Questions and answers

Question reference: S6W-29666

Asked by: Daniel Johnson, MSP for Edinburgh Southern, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 06 September 2024
Current Status: Answered by Richard Lochhead on 12 September 2024

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-26079 by Richard Lochhead on 19 March 2024, when the innovation scorecard will be published, in line with the National Innovation Strategy.

As you are aware, the Scottish Government’s National Innovation Strategy included an action to publish an annual innovation scorecard allowing us to track our progress towards becoming a more innovative nation across multiple key metrics.

The first iteration of the scorecard, showing our baseline performance, was published alongside National Innovation Strategy last summer and the next iteration will be published this year.

Question reference: S6W-29425

Asked by: Daniel Johnson, MSP for Edinburgh Southern, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 02 September 2024
Current Status: Answered by Tom Arthur on 10 September 2024

To ask the Scottish Government whether it remains its position to issue fair work grants and, if so, by what date it will do so.

As announced on 21 August as part of emergency budget controls, the Fairer Workplaces Fund 2024 to 2025 has been cancelled.

This is just one of a number of spending plans that we have been forced to withdraw due to the extremely challenging financial position faced by the Scottish Government following the continuing effects of Brexit, the COVID-19 pandemic, the war in Ukraine and the cost of living crisis, alongside UK Government spending decisions. This does not in any way change our commitment to Fair Work or desire to promote Fair Work in Scotland. We continue to take forward the range of actions within the Fair Work Action Plan and to embed Fair Work throughout the delivery of the programme for government.

Question reference: S6O-03712

Asked by: Daniel Johnson, MSP for Edinburgh Southern, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 04 September 2024
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 12 September 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the latest achievement rates for Modern Apprenticeships across all frameworks.

Question reference: S6W-28739

Asked by: Daniel Johnson, MSP for Edinburgh Southern, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 08 August 2024
Current Status: Answered by Tom Arthur on 29 August 2024

To ask the Scottish Government how many public sector (a) grants and (b) contracts that have been awarded since 1 July 2023 have exempted the receiving body from complying with the Fair Work First principle, broken down by the (i) receiving body. and (ii) reason for exemption.

In total, between July 2023 and March 2024, 26 organisations in receipt of grants from the Scottish Government have an approved limited exception to the real Living Wage grant condition. A list of these organisations can be found in the following table.

