- Asked by: Alex Neil, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 16 December 2005
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Current Status:
Answered by Tom McCabe on 24 January 2006
To ask the Scottish Executive what the detailed methodology used by SQW Economic Development Consultants was in their investigation of the economic impact of hosting the 2005 G8 summit at Gleneagles by which they measured the advertising value equivalent of the “unprecedented media coverage” of Scotland between 2 and 11 July 2005 as a result of the G8 summit as being worth £66.4 million.
Answer
The methodology for media evaluation is described in annex C of the report which can be found at
http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/2005/12/G8Econ. The industry standard methodology was used for calculating the advertising value equivalents of media coverage. The analysis was conducted independently by TNS Media Intelligence.
- Asked by: Alex Neil, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 16 December 2005
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Current Status:
Answered by Tavish Scott on 24 January 2006
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-21289 by Tavish Scott on 15 December 2005, whether it will provide details of the integral demand management measures that might be deployed on the route of the M80 on-line upgrade.
Answer
Integral demand management measures will be introduced to address specific traffic problems should they occur. Broadly speaking they could take the form of ramp metering or restrictions to the types of vehicles to control entry flows, or mainline metering to control flows on the motorway itself. Priority could be given to high occupancy and heavy goods vehicles. This issue was addressed at the Public Local Inquiry (PLI) held in October 2005. The Reporter is expected to make his recommendations to ministers in the spring of 2006. After considering the PLI Report Ministers will make a decision on the progression of the scheme.
Transport Scotland has the operational responsibility for this area, and can be contacted for more information if required.
- Asked by: Alex Neil, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 16 December 2005
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Current Status:
Answered by Tom McCabe on 24 January 2006
To ask the Scottish Executive how SQW Economic Development Consultants estimated that 37% of those taking part in the Make Poverty History march and 39% of those attending the Live 8 event were from outside Scotland, as set out in their report, Economic Impact of Hosting the 2005 G8 Summit at Gleneagles.
Answer
A detailed description of the methodologies used in surveying those involved at the Make Poverty History March and the Live 8 event is set out in annex B of the report which can be found at
http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/2005/12/G8Econ.
- Asked by: Alex Neil, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 16 December 2005
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Current Status:
Answered by Tom McCabe on 24 January 2006
To ask the Scottish Executive whether the terms of reference for the report prepared for it by SQW Economic Development Consultants into the economic impact of hosting the 2005 G8 summit at Gleneagles included a requirement to analyse the cost to businesses of repairing the damage to private property as a result of protests at the presence of the summit.
Answer
I refer the member to the question S2W-21828, answered on 24 January 2006. 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/wa.search.
- Asked by: Alex Neil, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 10 January 2006
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Current Status:
Answered by John Scott on 23 January 2006
To ask the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body how many firms took part in any tendering process for the provision of legal services to the Scottish Parliamentary Standards Commissioner.
Answer
The commissioner has undertaken two competitive tendering exercises for the provision of legal services, one in 2003 and the other in 2005. On both occasions, the commissioner has invited six firms, from Edinburgh and Glasgow to tender for the provision of legal advice and support. On each occasion three firms have entered the tendering process and have been invited to make presentations to the commissioner. Their written bids and presentations have been judged against explicit criteria set by the commissioner and contained in the tendering documents.
- Asked by: Alex Neil, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 10 January 2006
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Current Status:
Answered by John Scott on 23 January 2006
To ask the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body whether it will provide a breakdown of the salary/employment costs for 2003-04 and 2004-05 referred to in Table 2 on page 10 of the Scottish Parliamentary Standards Commissioner’s 2004-05 Annual Report.
Answer
A breakdown of the salary costs referred to in table 2 on page 10 of the Scottish Parliamentary Standard Commissioner’s 2004-05 Annual Report are as follows:
| | 2003-04 Acting Commissioner (£) | 2003-04 Commissioner (£) | Total 2003-04 (£) | 2004-05 Commissioner |
| Salary | 4,823 | 36,500 | 41,323 | 43,435* |
| ERNIC | 376 | 3,138 | 3,514 | 3,987 |
| Pension | | 6,752 | 6,752 | 8,035 |
| Total | 5,199 | 46,390 | 51,589 | 55,457 |
Note: *For two months of 2004-05 the commissioner was paid at the full-time rate rather than the usual half-time rate due to an increase in workload.
- Asked by: Alex Neil, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 10 January 2006
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Current Status:
Answered by John Scott on 23 January 2006
To ask the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body whether it will provide a breakdown and description of the services performed in 2003-04 but charged to the accounts for 2004-05, as referred to in paragraph 63 on page 10 of the Scottish Parliamentary Standards Commissioner’s 2004-05 Annual Report.
Answer
As advised by the commissioner, the breakdown and description of the services performed in 2003-04 but charged to the accounts for 2004-05 are as follows:
| Services | Company | Invoice Date | Invoice Received | Period | Amount |
| Legal Advice | Simpson and Marwick | 18/02/2004 | 20/01/2005 | October 2003 to January 2004 | £2,245.43 |
| Legal Advice | Simpson and Marwick | 14/01/2005 | 20/01/2005 | 22/01/2004 to 21/12/2004 | £450 |
| Legal Advice | Anderson Strathern | 05/11/2004 | 17/11/2004 | 01/01/2004 to 30/09/2004 | £437 |
| Legal Advice | Anderson Strathern | 05/11/2004 | 17/11/2004 | 2/10/2003 to 30/09/2004 | £950 |
| Total | | | | | £4,082.43 |
- Asked by: Alex Neil, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 10 January 2006
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Current Status:
Answered by George Lyon on 23 January 2006
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has reached a decision on whether to suspend the additional council tax payments being made by residents of Abbeyfield and other such homes resulting from the decision by the Lanarkshire and Renfrewshire valuation boards to designate each resident’s space as being liable for full payment.
Answer
We are currently considering the way forward and will make an announcement in due course. In the meantime, we are working with the Department for Work and Pensions and local authorities to ensure that individuals living in these homes are receiving the benefits and exemptions they are entitled to.
- Asked by: Alex Neil, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 10 January 2006
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Current Status:
Answered by George Lyon on 23 January 2006
To ask the Scottish Executive when it will announce the outcome of its review into a loophole in the law which allows valuation boards to designate each resident’s living space in Abbeyfield and other such homes as being liable for payment of full council tax.
Answer
We are currently considering the way forward and will make an announcement in due course. In the meantime, we are working with the Department for Work and Pensions and local authorities to ensure that individuals living in these homes are receiving the benefits and exemptions they are entitled to.
- Asked by: Alex Neil, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 13 January 2006
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Current Status:
Answered by George Lyon on 23 January 2006
To ask the Scottish Executive what consideration it has given to my proposal that the enforcement of council tax liability should be suspended in very sheltered housing accommodation until a final decision is reached, in light of the undertaking by the Deputy Minister for Finance, Public Service Reform and Parliamentary Business on 1 December 2005 to consider the proposal (Official Report c. 21456).
Answer
We are currently considering the way forward and will make an announcement in due course. In the meantime, we are working with the Department for Work and Pensions and local authorities to ensure that individuals living in these homes are receiving the benefits and exemptions they are entitled to.
