Hansard

Nicol Stephen LD Chamber

17 Mar 2011

Scottish Executive Question Time · Olympic Pool (Aberdeen)

I thank the minister for her positive answer.Does the minister agree that all the indications are that the tenders for the pool were very competitive, that the costs of the two additional lanes are substantially lower than was originally estimated and that, with the positive s...

Nicol Stephen (Aberdeen South) (LD) LD Chamber

17 Mar 2011

Scottish Executive Question Time · Olympic Pool (Aberdeen)

10. To ask the Scottish Executive when it expects Aberdeen’s 10-lane Olympic-sized pool to be completed. (S3O-13378)

Nicol Stephen LD Chamber

10 Mar 2011

Scotland Bill

I do not have time.For me, the most important by far of the new powers are the tax-raising powers. It is no secret that they were strongly opposed not only by the SNP but also by the mandarins in the UK Treasury—curious but clear bedfellows. That is why it was so vital that th...

Nicol Stephen LD Chamber

10 Mar 2011

Scotland Bill

In this modern world, it is crucial to devolve as much responsibility as possible to local communities. Co-operation—working together—is also central. Like other Liberal Democrats, I strongly support the need to work together in Europe.I contrast the consistent and long-held p...

Nicol Stephen (Aberdeen South) (LD) LD Chamber

10 Mar 2011

Scotland Bill

I, too, pay tribute to the work of the Scotland Bill Committee and those who worked so hard on it. Clearly, the convener, Wendy Alexander, deserves special praise. I associate myself with the remarks of previous speakers about Wendy’s contribution not only to the committee but...

Nicol Stephen LD Chamber

03 Mar 2011

“Session 3 reports of the Public Audit Committee—key themes”

As many members have highlighted, the Public Audit Committee is a fascinating and endlessly interesting committee of which to be a member. It ranges over many important areas of the public sector in Scotland and it achieves its successes because of a big team of dedicated and ...

Nicol Stephen (Aberdeen South) (LD) LD Chamber

03 Mar 2011

“Session 3 reports of the Public Audit Committee—key themes”

The Public Audit Committee is a vital committee of our Parliament. Democracy is about more than simply the right to vote. The ability to scrutinise and challenge ministers and the Executive—collectively the Government of our nation—is a crucial part of the checks and balances ...

Nicol Stephen LD Committee

02 Mar 2011

Section 23 Report

Indeed. That is what I was going to ask you. What are the possibilities as far as the recommendations are concerned? They would include your resuming a role on the project board and your taking on full responsibility for the project. Are there other approaches that would fulfi...

Nicol Stephen LD Committee

02 Mar 2011

Section 23 Report

As you know, in his recommendation on the role of Transport Scotland, the Auditor General takes a diametrically opposite view to your own. Do you accept that recommendation?

Nicol Stephen LD Committee

02 Mar 2011

Section 23 Report

And you see yourself withdrawing at that point.

Nicol Stephen LD Committee

02 Mar 2011

Section 23 Report

And do you fund those projects?

Nicol Stephen LD Committee

02 Mar 2011

Section 23 Report

Do you ever take a place on the project boards for rail projects in Scotland?

Nicol Stephen LD Committee

02 Mar 2011

Section 23 Report

But I am asking about good governance and Government’s role in providing funding for projects. What makes this project different? Government normally and regularly gets involved in project boards when it is providing funding, but you are now using terms such as “good governanc...

Nicol Stephen LD Committee

02 Mar 2011

Section 23 Report

As you know, there are many projects—not only capital projects but many others across Government—for which the Government provides funds and in which it plays a role in their management and project boards. What makes this particular project unique or different?

Nicol Stephen LD Committee

02 Mar 2011

Section 23 Report

Does it follow, then, that it is good governance for the Scottish Government to fund a project and yet not be involved in the project board?

Nicol Stephen LD Committee

02 Mar 2011

Section 23 Report

You have just repeated that you thought that it was good governance to take your approach. Can you be clear for us whether the explanation that you have given in relation to the Scottish Government’s withdrawal from the project board is your view and your explanation or whethe...