Name of organisation with a limited exception to the real Living Wage grant condition	Reason for exception
Aberdeen City Council	Exception approved on the basis of affordability in relation to parts of the workforce, and the cost of resulting uplifts throughout the organisational pay scale within existing allocated budgets.
Angus Council	Exception awarded on the basis of affordability in relation to parts of the workforce, and the cost of resulting uplifts throughout the organisational pay scale within existing allocated budgets.
Building Craftsmen Ltd (BCS)	Exception awarded on the basis of affordability in relation to parts of the workforce.
Centre Stage	Exception approved on the basis of affordability in relation to parts of the workforce.
Dumfries and Galloway Council	Exception awarded on the basis of affordability in relation to parts of the workforce, and the cost of resulting uplifts throughout the organisational pay scale within existing allocated budgets.
Dundee City Council	Exception awarded on the basis of affordability in relation to parts of the workforce, and the cost of resulting uplifts throughout the organisational pay scale within existing allocated budgets.
East Ayrshire Council	Exception awarded on the basis of affordability in relation to parts of the workforce, and the cost of resulting uplifts throughout the organisational pay scale within existing allocated budgets.
East Dunbartonshire Council	Exception awarded on the basis of affordability in relation to parts of the workforce, and the cost of resulting uplifts throughout the organisational pay scale within existing allocated budgets.
East Lothian Council	Exception awarded on the basis of affordability in relation to parts of the workforce, and the cost of resulting uplifts throughout the organisational pay scale within existing allocated budgets.
East Renfrewshire Council	Exception awarded on the basis of affordability in relation to parts of the workforce, and the cost of resulting uplifts throughout the organisational pay scale within existing allocated budgets.
Falkirk Council	Exception awarded on the basis of affordability in relation to parts of the workforce, and the cost of resulting uplifts throughout the organisational pay scale within existing allocated budgets.
Glasgow City Council	Exception awarded on the basis of affordability in relation to parts of the workforce, and the cost of resulting uplifts throughout the organisational pay scale within existing allocated budgets.
Inverclyde Council	Exception awarded on the basis of affordability in relation to parts of the workforce, and the cost of resulting uplifts throughout the organisational pay scale within existing allocated budgets.
Link Housing	Exception awarded on the basis of affordability in relation to parts of the workforce.
Moray Council	Exception awarded on the basis of affordability in relation to parts of the workforce, and the cost of resulting uplifts throughout the organisational pay scale within existing allocated budgets.
North Ayrshire Council	Exception awarded on the basis of affordability in relation to parts of the workforce, and the cost of resulting uplifts throughout the organisational pay scale within existing allocated budgets.
North Lanarkshire Council	Exception awarded on the basis of affordability in relation to parts of the workforce, and the cost of resulting uplifts throughout the organisational pay scale within existing allocated budgets.
Perth and Kinross Council	Exception awarded on the basis of affordability in relation to parts of the workforce, and the cost of resulting uplifts throughout the organisational pay scale within existing allocated budgets.
Renfrewshire Council	Exception awarded on the basis of affordability in relation to parts of the workforce, and the cost of resulting uplifts throughout the organisational pay scale within existing allocated budgets.
River Clyde Homes Housing Association	Exception awarded on the basis of affordability in relation to parts of the workforce.
Scottish Borders Housing Association (SBHA)	Exception awarded on the basis of affordability in relation to parts of the workforce.
South Ayrshire Council	Exception awarded on the basis of affordability in relation to parts of the workforce, and the cost of resulting uplifts throughout the organisational pay scale within existing allocated budgets.
Stirling Council	Exception awarded on the basis of affordability in relation to parts of the workforce, and the cost of resulting uplifts throughout the organisational pay scale within existing allocated budgets.
West Dunbartonshire Council	Exception awarded on the basis of affordability in relation to parts of the workforce, and the cost of resulting uplifts throughout the organisational pay scale within existing allocated budgets.
West Lothian Council	Exception awarded on the basis of affordability in relation to parts of the workforce, and the cost of resulting uplifts throughout the organisational pay scale within existing allocated budgets.
Wheatley Group (Loretto, Wheatley East and Wheatley Glasgow)	Exception awarded on the basis of affordability in relation to parts of the workforce.

Further detail on the number of exceptions approved by public bodies in the wider public sector will be published by end September on the Fair and Inclusive Workplaces webpage.

Fair Work First conditionality does not apply to public contracts in the same way it does to grants. Fair Work First is considered on a case-by-case basis and applied to a contract where it is deemed to be relevant and proportionate. Each public body is accountable for its own decisions in relation to procurement, including when it is appropriate to include Fair Work requirements in tendering exercises.

For information on the number of contracts including Fair Work First considerations, I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-28738 on 23 August 2024. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers.

Question reference: S6W-28990

Asked by: Daniel Johnson, MSP for Edinburgh Southern, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 08 August 2024
Current Status: Answered by Kate Forbes on 23 August 2024

To ask the Scottish Government whether the three-year small business productivity programme that was announced in its Programme for Government 2023-24 is operational, and, if so, what its outputs are.

The Scottish Government is funding Peer Works to deliver the productivity programme set out in the 2023-24 Programme for Government. Formerly called Productivity Clubs, Peer Works has been delivered by Prosper in partnership with the Scottish Government since 2019.

The aim of Peer Works is to start or accelerate organisations along a productivity journey by providing practical peer-to-peer support and knowledge sharing opportunities. There are currently over 2,600 members, and over 700 members have participated in events over the last year. A range of case studies can be found here: Peer Stories - Peer Works.

The Peer Works programme exists to support the needs of micro and small organisations. An evaluation survey indicated that nearly half of attendees in 2023-24 had not received advice or support in managing their business from any other source in the previous six months. Furthermore, 99% of respondents found the Peer Works events and activities useful and 47% made improvements to their business as a direct result of participation.

Question reference: S6W-28738

Asked by: Daniel Johnson, MSP for Edinburgh Southern, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 08 August 2024
Current Status: Answered by Tom Arthur on 23 August 2024

To ask the Scottish Government how many public sector (a) grants and (b) contracts that have been awarded since 1 July 2023 have required the receiving body to comply with the Fair Work First principle, broken down by the receiving body.

