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: S4O-02035

Asked by: Chic Brodie, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 17 April 2013
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 25 April 2013

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on repeat prescription charges.

Question reference: S4O-02013

Asked by: Chic Brodie, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 10 April 2013
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 18 April 2013

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with the Ministry of Defence regarding test drilling for oil off the Ayrshire coast.

Question reference: S4W-12949

Asked by: Chic Brodie, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 07 February 2013
Current Status: Answered by Margaret Burgess on 14 March 2013

To ask the Scottish Government how each local authority has performed in delivering its universal home insulation targets.

Across Scotland, in its first year, the Universal Home Insulation Scheme delivered 34,371 measures at a cost to the Scottish Government of just over £9.6 million. In comparison to earlier schemes aimed at providing basic domestic energy efficiency measures, the Universal Home Insulation Scheme (which offered measures free of charge to private sector households within areas selected by local authorities) had much higher levels of take-up. As such, it has been very successful and has represented excellent value for money for the Scottish Government, both in terms of cost per measure and cost per tonne/carbon saved.

Targets for the number of measures to be installed are initially proposed by local authorities in their applications for UHIS funding, then revised and agreed with the Scottish Government in the light of actual funding awarded. Targets are then set out in offers of grant, and in any additional offers of grant made for the year concerned. All local authorities were encouraged to set ambitious targets.

Reporting requirements and performance assessment processes are being reviewed as part of the process of moving from UHIS to the new local authority area-based schemes to be delivered under the Home Energy Scotland fuel poverty and energy efficiency programmes for 2013-14.

The following table shows how each of the 27 local authorities which participated in the Universal Home Insulation Scheme (UHIS) in 2010-11 performed against their targets for the installation of measures, as set out in their grant offer letters. Note that UHIS did not operate in Angus, Clackmannanshire, Dumfries and Galloway, Shetland or West Lothian, in 2010-11. The data for 2011-12 is not yet complete, because councils have until March 2013 to complete installations of measures in hard-to-treat properties undertaken as part of their 2011-12 programme. This data will be published later in 2013.

Local Authority	Virgin Loft (CERT)	Cavity Wall Insulation (CERT)	Loft Top-Up	Other measures (2)	Total (all measures)
Aberdeen City Target	303	500	1,961	228	2,992
Performance (1)	836	434	1,242	111	2,623
Aberdeenshire Target	150	200	1,900	0	2,250
Performance	255	68	1,086	0	1,409
Argyll and Bute Target	55	51	100	85	291
Performance (5)	53	9	147	24	233
Dundee City Target	17	640	50	240	947
Performance (1)	11	456	51	641	1,159
East Ayrshire Target	320	640	960	0	1,920
Performance	142	199	266	0	607
East Dunbartonshire Target	775	775	215	0	1,765
Performance	180	861	775	0	1,816
East Lothian Target	683	400	171	0	1,254
Performance	184	475	454	37	1,150
East Renfrewshire Target	300	200	0	0	500
Performance	1	50	110	0	161
Edinburgh Target	833	59	255	1,017	2,164
Performance	257	19	349	484	1,109
Eilean Siar Target	95	237	95	0	427
Performance	29	294	120	0	443
Falkirk Target	30	750	2,250	0	3,030
Performance	496	672	1,217	1,272	3,657
Fife Target	991	2,233	2,223	0	5,447
Performance	917	1,541	1,770	212	4,440
Glasgow City Target	385	174	135	125	819
Performance	307	524	571	0	1,402
Highland Target	550	889	1606	0	3045
Performance	331	362	1,126	104	1,923
Inverclyde Target	316	127	306	500	1,249
Performance	229	220	381	0	830
Midlothian Target	133	13	0	506	652
Performance (3)	20	18	56	198	292
Moray Target	20	5	160	0	185
Performance (4)	0	0	41	0	41
North Ayrshire Target	133	267	400	70	870
Performance	133	99	189	137	558
North Lanarkshire Target	280	365	0	0	645
Performance	55	494	194	0	743
Orkney Target	N/A	N/A	N/A	40	40
Performance (5)	N/A	N/A	N/A	25	25
Perth and Kinross Target	319	467	1,275	540	2,601
Performance	317	133	897	1,320	2,667
Renfrewshire Target	696	1,160	870	0	2,726
Performance	167	447	318	0	932
Scottish Borders Target	985	1,198	919	0	3,102
Performance	296	357	693	21	1,367
South Ayrshire Target	470	630	850	0	1,950
Performance	169	410	520	0	1,099
South Lanarkshire Target	300	2,129	353	0	2,782
Performance (5)	204	1,717	349	0	2,270
Stirling Target	33	771	316	0	1,120
Performance	36	752	360	0	1,148
West Dunbartonshire Target	0	50	200	0	250
Performance	0	77	190	0	267

