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.

Find out more about parliamentary questions

Filter your results Hide all filters

Displaying 759 questions Show Answers

Order by |

Question reference: S3W-29850

Asked by: John Lamont, MSP for Roxburgh and Berwickshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 09 December 2009
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 13 January 2010

To ask the Scottish Executive when it will provide a substantive answer to parliamentary question S3W-28913, which received a holding reply on 26 November 2009.

Question reference: S3W-28913

Asked by: John Lamont, MSP for Roxburgh and Berwickshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 12 November 2009
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 8 January 2010

To ask the Scottish Executive how much has been paid to its civil servants in bonuses in each of the last 10 years, broken down by directorate.

The pay arrangements for staff below senior civil service level in the core directorate and agencies of the Scottish Government main bargaining unit provide for non-consolidated, taxable and non-pensionable payments in recognition of exceptional performance throughout the year. Under the terms of the current pay award performance payments to staff in bands A, B and C are valued at £750, £1,000 and £1,500 respectively.

Non-consolidated, taxable and non-pensionable performance payments awarded to senior civil servants are within a framework and financial limits set by the UK Government''s Cabinet Office following recommendations from the independent Senior Salaries Review Board. As part of this framework, an increasing proportion of rewards has been made on a non-consolidated and non-pensionable basis rather than on a consolidated, pensionable basis. In 2009, the value of these payments for senior civil servants in the Scottish Government ranged from £7,000 to £15,000 depending on performance and grade.

The annual Special Bonus Scheme recognises exceptional contributions made by staff at all levels over a relatively short period of time and the payments under the scheme are non-consolidated, taxable and non-pensionable. In 2008-09, the average payment was £432.

Full information about non-consolidated performance payments and payments for exceptional contributions is available from April 2005 only. The following table shows the total of all such payments to staff in the Scottish Government main bargaining unit and to senior civil servants.

Performance Payments and Exceptional Contributions

2005	April - December	£1,017,900
2006	January “ December	£3,114,530
2007	January “ December	£2,305,929
2008	January “ December	£2,041,734
2009	January “ December	£2,141,199

Note: The Scottish Government Main pay award due in August 2005 was paid in May 2006 resulting in a large number of performance payments falling into the later year.

The following table shows payments split by directorates (which were created from May 2007):

Directorate	Total Payments
	2007	2008	2009
	May “ December	January “ December	January “ December
Accountant In Bankruptcy	£7,700	£5,750	£5,500
Change and Corporate Services	£236,267	£267,604	£264,875
Chief Medical Officer	£16,938	£18,000	£27,800
Chief Nursing Officer	£3,881	*	*
Children, Young People and Social Care	£48,296	£52,200	£55,900
Climate Change and Water Industry	£4,000	£5,500	£10,850
Communications Directorate	£26,313	£28,100	£32,750
Constitution, Law and Courts Directorate	£67,938	£46,833	£72,240
Corporate Analytical Services	£23,050	£19,500	£26,100
Criminal Justice	£62,425	£43,530	£37,250
DG Co-ordination - Education	£4,855	£11,000	£21,500
DG Co-ordination - Health	£9,250	Nil	*
DG Co-ordination - Justice and Communities	£19,000	£22,500	£16,000
DG Economy Business Management and Support	£33,150	£12,000	£12,400
Directorate for the Built Environment	£46,750	£31,250	£41,800
Disclosure Scotland	N/A	N/A	£11,350
E-Health	Nil	*	£6,000
Economic Strategy	£13,100	£16,000	*
Education Information and Analytical Services	£11,417	£11,800	£14,050
Enterprise, Energy and Tourism	£81,293	£58,750	£68,200
Environmental Quality	£36,025	£38,650	£37,050
Equality, Social Inclusion and Sport	£28,917	£14,379	£10,200
Europe, External Affairs and Culture	£38,325	£50,800	£60,000
Fishery Research Service	£40,849	£27,800	£38,420
Finance	£57,082	£57,550	£48,400
Greener Scotland Directorate	£14,000	*
HM Inspectorate of Constabulary	*	*	*
HM Inspectorate of Prisons	£5,000	*	*
HM Inspectorate of Education	£59,268	£59,150	£69,700
Health Delivery	£23,250	£20,500	£23,900
Health Finance	£13,550	£13,850	£19,600
Health Workforce	£8,800	Nil	Nil
Healthcare Policy and Strategy	£13,734	£31,650	£23,000
Housing and Regeneration	£67,817	£62,700	£39,450
Inspectorate of Prosecution in Scotland	£3,500	£9,000	£8,500
Lifelong Learning	£45,129	£44,000	£35,650
Mental Health Tribunal	£14,230	£5,850	£3,750
Mental Welfare Commission	*	*	*
Marine Directorate	£20,250	£40,200	£41,950
Ministerial Private Offices	£30,017	£23,950	£21,400
Office of the Chief Economic Adviser	£20,700	£19,750	£15,750
Office of the Chief Scientific Adviser	*	Nil	Nil
Office of the Scottish Parliamentary Counsel	£34,000	£44,200	£38,250
Planning and Environmental Appeals	£9,600	£11,150	£20,333
Police and Community Safety	£70,200	£59,450	£72,600
Primary and Community Care	£51,000	£62,850	£65,350
Public Health and Health Improvement	£34,400	£30,750	£23,900
Public Service Reform	£54,125	£62,400	£45,950
Rural and Environmental Research and Analysis	£11,384	£16,650	£26,380
Rural Directorate	£90,800	£66,950	£68,950
Rural Payments and Inspections Directorate	£82,293	£50,400	£62,300
Student Awards Agency for Scotland	£19,334	£7,850	£12,800
Scottish Criminal Cases Review Comm.	Nil	£8,975	£4,037
Scottish Fisheries Protection Agency	N/A	N/A	£29,831
Scottish Housing Regulator	Nil	£7,500	£10,500
Scottish Public Pensions Agency	£30,375	£18,250	£33,250
Social Work Inspection Agency	*	*	*
Schools Directorate	£40,150	£50,900	£54,450
Scottish Development International	£15,967	£11,350	£14,200
Scottish Government Legal Directorate	£86,674	£89,750	£88,600
Scottish Prisons Complaints Commission	Nil	Nil	*
Scottish Procurement Directorate	£18,292	£24,250	£40,000
Strategy and Ministerial Support Directorate	£42,400	£40,510	£33,750
Transport Directorate	£32,350	£35,275	£31,150
Transport Scotland	£83,139	£56,150	£60,311
Non-Directorate	£123,067	£104,350	£71,900
Total	£2,192,132	£2,041,734	£2,141,199

