- Asked by: Lord James Douglas-Hamilton, MSP for Lothians, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 17 February 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Sarah Boyack on 10 March 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-2331 by Sarah Boyack on 10 December 1999, whether it will provide full details of how Midlothian Council intends to finance the A701 Midlothian Project and any implications for council tax levels in Midlothian.
Answer
Further to my previous answer, how Midlothian Council finance the project and the implications for council tax are matters for them.
- Asked by: Lord James Douglas-Hamilton, MSP for Lothians, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 28 January 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Jack McConnell on 10 March 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive how many (a) public servants and (b) civil servants (i) were employed by The Scottish Office, Executive Agencies and associated departments in June 1997; (ii) are currently employed by The Scottish Executive including Executive Agencies and associated departments and (iii) have transferred to The Scotland Office since its formation.
Answer
The full time equivalent of permanent staff employed in the main departments between 1 June 1997 in The Scottish Office and 1 February 2000 in The Scottish Executive are set out in the attached table.In the past three years, the definition of the core Scottish Executive (Scottish Office) has changed with movements of responsibilities into and out of the Office/Executive. The figures shown below have been back-dated as far as possible for comparison purposes. Therefore, the Scottish Courts Administration and Parole Board staff (135 staff at Feb 2000) have been included within the core Office/Executive throughout the period, although the actual transfer of staff took place in July 1999.
| | 1/4/97 | 1/6/97 | 1/4/98 | 1/4/99 | 1/2/00 |
| Scottish Office/ Executive | 3,611.2 | 3,556.5 | 3,570.3 | 3,677.6 | 3,926.0 |
| Crown Office | 1,104.0 | 1,072.7 | 1,112.0 | 1,084.0 | 1,089.7 |
| Scottish Courts Service | 816.0 | 819.4 | 828.0 | 833.0 | 854.4 |
| Scottish Prison Service | 4,510.0 | 4,359.7 | 4,723.0 | 4,824.0 | 4,824.0 |
| Agencies | | | | | |
| Fisheries Research Services | 205.9 | 227.9 | 227.0 | 256.5 | 257.9 |
| Scottish Fisheries Protection Agency | 254.0 | 257.0 | 255.6 | 274.9 | 274.5 |
| Scottish Agricultural Science Agency | 123.0 | 122.7 | 121.0 | 114.3 | 127.4 |
| Scottish Public Pensions Agency | 153.1 | 151.1 | 143.5 | 139.5 | 152.6 |
| Historic Scotland | 587.0 | 603.4 | 626.8 | 622.3 | 630.8 |
| Student Awards Agency for Scotland | 120.3 | 124.2 | 125.8 | 126.8 | 122.8 |
| Others (incl Associated Depts) | | | | | |
| National Archives of Scotland | 119.1 | 120.2 | 112.9 | 114.2 | 119.2 |
| General Register Office | 206.8 | 205.8 | 202.4 | 214.4 | 235.4 |
| Registers of Scotland | 1,063.0 | 1,044.7 | 1,045.0 | 1,057.0 | 1,268.8 |
76 staff have transferred to the Scotland Office since its formation.It should be noted that although a number of staff from other public sector organisations are on loan/secondment to the Executive, they remain employees of the parent organisation.
- Asked by: Lord James Douglas-Hamilton, MSP for Lothians, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 17 January 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Iain Gray on 10 March 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it plans to make representations to Her Majesty's Government to consider the establishment of a Joint Ministerial Committee to look at the implications for Scotland of asylum seekers.
Answer
No. The Scottish Executive is in regular contact with the UK Government on a wide range of issues, including asylum seekers.
- Asked by: Lord James Douglas-Hamilton, MSP for Lothians, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 01 March 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by David Steel on 9 March 2000
To ask the Presiding Officer how the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body arrived at its different estimates of the cost of the Holyrood building and its related facilities, and how many different estimates it has been given and by whom.
Answer
I advise members to await the publication of Mr Spencely's report which will set such details in context.
- Asked by: Lord James Douglas-Hamilton, MSP for Lothians, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 22 February 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Frank McAveety on 7 March 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has provided or intends to provide any guidance to local authorities as to the application of the provisions of on the Human Rights Act 1998 to the statutory functions of local authorities; if so, when such guidance has been or will be issued and whether any such guidance will be made public.
Answer
Guidance on the Human Rights Act, in the form of a booklet A new Era of Rights and Responsibilities: Core Guidance for Public Authorities was issued to all local authorities on 1 February 2000. This guidance is also published on the Internet and copies are available from the Scottish Executive.The Convention of Scottish Local Authorities also intends issuing their own guidance in due course.
- Asked by: Lord James Douglas-Hamilton, MSP for Lothians, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 17 February 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Sarah Boyack on 6 March 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive whether every written objection to the proposals for the A701 will receive a written reply outlining why the Scottish Executive did not call a public inquiry.
Answer
It has never been the practice to notify decisions to everyone who has submitted written objections to a proposal and there are no plans to introduce such arrangements.
- Asked by: Lord James Douglas-Hamilton, MSP for Lothians, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 17 February 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Sarah Boyack on 2 March 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive whether details of alternatives to the proposed upgrading of the A701 and details of the cost benefit analysis of the project were made available during public consultation.
Answer
The Scottish Executive does not have this information. These are matters for Midlothian Council.
- Asked by: Lord James Douglas-Hamilton, MSP for Lothians, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 17 February 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Sarah Boyack on 2 March 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive why it did not require Midlothian Council to undertake a full multi-modal corridor study prior to allowing the council to proceed with the A701 project.
Answer
The Scottish Ministers took the view that the proposals, which were in accord with the statutory development plan, did not merit call-in.The letter intimating this decision to Midlothian Council emphasised that the Scottish Ministers were aware that the Council is committed to pursuing other initiatives as part of a package of measures to improve transportation within and outwith Midlothian. The Scottish Ministers encouraged the Council to pursue these initiatives with a view to delivering a comprehensive and sustainable package of transport improvements as soon as possible.
- Asked by: Lord James Douglas-Hamilton, MSP for Lothians, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 17 February 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Sarah Boyack on 2 March 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive whether there is any statutory obligation for Midlothian Council to put in place each of the public transport elements, including extra bus services, real time information and bus priority measures that formed a part of Midlothian Council's original Private Finance Initiative based proposals to upgrade the A701.
Answer
There are no statutory obligations on the Council to implement the original Private Finance Initiative based proposals. However, the Notice of Intention to Develop in respect of improvements to the A701, which was submitted to the Scottish Ministers, was accompanied by a statement by the Council which detailed measures to improve public transport and enhance bus services.
- Asked by: Lord James Douglas-Hamilton, MSP for Lothians, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 17 February 2000
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Current Status:
Answered by Sarah Boyack on 2 March 2000
To ask the Scottish Executive whether the outline business case for the A701 and details of the cost/benefit analysis of the multi-modal corridor will be made available in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre.
Answer
It is for Midlothian Council to decide which documents are made available to the Scottish Parliament Information Centre.
