- Asked by: Alex Neil, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 20 July 2007
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Current Status:
Awaiting answer
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will provide the names of the special advisers currently in post; what their pay bands are for 2007-08; how many special advisers are in each pay band, and what the total cost was of employing special advisers in 2006-07.
Answer
Awaiting answer
- Asked by: Alex Neil, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 29 June 2007
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Current Status:
Answered by Mike Pringle on 12 July 2007
To ask the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body when the Scottish Commission for Human Rights is likely to become operational.
Answer
The SelectionPanel established under Standing Orders to recruit the chair of the Commissionaim to nominate the successful candidate to the Parliament in the autumn. Thereafter,the SPCB shall commence the recruitment of the Commission members aiming tocomplete this process by February 2008.
- Asked by: Alex Neil, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 20 June 2007
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Current Status:
Answered by John Swinney on 12 July 2007
To ask the Scottish Executive what estimate it has made of the revenue cost of providing annual council tax discounts for pensioner households of (a) £100, (b) £200, (c) £250, (d) £400, (e) £500, (f) £750 and (g) £1,000.
Answer
Estimated costs for2007-08, based on full collection rates, are contained in the following table:
| Discount | Estimated Revenue Cost (£ Million) |
| £100 | 62.6 |
| £200 | 125.2 |
| £250 | 156.4 |
| £400 | 250.3 |
| £500 | 312.9 |
| £750² | 439.4 |
| £1,000² | 506.4 |
Notes:
1. Estimates are derivedfrom Family Resources Survey (FRS) data applied to a count of the number of propertiesin each council tax band. The FRS data relate to males 65+/ females 60+. Householdswith one pensioner and one non- pensioner adult are not included.
2. A discount of £750would exceed council tax bills for single adult homes in bands A and B. Similarlya discount of £1,000 would exceed council tax bills for single adults in bands Ato D and exceeds the full council tax bill for bands A and B. Where the discountexceeds the current council tax bill, it is assumed that the council tax bill willbe zero.
- Asked by: Alex Neil, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 13 June 2007
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Current Status:
Answered by Nicola Sturgeon on 20 June 2007
To ask the Scottish Executive what the expenditure of the office of the Scottish Information Commissioner has been since his appointment, broken down into specific costs, and what the achievements of the commissioner have been to date.
Answer
The Scottish HealthCouncil recruits volunteers to its Local Advisory Councils network on the basisof their skills and motivation to carry out the required work, rather than by recruitingto fill a specified complement. The council advise that the average number of LocalAdvisory Council members is currently between six and seven.
- Asked by: Alex Neil, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 07 June 2007
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Current Status:
Answered by Kenny MacAskill on 19 June 2007
To ask the Scottish Executive what the total cost to date has been of the police enquiries into the allegations of perjury during the Tommy Sheridan versus the News of the World case.
Answer
This informationis not held centrally.
In any event, itwould not be appropriate, for operational reasons, to disclose informationabout on-going police investigations.
- Asked by: Alex Neil, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 07 June 2007
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Current Status:
Answered by John Swinney on 19 June 2007
To ask the Scottish Executive what the total cost of ministerial redundancy payments has been in each year since 1999.
Answer
On leaving office,ministers in the Scottish Executive are entitled to a severance grant of onequarter of their final ministerial salary. This is payable under Article 6 of the Scotland Act 1998 (Transitory and Transitional Provisions) (Grants toMembers and Officeholders) Order Statutory Instrument (SI) 1999/1081 providing theydo not again become a holder of a relevant office within a period of threeweeks after resignation.
For the purposesof section 190 of the Income and Corporation Taxes Act 1988[2], the severancegrant is deemed to have been paid under section 81(3) of the Scotland Act 1998,and is exempt from income tax.
The amounts paidin each financial year since 1999 are:
| Year | Amount |
| 1999-2000 | Nil |
| 2000-01 | £13,355.25 |
| 2001-02 | £66,402.25 |
| 2002-03 | £14,734.75 |
| 2003-04 | £30,133.00 |
| 2004-05 | £11,837.50 |
| 2005-06 | £15,798.75 |
| 2006-07 | £19,817.50 |
| 2007-08 to date | £143,473.25 |
- Asked by: Alex Neil, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 07 June 2007
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Current Status:
Answered by Shona Robison on 15 June 2007
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will make prescriptions free of charge to those who are suffering from Parkinson’s disease.
Answer
We remain committedto our manifesto pledge to abolish prescription charges for people with chronicconditions. We are currently considering which health conditions will fall withinthe definition of “chronic condition” and will consult on that list in due course.
- Asked by: Alex Neil, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 07 June 2007
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Current Status:
Answered by John Swinney on 15 June 2007
To ask the Scottish Executive what the pension entitlements are of ministers.
Answer
Under The ScotlandAct 1998 (Transitory and Transitional Provisions) (Scotland Parliamentary PensionScheme) Order 1999 Statutory Instrument (SI) 1082, ministers who participate inthe Scottish Parliamentary Pension Scheme are entitled to a pension, based on serviceand salary in respect of that position, payable from age 65. The Scottish PublicPensions Agency administers the Scottish Parliamentary Pension Scheme on behalfof the Scottish Parliament.
- Asked by: Alex Neil, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 07 June 2007
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Current Status:
Answered by John Swinney on 15 June 2007
To ask the Scottish Executive what the revenue cost would be of implementing a council tax discount for pensioner households of (a) 10%, (b) 20%, (c) 25%, (d) 30% and (e) 50%.
Answer
Estimated costs for2007-08, based on full collection rates, are contained in the following table:
| Discount | Estimated Revenue Cost (£ Million) |
| 10% | 57.2 |
| 20% | 114.4 |
| 25% | 143.0 |
| 30% | 171.6 |
| 50% | 286.0 |
Note: Estimates arederived from Family Resources Survey (FRS) data applied to a count of the numberof properties in each council tax band). The FRS data relate to males 65+/ females60+. Households with one pensioner and one non-pensioner adult are not included.
- Asked by: Alex Neil, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 07 June 2007
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Current Status:
Answered by John Swinney on 15 June 2007
To ask the Scottish Executive what the average capital value per hectare is of development land in Scotland
Answer
The value of landwith planning consent for development varies over time with the locality and thetype of planning consent. As an indicator of broad levels of value found in the Scottish property markets the
Valuation Office Property Market Report 2007records typical values of land for residential development and industrial and warehouseland values for Scotland. These values should be regarded as illustrativerather than definitive. A feature of the residential land market is the “lumpiness”of changes in value. It is difficult to establish exactly when significant movementsin value occurred.
Value of Land forResidential Development as at 1 January 2007
| Region | Small Sites (for Less than Five Houses) £ per Hectare | Bulk Land (Sites in Excess of Two Hectares) £ per Hectare |
| Glasgow | 1,500,000 | 2,750,000 |
| Edinburgh | 3,600,000 | 4,000,000 |
| Aberdeen | 2,750,000 | 2,500,000 |
| Inverness | 980,000 | 750,000 |
| Dundee | 1,000,000 | 650,000 |
Industrial and Warehouse Land Values as at 1 January 2007
| Scotland | Typical £ per Hectare |
| Glasgow | 370,000 |
| Edinburgh | 350,000 |
| Aberdeen | 435,000 |
| Inverness | 420,000 |
| Dundee | 150,000 |
