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: S2W-23555

Asked by: John Swinney, MSP for North Tayside, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 27 February 2006
Current Status: Answered by Rhona Brankin on 13 March 2006

To ask the Scottish Executive what deficiencies in the business plan of Scottish Water identified by the Drinking Water Quality Regulator for Scotland contributed to the resignation of the Chair of Scottish Water.

Professor Alan Alexanderresigned as Chair of Scottish Water because he disagreed with the views thatthe Scottish Executive and Scottish Water’s regulators had formed of ScottishWater’s 2006-10 delivery plan. The Drinking Water Quality Regulator for Scotlandconsidered in particular that the plan did not provide a clear means formeasuring Scottish Water’s progress towards delivery of the objectives that the Executive has set Scottish Water for 2006-10.

Copiesof all of the correspondence between the Executive and the regulators on thismatter can be viewed on the Scottish Executive website at:

http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Environment/Water/17583/resignation.

Question reference: S2W-23569

Asked by: John Swinney, MSP for North Tayside, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 27 February 2006
Current Status: Answered by Rhona Brankin on 13 March 2006

To ask the Scottish Executive what steps are required to approve a contract or an operating basis for Scottish Water Solutions.

The Scottish Water(Delegated Limits etc) Directions 2003 sets out the financial limits delegatedto the Board of Scottish Water. The Scottish Water
(Delegated Limits etc) Directions 2003 are published on the Scottish Executivewebsite.

The creation of an entitysuch as Scottish Water Solutions would fall outside the Scottish Water’s delegatedlimits. Scottish Water would therefore have to seek the approval of ministersthrough the submission of a robust business case.

Question reference: S2W-23565

Asked by: John Swinney, MSP for North Tayside, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 27 February 2006
Current Status: Answered by Rhona Brankin on 13 March 2006

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it considers it to be the responsibility of the Drinking Quality Regulator to approve the business plan of Scottish Water and, if so, on what date this requirement was made clear to the Drinking Quality Regulator.

When Professor AlanAlexander was re-appointed to the Chair of Scottish Water on 1 April 2005 he wasrequired, within eight weeks of Scottish Water having decided to accept theWater Industry Commission for Scotland’s determination of charges for 2006-10, to submit tothe Executive for its approval a delivery plan for 2006-10. Before the plan wassubmitted to the Executive Scottish Water was to ensure that its regulators (the Scottish Environment Protection Agency, the Drinking Water Quality Regulatorand the Water Industry Commission for Scotland) agreed that the planconstituted a reasonable basis for delivering the Executive’s objectives forScottish Water in the period and that it contained milestones or other interimtargets by which progress towards achievement could be measured.

This requirement was set outin the letter of 1 April 2005 to Professor Alexander from the Deputy Minister for Environment and Rural Development that accompanied Professor Alexander’s letter ofre-appointment. The letter was copied to the each of the regulators, includingthe Drinking Water Quality Regulator. Copies of the letter can be viewedon the Scottish Executive website at:

http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Environment/Water/17583/resignation.

Question reference: S2W-23454

Asked by: John Swinney, MSP for North Tayside, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 23 February 2006
Current Status: Answered by Peter Peacock on 9 March 2006

To ask the Scottish Executive what total public expenditure on school meals was in each year since 1999.

School meals are provided byindividual local authorities. The total gross expenditure by local authorities onthe provision of school meals in the years since 1999 is shown in the table below.This information is reported in the annual Local Government Finance Returns.

Year	Gross Expenditure (£ Million)
1999-2000	96.7
2000-01	91.4
2001-02	94
2002-03	93.6
2003-04	98.9m
2004-05	102.9

Source: Local Financial Returns(LFR1).

These figures include expenditureassociated with implementing Hungry for Success recommendations.

Question reference: S2W-23511

Asked by: John Swinney, MSP for North Tayside, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Friday, 24 February 2006
Current Status: Answered by Rhona Brankin on 3 March 2006

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to questions S2W-22538, S2W-22539, S2W-22540, S2W-22541 and S2W-22542 by Rhona Brankin on 26 January 2006, when the detailed information requested will be supplied by Scottish Water.

Question reference: S2W-23455

Asked by: John Swinney, MSP for North Tayside, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 23 February 2006
Current Status: Answered by Ross Finnie on 3 March 2006

To ask the Scottish Executive how much was paid directly to farmers through subsidies in each year since 1999, not including administrative costs.

The total subsidy to farmers in Scotland, net of administrative costs, between 1999 and 2004 is shown in table 1.

Table 1

Year	Total Value of Subsidies (£ Million)
1999	454.8
2000	456.8
2001	458
2002	503.6
2003	518.5
2004	531.8

Question reference: S2W-22896

Asked by: John Swinney, MSP for North Tayside, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 02 February 2006
Current Status: Answered by Tom McCabe on 2 March 2006

To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions it has had with the European Commission regarding the Rule of 85 in the Local Government Pension Scheme during the period since the Commission made it clear that the actions proposed by the Executive on the rule were not as a result of decisions of the European Union.

Question reference: S2W-22371

Asked by: John Swinney, MSP for North Tayside, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 17 January 2006
Current Status: Answered by Lewis Macdonald on 30 January 2006

To ask the Scottish Executive what progress has been made in improving support to, and services for, young carers since the parliamentary debate on 27 October 2004.

We have made good progress in various ways since October 2004. The introduction of the Education (Additional Support for Learning) (Scotland) Act 2004 and the involvement of carer organisations in the associated guidance has helped to improve support to young carers. The Executive commissioned a Mori poll to help identify the number of young carers and their level of caring. That poll was undertaken in schools early in 2005, and the report was published on 7 September.

Last year, the Executive commissioned a major study on the future of unpaid care in Scotland. I announced the publication of the results of that study in September and subsequently discussed it with carers organisations. The report looked specifically at young carers and includes a recommendation relating to the development of a national young carers strategy and the creation of a national forum for young carers. We are presently liaising with key stakeholders to scope the report’s 22 recommendations, including those on young carers, and I will respond to the report in the spring.

Question reference: S2W-22369

Asked by: John Swinney, MSP for North Tayside, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 17 January 2006
Current Status: Answered by Hugh Henry on 30 January 2006

To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions it has had with Her Majesty's Government in respect of implementing sections 25 to 29 of the Law Reform (Miscellaneous Provisions) (Scotland) Act 1990.

We have from time to time consulted the Department of Constitutional Affairs on their experience of implementing the equivalent rights of audience in England and Wales. In addition, the Office of Fair Trading was represented on the Scottish Executive’s Research Working Group on the Legal Services Market in Scotland and has been fully involved in the group’s discussions of this issue. The minutes of the Research Working Group’s meetings are available at:

http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Justice/Civil/17822/19316.

Question reference: S2W-22370

Asked by: John Swinney, MSP for North Tayside, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 17 January 2006
Current Status: Answered by Hugh Henry on 30 January 2006

To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions it has had with the Law Society of Scotland in respect of implementing sections 25 to 29 of the Law Reform (Miscellaneous Provisions) (Scotland) Act 1990.