Nicol Stephen LD Committee

02 Mar 2011

Section 23 Report

It was a decision that was agreed with ministers—you are very careful in your wording there. Was it a ministerial decision? Was it a decision of—

Nicol Stephen LD Committee

02 Mar 2011

Section 23 Report

So, uniquely, you decided to withdraw from the project board in relation to the trams project, and although you can be clear with us that it was a ministerial decision, you cannot tell us anything more about it. Is that a reasonable summary?

Nicol Stephen LD Committee

02 Mar 2011

Section 23 Report

Is there any other capital project that Transport Scotland is involved in where it has chosen not to have a place on the project board or equivalent body?

Nicol Stephen LD Committee

02 Mar 2011

Section 23 Report

So there is no other example.

Nicol Stephen LD Committee

02 Mar 2011

Section 23 Report

What is the largest other capital project in Scotland where you have been, or are, the funder and not the owner, with no place on the project board?

Nicol Stephen LD Committee

02 Mar 2011

Section 23 Report

That is helpful.Are there other projects where £500 million is put in by the Government as the funder and not the owner?

Nicol Stephen LD Committee

02 Mar 2011

Section 23 Report

That is helpful—that is what I was asking about.Are there any major projects where you have moved the other way and brought a project in house, rather than leaving it with a different project owner?

Nicol Stephen LD Committee

02 Mar 2011

Section 23 Report

That is not correct, Mr Middleton.

Nicol Stephen LD Committee

02 Mar 2011

Section 23 Report

That momentous decision did not require a ministerial direction, then. It was something that officials were content with. Is that correct?

Nicol Stephen LD Committee

02 Mar 2011

Section 23 Report

So, on the fourth-largest capital project in Scotland, with £500 million of taxpayers’ money involved, the transport experts—the executive agency responsible for transport—were quite relaxed about withdrawing from the project board.

Nicol Stephen LD Committee

02 Mar 2011

Section 23 Report

I am asking you to talk us through that decision-making process. A lot of people view the decision that was made as crucially important, and we are very interested to know what the executive agency responsible for transport in Scotland recommended to ministers in relation to a...

Nicol Stephen LD Committee

02 Mar 2011

Section 23 Report

Have you reviewed the papers from that time? You are telling us that you were not the chief executive at the time, but have you reviewed the papers so as to be able to give us an accurate description of what happened?

Nicol Stephen LD Committee

02 Mar 2011

Section 23 Report

Was it a ministerial decision on which you made a recommendation?

Nicol Stephen LD Committee

02 Mar 2011

Section 23 Report

Who decided on the withdrawal from the board?

Nicol Stephen LD Committee

02 Mar 2011

Section 23 Report

Good morning. As you know, many people are astonished that, when £500 million of public money was committed to the project, the Scottish Government decided to step back from the project board. Have you backed off in that way—from being at the table, a full partner in the proje...

Nicol Stephen (Aberdeen South) (LD) LD Committee

02 Mar 2011

Section 23 Report

That is not a question.

Nicol Stephen LD Committee

23 Feb 2011

Section 23 Reports

So there have been no discussions about an alternative delivery mechanism for the project.

Nicol Stephen LD Committee

23 Feb 2011

Section 23 Reports

Has the Government ever suggested taking over delivery of the project?

Nicol Stephen LD Committee

23 Feb 2011

Section 23 Reports

At whose request have these meetings taken place?

Nicol Stephen LD Committee

23 Feb 2011

Section 23 Reports

Are the meetings regular or should they be regarded as unusual or unexpected occurrences or crisis meetings?

Nicol Stephen LD Committee

23 Feb 2011

Section 23 Reports

You mentioned discussions with the Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Sustainable Growth in which he expressed concern about progress on and the handling of the project. How many of those meetings have taken place and who else has been present at them?

Nicol Stephen LD Committee

23 Feb 2011

Section 23 Reports

Has the Scottish Government ever suggested alternative governance arrangements that it would like to be put in place?

Nicol Stephen LD Committee

23 Feb 2011

Section 23 Reports

Has the Scottish Government, which I believe you said has invested £500 million of taxpayers’ money in this project, ever expressed concern about the governance arrangements?

Nicol Stephen LD Committee

23 Feb 2011

Section 23 Reports

And the target would be 48 hours rather than, say, 48 days.

