- Asked by: Des McNulty, MSP for Clydebank and Milngavie, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 11 November 2008
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Current Status:
Answered by Stewart Stevenson on 20 November 2008
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has contingency plans in case of disruption resulting from industrial action by employees of Scottish Water and, if so, what those plans involve.
Answer
This is an operational matter for Scottish Water. I have asked the Chief Executive to write to you directly about this.
- Asked by: Des McNulty, MSP for Clydebank and Milngavie, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 11 November 2008
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Current Status:
Answered by Stewart Stevenson on 20 November 2008
To ask the Scottish Executive by what percentage the remuneration of the chief executive of Scottish Water has increased relative to that received by his predecessor in 2006-07.
Answer
Scottish Water''s current chief executive was appointed on 25 March 2008 at a basic annual salary of £263,000 with a potential annual performance bonus of up to 40% and a long-term incentive package. The amount of bonus will be determined after the end of the current financial year. His predecessor''s remuneration in 2006-07 was £312,000 comprising salary, bonus, benefits and long term incentive plan payments.
- Asked by: Des McNulty, MSP for Clydebank and Milngavie, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 11 November 2008
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Current Status:
Answered by Stewart Stevenson on 20 November 2008
To ask the Scottish Executive by how much the remuneration of the (a) chair, (b) asset management director and (c) commercial director of Scottish Water has increased in the last two years.
Answer
The information requested is given on page 29 of Scottish Water''s annual report and accounts for 2007-08, Delivering Best Ever Value For Our Customers, published by Scottish Water earlier this year, copies of which are available in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre (Bib. number 46506).
- Asked by: Des McNulty, MSP for Clydebank and Milngavie, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 11 November 2008
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Current Status:
Answered by Stewart Stevenson on 20 November 2008
To ask the Scottish Executive what advice it has given to Scottish Water over the level of pay increases for staff and whether that advice indicates that it is acceptable for senior executives in Scottish Water to have large percentage increases compared to the majority of those employed in the industry.
Answer
We agreed with Scottish Water a staff pay remit for 2008-09 compliant with the Scottish Government''s policy on public sector pay. Scottish Water implemented the maximum pay award within that remit. Senior directors'' remuneration for 2008-09 has yet to be determined within the framework agreed for 2006-10 and any increases will be subject to the Scottish Government''s Public Sector Pay Policy for Senior Appointments 2008-09. Copies of the relevant policy documents are available in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre (Bib. numbers 46949 and 46946).
- Asked by: Des McNulty, MSP for Clydebank and Milngavie, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 11 November 2008
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Current Status:
Answered by Stewart Stevenson on 20 November 2008
To ask the Scottish Executive in what way its rules regarding pay prevent Scottish Water from using efficiency savings to top up its pay offer to employees in the same way as local government.
Answer
Scottish Water, like other Scottish public corporations and non-departmental public bodies in Scotland, is subject to the Scottish Government''s policy on public sector pay. The pay award implemented recently by Scottish Water was approved under the policy for 2007-08. Efficiency savings reduce the cost of pay proposals for organisations but do not impact on the level of increases that staff receive. The policy limits on the average increases made to staff ensures fairness across public bodies. Copies of the relevant policy document are available in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre (Bib. number 46949).
- Asked by: Des McNulty, MSP for Clydebank and Milngavie, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 11 November 2008
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Current Status:
Answered by Stewart Stevenson on 20 November 2008
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has made representations to the board of Scottish Water to the effect that all employees in the water industry should be rewarded in the same way for achieving efficiency savings over the last two years and in future years.
Answer
No. Remuneration is a matter for Scottish Water to agree with its workforce in accordance with the Scottish Government''s policy for public sector pay. As part of the remuneration packages for both senior executives and staff, Scottish Water operates non-consolidated bonus schemes based on delivery of performance objectives.
- Asked by: Des McNulty, MSP for Clydebank and Milngavie, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Friday, 31 October 2008
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Current Status:
Answered by Stewart Stevenson on 12 November 2008
To ask the Scottish Executive on what date in November 2008 it expects to publish the strategic transport projects review.
Answer
It is expected that there will be an announcement in Parliament on the outcome of the strategic transport projects review before the end of the year, with a date yet to be determined.
- Asked by: Des McNulty, MSP for Clydebank and Milngavie, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Thursday, 30 October 2008
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Current Status:
Answered by Linda Fabiani on 30 October 2008
To ask the Scottish Executive what efforts are being made to identify and quantify any risk to the national companies arising from withdrawal of commercial sponsorship for productions as a result of upheaval in the financial sector.
Answer
All the National Performing companies, as independent charitable companies, are responsible for monitoring and managing their income from a variety of sources. The risk of losing commercial income is regularly assessed by the companies'' boards. The Scottish Government routinely monitors and discusses with the companies all aspects of their operations including their risk registers. While at the moment there appears to be little immediate impact on artistic activity from the economic climate, we will monitor the situation closely with the companies with regard to longer term trends.
- Asked by: Des McNulty, MSP for Clydebank and Milngavie, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 30 September 2008
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Current Status:
Answered by John Swinney on 7 October 2008
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-16170 by John Swinney on 23 September 2008, how it will break down the nature and extent of representations submitted by members of the public, including support for different options, to inform its decision regarding the planning application by Trump International Golf Links, Scotland; whether it will make this information public, and, if so, how
Answer
Legitimate public concern or support expressed on relevant planning matters will be taken into account in the decision-making process.
Once the planning decision is made the report of the public local inquiry will be published on the Scottish Government website along with other relevant information and advice submitted to me by my officials. This will demonstrate how the relevant issues, including representations by members of the public, were taken into account.
- Asked by: Des McNulty, MSP for Clydebank and Milngavie, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Friday, 12 September 2008
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Current Status:
Answered by John Swinney on 24 September 2008
To ask the Scottish Executive whether Sir Angus Grossart will be entitled to (a) receive remuneration or (b) claim expenses in connection with his role as chair of the Scottish Futures Trust and, if so, how much has been budgeted for these expenditures for (i) 2008-09 and (ii) 2009-10.
Answer
The Chair of the Scottish Futures Trust (SFT) is entitled to receive remuneration in line with the limits set by the government for such fees. The remuneration set for this post is just over £15,000 a year. However Sir Angus Grossart, following his appointment as chair, has waived his entitlement to remuneration. In line with public appointments generally, the chair will be entitled to receive reimbursement of travel and subsistence expenditure incurred in relation to company duties.
Fees and expenses will be met from within the Scottish Futures Trust''s operating budget. The operating budgets for 2008-09 will be set this autumn in the Autumn Budget Revision, and the budget for 2009-10 will be set out in the Budget Bill when it is published. Indicative budget levels were described in Taking forward the Scottish Futures Trust published in May 2008 (Bib. number 45605). Actual budget figures will reflect further refinement of estimates of likely costs.
