Chamber and committees

In addition to the purchase price of £1, the Scottish Government has provided Glasgow Prestwick Airport with £3 million in working capital for 2013-14. We expect all investment to generate a reasonable rate of return for the taxpayer over the long term.

The Deputy First Minister wrote to the Infrastructure and Capital Investment Committee on 4 February 2014 providing an update on the purchase of Prestwick Airport.

The information requested is not held centrally, however, Section 31 of the Public Services Reform (Scotland) Act 2010 imposes duties on listed public bodies to publish information on expenditure that they have incurred on or in connection with: a) public relations, b) overseas travel, c) hospitality and entertainment, d) external consultancy. As soon as is reasonably practicable after the end of each financial year, each listed public body must also publish a statement specifying the amount, date, payee and subject-matter of any payment during that financial year which has a value in excess of £25,000.

For ease of reference links to the reports published by the relevant public bodies are included below:

(a) The Scottish Futures Trust 2010-11:

http://www.scottishfuturestrust.org.uk/publications/sft-public-services-reform-act-document-2010-2011/ 

2011-12:

http://www.scottishfuturestrust.org.uk/publications/sft-public-services-reform-act-document-2011-2012/

2012-13:

http://www.scottishfuturestrust.org.uk/publications/sft-prsa-publication-2012-2013/

(b) The Water Industry Commission for Scotland

2010-11:

http://www.watercommission.co.uk/UserFiles/Documents/PSRA_1.pdf

2011-12:

http://www.watercommission.co.uk/UserFiles/Documents/WICS%20PSRA%202012(proof3).pdf

2012-13:

http://www.watercommission.co.uk/UserFiles/Documents/WICS%20PSRA%202013.pdf

(c) David MacBrayne Ltd, 2010-11:

http://www.david-macbrayne.co.uk/Downloads/Annual-Reports/Annual%20Reports%202010-11/David%20MacBrayne%20Limited%20Public%20Services%20Reform%20Scotland%20Act%202010%20-%20Duties%20to%20publish%20information.pdf

2011-12:

http://www.david-macbrayne.co.uk/Downloads/Annual-Reports/Annual%20Reports%202011-12/David%20MacBrayne%20Ltd%20Public%20Sector%20Reform%20Scotland%20Act%202010%20-%20Duties%20to%20publish%20information.pdf

2012-13:

http://www.david-macbrayne.co.uk/Downloads/Freedom%20of%20information/Public%20Sector%20Reform%20Act%20-%20Duties%20to%20Publish%202013%20doc.pdf

(d) Highlands and Islands Airports Ltd (HIAL) is preparing to publish the information on its website http://www.hial.co.uk/. In the interim, information on such expenditure is available from HIAL on request

(e) Scottish Canals

http://www.scottishcanals.co.uk/corporate-home/facts-and-figures/public-service-reform-reporting

(f) Scottish Water

http://www.scottishwater.co.uk/business/about-us/freedom-of-information/public-sector-reform-act

(g) Transport Scotland 2010 – 11:

http://www.transportscotland.gov.uk/strategy-and-research/publications-and-consultations/j251355-00.htm

2011-12, 2012-13:

http://www.transportscotland.gov.uk/strategy-and-research/publications-and-consultations/j290355-02.htm

Expenditure over £25,000:

http://www.transportscotland.gov.uk/about-us/expenditure/reports

(h) The Scottish Housing Regulator 2011-12:

http://www.scottishhousingregulator.gov.uk/sites/default/files/publications/PSR%20Statement.pdf

2012-13:

http://www.scottishhousingregulator.gov.uk/sites/default/files/publications/Statement%20of%20compliance%20with%20the%20public%20services%20reform%20%28Scotland%29%20act%202010.pdf

(i) The Drinking Water Quality Regulator

http://www.dwqr.org.uk/about-us/financialstatements.htm

(j) The Scottish Road Works Commissioner

http://www.roadworksscotland.gov.uk/Publications/PublicServicesReformInformation.aspx

(k) Caledonian Maritime Assets Ltd

http://www.cmassets.co.uk/en/about-us/information-disclosure.html

The Scottish Government has not provided formal advice to non-departmental public bodies (NDPBs) on either of these issues. It will be for individual NDPB boards to determine their own forward planning based on the proposals outlined in Scotland’s Future: Your Guide to an Independent Scotland.

A list of official publications, together with the total cost per publication, for the financial years 2011-12 and 2012-13 has been provided to the Scottish Parliament’s Information Centre (SPICe), Bib number 55625. Information on circulation is not held centrally and over 90% of publications are online-only.

The Scottish Government has kept Parliament fully informed, regarding the land for the Glasgow Airport Rail Link through the answers provided to the following parliamentary questions lodged on the subject since February 2010:

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-Apps2-Business-PQA-Default.aspx.

The Scottish Government does not hold any such documents.

I refer the member to S4W-19155 answered on 22 January 2014. 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/Apps2/Business/PQA/Default.aspx.

The Scottish Government regularly discusses air passenger duty with the aviation industry as part of our normal stakeholder engagement. The aviation industry has made clear for some time that air passenger duty is detrimental to the sector and that its reduction would support enhanced services.

The Output Monitoring Group, chaired by the Scottish Government, is monitoring the progress of delivery of all projects including that at Kirriemuir. Its quarterly progress reports are published on the Government's website. The project at Kirriemuir is required to secure environmental improvements to the River Dean water and in particular to protect and enhance aquatic life. The progress of the project was suspended whilst the negotiations with BP, Shell and the National Grid were undertaken. These issues have now been resolved and completion of the project is expected by July 2014.

As of 30 June 2013, 216 out of 368 subcontracts (59%) for the Forth Replacement Crossing project have been awarded to Scottish firms and 152 (41%) to non-Scottish companies. The total value of Scottish subcontracts is approximately £82 million out of a total of approximately £284 million.

In addition, as at 30 June 2013, 9,732 out of 10,758 supply orders (90.5%) on the Principal Contract worth approximately £61 million out of a total of about £85 million have been awarded to Scottish firms.