Chamber and committees

Questions and answers

Parliamentary questions can be asked by any MSP to the Scottish Government or the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body. The questions provide a means for MSPs to get factual and statistical information.

Written questions must be answered within 10 working days (20 working days during recess)
Other questions such as Topical, Portfolio, General and First Minister's Question Times are taken in the Chamber

Urgent Questions aren't included in the Question and Answers search. There is a SPICe fact sheet listing Urgent and emergency questions.

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Question reference: S1W-02987

Asked by: Andrew Wilson, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 06 December 1999
Current Status: Answered by Jack McConnell on 21 March 2000

To ask the Scottish Executive to list the costs associated with the running of the office of the First Minister itemised by cost item and with staff costs split into civil service staff and Special Advisers.

We initially sent out over 1,500 documents to a range of private and public individuals and organisations including all MSPs, Council leaders, Chief Executives, secondary schools and libraries. We subsequently received requests for additional copies and the final number of consultation papers sent out is 1,830. While the formal response to the document has been low, I am encouraged by the interest there has been in the document. As the Parliament only took up its powers on 1 July, timescales for consultation were limited this year and this will have affected the level of response. I will consider the timing and presentation of the exercise when we consult again next year.I will place copies of the responses to the consultation paper in SPICe.

Question reference: S1W-04223

Asked by: Andrew Wilson, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 07 February 2000
Current Status: Answered by Susan Deacon on 29 February 2000

To ask the Scottish Executive what Scottish per capita spending on health is in the current financial year; what the proportionate per capita difference is in spending compared to the UK average, and whether this proportionate per capita differential will be maintained or will reduce.

The planned net Scottish per capita spending on health for the current year is £964. The planned per capita expenditure for Scotland is about 18% higher than the UK average. Planned per capita expenditure for 2000-01 and 2001-02 is about 18% and 17% higher respectively. Expenditure plans for 2002-03 and beyond will be considered during the forthcoming spending review. Under the Barnett Formula Scotland will receive the same per capita increase as comparable UK programmes.

Question reference: S1W-02274

Asked by: Andrew Wilson, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 01 November 1999
Current Status: Answered by Ross Finnie on 28 February 2000

To ask the Scottish Executive what representations it has received on the issue of a possible "Pesticide Tax" and what assessment it has made of the implications of such a tax for the Scottish agricultural sector.

I have received representations from various sectors of the farming industry expressing concerns about a pesticides tax. These views have been made known in correspondence, and, more recently, at meetings I have had with arable farmers.I am concerned that any pesticides tax should not encourage farmers to use cheaper and less effective pesticides, possibly in greater quantities than those currently used. I am also concerned that such a change would adversely affect the quality of some crops. It will be important to ensure that any tax proposals which may emerge do not result in such perverse effects which would benefit neither farmers nor the environment.

Question reference: S1W-02201

Asked by: Andrew Wilson, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 28 October 1999
Current Status: Answered by Jack McConnell on 25 February 2000

To ask the Scottish Executive what the total actual, estimated and planned revenue and capital expenditure is for local authorities between 1997-98 and 2001-02 in 1998-99 prices, and what is the difference between this sum and expenditure if it were fro'en in real terms at the level of expenditure in 1996-97, in value and percentage terms.

The available information on local authority expenditure on General Fund, capital and housing revenue accounts for the years 1997-98 to 1999-2000 is given in the following tables. As local authorities only set their budgets annually it is not possible to give figures for 2000-01 and 2001-02. The figures in the tables have been expressed in 1998-99 prices using GDP Deflator data published by HM Treasury on 10 November 1999.

Summary of Actual and Estimated Expenditure by Local Authorities

Table 1: Local Authority Revenue Expenditure on General Fund

	Final Outturn 1997-98 £ million	Provisional Outturn 1998-99 £ million	Budget Estimate 1999-2000 £ million
Real Terms (1998/99 Prices) (CFCR included within the above)	6,72655	6,73059	6,83028
1996/97 Expenditure (1998/99 Prices)(CFCR included within the above)	6,93271	6,93271	6,93271
Difference in Value	-206	-202	-102
Difference in %	-3.0	-2.9	-1.5

Notes:

1. The figures in the table are net expenditure as gross expenditure is not available on provisional outturn and budget estimate returns from local authorities.

2. Final Outturn data is as reported by authorities on their Local Financial Returns. For 1997-98 the source of loan charge data is the 1997-98 Provisional Outturn return from local authorities

.Provisional Outturn and Budget Estimate information is provided to the Scottish Executive annually by local authorities in their POBE returns.

