Chamber and committees

The 2017 business births figure is not currently published. The 2017 figure will be published in the Office for National Statistics 'Business demography: 2017' publication, which is scheduled for release on the 21st of November 2018.

The figures for October 2017 to September 2018 will be included in the Office for National Statistics 'Regional Labour Market Statistics in the UK January 2019' publication, which is due for release on the 22nd of January 2019.

Businesses in Scotland 2018 will be published on 7 November 2018.

I refer the member to the answer to question S5W-14943 on 8 March 2018. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at: http://www.parliament.scot/parliamentarybusiness/28877.aspx.

This information is not held centrally.

Skills Development Scotland are responsible for issuing contracts to training providers.

The Scottish Government will outline our budget later in the year following confirmation from the UK Government of the financial settlement to Scotland. Budget allocations for SDS and other NDPBs for 2019-20 will be determined by that process.

Following the completion of the budget process Skills Development Scotland will issue contracts to Providers.

As announced by UK Government Treasury on 14 November 2016 the Scottish Government's settlement from the Barnett consequentials of the Apprenticeship Levy is (a) 2017-2018 - £221 million; and (b) 2018-2019 - £230 million.

As the public sector is liable to pay the levy, the overall net effect is a reduction in public sector spending power in Scotland. A similar impact has been experienced in the other devolved nations.

All of the monies nationally allocated to the Block Grant as a consequence of the UK Government’s Apprenticeship Levy has been invested in skills, training and employability services.

On 14 November 2016 the UK Government announced the Scottish Government's three year settlement from the Barnett consequentials of the Apprenticeship Levy: 2017-2018 - £221 million; 2018-2019 - £230 million; and 2019-2020 - £239 million.

Beyond 2019-20 discussions with UK Government are yet to commence on Scotland’s Barnett consequentials for future years.

I refer the member to the answer to question S5W-18852 on 26 September 2018. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.parliament.scot/parliamentarybusiness/28877.aspx .

Public bodies must ensure taxpayers get the best possible value for money.

Once a requirement has been identified, and as part of the process of developing the appropriate sourcing strategy, it is important to consider what the right approach for the particular goods, services or works to be purchased is. This includes balancing the advantages that may be gained from aggregating demand against those which may be gained from opening competition up to a broader supply base.

A framework agreement covering many individual requirements is one possible route to market. Framework agreements are generally used for purchases where there is a requirement for a high volume of goods, works or services, or a repeat need where exact quantities or timings are unknown. They offer a quick and relatively inexpensive route to market. They establish in advance the terms under which subsequent call-off contracts are awarded and can remove the need for subsequent contract awards to follow a new advertised competition .