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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: S4O-02297

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Wednesday, 19 June 2013
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 26 June 2013

To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to avoid colleges being re-classified as public bodies.

Question reference: S4W-14991

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Wednesday, 15 May 2013
Current Status: Answered by Michael Russell on 31 May 2013

To ask the Scottish Government what the implications are for (a) borrowing by the college sector, (b) learners, (c) planned capital programmes in the college sector, (d) procurement in the college sector, (e) charitable status in the college sector, (f) college governance, (g) access to the European Social Fund, (h) capital funding and investment, (i) commercial income, (j) UK-wide activity, (k) international activity, (l) cash reserves and (m) colleges that are not incorporated as a result of the decision of the Office for National Statistics to reclassify colleges as part of central government in Scotland.

The implications of the decision of the Office for National Statistics to reclassify colleges as part of central government in Scotland are as follows;

(a) Borrowing - Consolidated Budgeting Guidance, available at:

http://www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/d/consolidated_budgeting_guidance_201314.pdf

sets out the treatment of borrowing for central government sponsored bodies at chapter 9. Scottish Ministers are committed to working with colleges to minimise the impact on Scottish budgets from this change whilst maintaining any planned investment funded from borrowing.

(b) Learners – none. We set out our ambitions for improving the Post 16 education system for our learners in 2011 through ‘Putting Learners at the Centre’. Those ambitions remain following reclassification.

(c) Planned Capital Programmes in the college sector – Ministers are committed to working with colleges to maintain their current capital investment plans. Ministers have already taken steps to mitigate any risks to the affordability of the three college NPD projects, by ensuring the continued use of accumulated reserves for the purpose defined within their business cases.

(d) Procurement – none. We do not expect reclassification to have an impact on procurement. Colleges are already subject to EU Procurement Directives and would continue to be so when reclassified as central government bodies.

(e) Charitable status – none. Reclassification will have no impact on the charitable status of the affected colleges.

(f) College governance – none. Existing arrangements and our plans set out in the Post-16 Education (Scotland) Bill currently before the Scottish Parliament are unaffected by reclassification.

(g) Access to European Structural Funds (ESF) – none. We do not expect reclassification to have an impact on colleges’ ability to access ESF.

(h) Capital funding and investment – none. Ministers will maintain previously announced levels of capital funding and investment to colleges.

(i) Commercial income – none. Reclassification does not impact on colleges’ ability to secure commercial income.

(j) UK wide activity – none. We do not expect reclassification to have an impact on UK wide activity undertaken by the affected colleges.

(k) International activity – none. We do not expect reclassification to have an impact on international activity undertaken by the affected colleges.

(l) Reserves - Consolidated Budgeting Guidance sets out the treatment of reserves for central government sponsored bodies at chapter 9. Ministers are committed to working with colleges to find ways of mitigating the impact of the change on deployment of reserves.

(m) Unincorporated colleges – none. The ONS classification decision relates only to incorporated colleges.

Question reference: S4W-14984

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Wednesday, 15 May 2013
Current Status: Answered by Michael Russell on 30 May 2013

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has carried out of the implications for the post-16 reform programme following implementation of the decision of the Office for National Statistics to reclassify colleges as part of central government in Scotland.

Implementation of the decision to reclassify colleges will not begin until 1 April 2014.

The ONS’ decision itself does not compromise our ambitions for reform as set out in “Putting Learners at the Centre” in 2011. Nor does the decision affect the rationale for, or ability of, colleges to merge. Ministers therefore remain committed to working with colleges to secure the changes needed to support our learners, employers and economy.

Question reference: S4W-14985

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Wednesday, 15 May 2013
Current Status: Answered by Michael Russell on 30 May 2013

To ask the Scottish Government what communications and discussions it has had with the college sector on the decision of the Office for National Statistics to reclassify colleges as part of central government since October 2010.

Colleges were notified of the change in 2010. Since then Scottish Ministers have been raising objections with HM Treasury on the basis for the decision, the timing of implementation and the scope for mitigating the implications.

The Cabinet Secretaries for Education and Lifelong Learning and Finance, Employment and Sustainable Growth held a positive and constructive meeting with college Chairs and Principals on 13 May to discuss the impact of reclassification.

The Cabinet Secretary for Education and Lifelong Learning met with the Regional Leads on 14 May. A Project Team has also been established and met with the college Finance Directors on 23 May.

