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: S3W-05646

Asked by: Derek Brownlee, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 24 October 2007
Current Status: Answered by Stewart Maxwell on 1 November 2007

To ask the Scottish Executive what (a) proportion and (b) amount of its funding for the One Workplace Equal Rights campaign in each year since 2004 was spent on using music, theatre or art to create a dialogue between equality groups, trade unions and employers, as highlighted in Mainstreaming Equality and Tackling Racism.

Question reference: S3W-05645

Asked by: Derek Brownlee, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 24 October 2007
Current Status: Answered by Stewart Maxwell on 1 November 2007

To ask the Scottish Executive how much funding it has provided for the One Workplace Equal Rights campaign in each year since 2004.

Question reference: S3W-05350

Asked by: Derek Brownlee, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 09 October 2007
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 1 November 2007

To ask the Scottish Executive how many civil servants are on (a) permanent and (b) fixed-term contracts, broken down by directorate.

The ScottishGovernment employs a total of 4,354 civil servants: 4,194 on permanentcontracts and 160 on fixed-term contracts.

Directorate General	Directorate	Permanent	Fixed-Term
DG Economy and Chief Economic Adviser	DG Co-Ordination - Economy	13
	Directorate For Planning and Environmental Appeals	37	1
	Europe, External Affairs and Culture	86	3
	Finance and Central Services - General	18	2
	Finance Directorate	155	4
	Planning	70	3
	Public Service Reform Directorate	102	1
	Scottish Development International	41
	Scottish Procurement Directorate	87
	Strategic Spending Review	4
	Transport Directorate	90	7
DG Education	DG Co-Ordination - Education	6
	Children, Young People and Social Care	94
	Corporate Analytical Services	58	8
	Education Information and Analytical Services	49	1
	Enterprise, Energy and Lifelong Learning Analytical Services	22	1
	Enterprise, Energy and Tourism	197	1
	Lifelong Learning	120	2
	Office Of The Chief Scientific Adviser	8
	Schools Directorate	107	4
DG Environment	DG Co-Ordination - Environment	6
	Climate Change and Water Industry	21
	Environmental Quality	60	1
	Greener Scotland Directorate	14
	Marine Directorate	77
	On The Ground Directorate	1
	Rural and Environment Research and Analysis Directorate	63	7
	Rural Directorate	135	2
	Rural Payments and Inspections Directorate	553	21
DG Health and Chief Executive NHS Scotland	DG Co-Ordination - Health	10
	Chief Medical Officer Directorate	30
	Chief Nursing Officer Directorate	24
	e-Health Directorate	4
	Health Delivery Directorate	25
	Health Finance Directorate	52
	Health Workforce Directorate	32	1
	Healthcare Policy and Strategy Directorate	66
	Primary and Community Care Directorate	95	1
	Public Health and Wellbeing Directorate	113	3
DG Justice and Communities	DG Co-Ordination - Justice and Communities	10	1
	Civil and International Justice	52	1
	Constitutional and Parliamentary Secretariat Directorate	24
	Courts Directorate	10	1
	Criminal Justice	92	1
	Housing and Regeneration	123	5
	Judicial Appointments Board For Scotland	4
	Office Of The Scottish Parliamentary Counsel	14	1
	Police and Community Safety	154	7
	Scottish Government Legal Directorate	130	24
	Scottish Prisons Complaints Commission	1	1
Permanent Secretary	Change and Corporate Services	650	36
	Communications Directorate	67	4
	Ministerial Portfolios	65	4
	Permanent Secretary's Private Office	6
	Strategy and Ministerial Support Directorate	47
All		4,194	160

Question reference: S3W-05076

Asked by: Derek Brownlee, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 03 October 2007
Current Status: Answered by Stewart Stevenson on 1 November 2007

To ask the Scottish Executive what initial estimates were given by ministers of the (a) cost and (b) date of completion for the (i) Stirling/Alloa/Kincardine rail line, (ii) Borders rail line, (iii) Airdrie to Bathgate rail line, (iv) Glasgow Airport rail link, (v) M74 completion, (vi) upgrade of the M80 Stepps to Haggs, (vii) M8 Baillieston to Newhouse project and (viii) A90 Aberdeen Western Peripheral Route and on what date each estimate was given.

