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-29552

Asked by: Derek Brownlee, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 03 November 2006
Current Status: Answered by Robert Brown on 27 November 2006

To ask the Scottish Executive what the (a) initial set up and (b) annual costs to (i) the Executive, (ii) local authorities, (iii) other public sector organisations or bodies and (iv) other individuals, organisations and bodies of the Scottish Qualifications Authority Act 2002 were projected to be in the Financial Memorandum to the Bill and what the actual (1) initial set up costs were and (2) annual costs have been in each year since the Act came into force, in each category.

The Standing Orders of the Scottish Parliament require all bills on introduction to be accompanied by a Financial Memorandumwhich sets out the best estimates of the administrative, compliance and other coststo which the provisions of the bill would give rise, best estimates of the timescalesover which such costs would be expected to arise, and an indication of the marginsof uncertainty in such estimates. The Financial Memorandum must distinguish separatelysuch costs as would fall upon (a) the Scottish Administration, (b) local authoritiesand (c) other bodies, individuals and businesses. These memoranda are freely availableon the Scottish Parliament’s website.

The only costs identified inthe Financial Memorandum to the Scottish Qualifications Authority Bill relate tothe remuneration of members of the Board of the Scottish Qualifications Authority(SQA) and the running of the Advisory Council. Information on the actual remunerationof board members is contained in the SQA’s annual accounts for 2005-06 which arepublicly available from the SQA by request and will shortly be posted on the SQA’swebsite. By way of comparable information on the costs relating to the AdvisoryCouncil in 2005-06, these are estimated at £12,000.

Question reference: S2W-29711

Asked by: Derek Brownlee, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 08 November 2006
Current Status: Answered by George Lyon on 24 November 2006

To ask the Scottish Executive how much funding it has given to the Local Government Finance Review Committee throughout its inquiry.

Because there are still a numberof outstanding invoices, it is not possible to give a final figure for thecommittee’s costs during the period of its inquiry, from its establishment in June2004 to the publication of its report on 9 November 2006.The committee itself has estimated its total costs, excluding secretariat costs,at £270,000. We will be in a position to provide a total figure once all outstandinginvoices are settled.

Question reference: S2W-29559

Asked by: Derek Brownlee, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 03 November 2006
Current Status: Answered by Tom McCabe on 24 November 2006

To ask the Scottish Executive what the (a) initial set up and (b) annual costs to (i) the Executive, (ii) local authorities, (iii) other public sector organisations or bodies and (iv) other individuals, organisations and bodies of the Public Appointments and Public Bodies etc.(Scotland) Act 2003 were projected to be in the Financial Memorandum to the Bill and what the actual (1) initial set up costs were and (2) annual costs have been in each year since the Act came into force, in each category.

The Financial Memorandum to thebill is available on the Scottish Parliament’s website. The only quantifiable costsarising from provisions in the bill relate to the operation of the office of theCommissioner for Public Appointments in Scotland and the Historic Environment Advisory Committee for Scotland(HEACS). The costs of the commissioner are the responsibility of the Scottish ParliamentCorporate Body. The initial set up cost of HEACS was £20,000 and the annual costsfor the 2005-06 financial year were £51,000.

Question reference: S2W-29566

Asked by: Derek Brownlee, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 03 November 2006
Current Status: Answered by George Lyon on 24 November 2006

To ask the Scottish Executive what the (a) initial set up and (b) annual costs to (i) the Executive, (ii) local authorities, (iii) other public sector organisations or bodies and (iv) other individuals, organisations and bodies of the Dog Fouling (Scotland) Act 2003 were projected to be in the Financial Memorandum to the Bill and what the actual (1) initial set up costs were and (2) annual costs have been in each year since the Act came into force, in each category.

Question reference: S2W-29611

Asked by: Derek Brownlee, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 03 November 2006
Current Status: Answered by Cathy Jamieson on 23 November 2006

To ask the Scottish Executive what the (a) initial set up and (b) annual costs to (i) the Executive, (ii) local authorities, (iii) other public sector organisations or bodies and (iv) other individuals, organisations and bodies of the Police, Public Order and Criminal Justice (Scotland) Act 2006 were projected to be in the Financial Memorandum to the Bill and what the actual (1) initial set up costs were and (2) costs have been to date since the Act came into force, in each category.

Question reference: S2W-29535

Asked by: Derek Brownlee, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 03 November 2006
Current Status: Answered by Ross Finnie on 23 November 2006

To ask the Scottish Executive what the (a) initial set up and (b) annual costs to (i) the Executive, (ii) local authorities, (iii) other public sector organisations or bodies and (iv) other individuals, organisations and bodies of the Protection of Wild Mammals (Scotland) Act 2002 were projected to be in the Financial Memorandum to the Bill and what the actual (1) initial set up costs were and (2) annual costs have been in each year since the Act came into force, in each category.

Question reference: S2W-29601

Asked by: Derek Brownlee, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 03 November 2006
Current Status: Answered by Ross Finnie on 23 November 2006

To ask the Scottish Executive what the (a) initial set up and (b) annual costs to (i) the Executive, (ii) local authorities, (iii) other public sector organisations or bodies and (iv) other individuals, organisations and bodies of the Environmental Assessment (Scotland) Act 2005 were projected to be in the Financial Memorandum to the Bill and what the actual (1) initial set up costs were and (2) annual costs have been in each year since the Act came into force, in each category.

Question reference: S2W-29565

Asked by: Derek Brownlee, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 03 November 2006
Current Status: Answered by Ross Finnie on 23 November 2006

To ask the Scottish Executive what the (a) initial set up and (b) annual costs to (i) the Executive, (ii) local authorities, (iii) other public sector organisations or bodies and (iv) other individuals, organisations and bodies of the Agricultural Holdings (Scotland) Act 2003 were projected to be in the Financial Memorandum to the Bill and what the actual (1) initial set up costs were and (2) annual costs have been in each year since the Act came into force, in each category.

Question reference: S2W-29578

Asked by: Derek Brownlee, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 03 November 2006
Current Status: Answered by Johann Lamont on 23 November 2006

To ask the Scottish Executive what the (a) initial set up and (b) annual costs to (i) the Executive, (ii) local authorities, (iii) other public sector organisations or bodies and (iv) other individuals, organisations and bodies of the Vulnerable Witnesses (Scotland) Act 2004 were projected to be in the Financial Memorandum to the Bill and what the actual (1) initial set up costs were and (2) annual costs have been in each year since the Act came into force, in each category.

Question reference: S2W-29528

Asked by: Derek Brownlee, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 03 November 2006
Current Status: Answered by Johann Lamont on 23 November 2006

To ask the Scottish Executive what the (a) initial set up and (b) annual costs to (i) the Executive, (ii) local authorities, (iii) other public sector organisations or bodies and (iv) other individuals, organisations and bodies of the Protection from Abuse (Scotland) Act 2001 were projected to be in the Financial Memorandum to the Bill and what the actual (1) initial set up costs were and (2) annual costs have been in each year since the Act came into force, in each category.