- Asked by: Alex Neil, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 27 September 2004
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Current Status:
Answered by Allan Wilson on 15 October 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive what its estimate is of underspend in regional selective assistance during the current financial year.
Answer
Our current expectation is that spend on regional selective assistance (RSA) for the current financial year will be broadly in line with the budget of £40.2 million. However, RSA is a demand led scheme, under which instalments are only released as firms make progress in implementing grant assisted projects. It is not therefore possible to make precise forecasts of aggregate annual expenditure under the scheme.
- Asked by: Alex Neil, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 21 September 2004
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Current Status:
Answered by Margaret Curran on 12 October 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will make representations to Her Majesty’s Government in respect of amending the Scotland Act 1998 arising from Lord Fraser’s report of the Holyrood Inquiry.
Answer
Section 21 of the Scotland Act 1998 provides for the establishment, membership and functions of the Scottish Parliament Corporate Body. The Executive will wish to consider the views of the Presiding Officer, other members of the Scottish Parliament Corporate Body and other interested parties before reaching a view on whether any changes in the powers of the Scottish Parliament Corporate Body might be appropriate.
- Asked by: Alex Neil, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 28 September 2004
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Current Status:
Answered by Cathy Jamieson on 6 October 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive whether fingerprint technology currently being used by the Scottish Criminal Records Office is sufficiently up to date.
Answer
The Fingerprint technology currently in use by the Scottish Fingerprint Service isup to date. It consists of two interlinked parts, the Automatic FingerprintRecognition System which was introduced in 1991 and which had a major software upgraded in 1997 and the Livescan system which was introduced in 1997.
- Asked by: Alex Neil, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 21 September 2004
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Current Status:
Answered by Tavish Scott on 5 October 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive what steps have been taken to encourage its suppliers to procure goods and services that minimise any adverse impact on the environment.
Answer
The Scottish Executive iscommitted to playing a full role in Scotland’s sustainable development and has implementedcomprehensive environmental policies in support of this goal. When we buy goodsand services we aim to do so in a way which minimises impact on theenvironment. Whilst we have no control over suppliers’ own procurementpolicies, we actively encourage them to share our commitment to continuousenvironmental improvement through the provision of data.
This policy is explained inmore detail in Guidance for Suppliers on the sustainable developmentpages of the Scottish Procurement Directorate’s external website:
http://www.scotland.gov.uk/about/FCSD/PCSD-POL/00017839/susdevguide.aspx.
- Asked by: Alex Neil, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 21 September 2004
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Current Status:
Answered by George Reid on 30 September 2004
To ask the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body (SPCB) whether it will make representations to Her Majesty’s Government in support of the Scotland Act 1998 being amended to extend the SPCB’s powers of delegation as recommended by Lord Fraser in the report of the Holyrood Inquiry.
Answer
On 22 September the Parliament unanimously approved a resolution inviting the SPCB to consider the Fraser Report. This the SPCB will do. As part of that process, consideration will be given to the recommendation of Lord Fraser that section 21 of the Scotland Act should be amended.
- Asked by: Alex Neil, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 25 August 2004
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Current Status:
Answered by Andy Kerr on 28 September 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will consider increasing the small business rate relief allowance in line with any increase in rateable values arising from revaluation for the purpose of business rates.
Answer
The Scottish Executive will consider the impact of the 2005 revaluation of non-domestic property, which takes effect from 1 April 2005, on the small business rate relief scheme (SBRRS). The Scottish Executive aims to announce the 2005-06 poundage rate, the 2005-06 SBRRS supplement, whether or not transitional arrangements will be put in place at 1 April 2005 and what, if any, changes will be made to the rateable value thresholds of the SBRR and rural rate relief schemes in early November 2004.
- Asked by: Alex Neil, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 15 September 2004
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Current Status:
Answered by Malcolm Chisholm on 23 September 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has a policy on how best to involve patients in the process for appointing new GPs.
Answer
It is a matter for each NHS board to decide how it will involve patients in theappointment process.
Boards are already expected to involve individuals, groups and communities in the wider planning of services and the NHS Reform (Scotland) Act 2004 places a statutory duty on them to involve the public in service change.
- Asked by: Alex Neil, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 22 June 2004
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Current Status:
Answered by Jim Wallace on 21 July 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will provide information on any follow-up action to the recommendation contained in the report by Audit Scotland, Local economic forums: A follow-up report, that it should continue to monitor the impact of local economic forums on the business community.
Answer
Yes. All of Audit Scotland’s recommendations will inform policy development and implementation relating to Local Economic Forums (LEF). Progress will be reported in a variety of ways including at a stakeholder conference planned for later this year and through the LEF website.
- Asked by: Alex Neil, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 22 June 2004
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Current Status:
Answered by Jim Wallace on 21 July 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will provide information on any follow-up action taken in response to the recommendation contained in the report by Audit Scotland, Local economic forums: A follow-up report, that it should work with Scottish Enterprise and Highlands and Islands Enterprise to explore cost-effective approaches to conducting joint surveys to determine the views of the business sector and ensure that the progress of local economic forums' partners in discharging their economic development strategies is monitored and evaluated.
Answer
Yes. All of Audit Scotland’s recommendations will inform policy development and implementation relating to Local Economic Forums (LEF). Progress will be reported in a variety of ways including at a stakeholder conference planned for later this year and through the LEF website.
- Asked by: Alex Neil, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 22 June 2004
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Current Status:
Answered by Jim Wallace on 21 July 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will provide information on any follow-up action taken in response to the recommendation contained in the report by Audit Scotland, Local economic forums: A follow-up report, that it should take steps to disseminate good practice related to addressing guidelines issued to local economic forums.
Answer
Yes. All of Audit Scotland’s recommendations will inform policy development and implementation relating to Local Economic Forums (LEF). Progress will be reported in a variety of ways including at a stakeholder conference planned for later this year and through the LEF website.