Based on the information available, since the implementation of the more stringent Fair Work First grant conditionality, requiring public sector grant recipients to pay their workers the real Living Wage and provide appropriate channels for effective voice, Fair Work First has been applied to over 2400 grants across the public sector, at a total value of over £2.5bn (between July 2023 and March 2024.)

A list of each and every organisation awarded public sector grant funding is not held centrally. However, further detail on the number and value of grants awarded by individual public bodies will be published by end September on the Fair and Inclusive Workplaces webpage: Fair and inclusive workplaces - gov.scot (www.gov.scot)

Fair Work First in public procurement is distinct from the application of Fair Work First in grants. Each public body is accountable for its own decisions in relation to procurement, including when it is appropriate to include Fair Work requirements in tendering exercises.

The latest annual report on procurement activity in Scotland covering 2021-22 showed that 101 public bodies awarded a combined total of 1,645 regulated contracts containing a scored Fair Work criterion during the period. Based on information from 95 public bodies a combined total of 2,016 unique suppliers committed to paying the real Living Wage in the delivery of regulated contracts awarded.

Question reference: S6W-28662

Asked by: Daniel Johnson, MSP for Edinburgh Southern, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 19 July 2024
Current Status: Answered by Kate Forbes on 15 August 2024

To ask the Scottish Government for what reason it has not regularly adhered to the agreement under the New Deal for Business to publish monthly, the Scottish economic bulletin.

Question reference: S6W-28567

Asked by: Daniel Johnson, MSP for Edinburgh Southern, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 12 July 2024
Current Status: Answered by Tom Arthur on 30 July 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what proportion of foreign direct investment in Scotland came via a UK-based parent company in each of the last five years.

The primary source for measuring Scotland’s inward investment performance is through Scottish Development International’s (SDI) annual inward investment results on behalf of the Enterprise Agencies.

SDI’s annual inward investment results show that the proportion of projects from companies headquartered in the Rest of the UK (excluding Scotland) over the past five years is as follows:

2018-19: 31%

2019-20: 40%

2020-21: 31%

2021-22: 33%

2022-23: 28%

SDI results form part of a suite of indicators used to measure Scotland’s inward investment performance. The latest EY Annual Attractiveness Survey (2024), which excludes intra-UK investment, shows Scotland’s strong track record of attracting inward investment continuing, featuring as the top performing part of the UK outside of London for the ninth year.

Question reference: S6W-28568

Asked by: Daniel Johnson, MSP for Edinburgh Southern, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 12 July 2024
Current Status: Answered by Tom Arthur on 30 July 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what average number of jobs has been created via foreign direct investment projects in Scotland in each of the last five years.

The primary source for measuring Scotland’s inward investment performance is through Scottish Development International’s (SDI) annual inward investment results on behalf of the Enterprise Agencies.

SDI tracks the number of planned and safeguarded jobs associated with supported inward investment projects (Foreign Direct Investment and inward investment from the Rest of the UK).

The average number of planned and / or safeguarded jobs recorded per inward investment project (Foreign Direct Investment and inward investment from the Rest of the UK) in each of the last five years was as follows:

2018-19: 93

2019-20: 53

2020-21: 58

2021-22: 68

2022-23: 99

SDI results form part of a suite of indicators used to measure Scotland’s inward investment performance. The latest EY Annual Attractiveness Survey (2024), which excludes intra-UK investment, shows Scotland’s strong track record of attracting inward investment continuing, featuring as the top performing part of the UK outside of London for the ninth year.

Question reference: S6W-27776

Asked by: Daniel Johnson, MSP for Edinburgh Southern, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 23 May 2024
Current Status: Answered by Tom Arthur on 7 June 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what information it has on how many of the 8,500 jobs created in Scotland through inward investment in the 2022-23 financial year were connected to UK projects.

Responsibility for measuring Scotland’s annual inward investment performance rests with Scottish Development International (SDI) on behalf of the Enterprise Agencies. SDI reports for the financial year 2022-23, of the 8,533 jobs generated in Scotland, 2,629 were created or secured through supported inward investment projects with UK headquartered businesses across 23 supported inward investment projects.

SDI results form part of a suite of indicators used to measure Scotland’s inward investment performance. According to the latest EY Annual Attractiveness Survey (2023), Scotland’s strong track record of attracting inward investment continues, with Scotland maintaining its position as the top performing part of the UK outside of London for the eighth year.

Chamber and committees