- Asked by: Jeremy Purvis, MSP for Tweeddale, Ettrick and Lauderdale, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 09 November 2010
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Current Status:
Answered by Nicola Sturgeon on 22 November 2010
To ask the Scottish Executive how many distinction award holders there are following the 2010 awards round.
Answer
There are 578 distinction award holders following the 2010 awards round.
This is exactly the same number as in 2009 due to my decision earlier this year to freeze the number of distinction awards awarded in 2010. This decision resulted in a saving of £2 million.
I also announced on 16 November 2010 that I am proposing to extend this freeze in 2011-12. This move will save an additional £2 million which can be reinvested in frontline patient care.
- Asked by: Jeremy Purvis, MSP for Tweeddale, Ettrick and Lauderdale, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Monday, 18 October 2010
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Current Status:
Answered by Michael Russell on 11 November 2010
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to its press release of 14 October 2010 on the replacement of Learning and Teaching Scotland and HM Inspectorate of Education with the new Scottish Education Quality and Improvement Agency, whether it will provide details of the “less bureaucracy, less red tape and [with] more resources freed to go to the frontline” as stated by the Cabinet Secretary for Education and Lifelong Learning.
Answer
I refer the member to the answer to questions S3W-36986 and S3W-36988 on 11 November 2010. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament''s website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/Apps2/Business/PQA/Default.aspx.
- Asked by: Jeremy Purvis, MSP for Tweeddale, Ettrick and Lauderdale, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Monday, 18 October 2010
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Current Status:
Answered by Michael Russell on 11 November 2010
To ask the Scottish Executive how much net saving per annum it expects to make through replacement of Learning and Teaching Scotland and HM Inspectorate of Education with the new Scottish Education Quality and Improvement Agency.
Answer
The prime reason for establishing the new agency is to ensure that we have the best possible national structure in place to support and challenge our education system.
Nonetheless, the creation of the new organisation provides an excellent opportunity to ensure that it will deliver its services as efficiently as possible, making savings whenever it can.
Further and detailed work will be carried out between now and the end of the year to define the scope, functions, structure and leadership of the new agency. The detail of the savings arising from the structural changes will be known once the necessary business architecture is in place and operational structures are finalised.
- Asked by: Jeremy Purvis, MSP for Tweeddale, Ettrick and Lauderdale, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Monday, 18 October 2010
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Current Status:
Answered by Michael Russell on 11 November 2010
To ask the Scottish Executive what the set-up costs of the new Scottish Education Quality and Improvement Agency will be, broken down by category of expenditure.
Answer
Detailed work is currently underway between now and the end of the year to identify future savings and also to identify any initial transitional costs.
The aim will be to keep such costs to a minimum and within budget where possible.
- Asked by: Jeremy Purvis, MSP for Tweeddale, Ettrick and Lauderdale, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Monday, 18 October 2010
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Current Status:
Answered by Michael Russell on 11 November 2010
To ask the Scottish Executive whether there will be any non-voluntary redundancies through the replacement of Learning and Teaching Scotland and HM Inspectorate of Education with the new Scottish Education Quality and Improvement Agency.
Answer
Scottish Ministers have given a commitment of no compulsory redundancies for the period of this spending review until March 2011 and this policy applies to both HM Inspectorate of Education and Learning and Teaching Scotland staff. We expect that any necessary reductions in staffing will be achieved, where appropriate, through redeployment, natural turnover or if necessary, targeted and cost effective voluntary early retirement/ severance arrangements. The final staff complement will become clear as the detailed structure of the new agency is developed.
Scottish Ministers have given the commitment to no compulsory redundancies until March 2011. However, if after transfer posts become surplus, staff will be helped to find suitable posts elsewhere in the agency, the Scottish Government or in the wider Scottish public sector in accordance with established redeployment policies and procedures. There are established protocol arrangements to allow public bodies, where specific criteria are met to allow staff to apply for posts in other Government organisations via the Cabinet Office Website (http://www.careers.civil-service.gov.uk). A redeployment unit has also been set up within the Scottish Government to help secure posts in Scotland''s public sector for any surplus staff resulting from the simplification programme or decisions made by Scottish Ministers.
- Asked by: Jeremy Purvis, MSP for Tweeddale, Ettrick and Lauderdale, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Monday, 18 October 2010
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Current Status:
Answered by Michael Russell on 11 November 2010
To ask the Scottish Executive what the annual running costs of the new Scottish Education Quality and Improvement Agency will be, broken down by category of expenditure.
