- Asked by: Alex Neil, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 04 February 2005
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Current Status:
Answered by Jim Wallace on 1 March 2005
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-7589 by Mr Jim Wallace on 27 May 2004, what Scottish GDP would currently be had it increased at the same rate as the UK average since 1997, using the revised version of GDP.
Answer
Based on the latest data available from the Office for National Statistics for the value of ScottishGross Value Added (GVA or GDP at basic prices), if Scottish growth had matchedthe UK average (excluding extra-regio) between 1997 and 2003, the estimatedlevel of Scottish GVA in 2003 would have been £82.2 billion.
The revised GVA methodologydoes not apply to these estimates. Chainlinking methodology is used to producethe volume index in the Scottish Executive’s quarterly GVA series but is notapplicable to the ONS cash value estimates which are in current prices.
- Asked by: Alex Neil, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 04 February 2005
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Current Status:
Answered by Jim Wallace on 1 March 2005
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-7591 by Mr Jim Wallace on 18 May 2004, by how much GDP will have to grow in Scotland to achieve the same level as the UK average per head in 2004-05.
Answer
The latest Gross Value Addedfigures (GVA or GDP at market prices), figures available for Scotland arepresented in the Office for National Statistics Regional Accounts. These showthat in 2003, the latest year available, Scottish GVA was estimated to be £78billion at current basic prices, resulting in an average GVA per head of£15,409. The UK equivalent (excluding extra-regio activity) was£15,980.
This implies that, for thesame population in Scotland in 2003, the average GVA per head would need to havebeen £571 higher in order to reach the same level as the UK average. This means that total GVA would have had toincrease by £2.9 billion or 3.7%. (Note that this would, in turn, result in anincrease in the actual average UK GVA/head).
- Asked by: Alex Neil, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 04 February 2005
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Current Status:
Answered by Colin Boyd on 25 February 2005
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-5082 by Colin Boyd QC on 22 January 2004, how much money was collected under the Proceeds of Crime (Scotland) Act 1995 relating to drugs offences in (a) 2003-04 and (b) 2004-05 to date.
Answer
During the financial year 2003-04 the sum of £1,136,323.68 was recovered following Confiscation Orders under the Proceeds of Crime (Scotland) Act 1995 in respect of drug offences. The sum of £162,126.57 has so far been collected during the financial year 2004-05.
- Asked by: Alex Neil, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 17 January 2005
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Current Status:
Answered by Cathy Jamieson on 2 February 2005
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will direct the Scottish Prison Service to meet its promise and obligations to the people of Upperton village in respect of contributing towards the funding for upgrading roads and lighting.
Answer
I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service to respond. His response is as follows:
The Scottish Prison Service (SPS) is not responsible for the roads and lighting at Upperton village.
When the former Longriggend Remand Unit was sold in October 2003 the purchaser assumed shared responsibility, together with the individual owners of the residential properties, for the repair and maintenance of the roads and lighting system.
Although the SPS had no statutory or other obligation to do so, it had carried out routine repairs and maintenance to the street lighting system within the village on a goodwill basis. On being advised, shortly before selling the land, that a number of the lights were not working, SPS agreed to repair them as its final contribution prior to the transfer of obligations to the new owner. This work was completed as promised.
- Asked by: Alex Neil, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 14 January 2005
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Current Status:
Answered by Margaret Curran on 1 February 2005
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will list all the changes that have been made since 10 September 2002, or are in the process of being made, to Schedule 5 of the Scotland Act 1998.
Answer
Since 10 September 2002, one order has been made to amend schedule 5 to the Scotland Act 1998, which is as follows. A further two draft orders to amend schedule 5 are currently being considered by both the Scottish and UK Parliaments:
S.I. 2004/3329 The Scotland Act 1998 (Modifications of Schedule 5) Order 2004. A copy of this order can be found in the Parliament's Reference Centre (Bib.Number 34968).
- Asked by: Alex Neil, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 14 January 2005
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Current Status:
Answered by Nicol Stephen on 28 January 2005
To ask the Scottish Executive how many (a) serious accidents and (b) fatalities have occurred on the A77 between Ayr and Stranraer in each of the last five years.
Answer
The information requested is as follows:
| Year | Serious Accidents | Fatalities |
| 1999 | 21 | 2 |
| 2000 | 16 | 2 |
| 2001 | 12 | 0 |
| 2002 | 20 | 3 |
| 2003 | 9 | 7 |
| 2004* | 9 | 5 |
Note: *2004 figures cover period to 31 October 2004 only.
- Asked by: Alex Neil, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 14 January 2005
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Current Status:
Answered by Allan Wilson on 28 January 2005
To ask the Scottish Executive how much has been spent during the current financial year by each of the three intermediate technology institutes; whether it anticipates that the institutes will underspend their £15 million budgets and, if so, by how much, and how any monies resulting from any underspend will be reallocated within the enterprise network budgets.
Answer
Questions relating to spend by the Intermediary Technology Institutes are an operational matter for Scottish Enterprise.
- Asked by: Alex Neil, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 14 January 2005
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Current Status:
Answered by Euan Robson on 28 January 2005
To ask the Scottish Executive how many children have been reported for committing 10 or more offences in each of the last five years and this year to date and, in respect of these offences, how many disposals there were in each year.
Answer
The number of children referred for 10 or more offence grounds was reported in Scottish Children's Reporter Administration annual reports as 785 (2000-01), 797 (2001-02) and 904 (2002-03). The reports can be found at
www.scra.gov.uk.
Information about the number of disposals made for these children has not been collected centrally.
At the end of 2002, a persistent young offender was defined as a young person reported for five offending episodes within six months. While the figure of 904 for the period up to 31 March 2003 was calculated on the original methodology, thereafter in subsequent financial years the number referred for 10 or more offending episodes has not been collated.
- Asked by: Alex Neil, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 14 January 2005
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Current Status:
Answered by Nicol Stephen on 28 January 2005
To ask the Scottish Executive how many (a) serious accidents and (b) fatalities have occurred on the A77 between Kilmarnock and Newton Mearns in each of the last five years.
Answer
The information requested is as follows:
| Year | Serious Accidents | Fatalities |
| 1999 | 12 | 0 |
| 2000 | 5 | 0 |
| 2001 | 2 | 2 |
| 2002 | 3 | 3 |
| 2003 | 5 | 1 |
| 2004* | 2 | 3 |
Note: *2004 figures cover period to 31 October 2004 only.
- Asked by: Alex Neil, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 14 January 2005
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Current Status:
Answered by Rhona Brankin on 28 January 2005
To ask the Scottish Executive when it will introduce a Vulnerable Adults Bill.
Answer
Some preparatory work for a Vulnerable Adults Bill has been completed, and we will consult on further elements of a bill soon.
