- Asked by: Alex Neil, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 19 September 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Iain Gray on 3 October 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive what criteria will be used to assess applications for regional selective assistance grants of #2 million and over against its sustainable development objectives by 2004, as referred to in target 3 in the enterprise and lifelong learning section of Building a Better Scotland - Spending Proposals 2003-06: What the money buys.
Answer
All applications for Regional Selective Assistance are assessed against the scheme's standard eligibility criteria. The additional sustainable development assessment, to be applied to grants of £2 million and over from 2004, will be developed in the intervening period. The specific criteria to be used in this assessment are therefore still under consideration, but will be informed by the objectives and indicators outlined in Meeting the Needs...Priorities, Actions and Targets for Sustainable Development in Scotland, a copy of which is available in the Parliament's Reference Centre (Bib. number 20879).
- Asked by: Alex Neil, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 19 September 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Iain Gray on 3 October 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive how the savings made from the Business Transformation Project will be re-allocated in each year to 2003-06, as referred to in the enterprise and lifelong learning section of Building a Better Scotland - Spending Proposals 2003-06: What the money buys.
Answer
As indicated in Building a Better Scotland, Scottish Enterprise will achieve savings of approximately £45 million a year from its Business Transformation project over the three-year period of the Spending Review. Scottish Enterprise have stated in their annual report that some of the savings will be used towards priority projects such as Intermediary Technology Institutes, Fund of Funds, Project Atlas and the Pacific Quay media centre. These priorities are in line with the strategic direction set by Smart, Successful Scotland.
- Asked by: Alex Neil, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 19 September 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Iain Gray on 3 October 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will list those joint academic and industry ventures that are currently assisted, as referred to in target 10 in the enterprise and lifelong learning section of Building a Better Scotland - Spending Proposals 2003-06: What the money buys.
Answer
Although the spending proposals refer to future years, there is a great deal of work under way to ensure that this target is met and it is anticipated that at least 150 such ventures will be supported by the Executive and its agencies through, for example, SMART, Enterprise Fellowships, TCS and the development of the Intermediary Technology Institutes. Commercial confidentiality prevents the listing of ventures under development.
- Asked by: Alex Neil, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 19 September 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Iain Gray on 3 October 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive what baseline figure will be used to measure and monitor the proportion of 16- to 19-year-olds not in education, training and employment, as referred to in target 7 in the enterprise and lifelong learning section of Building a Better Scotland - Spending Proposals 2003-06: What the money buys.
Answer
The baseline figure against which performance on this target will be measured is 14% based on Quarter 1 (spring) 2001 figures from the the Labour Force Survey.
- Asked by: Alex Neil, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 19 September 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Iain Gray on 3 October 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will provide a breakdown of its modern apprenticeship targets by under-represented groups, as referred to in target 4 in the enterprise and lifelong learning section of Building a Better Scotland - Spending Proposals 2003-06: What the money buys.
Answer
We will be working with the Enterprise Network and Sector Skills Councils to increase modern apprenticeships in sectors where there is less of an apprenticeship tradition, and which employ more females. Agreed targets will be published in the Scottish Enterprise and Highlands and Islands Enterprise annual operating plans.
- Asked by: Alex Neil, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 19 September 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Iain Gray on 3 October 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive what baseline figure will be used to measure and monitor the number of people in employment undertaking training and whether this figure will be broken down by region or sector, as referred to in target 5 in the enterprise and lifelong learning section of Building a Better Scotland - Spending Proposals 2003-06: What the money buys.
Answer
The proportion of those of working age in employment undertaking training is 27% in Quarter 1 (spring) 2001, which is the baseline figure for this target. This figure will be available by unitary authority and by industry sector.
- Asked by: Alex Neil, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 19 September 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Iain Gray on 3 October 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive what percentage increase in productivity levels in industry would be required to equal the average level of productivity across Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) countries, as referred to in target 2 in the enterprise and lifelong learning section of Building a Better Scotland - Spending Proposals 2003-06: What the money buys.
Answer
In 1999, Scottish productivity was marginally below the UK average, according to the Office of National Statistics (ONS). According to OECD statistics, Gross Domestic Product (GDP) per person employed in the UK was 92% of the OECD average in 1999. This suggests that GDP per person employed in Scotland was around 8% lower than the OECD average in 1999. However, this is an approximate figure given the problems of comparing productivity data from ONS and OECD sources. The department is presently considering how best to combine these sources to provide a rigorous comparison of productivity in Scotland with productivity in OECD competitors. Further details of the measurement and monitoring of this target will be published later in the Building a Better Scotland - Spending Review Proposals 2003-06, Technical Notes.
- Asked by: Alex Neil, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 19 September 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Iain Gray on 3 October 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive what (a) percentage and (b) monetary increase in business investment in research and development would be required to equal the average percentage and amount of gross domestic product (GDP) spent on research and development across Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) countries as referred to in the enterprise and lifelong learning section of Building a Better Scotland - Spending Proposals 2003-06: What the money buys.
Answer
Business Enterprise Research and Development spending in Scotland was 0.53% of GDP, compared to 1.54% for the OECD (this includes estimated figures for some countries). Accordingly research and development spending in Scotland would have to rise - from the 1999 level - by 190%, or £750 million, to reach the OECD average percentage of GDP.
- Asked by: Alex Neil, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 18 September 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Jim Wallace on 2 October 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive when the review of the pension scheme relating to fire brigade employees will be completed and published.
Answer
This review is about the funding arrangements and management of the Firemen's Pension Scheme in Scotland. The review group's remit precluded any consideration of the scheme's terms and conditions. The work of the group has not yet been concluded. It is not possible at this stage to be definitive about when the report will be submitted to ministers and published.
- Asked by: Alex Neil, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 18 September 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Iain Gray on 2 October 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive what representation it has on the board of the Sector Skills Development Agency.
Answer
The Scottish Executive has no representation on the board of the Sector Skills Development Agency. However, the Executive receives copies of board minutes and papers.