Initial estimatesgiven by ministers of the cost and date of completion are as follows:

(i) Stirling/Alloa/Kincardinerail line

On 12 June 2003 the Minister for Transportcommitted to funding Clackmannanshire Council £30 million for construction of the Stirling - Alloa - Kincardinerailway, provided the Parliamentary Bill was approved. The in service date was announcedas Winter 2005-06. The cost estimate given in the Private Bill being consideredby Parliament at the time was £37.15 million with a toleranceof +/- 15% at Quarter 4, 2002 prices.

(ii) Borders railline

On 16 March 2006, the Minister for Transport and Communications, committedto funding £115 million at 2002 prices for the Borders Railway scheme, with therail link expected to be delivered at the end of 2011.

(iii) Airdrie to Bathgaterail line

In a ministerial announcement in January 2003, cost of the Airdrie to Bathgate line was estimated at £104 million with a delivery date of late 2008.

(iv) Glasgow Airport rail link (GARL)

On 16 March 2006, the Minister for Transport advised Parliamentthat he expected GARL to be delivered by the end of 2010 at a cost of £170 millionto £210 million out turn.

(v) M74 completion

In January 2001 thethen Transport Minister announced that the M74 would be taken forward as a partnershipwith Glasgow City, South Lanarkshire and Renfrewshire Councils at an estimated costof £250 million. At the time of this announcement the estimated scheme opening datewas 2008.

(vi) upgrade of theM80 Stepps to Haggs

In January 2003, whenthe decisions from the Central Scotland Transport Corridors Studies were announced,the estimated capital costs of the A80 Stepps to Haggs limited upgrade was £150million and full motorway upgrade was £200 million, operational by 2010.

Details of the CentralScotland Transport Corridor Study – Decisions can be found on the CSTCS website(www.cstcs.co.uk).

(vii) M8 Bailliestonto Newhouse project

In January 2003, whenthe decisions from the Central Scotland Transport Corridors Studies were announced,the estimated capital costs of upgrading the A8 on-line was in the order of £105million and £123 million if partially built off-line, operational by 2010.

Details of the CentralScotland Transport Corridor Study – Decisions can be found on the CSTCS website(www.cstcs.co.uk).

(viii) A90 AberdeenWestern Peripheral Route (AWPR)

In March 2003 thethen Transport Minister announced that the AWPR would be taken forward as a partnershipwith Aberdeen City and Aberdeenshire Councils at an estimated cost of £120million. At the time of this announcement the estimated scheme opening date wasend 2010.

Question reference: S3W-05734

Asked by: Derek Brownlee, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 25 October 2007
Current Status: Answered by Stewart Maxwell on 31 October 2007

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will provide a breakdown of the levels of personal debt in each local authority area and how this compares with such levels in 1997.

Question reference: S3W-05359

Asked by: Derek Brownlee, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 09 October 2007
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 26 October 2007

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has proposed any revision of the rules set out in Funding the Scottish Parliament, National Assembly for Wales and Northern Ireland Assembly - A Statement of Funding Policy and, if so, on what dates and what revisions were proposed.

Question reference: S3W-05358

Asked by: Derek Brownlee, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 09 October 2007
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 26 October 2007

To ask the Scottish Executive whether HM Treasury has consulted the Executive in relation to the revision of the rules set out in Funding the Scottish Parliament, National Assembly for Wales and Northern Ireland Assembly - A Statement of Funding Policy and, if so, on what dates and what revisions were considered.

Question reference: S3W-05357

Asked by: Derek Brownlee, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 09 October 2007
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 26 October 2007

To ask the Scottish Executive what the spending in the base year will be for the purpose of applying the Barnett Formula in relation to the 2007 Comprehensive Spending Review, broken down by sub-programme.

Question reference: S3W-05356

Asked by: Derek Brownlee, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 09 October 2007
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 26 October 2007

To ask the Scottish Executive on what date HM Treasury first notified the Executive on a (a) provisional and (b) final basis of the spending in the base year for the purpose of applying the Barnett Formula in relation to the 2007 Comprehensive Spending Review.

Question reference: S3W-05353

Asked by: Derek Brownlee, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 09 October 2007
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 26 October 2007

To ask the Scottish Executive which departmental expenditure limits HM Treasury has advised contain comparable expenditure for the purpose of applying the Barnett Formula in relation to the 2007 Comprehensive Spending Review.

Year	Amount of Funding
2003-04	£29,743
2004-05	£62,675
2005-06	£102,233
2006-07	£50,052
2007-08	£15,236
Total	£259,939