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Every contribution to the Official Report — chamber and committee — searchable in one place. Pulled from data.parliament.scot, indexed for full-text search, linked through to every MSP.

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1999–2026
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Showing 60 of 2,355,091 contributions. Latest 30 days: 148. Coverage: 12 May 1999 — 14 May 2026.
Nick Johnston (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con): Con Chamber
10 May 2001
Question Time · Foot-and-mouth Disease
What plans does the minister have to review the status of the provisionally free area so that the provisional tag may ultimately be removed? What is the likely impact of the removal of that tag on the movement of stock and animal products into the area, should it be declared c...
Nick Johnston: Con Committee
02 Apr 2001
National Health Service (Tayside)
At the 1999 accountability meeting, the department was concerned about the lack of a clear strategy on Tayside. The review is still not complete. Are you satisfied that a strategy is now in place?
Nick Johnston: Con Committee
02 Apr 2001
National Health Service (Tayside)
Mr Jones, what steps has the department taken to advise local health bodies on how reviews should be carried out and on the evidence that you expect to underpin them? Are you satisfied with the process in Tayside? What monitoring systems do you have in place?
Nick Johnston: Con Committee
02 Apr 2001
National Health Service (Tayside)
Mr Bates, you are a fresh face in this situation and have already said that you want openness and transparency. You will be aware of the depth of feeling across Tayside on this issue. How will you develop the matter to ensure that the groups involved feel that they are involve...
Nick Johnston: Con Committee
02 Apr 2001
National Health Service (Tayside)
Perhaps Mr Jones can tell us when we can expect the report to emerge from the department.
Nick Johnston: Con Committee
02 Apr 2001
National Health Service (Tayside)
From the evidence that we have heard, we can be in no doubt that the acute services review is integral to Tayside's financial health. Exhibit 7 on page 20 of the Auditor General's report shows the progress stages for the Tayside acute services review. All the witnesses must be...
Nick Johnston: Con Committee
02 Apr 2001
National Health Service (Tayside)
And on the grades.
Nick Johnston: Con Committee
02 Apr 2001
National Health Service (Tayside)
I take it that you can provide the committee with the information for which I asked.
Nick Johnston: Con Committee
02 Apr 2001
National Health Service (Tayside)
Paragraph 8.9 of the Auditor General's report says:"Staff numbers in TUHT are 250 below their April 2000 levels."Is that another example of your holding back recruitment of staff to meet financial targets, Mr White? Can you give a breakdown of where those 250 staff are—Angus, ...
Nick Johnston: Con Committee
02 Apr 2001
National Health Service (Tayside)
Are you saying that Mr Waldner, who I believe was your successor, removed those controls and allowed the nurses to be hired?
Nick Johnston: Con Committee
02 Apr 2001
National Health Service (Tayside)
Yes, but you must have had controls to have stopped nurses being hired in previous years. What were the controls and how were they removed?
Nick Johnston: Con Committee
02 Apr 2001
National Health Service (Tayside)
Mr Brett has misunderstood the second part of my question. What controls that were available to you at Dundee Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust were removed to allow the trust to hire the 200 nurses?
Nick Johnston: Con Committee
02 Apr 2001
National Health Service (Tayside)
I hope that Mr Brett will forgive me for saying that his evidence leads me to believe that he has a prejudice against Perth and Kinross. The Auditor General points out that it was Dundee Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust that hired the 200 nurses. I ask Mr Brett to confirm two thin...
Nick Johnston: Con Committee
02 Apr 2001
National Health Service (Tayside)
So I think that we can assume that no disciplinary action has been taken.
Nick Johnston: Con Committee
02 Apr 2001
National Health Service (Tayside)
Would you expect to be aware of any action that was taken?
Nick Johnston: Con Committee
02 Apr 2001
National Health Service (Tayside)
Has any disciplinary action on those matters been taken against any of the individuals in the previous trusts?
Nick Johnston: Con Committee
02 Apr 2001
National Health Service (Tayside)
Is that information available?
