- Asked by: George Foulkes, MSP for Lothians, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 25 August 2010
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Current Status:
Answered by Kenny MacAskill on 27 August 2010
To ask the Scottish Executive what the current estimated cost is of the Fingerprint Inquiry examining the Shirley McKie case.
Answer
I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-32942 on 9 April 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: George Foulkes, MSP for Lothians, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 24 August 2010
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Current Status:
Answered by Kenny MacAskill on 27 August 2010
To ask the Scottish Executive when it expects to receive the report of the Fingerprint Inquiry examining the Shirley McKie case.
Answer
Ministers have not yet received the report of the Fingerprint Inquiry, nor been notified of a date for its publication. The Inquiry Chairman is understood to be considering the evidence and preparing a report.
The conduct of a public inquiry under the 2005 Inquiries Act is for the Chairman of the Inquiry to determine.
- Asked by: George Foulkes, MSP for Lothians, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 03 August 2010
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Current Status:
Answered by John Swinney on 26 August 2010
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-35089 by John Swinney on 27 July 2010, what the annual net saving is and how many jobs have been lost as a result of winding up these bodies.
Answer
The abolition of the eight public bodies listed in my answer to question S3W-35089 on 27 July 2010 will deliver estimated net savings of around £1.4 million by 2013 and recurring net savings of around £1.5 million per annum thereafter. A detailed breakdown of the costs and savings for each body is set out in the Financial Memorandum to the Public Services Reform (Scotland) Act 2010 which is available at
http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/s3/bills/26-PubSerRef/index.htm.
Creative Scotland expects that there will be 33 fewer posts as a result of the merger of the Scottish Arts Council and Scottish Screen. There are no staffing implications for the other six public bodies abolished on 1 August 2010.
- Asked by: George Foulkes, MSP for Lothians, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 03 August 2010
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Current Status:
Answered by Jim Mather on 26 August 2010
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-34733 by Jim Mather on 16 July 2010, for what reason the accountable officer for Homecoming Scotland 2009 is different to the accountable officer for The Gathering 2009.
Answer
The accountable officer reflects the different Scottish Government budget lines which supported Homecoming Scotland 2009 and The Gathering 2009.
- Asked by: George Foulkes, MSP for Lothians, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 03 August 2010
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Current Status:
Answered by Kenny MacAskill on 26 August 2010
To ask the Scottish Executive how many prisoners have sued the Scottish Prison Service since May 2007 and what the outcome has been in each case.
Answer
I have asked John Ewing, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service, to respond. His response is as follows:
Approximately, 2,036 prisoners have raised proceedings against the SPS in the sheriff courts or Court of Session since May 2007. A prisoner may raise actions in respect of more than one matter, and the total number of actions raised is 2,080. The outcome of those actions can be found in the following table:
| | Total |
| Number dismissed following settlement or otherwise | 190 |
| Number sisted | 1,887 |
| Number under offer | 3 |
The majority of these actions relate to detention in slopping out conditions.
- Asked by: George Foulkes, MSP for Lothians, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Thursday, 05 August 2010
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Current Status:
Answered by John Swinney on 26 August 2010
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-34712 by John Swinney on 4 August 2010, whether it will consider reducing the ministerial car pool as part of its cost-saving exercise.
Answer
The Scottish Government will continue to look at all aspects of operation of the Government Car Service to ensure efficiency.
- Asked by: George Foulkes, MSP for Lothians, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Thursday, 05 August 2010
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Current Status:
Answered by Keith Brown on 26 August 2010
To ask the Scottish Executive which members of the Scottish Funding Council have experience in accountancy or allied professions.
Answer
Three of the present members of the Scottish Funding Council are qualified accountants. They are John McClelland (Chair), Ian Adam and Robin Crawford.
- Asked by: George Foulkes, MSP for Lothians, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 22 June 2010
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Current Status:
Answered by John Swinney on 25 August 2010
To ask the Scottish Executive what the average total saving is on a house in each council tax band in the City of Edinburgh local authority area as a result of the freeze in council tax.
Answer
The council tax freeze relative to income benefits those council tax payers on lower incomes the most. The average total saving over the three year period of the freeze in each council tax band in the City of Edinburgh is given in the following table. The figures take account of discounts and exemptions but do not take account of council tax benefit.
City of Edinburgh “ Average Saving Per Dwelling from Council Tax Freeze
| Council Tax Band | Average Saving |
| Band A | £119 |
| Band B | £140 |
| Band C | £165 |
| Band D | £188 |
| Band E | £236 |
| Band F | £283 |
| Band G | £335 |
| Band H | £406 |
Notes:
Figures show effects on bills “ the figures do not take account of council tax benefit.
Exempt dwellings are excluded.
The figures take account of discounts.
The figures are based on the distribution of dwellings as at September 2009.
The figures are based on assuming 3 per cent rises without a council tax freeze each year.
- Asked by: George Foulkes, MSP for Lothians, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 03 August 2010
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Current Status:
Answered by Shona Robison on 24 August 2010
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-34781 by Shona Robison on 16 July 2010, what request has been made regarding transport for the First Minister while in Delhi for the 2010 Commonwealth Games.
Answer
None.
- Asked by: George Foulkes, MSP for Lothians, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Thursday, 05 August 2010
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Current Status:
Answered by Jim Mather on 17 August 2010
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-35093 by Jim Mather on 4 August 2010, with what potential investors the Scottish Investment Bank is in discussions.
Answer
Commercial discussions with potential investors are on a commercially confidential basis and as such it would not be appropriate at this point to provide further details. The process of securing substantial private sector investment rightly requires careful consideration of a range of issues by all parties concerned and we are working hard to bring these discussions to a positive conclusion as soon as possible.
