Chamber and committees

I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-37161 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.

Although final costs have still to be confirmed, the estimated cost of flights and accommodation for the Scottish Government delegation which went to Delhi to support Team Scotland at the 2010 Commonwealth Games; attend the Observer programme to learn for Glasgow 2014 and undertake other Government business is £59,000. The travel and accommodation costs for the Scottish Executive delegation at the 2006 Commonwealth Games in Melbourne was £54,901(2006 prices).

The approach to broadcasting at previous Commonwealth Games has varied. At Manchester 2002, for instance, the provider of the host broadcasting function and the domestic broadcast rights holder were the same organisation. On other occasions, for example Melbourne 2006, the host broadcaster was procured separately. The budget for the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games has factored in the anticipated cost of procuring a commercial host broadcast service provider with the costs to be offset through the sale of the domestic and international broadcasting rights. Therefore, the Glasgow 2014 Organising Committee does not anticipate any negative budgetary impact or loss of sponsorship revenue from the BBC''s decision, and the Government and its partners remain confident that the Games will be delivered within the agreed budget.

I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-37161 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.

Scottish Ministers have written to the UK Government on a number of occasions to express their opposition to the proposal to hold the next UK General Election on the same day as elections to the Scottish Parliament in 2015. Scottish Ministers have also raised this issue in meetings with UK Ministers and will continue to press the UK Government to work with the Scottish Government and Parliament to avoid the problems which a clash of dates would create.

Yes.

The Protocol and UK Relations Division is responsible for:

(i) all matters of ministerial, royal and ceremonial protocol, including royal, state and VIP visits and events, jubilee celebrations, garden parties, the appointments of Lord-Lieutenants and of the Lord High Commissioner of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland, the issue of royal warrants and charters and the use of royal names. It also works on other ceremonial issues including flag flying policy and bank holidays in Scotland.

(ii) the overview of the Scottish Government''s intergovernmental relations with the UK Government, the devolved administrations of Wales and Northern Ireland and the Crown Dependencies. It coordinates high-level bi-lateral contacts between ministers (e.g. meetings between the First Minister and Prime Minister or Deputy Prime Minister). It provides the Scottish element of the secretariat for the re-established Joint Ministerial Committee, including work under the recently introduced dispute resolution protocol. It also leads on the Scottish Government''s participation in the British-Irish Council, and heads the project to establish the standing secretariat in Edinburgh. It has a role in awareness-raising and capacity-building both within the Scottish Government and in Whitehall, working with a network of contacts in all UK Government Departments and the National School for Government.

The division led the Scottish Government''s significant contribution to the preparations for and delivery of the Papal visit in September 2010.

The National Conversation, Referendum and Elections Division is responsible for a range of policies concerned with the development of Scotland''s constitution and elections. Current work includes the development of primary and secondary legislation about the administration of local government elections, the electronic counting system for the 2012 local government elections and the Bill for a referendum on Scotland''s constitutional future. It is also responsible for the co-ordination of the Scottish Government''s interest in the UK Government''s proposed legislation to implement the recommendations of the Commission on Scottish Devolution.

My answer to question S3W-36450 referred specifically to the new UK Government''s commitment, published in May this year, to review the control and use of accumulated and future revenues from the Fossil Fuel Levy (FFL) in Scotland (currently standing at £191 million). The Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Sustainable Growth has written to the UK Government on several occasions requesting the early release of these funds. This request is backed by leaders in Scottish Industry, environmental non-governmental organisations, business organisations and Trade Unions, dedicated to Scotland''s sustainable economic development, who wrote to the Chancellor of the Exchequer on 14 October 2010 pressing for the release and rapid deployment of these funds.

The Chief Secretary of the Treasury wrote to the Cabinet Secretary on 19 October 2010 with a new proposal. The new UK Government proposal is that Scottish Ministers surrender current and future FFL surpluses in exchange for the creation of a ring fenced £250 million for Scotland to form part of an undefined and yet to be established Green Investment Bank. We do not believe that this proposal as it stands is in Scotland''s interests, or changes the current position in any material way. The Cabinet Secretary has replied to the Chief Secretary of the Treasury expressing these concerns and seeking urgent clarification of the details underlying the proposal.

The Scottish Government spent the following on press cutting services:

Year	Spend (£)
2007-08	96,443.63
2008-09	73,902.13
2009-10	71,653.79