- Asked by: Richard Lochhead, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 30 November 2005
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Current Status:
Answered by Andy Kerr on 12 December 2005
To ask the Scottish Executive what contracts have been negotiated between the NHS and non-NHS providers of healthcare for the treatment of NHS patients outwith NHS settings in each year since 1999, broken down by (a) speciality and (b) NHS board area.
Answer
The Scottish Executive does not contract centrally with the independent healthcare sector for the treatment of NHS patients and therefore does not hold this information. Each NHS board hold their own contracts with independent health care providers.
- Asked by: Richard Lochhead, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 21 November 2005
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Current Status:
Answered by Nicol Stephen on 8 December 2005
To ask the Scottish Executive how many large companies have their corporate headquarters in Scotland, broken down by sector, expressed also per head of population, and what information it has on how this position compares with the United States of America, France, Germany and the rest of the United Kingdom.
Answer
It is not possible to answer this question from the data held centrally. The Executive’s firm-level database (Inter-Departmental Business Register) contains data on employment and turnover for all enterprises (including large companies) located in Scotland, but does not record systematically the function of the enterprise at each specific location i.e. whether it is a corporate headquarter, sales, marketing, purchasing office or a production unit.
We do not hold or are not aware of comparable data for the United States of America, France, Germany or the Rest of UK.
- Asked by: Richard Lochhead, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 23 November 2005
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Current Status:
Answered by Ross Finnie on 8 December 2005
To ask the Scottish Executive how many farmers will receive the single farm payment during (a) November 2005, (b) 1 to 15 December 2005, (c) 16 to 31 December 2005, (d) January 2006 and (e) after 31 January 2006.
Answer
Scottish Executive Environment and Rural Development Department will commence payments in December. As at 1 December, my officials estimate that around 11,000 producers (51%) will receive payment by 21 December. This is in line with our published target.
Payments cannot be made until all scheme eligibility checks have been completed. However, on present rates of progress my officials estimate that some 16,500 producers (70%) will have been paid by 31 December and around 19,750 producers (90%) by 31 January. The remaining producers with valid claims will be paid as soon as possible thereafter.
- Asked by: Richard Lochhead, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 23 November 2005
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Current Status:
Answered by Ross Finnie on 7 December 2005
To ask the Scottish Executive how many applicants there have been for the single farm payment and, of these, how many have (a) had their payment confirmed but not yet paid and (b) received payment, broken down by local authority area.
Answer
As at 1 December, 21,924 claims have been submitted and of these, my officials estimate that 11,175 producers (51%) have been confirmed in the sense of passing eligibility checks. My department has not made any payments under the Single Farm Payment Scheme as yet so I am not able at this time to provide the breakdown as requested.
- Asked by: Richard Lochhead, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 17 November 2005
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Current Status:
Answered by Andy Kerr on 7 December 2005
To ask the Scottish Executive whether the Scottish Workforce Information Strategic System (SWISS) project has achieved a national database holding over 60% of core data set workforce information.
Answer
The Scottish Workforce Information Standard System (SWISS) Project Board was formed in early 2002. Its initial remit was “to commission a strategic system study with the objective of identifying model(s) which have the potential for addressing future workforce information requirements, taking into account the capabilities, both existing and potential of existing systems.”
As part of this work, a national database of core workforce information for those who are directly employed in NHS Scotland is being developed. The system is now in place and is capable of holding over 60% of the core data set. A questionnaire exercise to validate information held and collect new information began in the summer of 2005 (with a 40% (head count) return so far) and work is continuing to complete this.
- Asked by: Richard Lochhead, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 17 November 2005
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Current Status:
Answered by Andy Kerr on 6 December 2005
To ask the Scottish Executive whether the Scottish Workforce Information Strategic System (SWISS) project has set timescales for implementing (a) phase 3 and (b) phase 4 of the national Workforce Information Repository and, if not, when it expects timescales to be set.
Answer
The Scottish Workforce Information Strategic System (SWISS) Project Board was formed in early 2002. Its initial remit was “to commission a strategic system study with the objective of identifying model(s) which have the potential for addressing future workforce information requirements, taking into account the capabilities, both existing and potential of existing systems.”
Timescales have not yet been set for implementing phases 3 and 4 of the national workforce information repository, but phases 3 and 4 will integrate with the roll out of the Knowledge and Skills Framework (KSF) planned for April 2007. The timescale for phases 3 and 4 is therefore likely to be April 2007.
- Asked by: Richard Lochhead, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 21 November 2005
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Current Status:
Answered by Ross Finnie on 30 November 2005
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has any plans to ensure that fishing quotas are held by, and benefit only, active fishermen, rather than retired or shore-based former fishermen; how many fishermen are currently allocated quotas but no longer possess a fishing vessel licence, and how much quota is held in each of these instances.
Answer
There are a number of important issues to be examined during the course of the quota management change programme which commenced earlier this year. No decisions have yet been taken on the specific changes needed. That will only happen after in-depth consultation of the options in consultation with stakeholders. One of the main issues under consideration relates to quota entitlement, trading arrangements and the allocation of quota.
Quotas are allocated to fish producer organisation to manage on behalf of fisheries administrations and it is their responsibility to allocate quota amongst the vessels in their membership. Current figures suggest that the amount of quota held by non-active fishermen is falling and currently stands at around 5% of the total FQA (fixed quota allocation) units available to the UK fleet.
- Asked by: Richard Lochhead, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 21 November 2005
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Current Status:
Answered by Ross Finnie on 30 November 2005
To ask the Scottish Executive what progress is being made towards assisting the fishing fleet cope with rising fuel costs and to what extent the impact of such costs has been investigated.
Answer
The Scottish Executive is in regular dialogue with the Scottish fishing industry on various issues including fuel costs. We monitor fuel costs alongside other costs in partnership with the Seafish Industry Authority through the fleet forecast work it undertakes.
The industry benefits from longstanding arrangements which remove the duty which would otherwise be paid on fuel oil. The Scottish Executive is co-funding a long-term project, being undertaken by the Sea Fish Industry Authority (SEAFISH) to identify ways in which the industry might reduce its dependency on fuel oil.
- Asked by: Richard Lochhead, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 14 November 2005
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Current Status:
Answered by Patricia Ferguson on 30 November 2005
To ask the Scottish Executive whether any steps have been taken to build links between Scotland’s energy sector and Africa in respect of capacity building and international development and, if so, what these steps are.
Answer
The First Minister officially handed over a Scottish and Southern Energy “Sustainable Energy Module” to the President of Malawi during his recent visit to Scotland. The Module harnesses wind and solar energy and can be used as a vaccination centre, a birthing clinic or a teacher development clinic.
However, the priorities for the Scottish Executive’s International Development Policy are health, education and civil society development. Therefore, we have not taken any steps to build long-term links between Scotland’s energy sector and Africa.
- Asked by: Richard Lochhead, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 21 November 2005
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Current Status:
Answered by Ross Finnie on 28 November 2005
To ask the Scottish Executive which environmental organisations it funds, showing (a) the amount of funding in each case and (b) whether each organisation is wholly or part-funded by the Executive.
Answer
The Executive has offered the following funding in 2005-06 to support core or developmental work:
Forward Scotland - £381,389
Scottish Environment LINK - £25,000
Scottish Rights of Way and Access Society - £16,500
National Society for Clean Air - £8,000.
In addition the Executive provides grants for projects to a number of organisations which could be described as environmental or have environmental concerns. Information on current funding for projects is on the Executive’s website www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Environment/17108/7457.