Notes:

1. Performance figures for Aberdeen City and Dundee have been revised since the publication of the Home Energy Programmes Detailed Report 2009/2012 published in June 2012, available from the Energy Saving Trust website: www.energysavingtrust.org.uk/scotland/Take-action/Home-Energy-Scotland/Energy-Assistance-Package/Programme-statistics

2. “Other measures” include tank/pipe lagging, draught-proofing, radiator panels, under-floor insulation, fuel switching, gas connections, as well as more complex/higher-cost interventions such as internal and external solid wall projects.

3. Midlothian Council’s project was mainly for gas connections, which is estimated to contribute an extra 255 tonnes of CO₂ saving per annum.

4. Moray Council trialled a voucher scheme which proved relatively unsuccessful in terms of take-up – their 2011/12 scheme was redesigned in the light of this.

5. Projects in Orkney and in Argyll and Bute focussed on hard-to-treat/solid walls. South Lanarkshire’s project dealt with the removal of earlier failed insulation and its replacement.

Question reference: S4W-12948

Asked by: Chic Brodie, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 07 February 2013
Current Status: Answered by Fergus Ewing on 5 March 2013

To ask the Scottish Government what the status is of the accreditation of Green Deal advisors.

Accreditation under the Green Deal is available and is recognised in Scotland. It is carried out by the United Kingdom Accreditation Service (UKAS) for all Green Deal Certification Bodies. There are currently nine such bodies able to certify Green Deal Assessor Organisations and 80 certified Green Deal Assessor Organisations registered with the Green Deal Oversight and Registration Body (ORB).

In order to operate in Scotland, it is a requirement that each individual Green Deal Adviser must be an existing Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) assessor who has completed the necessary Green Deal processes.

Further information is available from the Green Deal ORB at:

www.greendealorb.co.uk

To lodge a Green Deal Advice Report in Scotland registered Green Deal Advisors must also register on the Scottish EPC register.

Question reference: S4W-12955

Asked by: Chic Brodie, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 07 February 2013
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 1 March 2013

To ask the Scottish Government how much has been spent on information communications technology (ICT) asset management systems by each local authority in each of the last five years.

Question reference: S4W-12953

Asked by: Chic Brodie, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 07 February 2013
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 1 March 2013

To ask the Scottish Government how much of the maintenance budget for commercial assets was spent by each local authority in each of the last three years.

Local authorities are required to account for their assets in a number of categories but this does not include the category of commercial asset. The Scottish Government only collects information on the total amount spent by each local authority on their premises.

In addition, this information has only been collected since 1 April 2011. The information for each local authority for 2011-12 (the latest published information) is provided in the following table.

