- Asked by: Mr Brian Monteith, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 20 May 2004
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Current Status:
Answered by Andy Kerr on 25 June 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive how much has been spent on travel within Scotland, to other parts of the United Kingdom and abroad, by the Minister for Tourism, Culture and Sport and his predecessor ministers in their official capacity in each year from 1999-2000 to 2003-04 and what the budget is for such travel in 2004-05.
Answer
I refer to the answers to questionsS1W-29052 given on 9 September 2002 and S2W-2904 given on 29 September 2003, for informationregarding the costs of overseas travel undertaken by Tourism, Culture and SportMinisters for the period 1 July 1999 to 31 March 2003.
Information on the costs of overseastravel undertaken by the Minister for Tourism, Culture and Sport for the period1 April 2003 to 31 March 2004 is provided today in the answer to S2W-9345, the annualparliamentary question on costs of ministerial visits overseas.
The budget for the Minister forTourism, Culture and Sport’s office for 2004-05 is £15,000. This covers accommodationand all types of travel for the Minister and his Private Office staff.
A record of the costs incurredby Tourism, Culture and Sport Ministers for the period 1 July 1999 to 31 March 2004 on travelwithin Scotland and other parts of the United Kingdomcould only be obtained at disproportionate cost.
- Asked by: Mr Brian Monteith, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 16 March 2004
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Current Status:
Answered by Tom McCabe on 25 June 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive what the total cost was of NHS general dental service dentistry in the last full year for which figures are available and broken down into (a) the amount paid by (i) patients and (ii) the taxpayer, expressed also in percentage terms and (b) the total cost of (i) continuing care patients, (ii) capitation payments, (iii) opening a surgery out of hours and (iv) item of service payments in respect of treatment carried out on patients who are exempted from dental charges.
Answer
The information requested isshown in the table below.
NHS General Dental Services Expenditure:1 April 2002 to 31 March 2003
| Heading | Amount (£) |
| Total Costs1 | 190,551,954 (100%) |
| Patient Charges | 54,685,004 ( 29%) |
| Net amount paid by NHS Boards/Primary Care Trusts2 | 135,866,950 ( 71%) |
| Continuing Care Fees3 | 13,847,341 |
| Capitation Fees3 | 24,115,020 |
| Item 35(b) 4 | 869,350 |
| Item of Service Fees for Patients Remitted From Dental Charges5 | 37,662,873 |
| Item of Service Fees for Patients Exempt From Dental Charges6 | 23,689,701 |
Notes
1. Total gross expenditure ongeneral dental services, including the costs of the salaried service.
2. Paid by taxpayer
3. Salaried general dental practitionersdo not receive continuing care or capitation fees.
4. Item 35(b) is the recalledattendance fee paid to independent general dental practitioners to reopen theirsurgeries and provide emergency NHS treatment when the surgery would not normallybe open.
5. The term “remitted” coverspatients where they or their partners receive income support, working families’tax credit, disabled person’s tax credit or income-based jobseeker’s allowance.Salaried general dental practitioners do not claim item of service fees in respectof exempt patients treated by them and consequently these are not included. Thefigure represents 100% of the total cost and not the 80% a “paying” patient wouldpay.
6. Exempt patients are thoseunder 18, those 18 and in full-time education, and pregnant women and nursing mothers.The figure shown represents 100% of the total cost of treatment, not the 80% thata “paying” patient would pay.
- Asked by: Mr Brian Monteith, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 10 June 2004
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Current Status:
Answered by Andy Kerr on 23 June 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive what non-collection rate of the council tax is assumed in the setting of the tax in each local authority.
Answer
The collection rate assumed by each local authority in setting their 2004‑05 council tax level is set out in the table below. This assumed rate takes into account the collection of arrears as well as billing for the current year.
| | 2004-05 Council Tax Payment Assumption |
| Scotland | 96.30% |
| Aberdeen City | 97.60% |
| Aberdeenshire | 98.50% |
| Angus | 98.00% |
| Argyll and Bute | 95.30% |
| Clackmannanshire | 96.50% |
| Dumfries and Galloway | 96.40% |
| Dundee City | 96.50% |
| East Ayrshire | 95.00% |
| East Dunbartonshire | 97.00% |
| East Lothian | 96.00% |
| East Renfrewshire | 98.00% |
| Edinburgh City | 95.00% |
| Eilean Siar | 96.00% |
| Falkirk | 97.46% |
| Fife | 97.60% |
| Glasgow City | 94.00% |
| Highland | 96.00% |
| Inverclyde | 96.50% |
| Midlothian | 96.50% |
| Moray | 97.50% |
| North Ayrshire | 95.75% |
| North Lanarkshire | 96.50% |
| Orkney | 97.20% |
| Perth and Kinross | 97.50% |
| Renfrewshire | 95.22% |
| Scottish Borders | 98.00% |
| Shetland | 95.50% |
| South Ayrshire | 97.00% |
| South Lanarkshire | 96.25% |
| Stirling | 97.75% |
| West Dunbartonshire | 95.50% |
| West Lothian | 96.50% |
Source: CTAS 2004 returns from Local Authorities to the Scottish Executive.
