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Questions and answers

Parliamentary questions can be asked by any MSP to the Scottish Government or the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body. The questions provide a means for MSPs to get factual and statistical information.

Written questions must be answered within 10 working days (20 working days during recess)
Other questions such as Topical, Portfolio, General and First Minister's Question Times are taken in the Chamber

Urgent Questions aren't included in the Question and Answers search. There is a SPICe fact sheet listing Urgent and emergency questions.

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Question reference: S2W-16305

Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 03 May 2005
Current Status: Answered by Johann Lamont on 17 May 2005

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has rejected a limited third-party right of appeal for inclusion in its proposed reform of planning legislation.

As one of the Partnership Agreements the Scottish Executive committed to consult on wider rights of appeal in planning. This consultation took place in summer 2004.

The consultation paper prompted a large number of responses both for and against extending the right of appeal in planning. Scottish ministers have been giving careful consideration to the arguments presented on both sides and will publish their proposals on this, and other planning matters, in a white paper. We expect to publish the white paper before the parliamentary summer recess.

Question reference: S2W-16308

Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 03 May 2005
Current Status: Answered by Johann Lamont on 17 May 2005

To ask the Scottish Executive, with reference to the National Planning Framework and, in particular, the setting of national policy and sector priorities, whether it will consult on the development of projects of national strategic significance and what role the Parliament will have in identifying and scrutinising such projects.

The Executive has made clear its intention to review planning legislation. To this end, ministers have been giving careful consideration to a wide range of reforms to modernise the planning system in Scotland. Proposals for this, including the future role and remit of the National Planning Framework, will be set out in a white paper, which we expect to publish before the parliamentary summer recess.

Question reference: S2W-16306

Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 03 May 2005
Current Status: Answered by Johann Lamont on 17 May 2005

To ask the Scottish Executive, in light of its proposed reform of planning legislation, whether it will provide examples of existing "projects of national strategic significance".

Under current planning legislation there is no reference to “projects of national significance”.

The Executive has made clear its intention to review planning legislation. To this end, ministers have been giving careful consideration to a wide range of reforms to modernise the planning system in Scotland. Proposals for this will be set out in a white paper, which we expect to publish before the parliamentary summer recess.

Question reference: S2W-16287

Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 03 May 2005
Current Status: Answered by Tom McCabe on 16 May 2005

To ask the Scottish Executive what its expenditure was on transporting ministers by air for ministerial business in each year since 1999, broken down by (a) portfolio and (b) party political affiliation.

Question reference: S2W-16290

Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 03 May 2005
Current Status: Answered by Tom McCabe on 12 May 2005

To ask the Scottish Executive how much it spent on relocation costs for new employees in each year since 1999.

Question reference: S2W-16288

Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 03 May 2005
Current Status: Answered by Tom McCabe on 12 May 2005

To ask the Scottish Executive how many civil servants worked for each of its departments in each year since 1999, broken down by division.

The number of permanent civil servants working in the Scottish Executive core departments at 1 April each year since 1999 is shown in the following table. It is not possible to provide the information by division.

Number of Full-Time Equivalent Permanent Staff in Post in Scottish Executive Core Departments at 1 April Each Year

	April 1999	April 2000	April 2001	April 2002	April 2003	April 2004	April 2005
SE Core Total	3,706.5	3,929.3	3,985.6	4,144.6	4,332.6	4,411.0	4,412.9
Agriculture, Environment and Fisheries	940.6	..	..	..	..	..	..
Environment and Rural Affairs	..	963.7	1,017.2	1,074.1	1,086.1	1,086.2	1,072.2
Central Services	1,005.4	1,081.8	..	..	..	..	..
Corporate Services	..	..	705.5	640.8	624.9
Executive Secretariat	..	..	283.6	341.1	..	..	..
Finance	..	..	128.3	143.1	..	..	..
Finance and Central Services	..	..	..	..	556.1	569.0	453.2
Legal and Parliamentary Services	..	..	..	..	173.5	179.2	192.8
Ministerial Group	..	..	..	85.2	89.2	..	..
Education and Industry	582.6	..	..	..	..	..	..
Education	..	355.4	384.8	295.6	268.5	275.4	271.0
Enterprise and Lifelong Learning	..	296.9	309.4	331.3	340.8	..	..
Enterprise, Transport and Lifelong Learning	..	..	..	..	..	517.2	556.1
Health	251.5	308.0	337.3	374.8	382.9	396.0	386.4
Home	369.8	..	..	..	..	..	..
Justice	..	326.2	234.1	215.1	227.2	253.4	247.9
Development	482.2	517.3	506.5	564.2	486.0	312.4	287.0
Office of the Permanent Secretary	..	..	..	..	..	745.0	867.4
Centrally Managed Staff	74.4	80.0	78.9	79.3	97.4	77.2	78.9

Question reference: S2W-16286

Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 03 May 2005
Current Status: Answered by Tom McCabe on 11 May 2005

Centrally held information on expenditure on hosting receptions for UK ministers is set out in the following table. This is likely to cover the majority of receptions for UK ministers. Further information could only be provided at disproportionate cost.

Year	Cost (£)
1999	Nil
2000	Nil
2001	947
2002	393
2003	Nil
2004	705

Question reference: S2W-16284

Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 03 May 2005
Current Status: Answered by Tom McCabe on 11 May 2005

To ask the Scottish Executive what its expenditure in respect of the G8 summit will be (a) in the run-up to, and preparation for, the summit and (b) during the summit.

It will not be possible to give an accurate figure for G8-related expenditure until after the summit because planning will be continuing right up until the event. The information will be made available once it has been collected and analysed. The Executive and Scottish Enterprise have also commissioned an economic impact assessment to enable us to quantify the economic benefits of the summit for Scotland. The report of the assessment will be published.

Question reference: S2W-16285

Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 03 May 2005
Current Status: Answered by Tom McCabe on 11 May 2005

To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to build a metal security fence around its offices at Victoria Quay in the run-up to the G8 summit.

Question reference: S2W-16202

Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for South of Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 26 April 2005
Current Status: Answered by Malcolm Chisholm on 10 May 2005

To ask the Scottish Executive what information it has on how many children have been detained at Dungavel House immigration removal centre since September 2001, broken down by month, on how many of these children were referred to the Reporter to the Children's Panel and, of those referred, on how many were deported before the reporter had concluded his investigations.

The operation of Dungavel is a matter for the Home Office. As such, the Scottish Executive does not collect information on the number of children held in Dungavel Immigration Removal Centre.

I understand that six children who were resident in Dungavel have been referred to the Principal Reporter under section 52 of the Children (Scotland) Act. None of these were subsequently referred onto a hearing. All six children were deported before the Reporter had completed his investigations.