Nick Johnston: Con Committee
02 Apr 2001
National Health Service (Tayside)
Why was that mechanism not put in place when the realignment of the trusts took place?
Nick Johnston (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con): Con Committee
02 Apr 2001
National Health Service (Tayside)
My question is for Mr Jones. You said at the start that relationships are changing; that the accounting officers used to answer to the management executive; and that accounting officers now report directly to the Parliament—presumably, they have done so since the Parliament wa...
The Deputy Convener: Con Committee
20 Mar 2001
“The New Scottish Parliament Building”
In my eyes, the arrangements that the Parliament has put in place to scrutinise this particular project are not robust enough and I think that many would share that view. However, I sense that the committee does not wish this matter to go to the conveners group. I do not see a...
The Deputy Convener: Con Committee
20 Mar 2001
“The New Scottish Parliament Building”
That will be for a future Audit Committee to decide.
The Deputy Convener: Con Committee
20 Mar 2001
“The New Scottish Parliament Building”
That would have to be the subject of a new inquiry by the Auditor General. At some stage, we could write to him to ask about value for money. It would then be up to him to decide whether his resources would allow him to conduct an inquiry and whether that would be a valid use ...
The Deputy Convener: Con Committee
20 Mar 2001
“The New Scottish Parliament Building”
If we are writing this letter anyway, there will be no problem in asking for that information for the historical record.Conclusion 9 concerns the last paragraph on page 2 of Paul Grice's letter. It is fairly clear what we are doing. I know that Scott Barrie believes that the p...
The Deputy Convener: Con Committee
20 Mar 2001
“The New Scottish Parliament Building”
Can you wait a minute, Margo, while the frantic search for the errant mobile phone concludes?
The Deputy Convener: Con Committee
20 Mar 2001
“The New Scottish Parliament Building”
The Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body had nothing to do with the original spec.
The Deputy Convener: Con Committee
20 Mar 2001
“The New Scottish Parliament Building”
That issue was fairly well covered in the Auditor General's report. I am not sure that we will get any more information than the Auditor General did. With respect, I think that you are asking for that information because you were not involved with the committee's consideration...
The Deputy Convener: Con Committee
20 Mar 2001
“The New Scottish Parliament Building”
Yes.
The Deputy Convener: Con Committee
20 Mar 2001
“The New Scottish Parliament Building”
That is a good recommendation.
The Deputy Convener: Con Committee
20 Mar 2001
“The New Scottish Parliament Building”
He is the chair of the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body, is he not?
The Deputy Convener: Con Committee
20 Mar 2001
“The New Scottish Parliament Building”
Okay.The substantive point in relation to conclusion 6 came from Paul Grice, who said:"the Committee has under-estimated the financial effect of the re-design of the chamber."We could ask the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body what its estimate of the financial effect of th...
The Deputy Convener: Con Committee
20 Mar 2001
“The New Scottish Parliament Building”
I think that we accept that the Auditor General exists to say that such actions have not been taken.Paul Martin and Lloyd Quinan both suggested that we might have to revisit conclusion 4.Does the committee want me to draw up a letter on conclusions 6, 9 and 11? Conclusion 11 w...
The Deputy Convener: Con Committee
20 Mar 2001
“The New Scottish Parliament Building”
Members will be aware of my background in building. I would not have approached the project in this way, but we must accept that this is the way in which it has been done, and that both the Auditor General and the Audit Committee have reported on that approach.With my tongue s...
The Deputy Convener: Con Committee
20 Mar 2001
“The New Scottish Parliament Building”
It has given us as grudging an acceptance as it could possibly have been expected to.Recommendation 3 refers to the evidence that the chief architect gave us. If we allow excessive figures for risk, there is no incentive for managers to try to come in on budget. The Executive ...
The Deputy Convener: Con Committee
20 Mar 2001
“The New Scottish Parliament Building”
We recommended that the accountable officers should"consider carefully their responsibilities to answer to Ministers and to the Parliament".The Executive is saying that it tried to address that point. When people look back at our report, it will be judged in the light of wheth...