Nicol Stephen (Aberdeen South) (LD) LD Committee

23 Feb 2011

Section 23 Reports

I was interested in the new reconstruction technique that is mentioned on page 23 of the report. It is clear that some of the changes in the way in which our roads are upgraded or reconstructed could be having an impact.Committee colleagues will know that in many instances a s...

Nicol Stephen LD Chamber

10 Feb 2011

Scottish Executive Question Time · Aberdeen City Council and Aberdeenshire Council (Funding)

As the cabinet secretary knows, I have been campaigning for all councils to receive a minimum of 90 per cent of the average Scottish funding. Does he agree that that would give Aberdeen Council more than £25 million extra per year, thereby dramatically improving its current cr...

Nicol Stephen (Aberdeen South) (LD) LD Chamber

10 Feb 2011

Scottish Executive Question Time · Aberdeen City Council and Aberdeenshire Council (Funding)

4. To ask the Scottish Executive what action the Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Sustainable Growth has taken following his commitment to look again at funding for Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire councils, as reported in The Press and Journal on 25 January 2011. (S3O-13004)

Nicol Stephen LD Committee

09 Feb 2011

Section 23 Report

So, as of today, the final outturn and final liabilities remain unquantified.

Nicol Stephen LD Committee

09 Feb 2011

Section 23 Report

Given that £500 million had been committed to the project, it seems extraordinary that the national transport agency took the decision to step back from the project board.You seem to be saying that, in relation to the public sector generally, and bearing in mind the cost to th...

Nicol Stephen LD Committee

09 Feb 2011

Section 23 Report

On Transport Scotland’s decision in 2007 to withdraw from the project board, do you know whether the decision was taken by ministers and therefore whether Transport Scotland was instructed to withdraw, or whether Transport Scotland took the decision itself, in its role as an a...

Nicol Stephen (Aberdeen South) (LD) LD Committee

09 Feb 2011

Decision on Taking Business in Private

Thank you.

Nicol Stephen LD Committee

02 Feb 2011

Section 23 Report

Thank you.

Nicol Stephen LD Committee

02 Feb 2011

Section 23 Report

If my reading of the exhibit is correct, it looks as though the figure is substantially more than £2 billion. In three years, £2 billion was spent. In the following two years, less than £100 million was spent. You are saying that in the next six to seven years, perhaps £1.25 b...

Nicol Stephen LD Committee

02 Feb 2011

Section 23 Report

There seems to have been more than £2 billion spent on schools in the three years 2005-06, 2006-07 and 2007-08. Is that figure correct?

Nicol Stephen LD Committee

02 Feb 2011

Section 23 Report

My question is about exhibit 9.

Nicol Stephen LD Committee

02 Feb 2011

Section 23 Report

Is that for the future?

Nicol Stephen LD Committee

02 Feb 2011

Section 23 Report

Is that a PFI or NPD programme?

Nicol Stephen LD Committee

02 Feb 2011

Section 23 Report

Did you say exhibit 4?

Nicol Stephen LD Committee

02 Feb 2011

Section 23 Report

Exhibit 9, on page 16 of the main document, shows the total capital value of PFI and NPD projects. The schools spend is the part of the bar that is coloured blue. There is a very substantial level of spend in 2005-06, 2006-07 and 2007-08; the figure is around £500 million in 2...

Nicol Stephen LD Committee

02 Feb 2011

Section 23 Report

What the convener has just said is absolutely correct. It is an appropriate debate to have. The matter should perhaps not be pursued at this point, but it is something that, as politicians and as a Parliament, we might consider pursuing. Someone suggested that £100 million is ...

Nicol Stephen LD Committee

02 Feb 2011

Section 23 Report

I am sorry, but I am talking about understanding how that £100 million is allocated across the budget.

Nicol Stephen LD Committee

02 Feb 2011

Section 23 Report

But would it not be reasonable to disclose how that is done and to be transparent about it? I am seeing absolutely no transparency on that issue.

Nicol Stephen LD Committee

02 Feb 2011

Section 23 Report

But, Mr Black, would it not be reasonable—

Nicol Stephen LD Committee

02 Feb 2011

Section 23 Report

It is very important.