Chamber and committees

I travelled to Delhi and Mumbai from 11-16 October 2013, where I undertook an intensive programme of meetings and engagements to strengthen business, education, cultural, tourism and government ties with India.

Key engagements included welcoming the Queen’s baton to India on the first leg of its journey round the Commonwealth and hosting a business roundtable with key Indian investors to discuss opportunities for future partnerships between India and Scotland.

Significant business announcements included: an agreement between Scottish technology company Dryden Aqua and Indian firm SVS Aqua to help improve the supply of clean drinking water in arsenic-affected water-stressed regions in India; the construction of a new £6.5 million whisky distillery in Glenrothes, creating 15 jobs and generating a predicted £3.6 million in new exports to India, Africa and the Far East, in a partnership between Indian beverages group Kyndal and John Fergus and Co Ltd; and a distribution agreement between Perthshire-based company this-tel and Indian-based IT company Crane Global Solutions Ltd for its digital pen and associated e-health technology that will initially be sold into the Indian healthcare sector following a successful trial in a cancer hospital in Hyderabad and is expected to generate £4.6 million in exports.

I also undertook a number of media interviews with the leading business and financial newspapers in India in both cities which led to an extensive coverage of my visit and helped position Scotland as a business destination for both trade as well as investment.

Building on solid collaboration between India and Scotland in education, I hosted a reception for Indian alumni of Scottish Universities to encourage them to become advocates for Scotland. I also attended a British Council-UKIERI Showcase of 42 partnerships between Scotland and Indian educational institutes and witnessed the signing of an agreement between Coatbridge College and the Indian Healthcare Sector Skills Council which will introduce formal regulation of dental nursing to India, alongside National Occupational Standards.

Building Scotland’s bi-lateral relationship with the India Government, I held meetings with the equivalent of Permanent Secretaries of the Indian Ministry of External Affairs, the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy and the Ministry of Human Resource Development (Education).

Encouraging Indian tourists to visit Scotland, I attended a graduation ceremony for Indian travel agents who had completed Visit Scotland’s “Scotsagent programme”.

Cementing Scotland and India’s burgeoning cultural relationship, I announced the line-up of talented Indian musicians who will perform at next year’s Celtic Connections. I also highlighted Scotland’s influence on the unique restoration of a UNESCO world heritage site during a visit to the Nizamuddin urban renewal initiative in Delhi.

I visited Lahore in Pakistan from 17 to 18 October 2013, the first Scottish Government Ministerial visit to Pakistan. The strategic aim of the visit was to highlight the links between Scotland and Pakistan and to develop a closer bilateral relationship.

I undertook a number of political meetings including with Punjab Chief Minister Sharif, Punjab Governor Sarwar and the Speaker of the Punjab Assembly, to discuss how Scotland and Pakistan can work together to increase links especially in the energy and education sectors.

I attended a ceremony marking the arrival of the Queen’s Baton Relay in Pakistan, providing an opportunity to highlight the 2014 Commonwealth Games and the existing links between our two countries. This event was well attended and received wide media coverage.

I met with a delegation from the Christian community to hear first-hand the issues the Christian community is facing in Pakistan and to offer our support to them, in line with work I have been undertaking in Scotland to bring communities together.

In support of our South Asia development programme, I hosted a roundtable with the 6 Scottish charities working in Pakistan. Scottish Government funding of £1,872,989 over the next three years will support projects aiming to improve maternal and new-born health, reduce poverty by increasing income and improving food security, empower women and strengthen climate resilience as well as support sustainable agriculture and livelihood initiatives for vulnerable farmers.

I announced funding of £250,000 to Christian Engineers to promote a project in the Thar desert to promote clean water and fresh vegetables to communities in the area.

I also announced £300,000 for a two year scholarship programme, inspired by Malala Yousafzai’s story, for disadvantaged young Pakistani women to go to university.

Building on existing links, I attended a business dinner hosted by Governor Sarwar, with guests including representatives from the education, energy and agricultural sectors. A number of visiting Scottish business people also attended.

I met with Mr Rana Mashood Ahmed Khan, Minister for School Education in the Government of Punjab, and we discussed their plans for a Knowledge Park in Lahore and for other areas of potential collaboration in the agricultural, tourism and sport sectors. We agreed that there could be opportunities for collaboration between Scotland and Pakistan.