4. The figures in the table are accounted for on accrual basis.

5. CFCR is capital from current revenue which is the revenue contribution to capital spending.

Table 2: Local Authority Capital Payments

	Final 1997-98 £ million	Provisional 1998-99 £ million	Estimate 1999-2000 £ million
Real Terms (1998-99 Prices) (CFCR included within the above)	988 153	1,027 205	1,090 198
1996-97 Expenditure (1998-99 Prices) (CFCR included within the above)	1,063 126	1,063 126	1,063 126
Difference in Value	-75	-36	27
Difference in %	-7.1	-3.4	2.5

Notes:

1. The figures in the table are gross capital payments both funded and not funded from revenue and include expenditure on HRA Housing and New Housing Partnerships.

2. Information supplied by local authorities on the statistical returns: Capital payments and their financing (CPR 5), CPRFIN 2 Forecast and the Housing Statistics return HCM 2.

3. The figures in the table are accounted for on a cash basis.

4. The 1999-2000 figures exclude expenditure on Airports, Commercial Ports, Piers and Harbours, and Shetland work charges.

Table 3: Local Authority Housing Revenue Accounts

	Provisional 1997-98 £ million	Provisional 1998-99 £ million	Estimate 1999-2000 £ million
Real Terms (1998-99 Prices) (CFCR included within the above)	1,158 66	1,174 86	1,167 98
1996/97 Expenditure (1998-99 Prices) (CFCR included within the above)	1,099 24	1,099 24	1,099 24
Difference in Value	59	75	68
Difference in %	5.3	6.8	6.2

Notes:

1. The figures in the table are gross expenditure.

2. The 1996-97 information is taken from authorities HSG1A return, the 1997-98 from the HSG1 and the 1999-2000 from the HRA estimate return.

3. Housing Revenue Account expenditure is almost entirely self-financed through rental income (including housing benefit).

It should be noted, however, that the figures in the tables are not directly comparable year on year, as the figures for earlier years are actual expenditure, whereas the figures for the later years are still estimates at this stage.

Question reference: S1W-02199

Asked by: Andrew Wilson, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 27 October 1999
Current Status: Answered by Jack McConnell on 25 February 2000

To ask the Scottish Executive what the total actual, estimated and planned capital expenditure is for local authorities between 1997-98 and 2001-02 in 1998-99 prices, and what the difference is between this sum and expenditure if it were fro'en in real terms at the level of expenditure in 1996-97.

Question reference: S1W-03043

Asked by: Andrew Wilson, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 07 December 1999
Current Status: Answered by Sarah Boyack on 23 February 2000

To ask the Scottish Executive whether the land previously covered by the Ravenscraig Steelworks has been restored to habitable levels.

British Steel has carried out extensive work on this site, but even now this work is not yet completed and parts of the site are still to some extent contaminated, and may need further remediation. There are however other large parts of the site which were never used for the steel plant and are not contaminated, and in effect these are Greenfield sites.The extent of the contamination (and other infrastructure constraints) was a key consideration when Lanarkshire Development Agency drew up the Ravenscraig Masterplan. The consultants looked in detail at the ground conditions, the possible end uses, likely method of remediation required and likely cost. A fairly detailed matrix was produced along with a Remediation Strategy as part of the Master-planning process. The location of the various uses shown in the current Masterplan - urban village; business park; town centre; area for commercial development, and the residential neighbourhood - in effect represent the optimum locations for each type of development, taking into account cost and value along with design considerations.There is also a Secure Containment Facility, covering an area of 30 acres out of the total site area of 1,125 acres. This facility, which contains contaminated material removed from elsewhere on the site, is intended for landscaping purposes only.

Question reference: S1O-01135

Asked by: Andrew Wilson, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 09 February 2000
Current Status: Answered by Jack McConnell on 17 February 2000

To ask the Scottish Executive what amount of revenues, charges and receipts received and accruing to Scottish Executive departments and agencies have been passed to Her Majesty's Treasury since 1997-98 in total, actual and estimated, and in constant prices.

Question reference: S1W-02200

Asked by: Andrew Wilson, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 27 October 1999
Current Status: Answered by Jack McConnell on 10 February 2000

To ask the Scottish Executive what the total actual, estimated and planned capital expenditure is for transport and the environment between 1997-98 and 2001-02 in 1998-99 prices, and what the difference is between this sum and expenditure if it were fro'en in real terms at the level of expenditure in 1996-97.

Question reference: S1W-02191

Asked by: Andrew Wilson, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 27 October 1999
Current Status: Answered by Jack McConnell on 10 February 2000

To ask the Scottish Executive what specific aspect of the rural affairs budget will be reduced in the current financial year to accommodate the published reduction in expenditure.

Question reference: S1W-03194

Asked by: Andrew Wilson, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Friday, 10 December 1999
Current Status: Answered by Jim Wallace on 3 February 2000

To ask the Scottish Executive what the number of police officers is covering each Parliamentary constituency.