- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 06 December 2004
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Current Status:
Answered by Tom McCabe on 15 December 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive whether its procurement policy for purchasing food for schools and other public sector establishments requires simplifying or streamlining; which consultants have been appointed to oversee the implementation of the policy and at what cost; whether it plans to carry out any consultations on the policy and, if so, at what estimated or planned cost, and what the remit of any such consultations will be.
Answer
The fundamental aim of public sector procurement legislation and policy is to ensure that goods and services are purchased on the basis of fair competition and represent value for money. Buyers must satisfy themselves that specifications are justifiable in terms of need, cost effectiveness and affordability.
The Executive does not buy food other than through its catering contractor. Major public sector food purchasers in Scotland are the NHS, schools (local authority) and Scottish Prison Service, who are responsible for their own purchasing decisions.
The Executive has, however, published guidelines on food procurement which underline the need for those taking purchasing decisions to take full account of quality factors such as freshness, seasonality and relevant farm assurance standards.
The Executive has also commissioned a research project which will:
- estimate the value of the public sector procurement market in Scotland,
- identify the incentives and constraints currently faced by the public sector in its purchasing decisions and
- discuss how any incentives enhanced and constraints overcome.
The work is being carried out by DTZ Pieda and is a research project and not part of a public consultation. Liaison has therefore been with industry contracts and Executive policy colleagues. The project cost is in the region of £50,000
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 06 December 2004
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Current Status:
Answered by Andy Kerr on 15 December 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive whether NHS 24 staff responding to calls from patients are entitled to refuse to telephone a local GP and, if so, under what circumstances.
Answer
NHS 24 staff will pass a caller’s details to the relevant local out-of-hours services when it is assessed that the patient’s needs will be met most appropriately by contact with a GP. The out-of-hours service will in turn pass the call to the GP covering the local area.
If the clinical presentation of the symptoms does not require referral, but the patient insists on being referred to a GP, NHS 24 staff will ask the local out of hours service to call the patient back.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 16 November 2004
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Current Status:
Answered by Tom McCabe on 6 December 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will extend the period over which candidates for public appointments are required to declare their political activity from five to 10 years and whether it will now ask such candidates about their membership of a political party or club.
Answer
The Executive is required to follow the arrangements for declaring political activity contained in the Code of Practice issued by the Commissioner for Public Appointments in Scotland. Consideration of any changes to these arrangements is a matter for the Commissioner.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 16 November 2004
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Current Status:
Answered by Tom McCabe on 6 December 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive what recommendations from the First Report of the Select Committee on Public Administration, published on 10 February 1998, it has put in place, with particular regard to the recommendation on political activity.
Answer
The Government’s response to the report was submitted to the Committee in April 1998 and can be found at:
http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm199798/cmselect/cmpubadm/723s3/pas302.htm.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 17 November 2004
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Current Status:
Answered by Lewis Macdonald on 2 December 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive what the anticipated life is of the new headquarters to be built in Inverness for Scottish Natural Heritage; whether the cost of leasing the premises from the owners will be taken into account when working out net present value (NPV); whether, in calculating NPV, the period in respect of which discounted value is assessed will be the whole expected life of the building or 30 years and, if it is 30 years, what account will be taken of the lease costs of the building for the remainder of the expected life of the building.
Answer
The invitation to tender for the SNH HQ building requires the developer to design all non-replaceable elements of the building fabric to a standard suitable for permanent buildings with a life span of 75 years or more. Option appraisals undertaken by SNH follow Treasury guidance on appraisal periods and discount rates and in this case follows normal practice in adopting a 30-year appraisal period. No final decision has been taken on whether the building will be leased or purchased outright. If the leasing option were to be chosen, on completion of the 30-year lease term the building could either be surrendered back to the owner or a new lease negotiated, according to SNH’s requirement at that time.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 16 November 2004
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Current Status:
Answered by Nicol Stephen on 30 November 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will support the creation of a bypass of Nairn on the A96 and, if so, what steps it will take to achieve this and within what timescale.
Answer
A bypass for Nairn is not currently part of the motorway and trunk roads programme.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 16 November 2004
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Current Status:
Answered by Nicol Stephen on 30 November 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive what representations it has received from either the Highland Council or HITRANS in respect of a bypass of Nairn on the A96.
Answer
I am not aware of having received any representations on this matter from either the Highland Council or the Highlands and Islands Transport Partnership (HITRANS).
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 16 November 2004
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Current Status:
Answered by Nicol Stephen on 30 November 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will carry out any study into the need for a bypass of Nairn on the A96 and whether it will invite the local enterprise company to consider the matter.
Answer
There are no current plans to carry out such a study.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 16 November 2004
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Current Status:
Answered by Nicol Stephen on 30 November 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive whether measures should be taken by it, or any other body, to preserve a possible route for a bypass of Nairn on the A96, in light of any possibility that further development to the south of Nairn would make such a bypass more difficult and expensive to construct in future.
Answer
Decisions in relation to land use and development plans are a matter for the Highland Council.
- Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 09 November 2004
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Current Status:
Answered by Ross Finnie on 23 November 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has opposed, or will oppose, or express its opposition to Her Majesty’s Government regarding, any proposal by the European Union to increase the Hilton quotas for importation of beef from Brazil, Paraguay, Argentina and Uruguay from the existing levels.
Answer
Negotiations between Mercosur (the South American trading group) and the EU Commission are currently underway with a view to improving EU/Mercosur trade. The UK is actively involved in these discussions. The Executive has made it clear that increases in Hilton quotas for beef would be a concern.