This was an important first visit in building our bi-lateral relationship with Pakistan. There is huge potential in a number of areas to build on. The Scottish Government will work with a range of Scottish and Pakistani organisations to identify the key areas in which we can build trade between both countries.

The 2012 Edinburgh International Culture Summit celebrated and enhanced Scotland’s reputation for creativity, innovation and imagination. It was a resounding success, with 33 international delegations debating and discussing the role of culture as an international dialogue.

The 2012 Summit was a collaboration between the Scottish Government, UK Government, British Council, Edinburgh International Festival and Scottish Parliament. Following discussions between these partners, it has been agreed that the Edinburgh International Culture Summit should take place on 11 and 12 August 2014, after the conclusion of the 2014 Glasgow Commonwealth Games. The Summit will be held once more in the Scottish Parliament.

On 15 November 2013, the 21st meeting of the British-Irish Council was held in St Brelade’s Bay, Jersey. We had a successful meeting attended by Ministers from all eight Member Administrations. The Scottish Government was represented by John Swinney, the Cabinet Secretary for Finance, Employment and Sustainable Growth, Angela Constance, the Minister for Youth Employment and myself.

The meeting began with a discussion on the creative industries. This is an important industry for Scotland and is one of the seven growth sectors that we have identified in the Scottish Government Economic Strategy 2012. I was therefore very happy to support the Council’s Creative Industries Sectoral work plan for the next two years and welcomed the focus on the role of creative industries in promoting economic growth.

 The council then turned to the economy. It was helpful to hear from the other Member Administrations on the wider economic trends across these islands. John Swinney advised the council that while challenges remain and the global economy continues to face a number of headwinds, the summit meeting followed a fairly sustained run of positive economic data for Scotland, suggesting that the recovery is gathering momentum.

 Following a commitment from the nineteenth summit held in Cardiff, the economic discussion included an exchange of views on youth employment. Angela Constance gave an overview of the Scottish Government’s policy initiatives and programmes aimed at helping young people into employment, including the targeted early interventions, which are key to preventing our young people moving to long term unemployment. Ms Constance advised the council that the Scottish Government will do all it can to deliver key elements of the European Youth Guarantee but noted, with regret, that without the full power over employability we cannot do more to implement the guarantee in Scotland.

 The communique that was issued by the British-Irish Council, after the meeting, can be found on the website at http://www.britishirishcouncil.org/. I am also arranging for a copy of the document to be placed in SPICe (BIB number 55462).

The Scottish Government is taking action on a number of fronts to encourage and support women in work and in particular those wanting to develop careers in the Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) sector.

We held a Women’s Employment Summit in September 2012, following which the Scottish Government and STUC produced an action plan outlining a range of actions and recommendations to be taken forward to improve employability for women.

One of the first recommendations from the summit that the Government has acted on was to re-establish the Cross-Directorate Occupational Segregation Working Group. This group is taking forward the recommendations from the Summit, as well as those made in the Royal Society of Edinburgh's Tapping All Our Talents report. Additionally the group will also consider any additional gaps in activity that need to be filled. The group calls on the expertise of a number of external partners including the STUC, Napier University’s Scottish Resource Centre for Women in Science Engineering and Technology which we are providing funding of £601,998 for 2012-2015, Close the Gap and Men In Childcare, as well as Scottish Government officials.

I have set up and chair a strategic group to oversee this work. The Strategic Group on Women and Work consists of external partners and Scottish Government officials. The group has agreed a number of actions which the government, along with partners and stakeholders, will progress. STEM is a key part of the work of this group which is working to improve employability for women.

At the summit we also announced that we would be setting up CareerWISE Scotland. This is an initiative to encourage and support women into science and engineering, we have allocated £250,000 for this. This will:

Provide partnerships with employers to offer work experience for female school pupils and students

Work with colleges and universities to support their strategies to increase the recruitment of female students into STEM subjects

Collaborate with careers information and guidance providers including Skills Development Scotland, to raise gender awareness and ensure women are represented.

Collaborate with science engagement bodies and STEM events to raise gender awareness and ensure women are represented.

