Chamber and committees

I refer the member to the answer given to question S2W-4499 on 10 December 2003. 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/webapp/search_wa.

The Scottish Executive expectsLord Fraser to contain expenditure on the investigation into the costs of theHolyrood building project within the agreed budget of £1.2 million.

We do not at present haveany plans to collect centrally information on the number of cases where the Scottish Criminal Record Office (SCRO) has submitted fingerprint evidence and theaccused has been found guilty.

It is for the Crown todecide what evidence is led in criminal cases. There will not, therefore, necessarilybe a direct link between the submission of fingerprint evidence by SCRO and theoutcome of a particular case.

The acting Commissioner was appointed by the SPCB on 31 January 2003. The terms of the contract stated that he would continue to act as the Scottish ParliamentaryStandards Commissioner in relation to the complaint or complaints whichwere outstanding at 1 April 2003 until the Standards Committee had confirmed that no assistance or further assistance would be sought from him. When the Parliamentwent into dissolution on 31 March 2003 there was one outstanding complaint underinvestigation and the acting Commissioner duly reported on that matter to theStandards Committee at the earliest opportunity in session 2. The StandardsCommittee completed its consideration of this complaint with the publication ofa committee report at the conclusion of Stage 3 of the complaints process on 7 October 2003. As at that date, no further assistance was required from the acting Standards Commissioner. The Standards Committee will be invited to confirm that position.

Irefer Alex Neil to my answer to S2W-4304 on 9 December 2003.We would not normally publish terms of appointment for individuals. I can confirm that the general terms and conditionswere identical to those published as part of the application pack for thoseapplying for the permanent appointment and a copy of this has been placed inSPICe (Bib. number. 30158).

In addition to the generalconditions these particular terms of appointment also had a specific section ontenure and this was as follows:

Your appointment as actingScottish Parliamentary Standards Commissioner is effective from 30 January 2003until 31 March 2003. The purpose of your appointment is to fulfil therole of Scottish Parliamentary Standards Commissioner until the permanentCommissioner takes up his role on 1 April 2003.

From 1 April 2003 youwill continue to fulfil the functions of Scottish Parliamentary StandardsCommissioner in relation to any complaint or complaints which are outstandingas at 1 April 2003 only. Any complaints lodged on or after 1 April 2003 willbe passed to the permanent Scottish Parliamentary Standards Commissioner. Youwill continue to act as the Scottish Parliamentary Standards Commissioner inrelation to the complaint or complaints which are outstanding at 1 April 2003 untilthe Standards Committee has confirmed that no assistance or further assistanceis required.

I refer Alex Neil to myanswer to S2W-4304 on 9 December 2003 regarding the extension of the contract for theacting Scottish Parliamentary Standards Commissioner. Under the Scottish Parliamentary Standards Commissioner Act 2002, it is for the SPCB to determinethe terms of the appointment of the acting Commissioner.

I refer Alex Neil to myanswer to S2W-4304 on 9 December 2003 regarding the extension of the contract for theacting Scottish Parliamentary Standards Commissioner. The budget for the Scottish Parliamentary Standards Commissioner and any acting Commissionerappointed by the SPCB is determined by the SPCB. Under the terms of hisappointment, the acting Commissioner was paid on a salaried basis until 31March, thereafter he was paid an hourly rate for work undertaken in relation toany outstanding complaints.

I refer Alex Neil to myanswer to S2W-4304 on 9 December 2003 regarding the extension of the contract for theacting Scottish Parliamentary Standards Commissioner.

I refer Alex Neil to myanswer to S2W-4304 on 9 December 2003 regarding the extension of the contract for theacting Scottish Parliamentary Standards Commissioner.

The budget for the StandardsCommittee for 2002-03 was £119,600. This was divided into SPCB payroll costsand other costs (which includes travel, expenses and advisers to the committee).The expenditure on SPCB payroll was £97,400 and the expenditure on other costswas £10,200. This includes the costs to employ an adviser to the committee fromMarch 2002 to January 2003. The actual expenditure of the Standards Committee was£12,000 under budget for that financial year.