Notes:

1. Amounts of £3,000 or less are represented by a * to ensure that individual members of staff cannot be identified.

2. The non-directorate category covers payments to Scottish Government staff whose posts are not recorded against any directorate.

3. N/A = Not applicable.

Question reference: S3W-29086

Asked by: John Lamont, MSP for Roxburgh and Berwickshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 18 November 2009
Current Status: Answered by Nicola Sturgeon on 1 December 2009

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has undertaken or plans to undertake an analysis of the impact on road safety of a potential cross-border traffic increase resulting from its proposals to introduce a minimum price for alcohol and a ban on alcohol promotions.

Overall, a reduction in alcohol consumption is likely to lead to a reduction in road accidents. The Scottish Government does not consider that measures to stop irresponsible promotion and pricing of alcohol will result in increased cross-border traffic. However, Transport Scotland and Lothian and Borders Police are represented on the Scottish Borders Road Safety Group and Traffic Scotland will continue to monitor traffic flows on all routes.

Question reference: S3W-29085

Asked by: John Lamont, MSP for Roxburgh and Berwickshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 18 November 2009
Current Status: Answered by Nicola Sturgeon on 1 December 2009

To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions it has had with Lothian and Borders Police and Scottish Borders Council regarding a potential cross-border traffic increase resulting from its proposals to introduce a minimum price for alcohol and a ban on alcohol promotions.

Question reference: S3W-29087

Asked by: John Lamont, MSP for Roxburgh and Berwickshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 18 November 2009
Current Status: Answered by Nicola Sturgeon on 1 December 2009

To ask the Scottish Executive when it last met Scottish Borders Road Safety Working Group and whether it has raised with this group a potential cross-border traffic increase resulting from its proposals to introduce a minimum price for alcohol and a ban on alcohol promotions.

Question reference: S3W-29084

Asked by: John Lamont, MSP for Roxburgh and Berwickshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 18 November 2009
Current Status: Answered by Nicola Sturgeon on 1 December 2009

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it considers that its proposals to introduce a minimum price for alcohol and a ban on alcohol promotions will result in an increase of cross-border traffic.

Question reference: S3W-29083

Asked by: John Lamont, MSP for Roxburgh and Berwickshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 18 November 2009
Current Status: Answered by Nicola Sturgeon on 1 December 2009

To ask the Scottish Executive what analysis it has undertaken of a potential cross-border traffic increase resulting from its proposals to introduce a minimum price for alcohol and a ban on alcohol promotions.

Question reference: S3W-28936

Asked by: John Lamont, MSP for Roxburgh and Berwickshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 13 November 2009
Current Status: Answered by Jim Mather on 27 November 2009

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it is aware of the Government Actuary’s Department report commending the stewardship of electricity sector pension schemes and what its position is regarding the necessity or desirability of Ofgem being given authority to regulate in this area.

Question reference: S3W-28933

Asked by: John Lamont, MSP for Roxburgh and Berwickshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 13 November 2009
Current Status: Answered by Jim Mather on 27 November 2009

To ask the Scottish Executive, with reference to the fifth Distribution Price Control Review, what impact a settlement below that requested by the distribution network operators would have on meeting its objective of sustainable economic growth.

Question reference: S3W-28931

Asked by: John Lamont, MSP for Roxburgh and Berwickshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 13 November 2009
Current Status: Answered by Jim Mather on 27 November 2009

To ask the Scottish Executive what representations it has made to Ofgem in relation to the fifth Distribution Price Control Review.

Scottish ministers have regular, robust and positive engagement with Ofgem on a range of specific developments, projects and plans to upgrade and reinforce Scotland''s electricity grid network and strengthen our interconnections with other parts of the UK and beyond.

This includes representations in relation to the fifth Distribution Price Control Review process, which Ofgem use to strategically prioritise investment into the UK''s electricity grid. I understand that Ofgem will publish the final proposals of the Fifth Distribution Price Control Review for consultation on 7 December 2009. This will be available on Ofgem''s web pages at:

http://www.ofgem.gov.uk/CustomPages/Pages/Publications.aspx.

I encourage the Parliament and its members to respond actively to that consultation.