Total cost of maintaining all premises in 2011-12

Local Authority	(£000s)
Aberdeen City	52,494
Aberdeenshire	49,272
Angus	24,040
Argyll and Bute	11,885
Clackmannanshire	13,247
Dumfries and Galloway	24,039
Dundee City	52,572
East Ayrshire	20,353
East Dunbartonshire	27,276
East Lothian	26,008
East Renfrewshire	15,422
Edinburgh, City of	92,434
Eilean Siar	8,367
Falkirk	46,914
Fife	120,612
Glasgow City	83,855
Highland	50,790
Inverclyde	15,836
Midlothian	19,835
Moray	24,765
North Ayrshire	34,869
North Lanarkshire	120,698
Orkney Islands	8,442
Perth and Kinross	31,138
Renfrewshire	43,014
Scottish Borders	16,770
Shetland Islands	19,684
South Ayrshire	29,519
South Lanarkshire	103,967
Stirling	16,845
West Dunbartonshire	31,359
West Lothian	38,007

Question reference: S4W-12954

Asked by: Chic Brodie, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 07 February 2013
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 1 March 2013

To ask the Scottish Government what information communications technology (ICT) systems are used by each local authority.

The information communications technology (ICT) systems used by each local authority is a matter for individual local authorities and information is not held centrally.

Local Government are finalising their Local Government ICT Strategy – Delivering Better Services for Communities - which sets out Local Government’s vision for ICT and how that vision will be realised. This will be the Local Government sectoral response to the Scotland’s Digital Future - Delivery of Public Services strategy and action plan. The Local Government strategy will focus on the achievement of three outcomes, enabled by ICT, Digital Services, Reduced Costs and Enabling Reform.

Question reference: S4W-12950

Asked by: Chic Brodie, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 07 February 2013
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 28 February 2013

To ask the Scottish Government what the gross value is of the commercial assets held by each local authority.

Local authorities are required to account for their assets in a number of categories. This does not include the category of commercial asset. The Scottish Government collects information on the net book value of assets held by local authorities. This information is included in the following table.

Net book value of non-current assets by type of asset.

Local Authority Annual Accounts to 31 March 2007, Local Authority Final Capital Returns from 31 March 2008

Type of Asset

31 March 2005	31 March 2006	31 March 2007	31 March 2008	31 March 2009	31 March 2010	31 March 2011
£m	£m	£m	£m	£m	£m	£m

Dwellings	6,091.3	7,068.7	7,632.4	7,953.5	8,739.3	9,141.0	9,780.1
Operational Land and Buildings	10,218.5	10,863.8	11,252.7	12,522.6	13,383.5	18,182.7	19,132.1
Vehicles, Plant and Equipment	380.5	501.2	571.0	647.0	719.0	769.1	928.8
Infrastructure	2,320.3	2,602.4	2,874.5	3,287.8	3,640.8	3,941.4	4,335.1
Community Assets	96.2	115.8	138.5	150.6	170.0	172.1	177.8
Surplus Assets	416.6	456.0	388.5	546.4	540.6	583.6	492.7
Assets Under Construction and Work In Progress	243.8	359.8	619.3	897.5	1,019.3	983.2	1,275.9
Total Property, Plant and Equipment	19,767.2	21,967.8	23,476.9	26,005.3	28,212.6	33,773.1	36,122.5
Intangible Assets				47.0	43.3	42.8	18.1
Total Operational and Non-Operational Assets	19,767.2	21,967.8	23,476.9	26,052.3	28,255.9	33,815.9	36,140.6
Investment Properties	978.3	1,083.0	1,131.0	1,238.4	1,130.7	702.7	209.2
Total	20,745.5	23,050.8	24,607.9	27,290.7	29,386.6	34,518.6	36,349.8

Question reference: S4W-12951

Asked by: Chic Brodie, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 07 February 2013
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 28 February 2013

To ask the Scottish Government what the market value is of the commercial assets held by each local authority.

<>Local authorities are required to account for their assets in a number of categories. This does not include the category of commercial asset. The Scottish Government collects information on the net book value of assets held by local authorities and I refer the member to the answer to question S4W-12950 on 28 February 2013.

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/parliamentarybusiness/28877.aspx.

Question reference: S4W-12952

Asked by: Chic Brodie, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 07 February 2013
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 28 February 2013

To ask the Scottish Government what the maintenance budget has been for commercial assets held by each local authority in each of the last three years.