- Asked by: Mr Brian Monteith, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 10 June 2004
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Current Status:
Answered by Tavish Scott on 23 June 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive what estimate of council tax collection rate is used when setting the revenue support grant for local authorities.
Answer
No estimate of council tax collection rate is used when setting the revenue support grant for local authorities.
Instead, an overall allowance for council tax income is made, and it is for local authorities to set their council tax rates in the light of that and of their expenditure plans and priorities.
- Asked by: Mr Brian Monteith, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 08 June 2004
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Current Status:
Answered by Frank McAveety on 21 June 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive from which budget heading its additional funding proposals for Scottish Opera will be sourced.
Answer
We will find the money through careful management of this year’s and next year’s Scottish Executive budget.
- Asked by: Mr Brian Monteith, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 02 June 2004
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Current Status:
Answered by Andy Kerr on 15 June 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive what assurances it can give that, in the forthcoming revaluation of non-domestic business rates, properties valued with reference to cost will be assessed in such a way as to ensure a like-for-like valuation with comparable premises in England.
Answer
The valuation of non-domestic property in Scotland is the responsibility of the Scottish Assessors. The Scottish Assessors liaise with their counterparts in England and Wales – the Valuation Office Agency – to ensure harmonisation of valuation treatment north and south of the Border, where practical.
- Asked by: Mr Brian Monteith, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 25 May 2004
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Current Status:
Answered by Frank McAveety on 8 June 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-8109 by Mr Frank McAveety on 21 May 2004, when it expects to finalise consideration of the audit of local sports facilities commissioned by sportscotland and, if no date has been set, whether it will set a target for completion.
Answer
The reports have not yet beenfinalised and received by Executive officials. It is therefore not possible to givea definite date but I would expect the reports to have been considered by the autumn.
- Asked by: Mr Brian Monteith, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 20 May 2004
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Current Status:
Answered by Andy Kerr on 4 June 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive how many non-departmental public bodies (a) were established, (b) were abolished and (c) there were in each year since 1995.
Answer
Detailed information on public bodies is contained on the Public Bodies and Appointments website at
http://www.scotland.gov.uk/government/publicbodies/. The number of public bodies in Scotland currently stands at 141.
Prior to the websites establishment in 2002, detailed information on public bodies was published in the annual Cabinet Office document Public Bodies. Copies of this document are available from http://www.cabinet-office.gov.uk/agencies-publicbodies/.
The table shows the trend in the number of public bodies from 1995 to 2003 and tracks the changes which have been effected during our administration.
| Public Bodies | 1995 | 1996 | 1997 | 1998 | 1999 | 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 |
| Executive | 48 | 41 | 37 | 36 | 38 | 38 | 38 | 39 | 34 |
| Advisory | 116 | 97 | 96 | 62 | 56 | 53 | 51 | 48 | 47 |
| Tribunals | 14 | 34 | 34 | 36 | 36 | 35 | 36 | 35 | 35 |
| Health Service | 68 | 68 | 68 | 68 | 50 | 52 | 52 | 26 | 25 |
| Nationalised Industries | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 2 |
| Public Corporations | Not Listed | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 1 |
| Total | 249 | 246 | 241 | 208 | 186 | 184 | 183 | 151 | 144 |
Sources: Scottish Executive and Public Bodies (1995-2001 editions).
- Asked by: Mr Brian Monteith, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 07 May 2004
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Current Status:
Answered by Frank McAveety on 21 May 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive when it will publish the results of its review of sports facilities.
Answer
The reports of the audit of localsports facilities commissioned by sportscotland are being finalised and willneed to be considered before publication arrangements are decided.
- Asked by: Mr Brian Monteith, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 19 April 2004
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Current Status:
Answered by Frank McAveety on 4 May 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive what the total cost is of each sonic poster used in the 2004 Western Isles Tourist Board campaign.
Answer
This is an operational matterfor Western Isles Tourist Board.
