart Milne Developments |
Milne | Stewart | Stewart Milne Group |
Dawson | Jay | Stirling Council |
Morgan | Peter | Stirling Council |
Whyte | David | Stirling Council |
Lindsay | Ken | Stockland |
Sherrif | Brian | Stockland |
Naghshireh | Ardeshir | Targetfollow Estates Limited |
Ewen | Pam | Tayplan |
Glover | George | Terrace Hill Group |
Kelly | Mandy | Terrace Hill Group |
Thornton | Doug | Tesco |
Train | Ben | Tesco |
Rankin | Alasdair | The Crown Estate |
Hyde Peyton | Courtney | Third Wave |
James | Caroline | Tods Murray |
Barton | Jim | Transport Scotland |
Brannen | Roy | Transport Scotland |
Duffy | Frances | Transport Scotland |
Hughes | Richard | Tulloch Homes |
Holder | Robin | Turley Associates |
Dool | Ronnie | Turner & Townsend plc |
Easton | Gary | Turner & Townsend plc |
Neill | Bill | University of Aberdeen |
Kirk | David | University of Dundee |
Phillips | Jeff | Wales |
Warner | Philip | Warner Estates |
Hunter | Colin | Waterfront Edinburgh |
Finn | Jim | West Dunbartonshire Council |
Gregor | Alasdair | West Dunbartonshire Council |
Wight | Stephen | West Dunbartonshire Council |
Day | Martin | West Lothian Council |
Dickson | Jim | West Lothian Council |
McLucas | Steve | West Lothian Council |
Kilgour | David | Whiteburn Group Ltd |
Shepherd | John | Whiteburn Group Ltd |
- Asked by: Ms Wendy Alexander, MSP for Paisley North, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 06 May 2009
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Current Status:
Answered by Stewart Stevenson on 14 May 2009
To ask the Scottish Executive what the cost of the e-planning programme has been and what the estimated final cost is.
Answer
The programme provides an opportunity to release £16.7 million in savings for an initial investment of £11.2 million. It will also deliver considerable value to citizens and businesses by creating a higher quality, faster, more consistent, more inclusive and easier to use planning system. These end user benefits of £43.8 million bring the total savings to £60.5 million over a ten year period.
- Asked by: Ms Wendy Alexander, MSP for Paisley North, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 06 May 2009
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Current Status:
Answered by Stewart Stevenson on 14 May 2009
To ask the Scottish Executive what financial and other assistance it has provided or plans to provide to assist third parties, including neighbours, local communities and NGOs, to access e-planning services.
Answer
The ePlanning Programme is delivering a step change in planning service delivery and driving forward efficiencies in the planning system, moving planning away from a paper process to electronic ways of working. The programme allows for decisions to be made more quickly and more open, thereby increasing efficiencies in the public sector and, providing savings and improved services to citizens, local communities and NGOs.
Increased inclusion will provide enormous benefit to citizens. With all planning information online, citizens can view current applications, and their plans, their progress at different stages of the planning process, committee dates and decision, submit objections via online forms and become involved with the development of local plans. This reduces the need for citizens to travel into planning offices or libraries to view applications. By encouraging involvement in the creation of local plans, citizens can get involved with the development of the communities at the earliest stage in the planning process.
In addition, a future programme of work is currently being prepared to support planning authorities publicise and support usage by architects, agents, members of the public, community councils and other stakeholders.
- Asked by: Ms Wendy Alexander, MSP for Paisley North, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 06 May 2009
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Current Status:
Answered by Stewart Stevenson on 14 May 2009
To ask the Scottish Executive what factors it took into account in identifying invitees to the planning reform progress and e-planning launch event on 29 April 2009.
Answer
When compiling the invitation list the capacity of the venue, the numbers required for the e-planning launch and the attendee list of the Planning Summit in October 2008 were taken into account. Since it was not possible to have an open invitation we sought to achieve a balance of e-planning representatives, local and national park authorities, agencies, developers, banks, private sector interests, professional organisations, community representatives, and other interest groups involved in planning.
- Asked by: Ms Wendy Alexander, MSP for Paisley North, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 06 May 2009
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Current Status:
Answered by Stewart Stevenson on 14 May 2009
To ask the Scottish Executive what the benefits of the e-planning system will be for third parties to the planning process, including neighbours, local communities and NGOs.
Answer
ePlanning will deliver a step change in planning service delivery, providing a wide range of online services to end users that creates an end-to-end ePlanning service; from initial inquiries, to applications, decisions, and where applicable, through the planning appeal process. The service will be inclusive and transparent with all applications, plans and progress updates viewable across the internet.
The amount and quality of planning information available online is being increased on planning authority websites making the planning process more transparent and accessible. ePlanning allows the progress of applications and appeals to be tracked, comments to be made and decisions better understood. For communities this means greater confidence and certainty.
During the year ahead local development plans, which are at the heart of Scotland''s planning system, will be published online. Individuals and communities will be able to engage more effectively in the process of preparing plans and better understand the future development of their local area.