- Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Friday, 14 March 2008
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Current Status:
Answered by Michael Russell on 16 April 2008
To ask the Scottish Executive whether correspondence from Mr Donald Macdonald and an enclosure of correspondence between HBOS and Highland Council intimating the prospective closure of the Macdonald hotel company and the complete resort operation, as received by email from the First Minister's constituency office manager on 29 October 2007, were placed in the ministerial correspondence system.
Answer
They were.
- Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Friday, 14 March 2008
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Current Status:
Answered by Michael Russell on 16 April 2008
To ask the Scottish Executive whether there are standard operating practices and procedures in place in the First Minister’s private office for dealing with correspondence from constituents and others and, if so, whether it will publish these practices and procedures.
Answer
There are standard operating practices and procedures in place for management of the First Minister''s correspondence by his private office. These practices are in line with the Scottish Government ministerial correspondence administration guidance for staff and are unchanged from the previous administration. We have no current plans to publish this guidance.
- Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Friday, 14 March 2008
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Current Status:
Answered by Michael Russell on 16 April 2008
To ask the Scottish Executive, in light of the contents of the letter from HBOS to Highland Council dated 23 October 2007 and copied to the First Minister in which it was stated that without the relevant planning consents the bank would have “no option but to take action to mitigate its financial position.... likely to involve closure of the company and the complete resort operation, including the retail, no later than the middle of January 2008”, what the reasons were for the First Minister taking no action other than sending a formal response three weeks later and before personally intervening on 6 December 2007 to assist the consortium involved in the development.
Answer
The First Minister did not have sight of the correspondence and did not respond to it. A response was sent by an official in line with ministerial correspondence administration protocol.
- Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Friday, 14 March 2008
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Current Status:
Answered by Michael Russell on 16 April 2008
To ask the Scottish Executive whether standard operating practices and procedures were applied by the First Minister’s (FM’s) private office in relation to the receipt of correspondence from Mr Donald Macdonald and an enclosure of correspondence between HBOS and Highland Council intimating the prospective closure of the Macdonald hotel company and the complete resort operation, received from the First Minister’s constituency office manager on 29 October 2007.
Answer
Yes.
- Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Friday, 14 March 2008
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Current Status:
Answered by Michael Russell on 16 April 2008
To ask the Scottish Executive who in the First Minister’s (FM’s) private office decided not to bring to the FM’s attention correspondence from Mr Donald Macdonald and an enclosure of correspondence between HBOS and Highland Council stating that without the relevant planning consents the bank would have “no option but to take action to mitigate its financial position…. likely to involve closure of the company and the complete resort operation, including the retail, no later than the middle of January 2008”, which was received from the FM’s constituency office manager; how that decision was reached, and when.
Answer
The decision was taken by the Assistant Private Secretary with responsibility for correspondence on the basis of established protocol upon receipt of the correspondence to the First Minister''s private office.
- Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 18 March 2008
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Current Status:
Answered by Stewart Stevenson on 15 April 2008
To ask the Scottish Executive whether there are any plans to review the traffic regulation order process in order to improve efficiency and reduce cost.
Answer
When promoting Traffic Regulation Orders, local road authorities are required to follow the procedures contained in The Local Authorities'' Traffic Orders (Procedure) (Scotland) Regulations 1999. For trunk roads, Transport Scotland follow the procedures contained in The Secretary of State''s Traffic Orders (Procedure) (Scotland) Regulations 1987.
The Scottish Government is not aware of any significant problems associated with the application of the current procedures and there are no plans at present to review these particular Regulations. However, as with all legislation, their effectiveness will be kept under review. If there is sufficient evidence that they are not working as they were intended, appropriate action will be taken to remedy the situation.
- Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Friday, 14 March 2008
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Current Status:
Answered by Michael Russell on 15 April 2008
To ask the Scottish Executive who would have determined the Aviemore resort hotels master plan planning application and related planning applications under consideration by the Cairngorms National Park Authority if members locally had approved any of the applications with an outstanding objection from the Scottish Environment Protection Agency and that application had then been notified to Scottish ministers.
Answer
Under notification procedures, it would be for the planning minister, Stewart Stevenson, to determine whether the planning application required to be referred to him instead of being dealt with by the planning authority. If the planning minister were debarred from the decision-making process, e.g. by having a constituency interest, then another Scottish minister would make the decision on his behalf.
- Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Thursday, 13 March 2008
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Current Status:
Answered by Michael Russell on 11 April 2008
To ask the Scottish Executive whether there is written guidance for ministers in relation to (a) instructing non-departmental public bodies (NDPBs) whether to take particular courses of action, (b) issuing formal directions and (c) in their other dealings with NDPBs and whether it will publish any such advice.
Answer
The ability of ministers and officials to instruct or direct non-departmental public body (NDPB) delivery partners is part of the long established governance framework between government and the bodies they sponsor.
Within this delivery relationship, there is a wide range of terminology used to describe instructions that can be given to NDPBs and this is normally contained in enabling legislation or other relevant corporate documentation underpinning the governance framework. The scope of instruction and direction can also vary considerably, ranging from simple accounting matters to issues of substance and can cover procedures and timescales where ministers believe there is a public interest. Whether of a general or specific nature, powers of direction allow government to exercise the degree of control necessary to ensure parliamentary, ministerial and public accountability for bodies in receipt of government funds.
The way in which the Scottish Government discharges these core functions is not recorded separately or given prominence over other issues of sponsorship activity. In addition, the way in which directions can be invoked and communicated will vary depending on the individual circumstances or context.
The governance framework which confers NDPB status provides for a degree of ministerial judgement in deciding the most appropriate level of interaction between body and government.
NDPB sponsorship guidance is contained on the Scottish Government''s public bodies website at:
http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Government/public-bodies.
- Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Thursday, 13 March 2008
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Current Status:
Answered by Michael Russell on 11 April 2008
To ask the Scottish Executive whether ministers have to approve formal directions to a non-departmental public body (NDPB) and whether a distinction is made between provisions for the Scottish Environment Protection Agency and other NDPBs.
Answer
The ability of ministers and officials to instruct or direct non-departmental public body (NDPB) delivery partners is part of the long established governance framework between government and the bodies they sponsor.
Within this delivery relationship, there is a wide range of terminology used to describe instructions that can be given to NDPBs and this is normally contained in enabling legislation or other relevant corporate documentation underpinning the governance framework. The scope of instruction and direction can also vary considerably, ranging from simple accounting matters to issues of substance and can cover procedures and timescales where ministers believe there is a public interest. Whether of a general or specific nature, powers of direction allow government to exercise the degree of control necessary to ensure parliamentary, ministerial and public accountability for bodies in receipt of government funds.
The way in which the Scottish Government discharges these core functions is not recorded separately or given prominence over other issues of sponsorship activity. In addition, the way in which directions can be invoked and communicated will vary depending on the individual circumstances or context.
The governance framework which confers NDPB status provides for a degree of ministerial judgement in deciding the most appropriate level of interaction between body and government.
NDPB sponsorship guidance is contained on the Scottish Government''s public bodies website at:
http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Government/public-bodies.
- Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Thursday, 13 March 2008
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Current Status:
Answered by Michael Russell on 11 April 2008
To ask the Scottish Executive whether any member of the Scottish Government saw, or was shown, the exhibition of phase two of the Aviemore resort hotel’s development arranged by Mr Donald Macdonald for the First Minister during the SNP Conference in Aviemore from 26 to 28 October 2008.
Answer
No member of the Scottish Government saw the exhibition.
