Chamber and committees

We will work with key partners to deliver Opportunities for All from next financial year to ensure an offer of a place in learning or training for every 16 to 19 year old who is not already in work, education or training. We will continue to target those who achieve few or no qualifications as we have been through 16+ Learning Choices.

The £30 million of additional funding is made up of £6 million per year for the next three years from consequential funding falling from the UK Government’s budget combined with £12 million from across the Scottish Government budget in financial year 2012-13.

The Scottish Government is convening a special session of the National Economic Forum on 1 February to explore with a wide range of partners and stakeholders how to maximise the effectiveness of this new resource. This builds on a strategic roundtable discussion with representatives of local authorities, the third sector, college sector and private sector employers on 15 December to consider this same issue. I am also planning to consult with a range of employers and other stakeholders ahead of the National Economic Forum. The £30 million announcement by the First Minister is in addition to a range of budgets applied to the issue.

It is a long-established convention, as set out in the Ministerial Code, that the Scottish Government does not disclose whether it has or has not received legal advice from the Law Officers.

It is a long-established convention, as set out in the Ministerial Code that the Scottish Government does not disclose whether it has or has not received legal advice from the Law Officers.

It is a long-established convention, as set out in the Ministerial Code, that the Scottish Government does not disclose whether it has or has not received legal advice from the Law Officers.

The Scottish Government supports measures that enable a well functioning financial system and improves access to finance, particularly for small and medium-sized businesses. Clear evidence that a Tobin Tax will help achieve this goal is therefore needed before the Scottish Government backs the EU’s proposal for one.

The Scottish Government remains concerned over how a proposed Tobin Tax could affect the relocation of financial services away from Scotland to more favourable tax jurisdictions if it was not imposed on a global scale and the potential knock-on implications that this could have for businesses in Scotland.

The High Pay Commission has been established independently from the UK Government. The Scottish Government has not yet made a submission to the Commission.

The Scottish Government regards the way in which the current licence fee settlement was negotiated, behind closed doors, without any outside consultation and within 48 hours as deeply unsatisfactory.

The Scottish Government is engaging with the BBC as it develops its response to the new settlement, most recently through the “Delivering Quality First” consultation document issued by the BBC Trust. The response from the Scottish Government to this consultation will be published soon.

The Scottish Government has expressed its concern at the impact of the licence-fee settlement. In doing so, it has emphasised the importance of ensuring maintenance of the public service broadcasting ethos and protecting existing commitments to improve the diversity and quality of programming from Scotland.

The Scottish Government recognises the benefits of MG ALBA and BBC Scotland working in partnership to deliver the Gaelic channel BBC ALBA. In the Scottish Government’s response to “Delivering Quality First”, it has welcomed both the priority and support which the BBC has given BBC ALBA and urged the BBC to maintain both the priority and support it provides this service.

Ministers have been kept appraised of progress and developments as necessary.