Seòmar agus comataidhean

The most recent exercise to practice arrangements for responding to a Major Incident in which the Scottish Government played a major part took place on 16 September 2009. The next exercise to practice dealing with a Major Incident in which the Scottish Government is due to play a major role is scheduled to take place on 26 to 27 January 2010.

The authority of any government derives from its ability to command the confidence of the Parliament. Statutory provisions (and, in particular, sections 45(2), 47(3)(c), 48(2) and 49(4)(c) of the Scotland Act 1998) have relevance only where the Parliament formally resolves that the government no longer enjoys that confidence.

Information from the Scottish Government and local authorities on progress on each concordat commitment is already in the public domain. Further information will be provided as it becomes available.

The direct line management responsibilities of the Permanent Secretary of the Scottish Government are primarily for the six officials in Director General posts within the Scottish Government and, within the framework of the independence of the Lord Advocate in relation to her functions, the Director General post of Crown Agent and Chief Executive of the Procurator Fiscal Service, but also extend to the Director of Strategy and Ministerial Support and to his Private Secretary within the Scottish Government, and to the Director of Government Skills within the UK Civil Service. Through these direct responsibilities, he has ultimate line management responsibility for all employees of the Scottish Government, except special advisers and with limitations on that responsibility in respect of staff employed in executive agencies or non-ministerial departments, and for the staff of Government Skills.

Since May 2007, as part of a significant restructuring of senior management there has been a reduction of one in the number of Director General posts within the Scottish Government and the Permanent Secretary has ceased to have direct line management responsibility for the Director of Human Resources and Corporate Services, the Director of Communications and the Director of Culture, External Affairs and Tourism.

His responsibilities for Government Skills have also been taken on since 2007. The Permanent Secretary''s direct line management responsibilities are discharged principally through regular meetings with individuals and the Scottish Government''s formal performance management arrangements, or their equivalent in relation to Government Skills, and his overall line management responsibilities through a variety of other means.

The agenda for the meetings is agreed by a group of senior managers in the Scottish Government as are the notes.

I have asked Barry White, Chief Executive of the Scottish Futures Trust to respond. His response is as follows:

The recruitment adverts for seven senior posts were published in the Scotsman, Herald, Times, Scotland on Sunday, Sunday Herald and Sunday Times newspapers at a cost of £16,079.41. The creation of a recruitment website and the placement of the adverts in six specialist multi-point online recruitment systems cost a further £10,000.

No current ministers have attended any of the meetings. In September 2007 Ms Linda Fabiani MSP attended for one item of a meeting to speak to senior staff about ministers'' experience of the first months in office. This was used to inform a senior staff discussion about standards of service to ministers.

I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-27031 on 18 September 2009. 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.

I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-22429, on 17 September 2009. 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.

The Permanent Secretary brings together the top two tiers of his staff at regular senior management meetings. These staff are the Directors General and Directors from across the Scottish Government. He also invites the Chief Executives of Executive Agencies, within the Scottish Government, and, on some occasions, non-Executive Directors with roles in the core Scottish Government are also included. The numbers invited total around 70 people. Not everyone is able to attend every meeting.

The names and responsibilities of all Directors General, Directors and Chief Executives are published regularly in the Scottish Government''s Who''s Who guide, which is available on the Scottish Government website at www.scotland.gov.uk . We do not disclose personal information such as length of service.