- Asked by: Alex Neil, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 25 October 2006
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Current Status:
Answered by Malcolm Chisholm on 7 November 2006
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will list all the reports which it has commissioned, or is in the process of commissioning, from external sources in relation to housing stock transfer and related matters in Glasgow in each year since May 1999, giving details of the remit, cost and relevant contractor or consultant for each report.
Answer
I have asked Angiolina Foster, Chief Executive of Communities Scotland to respond. Her response is asfollows:I refer the member to the answer to question S2W-29263 on 7 November 2006. All answers to written parliamentaryquestions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility forwhich can be found at
http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search.
- Asked by: Alex Neil, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 25 October 2006
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Current Status:
Answered by Malcolm Chisholm on 7 November 2006
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will list all the reports which Communities Scotland has commissioned, or is in the process of commissioning, from external sources in respect of housing stock transfer and related matters in Glasgow in each year since May 1999, giving details of the remit, cost, and relevant contractor or consultant for each report.
Answer
I have asked Angiolina Foster,Chief Executive of Communities Scotland, to respond. Her response is as follows:
Since 1999 our records suggestthat Communities Scotland or the Scottish Executive have commissioned two reportson housing transfer in Glasgow:
-In 2001 the Scottish Executivecommissioned Pricewaterhouse Coopers (PwC) to provide a diagnostic review on theGlasgow Stock Transfer at a cost of £30,000
-In October 2002, CommunitiesScotland and Glasgow City Council jointly commissioned The University of Strathclydeto carry out a review of the Area Housing Partnerships in the City, the cost ofwhich was £9,500 including VAT.
In addition, in June 2005, CommunitiesScotland commissioned Price Waterhouse Coopers (PwC) to provide a broad range offinancial advice to inform Communities Scotland’s joint work with Glasgow HousingAssociation on how best to deliver Second Stage Transfers. PwC are continuing tosupport Communities Scotland in this work. The cost is £125,068 plus VAT.
- Asked by: Alex Neil, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 25 October 2006
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Current Status:
Answered by Tom McCabe on 7 November 2006
To ask the Scottish Executive , further to the answer to question S2W-28688 by Mr Tom McCabe on 18 October 2006, how much the Relocation Advisory Service spent in (a) 2004-05 and (b) 2005-06 in respect of (i) one-off costs, (ii) software development, (iii) information packs, (iv) staff training manuals, (v) on-going costs, (vi) staffing, (vii) software support and maintenance, (viii) Language Line and (ix) NARIC.
Answer
| Costs | (a) 2005-06 | (b) 2004-05 |
| (i) one off costs* includes (iii)Information packs (iv) Staff training manuals (ii) Software development | £10,029.26 | £349,160.64 |
| (v) Ongoing costs | £44.12 | |
| (vi) Staffing | £252,745.00 | £87,668.92 |
| (vii) Software support and maintenance | £27,177.75 | £61,652.25 |
| (viii) Language Line | £3,829.51 | £2,499.76 |
| (ix) Naric | 0 | £2,285.38 |
| Other, including promotional activities. | £6,752.21 | £1,410.00 |
| Total | £300,577.85 | £504,676.95 |
Note: *This also includessoftware, hardware and telephony, due to the nature of the contract a furtherbreakdown of these costs is not available.
- Asked by: Alex Neil, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 25 October 2006
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Current Status:
Answered by Tom McCabe on 7 November 2006
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-28686 by Mr Tom McCabe on 18 October 2006, whether the Relocation Advisory Service offers assistance with finding suitable housing for migrants seeking to relocate to Scotland
Answer
The Relocation AdvisoryService does not offer personal assistance in finding housing. It will provide informationto anyone wishing to relocate to Scotland on the housing market in Scotland,both to buy and to rent, by directing people to relevant information; includingthe Scottish Executive guides Thinkingabout buying: A Guide to House Purchase in Scotland and
www.betterrentingscotland.com.
- Asked by: Alex Neil, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 11 October 2006
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Current Status:
Answered by Elish Angiolini on 7 November 2006
To ask the Scottish Executive what previous involvement the Lord Advocate has had in the (a) Shirley McKie fingerprint case and (b) Lockerbie trial.
Answer
I had no involvement in any of the criminal investigations or prosecutions related to this matter. I was involvedin the civil litigation by Shirley McKie against the Scottish ministers, in my capacityas a Law Officer.
I had no involvement in the Lockerbietrial.
- Asked by: Alex Neil, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 11 October 2006
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Current Status:
Answered by Tom McCabe on 7 November 2006
To ask the Scottish Executive what precedent there is of a serving civil servant being appointed as a government minister or law officer since 1970.
Answer
I can only answer for ministerialappointments to the Scottish Executive since 1999.
No serving civil servant hasbeen appointed as a Scottish Executive minister or law officer since 1999. ElishAngiolini intimated her resignation from the Civil Service on 28 November 2001,the date when the First Minister proposed to the Parliament that she should be recommendedfor appointment as Solicitor General and her resignation took effect prior to hertaking up her appointment on 5 December 2001.
- Asked by: Alex Neil, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 11 October 2006
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Current Status:
Answered by Tom McCabe on 7 November 2006
To ask the Scottish Executive by what authority and under what statute civil service pensions are provided for Scottish ministers or law officers.
Answer
The posts of the Scottishministers, the Lord Advocate and the Solicitor General are covered by the Scottish Parliamentary Pension Scheme (SPPS), rather than the Civil Service Pension Scheme.The SPPS was established by the Scotland Act 1998 (Transitory and Transitional Provisions)(Scottish Parliamentary Pension Scheme) Order 1999 (SI 1999/1082) by the Secretaryof State for Scotland under powers in the Scotland Act 1998. The scheme isadministered by the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body.
- Asked by: Alex Neil, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 11 October 2006
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Current Status:
Answered by Tom McCabe on 7 November 2006
To ask the Scottish Executive whether the Lord Advocate will continue to contribute to the civil service pension scheme.
Answer
Any contributions to the PrincipalCivil Service Pension Scheme by the Lord Advocate would have ceased when she resignedfrom the civil service on 4 December 2001.
- Asked by: Alex Neil, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 11 October 2006
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Current Status:
Answered by Tom McCabe on 7 November 2006
To ask the Scottish Executive whether a position within the Procurator Fiscal Service is being held open for the Lord Advocate to fill when she demits that office and, if so, which position is being held open.
Answer
No. The Lord Advocate resignedfrom the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service when she was nominated as SolicitorGeneral.
- Asked by: Alex Neil, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 11 October 2006
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Current Status:
Answered by Tom McCabe on 7 November 2006
To ask the Scottish Executive whether the Lord Advocate will revert to being a civil servant when she demits that office.
Answer
No. Ms Angiolini resigned fromthe civil service on 4 December 2001. It would, however, be open to her when she demits hercurrent role, to apply for any externally advertised civil service posts. As a formercivil servant, she would also be eligible to apply to the civil service for re-appointment to either a post in the same range asheld on resignation (re-instatement) or to a post in a higher or lower range tothat held on resignation (re-employment). However, no previous employee has a rightto either re-instatement or re-employment and all applications are considered takinginto account the current needs of the department.
