Chamber and committees

I refer the member to the answer to question S4W-23948 on 26 January 2015. 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/parliamentarybusiness/28877.aspx.

Information about the number of people employed in the social enterprise sector and the number of new social enterprises created is not held centrally. This is partly because there is no universally accepted definition of social enterprise.

However, there have been a number of reports in recent years which have provided some degree of analysis of the social enterprise sector, though they do not provide a complete analysis for all social enterprises in Scotland. These include:

1. EKOS Social Enterprise Mapping report - commissioned by Big Scotland http://www.biglotteryfund.org.uk/-/media/Files/Research%20Documents/er_eval_social_enterprise_mapping_study.pdf

2. Social Enterprise in Edinburgh – commissioned by Edinburgh City Council:

http://www.edinburghsocialenterprise.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/ESEN-Report-18-June-2013-Email-Version1.pdf

3. Social Enterprise in Dundee – commissioned by Dundee City Council and Dundee Social Enterprise Network:

http://dundeesen.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/Dundee-SE-Mapping-Report-Final.pdf

4. Social Enterprise in Glasgow – commissioned by Glasgow Social Enterprise Network:

http://www.se-networks.net/downloads/GSEN-Scale_as_well_as_Substance.pdf

5. Highlands and Islands Enterprise Social Enterprise Sector – commissioned by Highland and Islands Enterprise:

http://www.google.co.uk/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&frm=1&source=web&cd=1&ved=0CCMQFjAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.hie.co.uk%2Fcommon%2Fhandlers%2Fdownload-document.ashx%3Fid%3Ded18a091-fd25-4821-be58-a8de86f30974&ei=ycC_VMmqKPGP7Ab3ioDoBQ&usg=AFQjCNGmpDOmT3tTiykE-bw4FxsxSTkrHw&sig2=X-j0vg35Xl2SctYLHAA9mg&bvm=bv.83829542,d.ZGU

The Scottish Government is committed to creating the right environment for social enterprise to flourish, and recognises the need for improved data. This issue is currently being considered with the sector.

The Scottish Government published its Enterprising Third Sector Action Plan in 2008, which continues to provide the context for a holistic programme of support for social enterprises. Since 2007 the Scottish Government has provided significant support and investment in the growth and development of the sector and in strengthening its infrastructure, capacity, skills, market and investment readiness and its international reach. This support forms part of the Scottish Government’s support to the wider third sector and includes:

£31.8 million to the Scottish Investment Fund between 2008-09 and 2011-12, resulting in investments in nearly 70 enterprising third sector organisations across Scotland as at 31 March 2014.

Recycled income of up to £8 million from the Scottish Investment Fund is being reinvested in the Social Growth Fund, which has attracted additional investment of £8 million from Big Society Capital. The Social Growth Fund provides loan funding to ambitious enterprising third sector organisations.

Support for learning and development and an extensive schools programme promoting social entrepreneurship through the Social Enterprise Academy.

Just Enterprise business support contract which has supported over 5000 enterprising third sector organisations, including social enterprises, across Scotland since 2011.

Ready for Business contract, has since November 2011 encouraged the use of community benefit clauses in public contracts, the delivery of social value through the commissioning process, and has helped to promote and improve understanding of the delivery competence of the third sector, including social enterprise, and the added value it can offer.

Support for social enterprise infrastructure and investment in networking.

Support for international social enterprises to headquarter in Scotland and promotion and support for social enterprise in Scotland to have international influence.

Social enterprises benefit from the investment and support to the local third sector interfaces.

In addition direct support to support growth and sustainability has been made available through the following funds:

Social enterprises are also eligible for a range of Scottish Government funded support available to businesses more generally.

The UK Apprenticeship pay survey 2014

(https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/387319/bis-14-1281-apprenticeship-pay-survey-2014.pdf) was published on 18 December 2014. The survey showed that for level 2 and 3 apprentices in Scotland, 87 per cent had a gross hourly wage at or above the appropriate national minimum wage.

I have written to Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, Rt Hon Dr Vince Cable MP, to ask him what action the UK Government is taking to ensure that all apprentices are paid at least the minimum rate to which they are entitled.

In the private sector, the Large and Medium-sized Companies and Groups (Accounts and Reports) (Amendment) Regulations 2013 require that the directors’ remuneration policy of large and medium-sized UK companies must contain a statement of consideration of employment conditions elsewhere in the company and group where relevant. Specifically, this must set out ‘whether any remuneration comparison measurements were used and if so, what they were, and how that information was taken into account’. Such comparison measurements could include the use of pay ratios or similar.

In relation to the public sector, the UK Government’s Financial Reporting Manual requires central government bodies to disclose the ratio between the median remuneration of the public body’s staff and the mid-point of the banded remuneration of the highest paid executive director. The Scottish Government and health boards disclose this information in the accounts published annually.

Pay for local government employees is a matter for local authorities. The regulations for the remuneration reports for local authorities are set out in the Local Government Accounts (Scotland) Regulations 1985 (as amended by the Local Authority (Scotland) Amendment Regulations 2011. We believe it would be beneficial for pay ratios to be published.

There are 663 co-operatives in Scotland of which 73 are employee owned/ worker co-operatives

Co-operative Development Scotland (CDS) has supported the establishment of:

Advisory services are delivered by CDS staff and its specialist advisory framework, which are experts in co-operative models. Clients may receive up to three days advisory support fully funded. In addition, businesses wishing to adopt an employee ownership structure may be eligible for up to 30% of eligible implementation costs.

Data on college applications and offers are not held centrally.

Data on adult learning participation rates are collected by the National Institute for Adult and Continuing Education which has undertaken surveys since 1996 which include a Scottish sample.

The 2014 survey is available at:

http://shop.niace.org.uk/media/catalog/product/2/0/2014_headline_findings_final_web_2.pdf states that 35% of adults in Scotland have participated in learning. Although high by international standards engagement in learning is not evenly distributed across society. In 2014, as in all previous years since 1996, the survey clearly shows that participation in learning is determined by social class, employment status, age and prior learning.

The Scottish Government aims to improve rates of participation in adult learning by implementing the Adult Learning Statement of Ambition, which was published in May 2014. http://www.educationscotland.gov.uk/Images/AdultLearningStatementofAmbition_tcm4-826940.pdf. The Adult Learning Statement of Ambition aims to increase engagement with adult learning across Scotland.

The Annual Population Survey provides the preferred measure for not in education, employment or training (NEET) for the population in Scotland. The latest headline NEET estimates are published annually by the Scottish Government and cover the period from January to December 2013.

The following table provides the number of people not in education, employment or training, broken down by the 16-24 year olds age group, in Scotland from 2007 to 2013.

Levels of 16-24 year olds not in education, employment or training (NEET), by year of age, Scotland, 2007-2013

Source: Annual Population Survey, January to December 2007 to 2013, Office for National Statistics.

Notes:

1. Figures rounded to the nearest thousand.