- Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Thursday, 16 June 2011
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Current Status:
Answered by John Swinney on 24 June 2011
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it plans to allocate new funding to (a) social and charity banking and (b) micro-finance schemes.
Answer
The Scottish Government is currently considering how best to support and encourage an expansion of social banking in Scotland and decisions on future funding will be made later in the year.
Meanwhile, a review of the microcredit market in Scotland is underway. The Scottish Government is also making efforts to widen availability of affordable lending through existing schemes that make loans available to new and viable businesses over two years old.
- Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Thursday, 16 June 2011
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Current Status:
Answered by Stewart Stevenson on 24 June 2011
To ask the Scottish Executive what measures it is taking to create a climate adaptation fund.
Answer
We are currently examining the options for the development of climate change adaptation fund including support for international projects.
- Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Thursday, 16 June 2011
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Current Status:
Answered by John Swinney on 24 June 2011
To ask the Scottish Executive when it will announce the three projects that will pilot social impact bonds and how much money it will allocate to these bonds.
Answer
Social impact bonds offer a form of public-social partnership allowing for significant up-front investment in projects that will deliver real benefit. A social impact bond has already been developed and piloted in Peterborough. We are consulting with Scotland’s communities and our social partners to identify, develop, deliver and resource three pilot projects in Scotland.
- Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Thursday, 09 June 2011
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Current Status:
Answered by Fergus Ewing on 23 June 2011
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will spend the Barnett consequentials received as a consequence of the UK Government’s planned enterprise zones on creating enterprise zones in Scotland.
Answer
The Scottish Government is still in the early stages of considering how to introduce new enterprise zones in Scotland so as to maximise their economic impact. These considerations include the likely consequences for the Scottish budget.
- Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Thursday, 09 June 2011
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Current Status:
Answered by Fergus Ewing on 23 June 2011
To ask the Scottish Executive how much it has received in Barnett consequentials as a consequence of the UK Government’s planned enterprise zones.
Answer
The 2011 UK Budget announcement on enterprise zones results in Barnett consequentials in Scotland of £0 million in 2011-12, £1.3 million in 2012-13, £3.4 million in 2013-14, £5.6 million in 2014-15 and £6.6 million in 2015-16. They arise as a result of expected business rate relief in England but remain illustrative. The final figures will reflect the actual level of relief provided.
The figure for 2015-16 sits outside of the current UK Spending Review period and will be considered during the next Spending Review period. In line with all Barnett consequentials, it is for Scottish ministers to allocate this funding.
- Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Thursday, 09 June 2011
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Current Status:
Answered by Fergus Ewing on 23 June 2011
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will create enterprise zones in Scotland and, if so, what process it will undertake in deciding which areas to designate enterprise zones; which areas it will designate; what the timetable is, and what outcomes it hopes to achieve in the (a) short and (b) long term.
Answer
The Scottish Government is committed to the establishment of enterprise zones in Scotland and to maximising their economic impact. However, we are still in the early stages of determining the appropriate assessment criteria on which to base our detailed decision making. We expect to reach an initial view on this by early autumn 2011.
- Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Thursday, 09 June 2011
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Current Status:
Answered by Fergus Ewing on 23 June 2011
To ask the Scottish Executive how it will spend the money that it has received in Barnett consequentials arising from the UK Government’s planned enterprise zones.
Answer
The Scottish Government is still in the early stages of considering how to introduce new enterprise zones in Scotland so as to maximise their economic impact. These considerations include the likely consequences for the Scottish budget.
- Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 08 June 2011
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Current Status:
Answered by Keith Brown on 21 June 2011
To ask the Scottish Executive when the Cabinet Secretary for Finance, Employment and Sustainable Growth and the Minister for Housing and Transport first became aware that the security staff at Highlands and Islands Airport employed by Airport Management Services were being paid less than the living wage.
Answer
This issue came to light during discussions on the 2010-11 pay remit. Our commitment to a Scottish living wage was introduced in our public sector pay policy for 2011-12. The policy covers the Scottish Government, its agencies and the non-departmental public bodies for which we are responsible. It also covers subsidiaries of these bodies.
- Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 08 June 2011
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Current Status:
Answered by Keith Brown on 20 June 2011
To ask the Scottish Executive for what reason Dundee Airport Ltd is listed in Annex A of the Public Sector Pay Policy for Staff Pay Remits 2011-12 but the other wholly owned subsidiaries of Highlands and Islands Airport Ltd are not.
Answer
At the time of producing the Public Sector Pay Policy for Staff Pay Remits 2011-12 it was envisaged that Airport Management Services Limited (AMSL) would be included as part of Highlands and Islands Airport Ltd (HIAL), but delays with the AMSL remit meant this was not the case. HIAL are however aware that AMSL is covered by the pay policy.
- Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 08 June 2011
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Current Status:
Answered by John Swinney on 16 June 2011
To ask the Scottish Executive whether its living wage policy applies to wholly owned subsidiaries of public sector bodies.
Answer
I refer the member to the answer to question S4W-584 on 16 June 2011. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/Apps2/Business/PQA/Default.aspx.