- Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Friday, 14 December 2007
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Current Status:
Answered by John Swinney on 20 December 2007
To ask the Scottish Executive what events were attended by the Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Sustainable Growth on his visit to the United States of America on 2 and 3 December 2007, showing (a) the host organisation, (b) the venue, (c) who paid, and (d) the names of all the guests and organisations they represented for each event.
Answer
On 2 December 2007, I attended the GlobalScot Welcome Reception, which washeld at the Trump National Golf Club, Westchester, New York. Scottish Enterprise arranged the reception and VisitScotlandBusiness Tourism Unit were the sponsor of the reception. The list of attendees isconfidential but I can confirm that no member of the Trump Organizsation was present.
On 3 December, I spokeat the Alexandria Real Estate Equities Conference which was held at the St RegisHotel in New York. The conference was arranged and paid for by Alexandria Real Estate.The list of attendees is commercially confidential to Alexandria Real Estate butI can confirm that no member of the Trump Organization was present. Alexandria RealEstate arranged for me to be flown by helicopter from central New York to Armonkto fulfil a speaking commitment and Alexandria paid for this trip.
I attended the AmericasGlobalscot Conference, which was held at the IBM Learning Centre, Armonk, New York. The conference was organisedand paid for by Scottish Enterprise although some of the costs were offset throughdelegate fees and sponsorship from IBM and VisitScotland’s Business Tourism Unit.The list of attendees is confidential but I can confirm that no member of the TrumpOrganization was present.
I then undertook atelevision interview at Fox Business News and a telephone interview with NationalPublic Radio. Officials from the Scottish Affairs Office in Washington, ScottishDevelopment International (SDI), my Private Office, and a representative of WeberShandwick - who act on media matters for SDI - were present.
In addition I visited Corporate Satellite Communications and met with the Presidentand Managing Director of CSC. Officials from the Scottish Affairs Office in Washington,SDI and my Private Office were present.
- Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Thursday, 22 November 2007
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Current Status:
Answered by Bruce Crawford on 11 December 2007
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-6023 by John Swinney on 19 November 2007, whether the Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Sustainable Growth considers that the way the answer quotes from Guidance on Scottish Parliamentary Questions is in keeping with his obligations to the Parliament, as set out in the Scottish Ministerial Code.
Answer
The answer providedto question S3W-6023 fully complied with the terms of the Scottish Ministerial Code.All answers to writtenparliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facilityfor which can be found at
http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search.
- Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Thursday, 22 November 2007
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Current Status:
Answered by Bruce Crawford on 11 December 2007
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-6023 by John Swinney on 19 November 2007, whether the Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Sustainable Growth agrees with the full text of paragraph 68 of Guidance on Scottish Parliamentary Questions, issued by the civil service, which states that “Where a question on the same subject already exists, consideration should be given to using that question to make the announcement, whether or not it is an Opposition question, instead of arranging an inspired question. Failing that, it is, of course, important to ensure that any other existing question on the same subject is answered on the same day as the inspired question”.
Answer
For the reasons explainedin the answer to question S3W-6023, the approach adopted when answering questionS3W-4824 adhered to the terms of the guidance.All answers to writtenparliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facilityfor which can be found at
http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search.
- Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Monday, 26 November 2007
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Current Status:
Answered by John Swinney on 6 December 2007
To ask the Scottish Executive why a ministerial statement has not been made to the Parliament about the missing personal pension information sent by the Scottish Public Pensions Agency to NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde.
Answer
A ministerial statementwas made on 28 November 2007, the first parliamentary sitting day after the issueemerged.
- Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Monday, 26 November 2007
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Current Status:
Answered by John Swinney on 6 December 2007
To ask the Scottish Executive when ministers were made aware that personal pension information sent by the Scottish Public Pensions Agency to NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde had gone missing.
Answer
My statement to parliamentof 28 November 2007 confirms that the SPPA informed the ScottishGovernment of the potential problem on Friday 23 November 2007.
- Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Monday, 26 November 2007
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Current Status:
Answered by John Swinney on 6 December 2007
To ask the Scottish Executive when the personal pension information sent by the Scottish Public Pensions Agency to NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde went missing.
Answer
My statement to parliamentof 28 November 2007 confirms that the data did not go missingand was in fact located at the address to which it had been sent.
- Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Monday, 26 November 2007
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Current Status:
Answered by John Swinney on 6 December 2007
To ask the Scottish Executive whether any of the personnel concerned were informed about the loss of their pension details as part of a package of information sent by the Scottish Public Pensions Agency to NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde.
Answer
No. It was quicklyestablished that the data were not lost.
- Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 06 November 2007
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Current Status:
Answered by John Swinney on 6 December 2007
To ask the Scottish Executive whether any Scottish ministers have commissioned since 31 October 2007 any external legal advice that is likely to incur public expense in respect of their personal liability for costs incurred in discharge of their responsibilities.
Answer
I am not aware ofany such instance.
- Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Thursday, 08 November 2007
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Current Status:
Answered by Bruce Crawford on 6 December 2007
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-5873 by Bruce Crawford on 7 November 2007, whether any responses to the First Minister’s letter have been received and, if so, from which states.
Answer
We have received responsesfrom the following states:
Austria
Cameroon
Germany
Grenada
Guyana
Indonesia
Ireland
Lesotho
Mexico
Norway
Philippines
Romania
Senegal
Sweden
United Arab Emirates
The Vatican
Venezuela.
- Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 21 November 2007
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Current Status:
Answered by John Swinney on 6 December 2007
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-6022 by John Swinney on 20 November 2007, whether the overseas visit referred to is included in the expenses information provided in the answer to question S3W-4830 by John Swinney on 31 October 2007.
Answer
I refer the memberto the question S3W-6777 on 6 December 2007. All answers to written parliamentary questionsare available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can befound at
http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search.
