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.

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Question reference: S2W-20056

Asked by: Alex Neil, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 25 October 2005
Current Status: Answered by Tom McCabe on 3 November 2005

To ask the Scottish Executive what the total value was of its Environment and Rural Affairs Department contracts awarded to businesses with headquarters in Scotland; how many such contracts there were; what percentage these values and numbers represented of the total (a) value and (b) number of its Environment and Rural Affairs Department contracts, and what the value was of each contract in each of the last three financial years.

Question reference: S2W-20059

Asked by: Alex Neil, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 25 October 2005
Current Status: Answered by Tom McCabe on 3 November 2005

To ask the Scottish Executive what the total value was of its Finance and Central Services Department contracts awarded to businesses with headquarters in Scotland; what percentage these values and numbers represented of the total (a) value and (b) number of its Finance and Central Services Department contracts, and what the value was of each contract in each of the last three financial years.

Question reference: S2W-20049

Asked by: Alex Neil, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 25 October 2005
Current Status: Answered by Tom McCabe on 3 November 2005

To ask the Scottish Executive what the total value was of its consultancy contracts awarded to businesses with headquarters in Scotland; how many such contracts there were; what percentage these values and numbers represented of the total (a) value and (b) number of its consultancy contracts, and what the value was of each contract in each of the last three financial years.

Question reference: S2W-20051

Asked by: Alex Neil, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 25 October 2005
Current Status: Answered by Tom McCabe on 3 November 2005

To ask the Scottish Executive what the total value was of its information technology contracts awarded to businesses with headquarters in Scotland; how many such contracts there were; what percentage these values and numbers represented of the total (a) value and (b) number of its information technology contracts, and what the value was of each contract in each of the last three financial years.

Question reference: S2W-20027

Asked by: Alex Neil, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 25 October 2005
Current Status: Answered by Rhona Brankin on 2 November 2005

To ask the Scottish Executive which of its original strategic objectives Scottish Natural Heritage has achieved since its inception.

Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) was set up under the Natural Heritage (Scotland) Act 1991 with the general aims and purposes of:

Securing the conservation and enhancement of, and fostering understanding and facilitating enjoyment of, the natural heritage of Scotland. Scottish Natural Heritage also has to have regard to the desirability of ensuring that anything done in relation to the natural heritage is undertaken in a manner which is sustainable.

Scottish Natural Heritage is an open organisation. Its board meetings are held in public and its board papers are generally available. Information on progress against targets and objectives is available through SNH’s annual reports starting in 1992-93.

Question reference: S2W-20029

Asked by: Alex Neil, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 25 October 2005
Current Status: Answered by George Lyon on 2 November 2005

To ask the Scottish Executive which of its original strategic objectives the Standards Commission for Scotland has achieved since its inception.

Question reference: S2W-20023

Asked by: Alex Neil, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 25 October 2005
Current Status: Answered by Robert Brown on 2 November 2005

To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions it has had with Her Majesty's Government in respect of the Work and Families Bill introduced in the House of Commons on 18 October 2005.

The Scottish Executive is in regular contact with the UK Government on a wide range of issues, including the implications for devolved matters in Scotland of its legislative programme. This contact reflects the approach, set out in Devolution Guidance Note 1 in accordance with the principles set out in the Memorandum of Understanding, that the administrations normally consult each other from an early stage on the development of relevant legislative proposals.

Question reference: S2W-19611

Asked by: Alex Neil, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 03 October 2005
Current Status: Answered by Rhona Brankin on 31 October 2005

To ask the Scottish Executive, in light of newspaper reports that the National Trust for Scotland (NTS) has awarded a contract valued at £50,000 to a New Zealand company to eliminate rats on the island of Canna, whether any other company was invited to tender for this work and, if so, how many applications were received; what conditions are placed on the NTS in respect of its procurement policies and whether these are a condition of the public funding it receives; if not, whether the Executive will consider introducing such conditions, and what the reasons are for its position on the matter.

The Canna Seabird Recovery EC LIFE-Nature Project receives no direct financial contribution from the Scottish Executive. The major proportion of funds will come from the European Commission, with some co-financing from Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH). SNH is funded by Scottish ministers to protect and enhance Scotland’s natural heritage. It has discretion to commit expenditure and to make grants subject to procedures set out in its management statement and financial memorandum which ensure proper accountability for the expenditure of public money.

I understand that the NTS contract to eradicate rats on Canna and Sanday was put out to public tender.

Question reference: S2W-19355

Asked by: Alex Neil, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 20 September 2005
Current Status: Answered by Duncan McNeil on 4 October 2005

To ask the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body whether it has received any invitations to attend the Better Regulation Conference, organised by the Cabinet Office as part of the UK Presidency of the European Union and being held in Edinburgh on 22 and 23 September 2005 and, if so, how many invitations it has received and to whom they were addressed.

Question reference: S2W-19354

Asked by: Alex Neil, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 20 September 2005
Current Status: Answered by Tom McCabe on 3 October 2005

To ask the Scottish Executive what role its ministers or civil servants will have in the Better Regulation Conference, organised by the Cabinet Office as part of the UK Presidency of the European Union and being held in Edinburgh on 22 and 23 September 2005.