- Asked by: Donald Gorrie, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 19 September 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Angus MacKay on 3 October 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive how many (a) Private Finance Initiative and (b) Public/Private Partnership contracts have been agreed in each of the last five years; how many were satisfactorily completed, and in how many was compensation (i) claimed from and (ii) paid by contractors, detailing the reason, the amount and the project in each case.
Answer
The following table shows the number of Private Finance Initiative contracts that have been agreed (signed) and satisfactorily completed (operational) in each of the last five years. Information on compensation is commercially confidential and being a matter for the public sector partners for each individual contract, is not held centrally. Relevant information on other forms of Public/Private Partnerships is not held centrally.
Year | Signed | Operational* |
1996-97 | 1 | 4 |
1997-98 | 0 | 8 |
1998-99 | 8 | 7 |
1999-2000 | 8 | 3 |
2000-01 | 6 | 1 |
*The reference date for operational projects has been taken as the date of financial close.
- Asked by: Donald Gorrie, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 19 September 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Malcolm Chisholm on 3 October 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive whether the Lanarkshire branch of Scottish Care has rescinded, or intends to rescind, its termination of its contract with North and South Lanarkshire Councils following the recent agreement reached between the Executive, Scottish Care and CoSLA on the funding of private care home places and, if it does not, how many residents in private care homes will need to find alternative accommodation.
Answer
This is a matter for the councils concerned and for Scottish Care.
- Asked by: Donald Gorrie, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Friday, 14 September 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Jim Wallace on 28 September 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to S1W-17072 by Jim Wallace on 14 August 2001, whether it endorses the decision of the Scottish Prison Service to refuse prisoners in Scottish jails permission to take part in the Scene of the Crime art exhibition in Edinburgh when prisoners from English and Welsh prisons are being allowed to take part.
Answer
I am aware that the Scottish Prison Service (SPS) does support prisoner involvement in a number of exhibitions and competitions annually. However, the particular exhibition referred to was thought likely to cause considerable public offence. The view of SPS was that families of victims of crime in particular, but also members of the general public, could reasonably be expected to find this proposition distasteful. Prisoner art displayed in a Scene of the Crime exhibition to be woven into a Murder Mystery Tour by a well known crime writer was not considered an appropriate context for the display of prisoner art in Scotland.
I am satisfied that the SPS reached a reasonable decision in these particular circumstances.
- Asked by: Donald Gorrie, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Thursday, 13 September 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Wendy Alexander on 27 September 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive how many Scottish graduates have been advised that they face court action to recover outstanding student loans in each of the last three years.
Answer
The number of actions raised in Scottish courts in each of the last three financial years is:
1998-99 | 878 |
1999-2000 | 1,711 |
2000-01 | 1,834 |
These figures relate to borrowers resident in Scotland at the time of the action. They will, therefore, include non-Scottish borrowers resident in Scotland at the time and will not include Scottish borrowers who were the subject of action outwith Scotland.
- Asked by: Donald Gorrie, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Thursday, 13 September 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Wendy Alexander on 27 September 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive which organisations are engaged in the recovery of outstanding student loans in Scotland; when the contracts for such work were concluded, and what details of these contracts are in the public domain.
Answer
The Student Loans Company appointed the following companies for specific debt recovery services through a public procurement exercise conducted under the Official Journal of the European Communities (OJEC) competition, the notice being published on 14 October 2000:
Lewis Group Ltd
Allied International Credit Ltd
Legal and Trade Collections Ltd
Pegasus International
Scott and Company
Regal Credit Consultants Ltd
Wescot Credit Services
Equifax PLC
Commercial Collection Services
Debt Managers Ltd
OSI Collection Services
- Asked by: Donald Gorrie, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Thursday, 13 September 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Wendy Alexander on 27 September 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive what percentage of outstanding student loans in Scotland has been sold by it or by the Student Loans Company to commercial financial organisations in each of the last three years and what the total value was of any loans sold in each of these years.
Answer
On 24 March 1998, the Government sold a portfolio of student loan debt with a value of £1.022 billion to Finance for Higher Education Ltd and on 23 March 1999 sold a second portfolio with a value of £1.030 billion to Honours Trustee Ltd. The loans were selected at random and included a representative proportion of loans to Scottish borrowers (approximately 10% by value).
- Asked by: Donald Gorrie, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Friday, 07 September 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Angus MacKay on 25 September 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will detail any guidelines it provides to companies which are contractually involved in the public sector to ensure they have established and independently assessed minimum standards of ethical practice.
Answer
The Scottish Executive does not provide specific guidelines on ethical practice to companies which have contractual relationships with the public sector. Scottish Executive contract terms and conditions require that suppliers adhere to national law and regulations and specify that the offer of corrupt gifts or payments to officials is a criminal offence under the Prevention of Corruption Acts.
- Asked by: Donald Gorrie, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Friday, 07 September 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Angus MacKay on 25 September 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to introduce a code of conduct outlining minimum standards of ethical practice to which all companies directly and indirectly contractually involved with public sector projects must conform and what issues any such code would cover.
Answer
The Scottish Executive has no plans to introduce a code of conduct outlining minimum standards of ethical practice to companies involved with the public sector.
- Asked by: Donald Gorrie, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 04 September 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Angus MacKay on 25 September 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive what responsibilities its departments, executive agencies and non-departmental public bodies have to deliver Best Value, how this objective is achieved and whether any criteria applied and targets set are the equivalent of those for local authorities.
Answer
The Principal Accountable Officer for the Scottish Administration has a statutory duty of: "ensuring that the resources of the Scottish Administration are used economically, efficiently and effectively". The Principal Accountable Officer appoints Accountable Officers, in both departments and other bodies, setting their designated duties. This includes ensuring value for money considerations are taken into account. We are currently considering how a duty of Best Value can be extended to cover all departments and agencies.
A Ministerial Working Group on Best Value and Budget Review has been established to take forward Best Value across the Executive's expenditure. The remit of this group is to ensure the better use of public expenditure and more efficient delivery of services. The first series of reviews is underway. The group will report to Cabinet.
- Asked by: Donald Gorrie, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Friday, 07 September 2001
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Current Status:
Answered by Margaret Curran on 21 September 2001
To ask the Scottish Executive what checks are in place to ensure that all private sector involvement, financial or otherwise, in Social Inclusion Partnerships is provided by companies with an established and independently assessed record of ethical investment and best practice, particularly in terms of their overseas policies and global operation.
Answer
Any checks on those involved in local regeneration activities are a matter for individual Social Inclusion Partnerships to determine locally.