The Deputy Convener: Con Committee
20 Mar 2001
“The New Scottish Parliament Building”
Members' comments have been noted.I think that recommendation 1 deals with the point that Paul Martin made earlier.
The Deputy Convener: Con Committee
20 Mar 2001
“The New Scottish Parliament Building”
With respect, that matter is really nothing to do with what we are talking about. We will suggest that another committee is needed to examine the Holyrood project.What are we saying about the response to conclusion 11? Scott Barrie thinks that that answers the queries that Llo...
The Deputy Convener: Con Committee
20 Mar 2001
“The New Scottish Parliament Building”
Sorry, what was the last bit? I missed it.
The Deputy Convener: Con Committee
20 Mar 2001
“The New Scottish Parliament Building”
With respect, Margo, the SPCB was not asked that question.
The Deputy Convener: Con Committee
20 Mar 2001
“The New Scottish Parliament Building”
Our report said that we felt that the SPCB's response to the Spencely report was encouraging. We said that the progress group added an element of independent scrutiny. It is noted that there is now a settled design and cost plan in place. All that Paul Grice is saying is that ...
The Deputy Convener: Con Committee
20 Mar 2001
“The New Scottish Parliament Building”
I am not sure that the corporate body has ever reported to Parliament.I shall certainly ask Paul Grice what he bases the statement on, if we decide to write at all.
The Deputy Convener: Con Committee
20 Mar 2001
“The New Scottish Parliament Building”
It was not withheld from the public. It was withheld from the corporate body. That was the point; it was not reported to the corporate body.
The Deputy Convener: Con Committee
20 Mar 2001
“The New Scottish Parliament Building”
Is there a specific question that we want to ask the Auditor General? I think that we are probably getting into areas that are more speculation than evidence-based. I am quite happy to go back to Paul Grice and ask questions based on his letter, but I am not sure which specifi...
The Deputy Convener: Con Committee
20 Mar 2001
“The New Scottish Parliament Building”
I do not know. I cannot really answer that question.
The Deputy Convener: Con Committee
20 Mar 2001
“The New Scottish Parliament Building”
Do you mean in the paragraph that begins"Following the Auditor General's report"?
The Deputy Convener: Con Committee
20 Mar 2001
“The New Scottish Parliament Building”
I am sorry, Margo: where is that in Paul Grice's letter?
The Deputy Convener: Con Committee
20 Mar 2001
“The New Scottish Parliament Building”
I wonder what checks and balances there are to ensure that such things are reported. That is just my individual musing. It does not really refer to the Auditor General's report.
The Deputy Convener: Con Committee
20 Mar 2001
“The New Scottish Parliament Building”
The project was not the Executive's responsibility.The only thing that I picked up on conclusion 8 was that"the SPCB proceeded with the project on the basis of Parliament's instructions."That brings us back to Margo MacDonald's point about what the Parliament's instructions we...
The Deputy Convener: Con Committee
20 Mar 2001
“The New Scottish Parliament Building”
We move on to the response to conclusion 8. Do not worry: there are only 53 conclusions; there are not many more.
The Deputy Convener: Con Committee
20 Mar 2001
“The New Scottish Parliament Building”
If the committee wishes, we can take up that point with Paul Grice.We move on to the Executive's response to conclusion 7. The conclusion and response are a bit he-said-she-said. The Executive regrets that we do not have confidence in the former accountable officer's view. The...
The Deputy Convener: Con Committee
20 Mar 2001
“The New Scottish Parliament Building”
It is interesting but not particularly relevant. The Auditor General's staff will no doubt correct me if I am wrong, but I think that the report says that the redesign of the chamber happened to have significant financial effect.
The Deputy Convener: Con Committee
20 Mar 2001
“The New Scottish Parliament Building”
If we decided to write about that, we could reinforce that point.
