Questions and answers

Question reference: S5W-13971

Asked by: Neil Findlay, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 22 January 2018
Current Status: Answered by Michael Russell on 2 February 2018

To ask the Scottish Government whether the modelling used in Scotland’s Place in Europe uses the conditions of the current Single Market or has made assumptions about what a future Single Market would look like and, if so, what assumptions were made.

The scenario on continued European Single Market membership assumed the conditions of the current single Market. The assumptions and comparisons with other studies are set out in the technical annexe of Scotland’s Place in Europe - People, Jobs and Investment (p53-54). No modelling assumptions were made about what a future Single Market would look like. However, chapter 3 sets out in detail the opportunities for Scotland if we remain inside the Single Market as it develops in the future. In particular, gains from completing the internal market for services and in the digital single market are discussed.

Question reference: S5W-13970

Asked by: Neil Findlay, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 22 January 2018
Current Status: Answered by Michael Russell on 2 February 2018

To ask the Scottish Government whether the modelling used in Scotland’s Place in Europe uses the conditions of the current Customs Union or has made assumptions about what a future Customs Union would look like and, if so, what assumptions were made.

The assumptions used under each trade scenario are drawn from the economic literature and are consistent with those applied in similar studies by other institutions. The assumptions and comparisons with other studies are set out in the technical annexe of Scotland’s Place in Europe - People, Jobs and Investment (p53-54). The scenarios do not explicitly entail membership of the Customs Union. As explained in paragraph 59, it is difficult to identify the benefits of the Customs Union in isolation. Much of the literature on which the benefits (compared with the other post-Brexit trade scenarios) of EEA membership is based, implicitly captures some aspects of the Customs Union but not the full benefit. It is therefore reasonable to assume that were EEA membership to be attained alongside a Customs Union the benefits will fall between the EU and EEA estimates.

Question reference: S5W-13882

Asked by: Neil Findlay, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 17 January 2018
Current Status: Answered by Keith Brown on 31 January 2018

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5T-00865 by Keith Brown on 16 January 2018 (Official Report, c. 3), what contracts (a) it, (b) its agencies and (c) the Scottish Futures Trust has or has had with Carillion, broken down by (i) the value of the contract, (ii) the date the contract was signed and (iii) the date the contract was or is expected to be completed.

a) The Scottish Government does not have any contracts direct with Carillion.

b) The following table lists contracts between Carillion and SG agencies taken from the Public Contract Scotland (PCS) system. These records go back to start of PCS in 2008:

Contract Name	Contracting Authority	Award Date	End Date	Estimated Value on Completion
Bridge Maintenance; emphasis on Joints, Bearings, Parapets etc.	Transport Scotland	11-08-2004	22-10-2004	£579,107.00
Minor Road Improvements Improvement Works	Transport Scotland	02-05-2007	07-09-2007	£525,234.00
Bridge Maintenance; emphasis on Joints, Bearings, Parapets etc.	Transport Scotland	09-02-2007	20-12-2007	£515,355.00
New Regimes / Kitchen / Laundry / Energy Centre @ HMP Edinburgh	Scottish Prison Service	13-12-2005	30-06-2008	£24,000,000.00
M & E Maintenance	Scottish Children's Reporter Administration	01-03-2003	28-11-2008	£1,500,000.00
Phase 3 Edinburgh: Enabling works/Gate Complex etc.	Scottish Prison Service	15-05-2006	31-12-2008	£14,379,556.00
Safer Cell at Greenock	Scottish Prison Service	27-05-2009	04-12-2009	£14,339.00
HMP Edinburgh Phase 4 Additional Accommodation	Scottish Prison Service	09-07-2007	08-02-2010	£10,729,717.00
Demolition at Bishopbriggs	Scottish Prison Service	15-01-2008	31-07-2010	£885,000.00

HMYOI Polmont Phase 5 Additional Accommodation	Scottish Prison Service	12-07-2007	11-07-2011	£12,248,869.00
Phase 3 Polmont: Enabling Works/Gate Complex etc.	Scottish Prison Service	09-07-2007	08-10-2011	£39,950,207.00
New Prison - HMP Low Moss (original working title HMP Bishopbriggs)	Scottish Prison Service	29-07-2009	29-01-2012	£98,677,723.00
FM Provider	Scottish Courts and Tribunals Service	01-10-2005	31-01-2012	£56,000,000.00
NMS Building maintenance term contracts	National Museums Scotland	01-02-2009	01-02-2012	£270,850.00
HMP Shotts: Major works	Scottish Prison Service	01-10-2006	30-09-2012	£62,000,000.00
Design & Build of the new prison at Bishopbriggs.	Scottish Prison Service	29-07-2009	31-03-2015	£98,677,723.00
Centre for Health Science Facilities Management	Highlands and Islands Enterprise	06-03-2017	27-03-2017	£1,670,887.65
Enabling Works for HMP Inverclyde	Scottish Prison Service	23-12-2013	31-03-2017	£2,626,238.00
Aberdeen Western Peripheral Route	Transport Scotland	12-12-2014	Spring 2018	£533,000,000
Facilities Management Framework (Crown Commercial Services)	Registers of Scotland	01-10-2013	30-09-2018	£6,100,000
Contract for the Provision of Facilities Management Services	Scottish Children’s Reporter Administration+	06-01-2014	05-01-2019	£12,800,000++
FM for An Lochran	Highlands and Islands Enterprise	02-05-2016	01-05-2019	£797,450.00
Centre for Health Science Facilities Management	Highlands and Islands Enterprise	06-03-2017	06-03-2020	£1,670,887.65

+When this contract was initially awarded it was a collaborative mini competition between Historic Environment Scotland, National Museums of Scotland and Scottish Children’s Reporter Administration. Now only Scottish Children’s Reporter Administration receive services from this contract.

