- Asked by: Linda Fabiani, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 11 June 2004
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Current Status:
Answered by Margaret Curran on 25 June 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-2671 by Ms Margaret Curran on 7 October 2003, what the outcome was of the minister conveying to Her Majesty's Government the concerns of the Parliament about the detention of children at Dungavel House Immigration Removal Centre, as referred to in the resolution of the Parliament on 11 September 2003.
Answer
The concern of members’ aboutthe detention of children at Dungavel Immigration Removal Centre was noted by theHome Office. You will be aware that following the publication of the Her Majesty's Chief Inspector of Prisons inspectionreport on the centre, changes have been madeby the Home Office, for example, the express authority of the immigration ministeris required to detain children for longer than 28 days.
- Asked by: Linda Fabiani, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 11 June 2004
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Current Status:
Answered by Margaret Curran on 24 June 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive what the responsibilities are of its ministers in relation to the operation of Dungavel House Immigration Removal Centre, including any responsibilities arising from the detention of children within the centre.
Answer
The management and operation of Dungavel is the responsibility of the Home Office.
- Asked by: Linda Fabiani, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 27 May 2004
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Current Status:
Answered by Cathy Jamieson on 23 June 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive how much has been paid in each quarter for available prisoner places at HM Prison Kilmarnock since the opening of the prison.
Answer
I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service to respond. His response is as follows:
The information is not readily available in the form requested. Annual expenditure figures are:
| Year | £ Million |
| 1999-2000 | 11.7 |
| 2000-2001 | 12.4 |
| 2001-2002 | 12.1 |
| 2002-2003 | 11.6 |
- Asked by: Linda Fabiani, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 03 June 2004
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Current Status:
Answered by Margaret Curran on 23 June 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has a common definition of a place of worship.
Answer
The Scottish Executive has no comprehensive definition of what constitutes a place of worship. However, there is a definition used for grant giving on listed buildings.
- Asked by: Linda Fabiani, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 03 June 2004
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Current Status:
Answered by Andy Kerr on 22 June 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive on how many occasions in each of the last five years Bute House has been used for events which raised funds for a political party.
Answer
There have been no events held in Bute House in the last five years to raise funds for a political party.
- Asked by: Linda Fabiani, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 03 June 2004
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Current Status:
Answered by Margaret Curran on 17 June 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive what progress has been made on the commitment in Making it work together - A programme for government, published in September 1999, to seek to improve the house-buying process by supporting measures that avoid additional costs for house buyers resulting from multiple surveys and valuations and include energy efficiency assessments.
Answer
Every aspect of the Single Survey Pilot is now in place, with the exception of professional indemnity insurance for participating surveyors. Training has been delivered to surveyors, estate agents and solicitors who wish to participate in the pilot, all other materials are prepared and a website is in place to facilitate the evaluation of the pilot. It is anticipated that the pilot will be launched in early July.
- Asked by: Linda Fabiani, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 27 April 2004
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Current Status:
Answered by Elish Angiolini on 17 June 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive, for each non-police reporting agency that provides reports to the procurator fiscal electronically, how many reports procurators fiscal received from each such reporting agency in 2002-03 and, of these, how many (a) were marked “no proceedings” on account of delay on the part of the reporting agency, (b) proceeded to trial, (c) resulted in a conviction and (d) are currently pending.
Answer
In 2002-03, 169 cases were received electronically from non-police reporting agencies. Three of these were from Scottish Fisheries Protection Agency (which only started reporting electronically in March 2003) and 166 from Vehicle Inspectorate.
Of the three fisheries cases:
(a) none were marked no proceeding due to delay
(b) none proceeded to full trial
(c) conviction was secured on all three
(d) none are still pending.
Of the 166 vehicle inspectorate cases:
(a) seventeen cases were marked “no pro” on account of delay on the part of thereporting agency
(b) none proceeded to a full trial involving the leading of evidence fromwitnesses; however,
(c) convictions were obtained in 115 cases because the accused pled guilty at an earlier stage
(d) none are still pending.
- Asked by: Linda Fabiani, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 03 June 2004
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Current Status:
Answered by Andy Kerr on 17 June 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-8341 by Mr Andy Kerr on 2 June 2004, what research and monitoring it carries out to ensure that procuring bodies have the necessary expertise to monitor properly value for money issues in approved PPP projects.
Answer
It is for public sector procuring bodies to ensure that they have the necessary expertise to undertake a public private partnership project, including the monitoring of value for money issues. As PPP projects usually involve large investments over a long period, and the procurement process can be complex, it is recommended that advisers are appointed to ensure that the base position for future value for money monitoring is soundly established. Guidance can be found in the Treasury Taskforce Technical Note No. 3
How to Appoint and Manage Advisers. Copies are available in the Parliament’s Reference Centre (Bib. number 20723). The processes for monitoring delivery of service and value for money once the contract commences call for expertise and resources similar toconventional procurements, including for example budgeting, audit, and performancereporting arrangements.
The Scottish Executive Financial Partnerships Unit will shortly issue a third Key Stage Review stage which aims to assist local authorities in their Schools PPP projects by assessing what systems and resources need to be put in place to support and manage their PPP contract after financial close. This has been produced in consultation with authorities and specialist advisers.
- Asked by: Linda Fabiani, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 03 June 2004
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Current Status:
Answered by Frank McAveety on 16 June 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive what progress has been made on the commitment in Making it work together - A programme for government, published in September 1999, to ensure that all schools have a sports co-ordinator by 2003.
Answer
At the end of December 2003, 334 secondary schools across Scotland had a school sports co-ordinator in post. This represents coverage of some 86% of secondary schools.
As part of the Executive’s Physical Activity Strategy, the school sports co-ordinator programme has been merged with the previous active primary schools programme, extended and developed to become the active schools programme. We have invested £24 million over the three years to 2005-06 to roll out the active schools programme across Scotland.
- Asked by: Linda Fabiani, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 03 June 2004
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Current Status:
Answered by Andy Kerr on 16 June 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-8341 by Mr Andy Kerr on 2 June 2004, how it monitors value for money in those projects for which it is the procuring body.
Answer
The monitoring of value for money applies to all publicly procured projects, and the Treasury’s Green Book provides guidance on appraisal and evaluation of projects for Government. Guidance specifically on the value for money of public private partnership projects is contained in Treasury Taskforce publications which apply in Scotland. Policy Statement No. 2, Public Sector Comparatorsand Value for Money, sets out the role of comparators in public procurementhighlighting the importance of value for money. Copies are available in the Parliament’s Reference Centre (Bib. number 18565).