The Deputy Convener: Con Committee
20 Mar 2001
“The New Scottish Parliament Building”
Again, while we take your point, Margo, and although you have been very concerned with the detail, we were examining the Auditor General's response. I think that it is slightly disingenuous of the Executive to come back and try to convince us that stage D was settled. If it wa...
The Deputy Convener: Con Committee
20 Mar 2001
“The New Scottish Parliament Building”
This is where we start to come up against the SPCB—the Executive has obviously done a side swerve on the increase in the forecast construction costs after the transfer of client responsibility. It is not taking any responsibility after the handover. We encountered that grey ar...
The Deputy Convener: Con Committee
20 Mar 2001
“The New Scottish Parliament Building”
Yes—the point is that the Executive has accepted the committee's recommendation. I am noting down members' comments and, at the end of this item, we will see whether there is enough substance to justify a response that is slightly more robust than quibbling about one sentence....
The Deputy Convener: Con Committee
20 Mar 2001
“The New Scottish Parliament Building”
I agree; we have made the point. It would waste everybody's time if we started such an exchange of letters.
The Deputy Convener: Con Committee
20 Mar 2001
“The New Scottish Parliament Building”
What do you think the committee should do about that? Do we want to have a ping-pong of letters going backwards and forwards?
The Deputy Convener: Con Committee
20 Mar 2001
“The New Scottish Parliament Building”
Shall we show the Executive the video? Possibly we should make a recommendation that videos of evidence-taking sessions should accompany the written word.
The Deputy Convener: Con Committee
20 Mar 2001
“The New Scottish Parliament Building”
The Executive said at one stage that it did not think that the evidence that we had taken justified the conclusion that we came to.
The Deputy Convener: Con Committee
20 Mar 2001
“The New Scottish Parliament Building”
Where the paper shows "n/a", it means that the SPCB was not involved at the time to which the conclusion refers, as it was before the corporate body took over. We are concerned only with the Executive, which stepped into the role of the old Scottish Office in responding to our...
The Deputy Convener: Con Committee
20 Mar 2001
“The New Scottish Parliament Building”
The only comment that I would make is to ask: when is a concern a criticism? That, however, possibly takes us into the realms of semantics.
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Chamber

Plenary, 10 May 2001

10 May 2001 · S1 · Plenary
Item of business
Question Time
Foot-and-mouth Disease
SCOTTISH EXECUTIVE
Johnston, Nick Con Mid Scotland and Fife Watch on SPTV
What plans does the minister have to review the status of the provisionally free area so that the provisional tag may ultimately be removed? What is the likely impact of the removal of that tag on the movement of stock and animal products into the area, should it be declared completely free of the disease?

In the same item of business

3. Dennis Canavan (Falkirk West): *
To ask the Scottish Executive what the most up-to-date position is in relation to the foot-and-mouth disease outbreak. (S1O-3401)
The Minister for Environment and Rural Development (Ross Finnie): LD
As at 10 am today, there have been 182 confirmed cases of foot-and-mouth disease in Scotland. That means that no new cases have been reported in Scotland sin...
Dennis Canavan: *
Is it any wonder that people are confused when they hear the First Minister telling America that Scotland is open for business while the reality is that much...
Ross Finnie: LD
I do not think that there is any inconsistency in our position. What the First Minister said in America was absolutely right. However, Mr Canavan has pointed...
Richard Lochhead (North-East Scotland) (SNP): SNP
I have two questions that relate to the provisionally free area. When can the collection centres be used for store cattle? Can we expect a resumption of expo...
Ross Finnie: LD
We have opened collection centres but not yet for store cattle. I hope that that will be the next move and that it will happen relatively soon. In respect of...
Nick Johnston (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con): Con
What plans does the minister have to review the status of the provisionally free area so that the provisional tag may ultimately be removed? What is the like...
Ross Finnie: LD
Taking into account the epidemiological evidence that is available to me and in the light of the changing pattern of disease, I continue to review all the cu...