- Asked by: Tommy Sheridan, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Socialist Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 28 June 2006
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Current Status:
Answered by Tom McCabe on 25 July 2006
To ask the Scottish Executive, in light of the findings by the European Commission in respect of the tendering process for the Holyrood project, what plans it has to initiate a procedure to prevent a similar situation arising in public building contracts, how such a procedure will be monitored, and what protection will be afforded to individuals who challenge tendering processes or other issues in the public interest.
Answer
I refer the member to the questionS2W 27162, answered on 25 July 2006. All answersto written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website,the search facility for which can be found at:
http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search.Following Lord Fraser’sInquiry and report on the Holyrood project the Executive has published revisedguidelines on construction procurement, the Construction Procurement Manual(published on December 2005) and introduced its Gateway Review programme (insummer 2002). A Centre of Expertise was established (in autumn 2003) to expandand monitor the programme. Protection for whistleblowers is provided by the PublicInterest Disclosure Act 1998.
- Asked by: Tommy Sheridan, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Socialist Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 28 June 2006
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Current Status:
Answered by Tom McCabe on 25 July 2006
To ask the Scottish Executive, in light of the findings by the European Commission in respect of the tendering process for the Holyrood project, what plans it has to initiate a review into the principles of equal treatment and transparency in the tendering process for public building contracts.
Answer
The Executive has not yetbeen formally notified of the Commission’s findings, however, it seems unlikelythat a further review will be required. FollowingLord Fraser’s Inquiry and report on the Holyrood project the Executive has publishedrevised guidelines on construction procurement, the Construction ProcurementManual (published on December 2005). Adherence to the processes set out inthe Construction Procurement Manual should ensure equal treatment andtransparency. In light of the measures already taken to address the issuesidentified by Lord Fraser, a further review would not serve any useful purposeat this point.
- Asked by: Tommy Sheridan, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Socialist Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 22 June 2006
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Current Status:
Answered by Tavish Scott on 25 July 2006
To ask the Scottish Executive how much was paid to ScotRail in respect of indemnification payments relating to industrial disputes over the term of its passenger rail services contract and whether the same indemnification guarantees have been written into the current First ScotRail contract.
Answer
I refer the member to thequestions S2W-18223, answered on 5 September 2005 and S2W-14910, answered on22 March 2005. All answersto written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website,the search facility for which can be found at:
http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search.
- Asked by: Tommy Sheridan, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Socialist Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 22 June 2006
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Current Status:
Answered by Tavish Scott on 25 July 2006
To ask the Scottish Executive what information it has on what the average salary is in First ScotRail, how many directors and senior management there are and what their average salary is.
Answer
The number of First ScotRailExecutive Directors is 7. A further 13 people are in First ScotRail’s ExecutiveGrade. This information has been obtained from First ScotRail Limited.The Scottish Executive doesnot hold information regarding First ScotRail’s salaries. However, informationrelating to First ScotRail’s accounts is contained within its published AnnualReport. As First ScotRail is a limited company, its published Annual Report canbe obtained from Companies House by emailing them at:
[email protected].
- Asked by: Tommy Sheridan, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Socialist Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 22 June 2006
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Current Status:
Answered by Tavish Scott on 25 July 2006
To ask the Scottish Executive what level of profit has been agreed with First ScotRail in respect of the current contract to provide passenger rail services in each year over the lifetime of the contract.
Answer
The level of profitcontracted for in the Franchise Agreement is commercially sensitive and cannotbe released.
- Asked by: Tommy Sheridan, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Socialist Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 22 June 2006
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Current Status:
Answered by Malcolm Chisholm on 21 July 2006
To ask the Scottish Executive how much local authorities and other housing bodies have invested in repairing, upgrading and building new homes in the social rented sector in each year from 1993 to 2006.
