- Asked by: Richard Baker, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
-
Date lodged: Friday, 05 October 2007
-
Current Status:
Answered by Maureen Watt on 8 November 2007
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has had any discussions with the Accounts Commission on reviewing the commission’s advice that a 60% capacity in schools should be a criterion used by local authorities in decisions to place the future of schools under review.
Answer
There have been discussionswith representatives of the Accounts Commission around the interpretation and useof the 60% occupancy figure which was referred to in the Commission’s 1995 reportRoom for Learning – Managing Surplus Capacity in School Buildings. The CabinetSecretary also raised this at a meeting with the Auditor General on 31 October 2007.The Scottish Government is clear that any criteria for reviewing a school’s futuremust be a matter for the local authority, which has statutory responsibility formanaging and maintaining its school estate.
- Asked by: Richard Baker, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
-
Date lodged: Tuesday, 30 October 2007
-
Current Status:
Answered by John Swinney on 7 November 2007
To ask the Scottish Executive what assessment it will make of how local areas may be affected by the proposed relocation or abolition of non-departmental public bodies.
Answer
I refer themember to the answer to question S3W-5816 on 7 November 2007. All answers to written parliamentary questions areavailable on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can befound at
http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search.
- Asked by: Richard Baker, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
-
Date lodged: Tuesday, 30 October 2007
-
Current Status:
Answered by John Swinney on 7 November 2007
To ask the Scottish Executive who will be consulted as part of its plans to reduce the number of non-departmental public bodies.
Answer
We are committed tosimpler, more effective public services in Scotland. Work is underway to consider specific proposals to streamline the landscapeof public sector organisations. Further details will be announced later this year.We will involve organisations, trade unions and other key stakeholders and thisParliament to ensure decisions are taken through a robust process.
- Asked by: Richard Baker, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
-
Date lodged: Tuesday, 30 October 2007
-
Current Status:
Answered by John Swinney on 7 November 2007
To ask the Scottish Executive how it plans to assess the economic impact of any reduction in the number of non-departmental public body offices in Aberdeen and Grampian.
Answer
I refer themember to the answer to question S3W-5816 on 7 November 2007. All answers to written parliamentary questions areavailable on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can befound at
http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search.
- Asked by: Richard Baker, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
-
Date lodged: Tuesday, 30 October 2007
-
Current Status:
Answered by John Swinney on 7 November 2007
To ask the Scottish Executive how it will monitor the geographical spread of its public agencies after its review of the structure and number of non-departmental public bodies is concluded.
Answer
We are committed toa simpler, more effective public sector in Scotland. This is a positive step to improving Scotland’s competitiveness and overalleconomic performance. Work isprogressing to consider specific proposals to streamline the existing landscapeand the precise implications of the changes will be clear once this work is complete.Further details will be announced to Parliament later this year.
Ministers are currentlyreviewing their policy on the location of public sector jobs in Scotland and will make a statement later this year. In addition,the on-going Asset Management Review will note any geographic disparity in the spreadof public sector organisations. Work to update the register of accommodation occupiedby the Scottish Government and its dependent bodies is underway and this registerwill continue to be used as the basis for future management of government assets.The success of the policy will be kept under review.
- Asked by: Richard Baker, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
-
Date lodged: Tuesday, 30 October 2007
-
Current Status:
Answered by John Swinney on 7 November 2007
To ask the Scottish Executive when it will publish its plans as to how and when it will reduce the number of non-departmental public bodies.
Answer
I refer the memberto the answer to question S3W-5818 on 7 November 2007. All answers to written parliamentary questions are availableon the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at
http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search.
- Asked by: Richard Baker, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
-
Date lodged: Tuesday, 30 October 2007
-
Current Status:
Answered by John Swinney on 7 November 2007
To ask the Scottish Executive how the staff of non-departmental public bodies are being consulted on the effect that its review of such bodies will have on them.
Answer
I refer themember to the answer to question S3W-5818 on 7 November 2007. All answers to written parliamentary questions areavailable on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can befound at
http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search.
The ScottishGovernment has publicly committed that there will be no compulsory redundanciesas a consequence of our approach to simplifying the public service landscape.
- Asked by: Richard Baker, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
-
Date lodged: Friday, 05 October 2007
-
Current Status:
Answered by Maureen Watt on 5 November 2007
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it considers that 60% capacity is an appropriate criterion for local authorities to use to place schools under review which could conclude with the schools being closed or amalgamated.
Answer
The Scottish Governmentrecognises that there are many potential factors which may prompt an authority toconsider a school’s future. We entirely endorse the views of the Accounts Commissionand Audit Scotland that occupancy levels alone should not determinewhat councils do and that an occupancy level of below 60% should not automaticallytrigger consideration of a school’s closure.
Those views were setout in a letter of 24 January 2007 from the Accounts Commissionto the Convener of the Parliament’s former Education Committee, which can be foundon the Scottish Parliament website at:
http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/business/committees/education/papers-07/edp07-06.pdf.
- Asked by: Richard Baker, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
-
Date lodged: Friday, 05 October 2007
-
Current Status:
Answered by Maureen Watt on 2 November 2007
To ask the Scottish Executive what criteria it believes should be used by local authorities when considering whether to close or amalgamate schools.
Answer
We re-issuedguidance to local authorities on proposals for changes to the school estate on11 October. A copy is available in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre (Bib.number 43920). The guidance makes clear our expectation that, in consulting anddeciding on all such proposals, authorities should take account not only ofeducational but of all other relevant factors, in the process of reaching afinal decision.
- Asked by: Richard Baker, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
-
Date lodged: Thursday, 04 October 2007
-
Current Status:
Answered by Kenny MacAskill on 31 October 2007
To ask the Scottish Executive how many offenders in Grampian have received prison sentences of six months or less in (a) 2005, (b) 2006 and (c) 2007.
Answer
The availableinformation is given in the following table. Data for 2006-07 is due to bepublished in March 2008.
Persons Receivinga Custodial Sentence of Six Months or Less for all Offences1 in theGrampian Police Force Area, 2003-04 to 2005-06
| Sentence | 2003-04 | 2004-05 | 2005-06 |
| Six months or less | 939 | 1,029 | 1,026 |
Note:1. Where main offence.