Answer
The detail of annual running costs of the new agency will be confirmed once the necessary business architecture is in place and operational structures are finalised.
Further and detailed work will be carried out between now and the end of the year to define the scope, functions, structure and leadership of the new agency.
- Asked by: Jeremy Purvis, MSP for Tweeddale, Ettrick and Lauderdale, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Friday, 29 October 2010
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Current Status:
Answered by John Swinney on 11 November 2010
To ask the Scottish Executive whether there are award or bonus schemes available to public sector workers, other than the NHS distinction award scheme, in which payment is added to the recipient’s salary each year until retirement and, if so, what schemes.
Answer
For bodies covered by Scottish Ministers'' public sector pay policy, the Senior Civil Service, police and teachers, there are no such award or bonus schemes.
As well as the NHS Scotland Distinction Awards Scheme, the NHS operates a system of discretionary points, awarded by NHS boards for outstanding contributions to local health services.
Pay and conditions for local government and Scottish fire and rescue service personnel are matters for the relevant employers and their representatives. Information on any award or bonus schemes is not held centrally by the Scottish Government.
- Asked by: Jeremy Purvis, MSP for Tweeddale, Ettrick and Lauderdale, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Thursday, 28 October 2010
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Current Status:
Answered by John Swinney on 11 November 2010
To ask the Scottish Executive what the cost will be to (a) it and (b) local government in (i) 2010-11, (ii) 2011-12, (iii) 2012-13, (iv) 2013-14 and (v) 2014-15 with regard to the (A) Certification of Death (Scotland) Bill, (B) Double Jeopardy (Scotland) Bill, (C) Forced Marriage etc. (Protection and Jurisdiction) (Scotland) Bill, (D) Local Electoral Administration (Scotland) Bill, (E) Private Rented Housing (Scotland) Bill, (F) Public Records (Scotland) Bill and (G) Reservoirs (Scotland) Bill.
Answer
In accordance with Standing Order 9.3.2 all the bills highlighted by the member were accompanied by a Financial Memorandum on introduction. Each memorandum sets out the best estimates of the administrative, compliance and other costs to which the provisions of the bill would give rise, best estimates of the timescales over which costs would be expected to arise, and an indication of the margins of uncertainty in such estimates. The memorandum distinguishes separately where the costs fell upon the Scottish Government, local authorities and other bodies.
Financial Memorandums are published by the Parliament alongside each bill.
- Asked by: Jeremy Purvis, MSP for Tweeddale, Ettrick and Lauderdale, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Friday, 29 October 2010
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Current Status:
Answered by John Swinney on 11 November 2010
To ask the Scottish Executive whether there are award or bonus schemes available to public sector workers, other than the NHS distinction award scheme, in which payment is added to the recipient’s pension on retirement.
Answer
Non-consolidated performance related payments do not count towards an employee''s pensionable pay.
Different staff groups are covered by different pension arrangements. Each set of pension scheme regulations determine what elements of pay are pensionable. Some allowances in addition to basic contracted pay may be included. Employees must make scheme pension contributions on all elements of pensionable pay they receive.
For bodies covered by Scottish Ministers'' public sector pay policy, the Senior Civil Service, police and teachers, there are no award or bonus schemes in which payments are pensionable.
Within the NHS, payments to staff under the NHS Scotland Distinction Awards Scheme and payments under the discretionary points system are pensionable.
Pay and conditions for local government and Scottish fire and rescue service personnel are matters for the relevant employers and their representatives. Information on any award or bonus schemes, and whether any payments under such schemes are pensionable, is not held centrally by the Scottish Government.
- Asked by: Jeremy Purvis, MSP for Tweeddale, Ettrick and Lauderdale, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Thursday, 11 November 2010
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Current Status:
Answered by Richard Lochhead on 11 November 2010
To ask the Scottish Executive to what extent it has reduced the impact of regulation on the farming community since it came into office.
Answer
I am sure the member is aware that most of the regulation that impacts on Scotland''s farmers and land managers comes from Europe and under the terms of the Scotland Act Scottish Ministers must implement relevant EU rules.
The Scottish Government is however committed to reducing the burden on Scotland''s farmers and have taken effective action to ensure that happens. Our Scotland''s Environmental and Rural Services (SEARS) initiative continues to improve the experience of service delivery for farmers and other rural land managers. Since its launch at Royal Highland Show 2008, SEARS has rationalised inspection activity, reduced charges, tackled bureaucracy, listened to customers, and improved access to services.