Question reference: S4W-14983

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Wednesday, 15 May 2013
Current Status: Answered by Michael Russell on 30 May 2013

To ask the Scottish Government when it will implement the decision of the Office for National Statistics to reclassify colleges as part of central government in Scotland.

Question reference: S4W-14998

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Wednesday, 15 May 2013
Current Status: Answered by Michael Russell on 30 May 2013

To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to introduce legislation to reverse the decision of the Office for National Statistics to reclassify colleges as part of central government in Scotland and what the reasons are for its decision on this matter.

Legislation is not required and to introduce legislation would not be compatible with our policy priorities.

The successful outcomes delivered by our colleges are founded on a partnership between Government and colleges. That partnership has its roots in existing governance arrangements – themselves the cause of reclassification. We have no plans to weaken that relationship between Government and the college sector.

We are creating strong regional institutions of influence, increasingly collaborating across the public and private sectors. Our current plans to strengthen governance complement this new regional structure.

Question reference: S4W-14744

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Wednesday, 08 May 2013
Current Status: Answered by Keith Brown on 22 May 2013

To ask the Scottish Government what subsidy it has paid to Serco Northlink per (a) day and (b) route since the MV Hamnavoe engine failure on 25 April 2013.

Question reference: S4W-14750

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Wednesday, 08 May 2013
Current Status: Answered by Keith Brown on 22 May 2013

To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to discuss with Serco Northlink improvements to contingency plans for dealing with unplanned technical failures that affect the ferries that they operate.

The Scottish Government supports and requires the contingency arrangements that are put in place by Serco Northlink for dealing with any unplanned technical failures that affects the ferries that they operate.

Following the mechanical failure of the MV Hamnavoe on 24 April 2013, Serco Northlink immediately moved to communicate directly with booked customers and provide, or help to identify, alternative travel arrangements for any passengers affected.

Serco are continuing to work in cooperation with other ferry operators to arrange alternative options for travel. They are confident that the expected level of demand can be met through Pentland Ferries and have arranged for courtesy travel between the ports where the Pentland Ferries’ berths and the ports of Scrabster and Stromness. Serco staff are available to help all passengers to book alternative options. Serco’s alternative Kirkwall-Aberdeen service is operating as normal.

In addition, Serco took swift action to bring one of their freight vessels into service on the Scrabster-Stromness route. The MV Heliar now operates two return sailings each day on a broadly similar timetable to the scheduled service. The timetable was established through discussion with local hauliers and it provides a major increase in freight and vehicle carrying capacity across the Pentland Firth.

Notwithstanding this, we will, as always, seek to learn lessons from the situation. Both Serco Northlink and the Scottish Government will be speaking to key stakeholders to deliver further improvements to contingency plans for the future.

Question reference: S4W-14743

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Wednesday, 08 May 2013
Current Status: Answered by Keith Brown on 22 May 2013

To ask the Scottish Government what fines it has levied on Serco Northlink per (a) day and (b) route in relation to the MV Hamnavoe engine failure on 25 April 2013.

Question reference: S4W-14746

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Wednesday, 08 May 2013
Current Status: Answered by Keith Brown on 22 May 2013

To ask the Scottish Government what the difference is between (a) fines levied and (b) subsidy paid per day to Serco Northlink before and after the MV Helliar was commissioned to cover the Stromness to Scrabster route.

Under the terms of the Public Service Contract between Scottish Ministers and Serco Ltd, in respect of the Northern Isles Ferry Service, the subsidy for providing this service, is paid monthly and not daily. The subsidy provided is not split between the routes which Serco NorthLink operate. The grant payment is therefore paid to cover all the services combined.

Under the terms of the contract, Serco NorthLink are required to pay a penalty whenever the services do not run according to schedule other than in cases where this is due to a relief event. This breakdown of the MV Hamnavoe is not considered to be a relief event and will result in a fixed penalty to Serco NorthLink of £7,732 per return sailing missed. Discussions are ongoing with the operator in respect of what penalties should be imposed following the introduction of the freighter service.

The six year cost of the Scottish Government contract with Serco Northlink is £223 million. The sums paid in subsidy will vary in each year of the contract and from month to month in accordance with the provisions in the contract, particularly in relation to penalties payable to the Scottish Government and provisions in relation to any increased fuel costs payable to Serco Northlink. Serco are paid monthly in arrears.