++Estimated value on completion includes historic spend from Historic Environment Scotland and National Museums of Scotland.

c) Scottish Futures Trust (SFT) does not have any contracts with Carillion.

In respect of the Non-Profit Distribution Programme (NPD) of 10 major projects, the contractual relationship is between the procuring authority and a private contracting entity. SFT holds no contractual relationships in these projects.

On one NPD project, the Aberdeen Western Peripheral Route, Carillion had a significant role as one third shareholder and construction joint venture partner with Galliford Try and Balfour Beatty. The public sector contracting entity on this project is Transport Scotland and is listed in response to b.).

Carillion is not a main construction or Facilities Management contractor on any Scotland-wide hub projects.

We cannot say definitively that no Carillion company is involved across the Scotland-wide hub programme, as specialist Carillion entities may be involved in delivering services down the supply chain which we are not aware of.

Question reference: S5W-13879

Asked by: Neil Findlay, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 15 January 2018
Current Status: Answered by Michael Russell on 31 January 2018

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of it producing a report on the possible economic impact of Brexit, what plans it has to produce similar work on the economic impact of Scotland leaving the UK.

The Scottish Government’s report, Scotland’s Place in Europe: People, Jobs and Investment, shows that by 2030 reverting to a Canadian type trade deal could amount to a loss for each person in Scotland of more than £1,600. Falling back on WTO terms could cost the equivalent of nearly £2,300 per person. That is why the Scottish Government is currently focussed on working with others to keep both Scotland and the UK in the Single Market and Customs Union. As the First Minister has made clear, when there is clarity about the future relationship between the UK and the EU the Scottish Government will determine if the people of Scotland should be invited to make an informed choice between that relationship or being an independent country.

Question reference: S5W-13826

Asked by: Neil Findlay, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 12 January 2018
Current Status: Answered by Aileen Campbell on 26 January 2018

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to reported concerns that the £16 million estimated cost of waiving charges for carers under the Carers (Scotland) Act 2016 has not been funded.

Question reference: S5W-13823

Asked by: Neil Findlay, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 12 January 2018
Current Status: Answered by Aileen Campbell on 26 January 2018

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the reported concerns of the Carers Act finance group that the Carers (Scotland) Act 2016 underestimates the (a) demand from carers for assessment and support and (b) cost of implementing the duties it set out, including the costs of short breaks, replacement care and waiving charges for carers.

The final report of the Carers (Scotland) Act Finance Advisory Group sets out the estimated costs of implementing the Act and the potential risks of underestimating costs. This is dependent on actual demand which is unknown until after the Act commences on 1 April 2018.

Our draft budget for 2018-19 was informed by the work of the group and the Financial Memorandum. The draft budget includes an extra £66m to support additional expenditure by local government on social care including supporting the implementation of the carers act.

The Scottish Government has also, as agreed with the group, established a new finance group to monitor costs associated with the implementation of the Act.

Question reference: S5W-13825

Asked by: Neil Findlay, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 12 January 2018
Current Status: Answered by Aileen Campbell on 26 January 2018

To ask the Scottish Government how much of the financial support accompanying the Carers (Scotland) Act 2016 will (a) be an additional resource and (b) replace funding streams that are planned to end in April 2018.

Our draft budget for 2018-19 includes an additional £66m to support additional expenditure by local government on social care including supporting the implementation of the carers act. This new funding includes an amount for the intended outcomes under current Carer Information duties (£4.75m in 2017-18), which are superseded by the new duties for infomation and advice services under the Carers Act.

Question reference: S5W-13843

Asked by: Neil Findlay, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 15 January 2018
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 26 January 2018

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-13147 by Michael Matheson on 14 December 2017, in light of the cabinet secretary having had sight of the report on undercover policing since 2 November 2017, whether he has now fully considered the findings and, if (a) so, by what date HMICS will publish it on its website and (b) not, for what reason, and by what date he expects to do so.

Question reference: S5O-01742

Asked by: Neil Findlay, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 24 January 2018
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 31 January 2018

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the statement in its Programme for Government that the “third sector needs stability of funding and the opportunity for longer term planning and development”, how this is being rolled out across its departments and agencies.

Question reference: S5W-13871

Asked by: Neil Findlay, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 15 January 2018
Current Status: Answered by Sandra White on 24 January 2018

To ask the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body whether it will allow for consultation, with the SPCB as the project lead and decision-maker, with the recognised trade union for employees on the co-location strategy for the Scottish Public Services Ombudsman, Scottish Human Rights Commission and Children and Young People's Commissioner for Scotland, and what the reasons are for its position on this matter.

The SPCB supports 6 parliamentary officeholders and provides annual funding to these officeholders. The officeholders are; accountable for their funding which forms part of the SPCB’s overall budget; independent in undertaking their statutory functions, and are employers in their own right.

As the Scottish Public Services Ombudsman, the Commissioner for Children and Young People in Scotland and the Scottish Human Rights Commission are all employers, any negotiations with the recognised trade union for their employees should be directly with the officeholder. The officeholders’ relationship with their employees is something most of the officeholders would wish to safeguard.

It has been a long held aim of the SPCB, supported by successive Parliament Finance Committees, to co-locate the officeholders it supports and it has been openly pursuing this aim for a number of years. An opportunity has now arisen as a result of 2 leases coming to an end and there being flexibility in the other officeholder’s lease to give notice to quit early without significant cost.

An accommodation project is currently being undertaken to co-locate the Scottish Public Services Ombudsman, the Children’s Commissioner and the Scottish Human Rights Commission in fit for purpose and accessible accommodation which will result in the potential for increased collaboration between the 3 offices and provide overall savings to the public purse.

Chamber and committees