Additionally through Skills Development Scotland we are facilitating the development of a number of skills investment plans including engineering, information and communications technology, construction and energy among others. These plans help prioritise actions to be progressed by all partners including Scottish Government, public agencies and industry. One such action for all partners, is to consider if there is a need to address any gender imbalance by focusing on changing the perception/image of the sector and exploring ways to change working practices.

National Records of Scotland has today published Scotland’s Census 2011: Release 2B. (Laying number: SG/2013/240). This report presents the second part of the second release of results from the 2011 Census in Scotland, which was held on 27 March 2011. Release 2B consists of the Key and Quick Statistics tables for the following topics:

Education

Labour Market

Statistics relating to these topics are presented at 16 levels of geography, including Scottish Parliamentary Constituencies, from national level right down to output area.

A copy of the report is available in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre, or from the Scotland’s Census website at:

http://www.scotlandscensus.gov.uk.

‘Scotland’s Population 2012: the Registrar General’s Annual Review of Demographic Trends’ is published today. The report contains information about births, deaths and marriages during the year, together with other demographic information. A copy of the report is available in the Scottish Parliament Reference Centre (BIB 55269), or from the Registrar General’s website at:

www.nrscotland.gov.uk.

On 30 April 2013, the Scottish Parliament unanimously passed a resolution, lodged in my name and supported by the leaders of all the parties within the Parliament, in the following terms:

That the Parliament notes the publication on 29 November 2012 of Lord Justice Leveson’s report, An inquiry into the culture, practices and ethics of the press; further notes the subsequent production of the draft Royal Charter on self-regulation of the press on 18 March 2013; agrees to Scottish participation in the Royal Charter, subject to its amendment to reflect properly Scotland’s devolved responsibilities, Scots law and Scottish circumstances; further agrees to consider possible incentives for membership of a new regulatory body for the press, and asks the Scottish Government to proceed on this basis, recognising that, in the event of a material change to the text of the Royal Charter, the Parliament will be consulted again.

Following that mandate from the Parliament, the Scottish Government has been in discussion with the UK Government to achieve a Royal Charter that reflects properly Scotland’s devolved responsibilities, Scots law and Scottish circumstances. I have also consulted with the leaders of the non-governmental parties as part of the consensual approach we have adopted in Scotland.

The Scottish Government sent draft illustrative amendments to the UK Government on 1 April 2013 and to the Education and Culture Committee on 19 and 23 April 2013. We sent the same draft illustrative amendments to the Press Board of Finance on 28 May 2013. These draft illustrative amendments informed the advice that the Education and Culture Committee published on 24 April 2013.

I am content that the amendments proposed to be included in the draft Royal Charter currently being discussed by the Westminster parties reflects Scottish interests appropriately – in particular, that there is appropriate reference to to the Arbitration (Scotland) Act 2010; that experience of the nations and regions within Great Britain will be reflected in the membership of the Boards of the Recognition Panel and of any recognised regulator, and that the Scottish Parliament will have a continuing role before amendment of the Royal Charter, in relation to devolved competences, or its dissolution.

Although we are fully aware that any requirement for a vote to be carried by a two thirds majority in any one Parliament could be over-turned by a future Parliament, as part of the cross party support that should be required for any decision on dissolution or amendment we have agreed to the inclusion of that provision for the Scottish Parliament in draft Royal Charter currently being considered.

I have written to the leaders of the non-Governmental parties in the Parliament, and to the Convener of the Education and Culture Committee in these terms and will place a more specific list of Scottish amendments in the Scottish Parliaments Information Centre (Bib. number 55326).

We understand that a revised draft Royal Charter is to be considered at a meeting of the Privy Council on 30 October 2013.

The total cost incurred by the Scottish Government was £19,452.92. This breaks down as:

Scottish Government’s legal costs for Counsel: £3,960 inc VAT

Law accountant fees: £1,680

Information Commissioner’s fees: £13,812.92

Good progress is being made towards our ambitious languages policy in schools across Scotland. We are supporting local authorities as they actively develop their strategy for the introduction of 1+2 by 2020, building on existing good practice and extending provision further. This includes piloting aspects of 1+2 and local authorities working together to consider issues such as training.

To help with this, we have provided all local authorities with £4 million additional funding in 2013-14 and are in discussions about the detail of further additional funding for 2014-15.