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The Public Contracts Scotland website was launched in October 2008 as a free-to-use one stop shop for public bodies to advertise public sector tender opportunities and for suppliers to register their interests and receive free e-mail alerts whenever advertisements which may be of interest, are posted. Significant progress has been made to encourage its use and all contract opportunities for contracts to be awarded by the government, its agencies and local authorities and which are above the financial thresholds set out in the Public Contracts (Scotland) Regulations 2006 (currently £90,319 or £139,893 depending upon the status of the public body) are published on the website.

In addition, 123 organisations, including the government, 18 of its agencies and non-departmental public bodies'', and 25 local authorities have advertised contract opportunities on the website where the value of the contract is below these financial thresholds. The Public Procurement Reform Board, in which I chair, has stated that all public bodies should aim to advertise contracts with a value of £50,000 or more on the Public Contracts Scotland website. Since its launch 4,867 contract opportunities have been advertised.

: Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are made aware of opportunities in a variety of ways including:

Targeted Meet the Buyer events that provide practical assistance to SMEs to help them bid for public sector contracts (these events are aimed at SMEs in industry sectors for which we have forthcoming requirements);

On the Scottish Parliament website (the website provides information on current and forthcoming contracts (over £5,000) as well as contract adverts and sub-contracting opportunities);

On the Public Contracts Scotland website;

SMEs registered on the Parliament''s supplier database are alerted to contract adverts being placed;

The Parliament''s supplier database is used to source suppliers for low-value requirements wherever it is inappropriate to advertise a contract.  As 69% of suppliers on the database are SMEs, this increases their contracting opportunities,

Procurement staff attending SME events organised by other public sector bodies or organisations aimed at supporting SMEs. All SMEs encountered are encouraged to register on the Parliament''s supplier database and also on the Public Contracts Scotland website.

: All contract adverts are placed on the Public Contract Scotland website.

The SPCB registered as a contracting authority with Public Contracts Scotland in August 2008, placing its first contract advert in September 2008.

The SPCB is also represented by a member of the procurement services team on the Public Contracts Scotland Forum.

The Scottish Government recognises the significant contribution made to the delivery of public services in Scotland and to the Scottish economy by small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). We have introduced a number of measures to encourage SME participation in bidding for public contracts, including writing to chief executives and heads of procurement throughout the public sector, encouraging them to use The Six Simple Steps (which include the Public Contracts Scotland Portal and Supplier Charter) in their procurement activities.

Information obtained from the Scottish Procurement Information Hub, which monitors spend by major Scottish public bodies indicates that in each of the last three financial years, over 48% of Scottish public sector spend has been with SMEs.

The SPCB does not have specific targets regarding small businesses access to contracts “ this is because the number, type and value of SPCB contracts let each year varies considerably, so any targets set would not reflect genuine contracting opportunities. However it does have a clearly defined policy to actively remove barriers to small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) participation in procurement. Steps taken to support this policy include:

Publication of all current and forthcoming contracts (above £5,000) on the Parliament website;

Publication of tender list on the procurement website to increase sub-contracting opportunities;

Annual Meet the Buyer events aimed specifically at SMEs;

Simplified procurement documentation (e.g. conditions of contract written in plain English);

Increase in formal tendering threshold from £30,000 to £60,000;

Easily accessible tendering guidance produced and issued on procurement website;

Individual strategy for each procurement project considers SME impacts;

Links with organisations representing SMEs are maintained,

Appointment of a champion for SMEs within procurement services.

At present, procurement services operates a simple monitoring system that measures the number and value of contracts awarded to SMEs on an annual basis. Since 2003, the contracts awarded to SMEs (as % of total contracts awarded) is as follows:

2003-04 - 39%.

2004-05 - 48%.

2005-06 - 45%.

2006-07 - 62%.

2007-08 - 67%.

2008-09 - 53%.

Local authorities are statutorily required to employ teachers registered with the General Teaching Council for Scotland, with the appropriate professional skills and knowledge for the posts in which they are employed. Individual local authorities will have local negotiating committee agreements regarding cover arrangements.

This question was answered in the Chamber. The answer can be viewed in the Official Report using the following link:

http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/business/officialReports/meetingsParliament/or-09/sor0625-01.htm

The liable relative rule allowed local authorities to demand a contribution from the spouse or parent of care home residents. The rule has long been unpopular and in May 2004, following consultation, Scottish ministers announced their intention to abolish the rule at the first opportunity. That opportunity arose with the Adult Support and Protection (Scotland) Act 2007 and the rule was abolished on 5 October 2007.

The Scottish Government is not aware of any recommendations made by the Health and Safety Executive on the storage of household waste for collection by local authorities.

The Scottish Government has not directed any local authority to introduce fortnightly collections of residual household waste.