Answer
The available information isgiven in the following table. Information on expenditure on local authorityhousing is taken from annual Local Financial Returns and information on housingassociation expenditure is taken from published accounts provided toCommunities Scotland.
| Year | Local Authority Housing | Housing Association Housing |
| Total capital expenditure (1) £m | Of which:- New building £m | Revenue expenditure on repairs and maintenance £m | Capital costs (2) £m | Repairs and maintenance £m |
| 1993-94 | 465 | 26 | 312 | n.a. | 28 |
| 1994-95 | 492 | 36 | 328 | 358 | 34 |
| 1995-96 | 537 | 27 | 345 | 446 | 44 |
| 1996-97 | 356 | 19 | 345 | 429 | 54 |
| 1997-98 | 317 | 11 | 371 | 245 | 73 |
| 1998-99 | 336 | 9 | 384 | 343 | 99 |
| 1999-00 | 340 | 7 | 396 | 290 | 115 |
| 2000-01 | 350 | n.a. | 409 | 384 | 107 |
| 2001-02 | 352 | n.a. | 440 | 281 | 94 |
| 2002-03 | 402 | n.a. | 449 | 384 | 111 |
| 2003-04 (3) | 290 | n.a. | 349 | 555 | 197 |
| 2004-05 (3) | 309 | n.a. | 345 | 407 | 219 |
Notes:
1. Includescapital expenditure funded from current revenue. Over the period, the mainelement of local authority capital expenditure on local authority housing wasfor improvements to properties. Capital expenditure also includes expenditureon the acquisition of land.
2. Includesunits transferred to registered social landlords from local authorities,additions through new build (net of right to buy) and capital costs associatedwith upgrading new houses.
3. From 2003-04,expenditure on stock transferred to housing associations in Glasgow, Dumfries andGalloway and Borders is recorded under housing association expenditure.
- Asked by: Tommy Sheridan, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Socialist Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 17 May 2006
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Current Status:
Answered by Tavish Scott on 22 June 2006
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-18286 by Tavish Scott on 6 September 2005, how money saved on the reduction of the subsidy payment to First ScotRail was subsequently re-allocated within the transport budget and on what projects it was spent.
Answer
The annual budget processwithin the Scottish Executive comprises three separate stages in anyfinancial year. The final opportunity for in year budget transfers approved byParliament is undertaken in the Spring Budget Revision. The Spring BudgetRevision 2004-2005 was laid before Parliament in January 2005 (ISBN0-7559-3902-6 & SE/2005/03). Within this, Transport Portfolio re-allocatedfunding to meet existing pressures in that given year as approved byParliament.
- Asked by: Tommy Sheridan, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Socialist Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 17 May 2006
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Current Status:
Answered by Tavish Scott on 6 June 2006
To ask the Scottish Executive how much was paid, and by whom, in leasing charges to (a) Angel Trains, (b) Porterbrook and (c) HSBC Rail in (i) 2002-03, (ii) 2003-04, (iii) 2004-05 and (iv) 2005-06.
Answer
It is First ScotRail, asfranchisee, who leases rolling stock from the companies referred to and paysthe relevant leasing charges.
The terms of the contractsbetween the franchisee and the rolling stock companies, and the valuesattributed to these in the franchise agreement, are commercially confidential.
- Asked by: Tommy Sheridan, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Socialist Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 22 May 2006
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Current Status:
Answered by Tavish Scott on 6 June 2006
To ask the Scottish Executive what subsidy has been paid to First ScotRail to operate the ScotRail franchise in each year since 2004-05 and how much will be paid to operate the franchise in each year to 2011.
Answer
The ScotRail franchise paymentsare as follows:
| 2004-05 | 2005-06 | 2006-07 | 2007-08 | 2008-09 | 2009-10 | 2010-11 |
| £103.14m | £187.15m | £261.69m | £261.69m | £270.37m | £269.19m | £267.08m |
All figures shown above (withthe exception of 2005-06) are specified in the franchise agreement, are expressedin 2004 prices, subject to indexation and will vary according to performance payments/penalties.The 2005-06 figure is actual. The SRA/SPT was responsible for subsidy payment atthe time of the 2004-05 payment.
- Asked by: Tommy Sheridan, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Socialist Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 17 May 2006
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Current Status:
Answered by Tavish Scott on 31 May 2006
To ask the Scottish Executive what proportion of the excess revenue collected from rail ticket fares is (a) retained by the operator and (b) passed on to the Executive.
Answer
The annual level of target revenuein the franchise agreement was determined as part of the franchise bidding process.This target revenue level is commercially confidential.
Revenue collected in excess of the target revenue is split between the operator and the Scottish ministers on thefollowing basis:
| Target Revenue Exceeded By: | % Retained by Operator | % Retained by Scottish Ministers |
| More than 2% | 50% | 50% |
| More than 6% | 20% | 80% |
This information has been publishedby the Executive in the Public Register for the ScotRail franchise agreement andis available in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre.
