- Asked by: Margaret Jamieson, MSP for Kilmarnock and Loudoun, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Thursday, 02 February 2006
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Current Status:
Answered by Nicol Stephen on 22 February 2006
To ask the Scottish Executive when MSPs will be consulted by Scottish Enterprise on the impact of proposed changes on the areas that MSPs represent.
Answer
Scottish Enterprise met the Enterprise and Culture Committee on 17 January 2006 and presented details of their developing proposals. Further to this the committee met again on 24 January, and then wrote to Scottish Enterprise offering comments.
- Asked by: Margaret Jamieson, MSP for Kilmarnock and Loudoun, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Thursday, 02 February 2006
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Current Status:
Answered by Nicol Stephen on 22 February 2006
To ask the Scottish Executive what stage Scottish Enterprise has reached in its proposal to restructure.
Answer
Scottish Enterprise have been taking soundings from a wide range of industry representatives and partners as they consider a new structure. There have also been discussions with the Enterprise and Culture Committee. Ministers will consider Scottish Enterprise’s proposals in the near future, once they are ready to be put to us.
- Asked by: Margaret Jamieson, MSP for Kilmarnock and Loudoun, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Thursday, 12 January 2006
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Current Status:
Answered by Tom McCabe on 27 January 2006
To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions it has had with HM Treasury in respect of the funding of pension schemes for teachers and NHS Scotland and civil service employees following the agreement of 18 October 2005 on reform of public sector pension schemes and what the outcome has been.
Answer
The Scottish Executive is represented by the Scottish Public Pensions Agency (SPPA) in discussions at the UK level on progress on the reform of the teachers’ and NHS pension schemes which were included under the framework principles agreed at the UK Public Services Forum on 18 October 2005. The agreed process is being followed, with cost envelopes being prepared for each scheme for approval by HM Treasury. Discussions on the cost envelopes for the England and Wales schemes are already underway. The SPPA has been discussing with HM Treasury the need to apply the general approach to establishing the cost envelopes in England and Wales to the equivalent schemes in Scotland. However, no cost envelopes have been finalised and those for the schemes in the devolved administrations have still to be discussed.
The Scottish Executive has no involvement with the civil service pension scheme which is the responsibility of the UK Government.
- Asked by: Margaret Jamieson, MSP for Kilmarnock and Loudoun, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Thursday, 12 January 2006
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Current Status:
Answered by Tom McCabe on 23 January 2006
To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions it has had with trade unions representing local government employees in respect of the Local Government Pension Scheme and what the outcome has been.
Answer
I refer the member to the answer to question S2W-22238 on 23 January 2006. 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/webapp/wa.search.
- Asked by: Margaret Jamieson, MSP for Kilmarnock and Loudoun, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Thursday, 12 January 2006
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Current Status:
Answered by Tom McCabe on 23 January 2006
To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions it has had with COSLA in respect of the differences between the Local Government Pension Scheme in Scotland and other parts of the United Kingdom and what the outcome has been.
Answer
The Scottish Public Pensions Agency (SPPA) held separate discussions on proposals for changes to the Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS) in Scotland during 2005 with COSLA and with local government union representatives. A joint advisory group consisting of representatives from each of these three parties was established with a view to agreeing principles for a fair, sustainable and affordable LGPS in Scotland. As pensions policy is reserved, differences between the LGPS in Scotland from those in England and Wales will have to be justifiable within the overall UK pensions policy framework. SPPA officials have also kept in close touch with those from the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister to ensure that the advisory group may be informed of developments on the LGPS in England and Wales.
- Asked by: Margaret Jamieson, MSP for Kilmarnock and Loudoun, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Thursday, 12 January 2006
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Current Status:
Answered by Tom McCabe on 23 January 2006
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S20-8020 by Mr Tom McCabe on 10 November 2005, what discussions it has had with the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister in respect of the Local Government Pension Scheme and what the outcome of these discussions has been.
Answer
I refer the member to the answer to question S2W-22238 on 23 January 2006. 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/webapp/wa.search.
- Asked by: Margaret Jamieson, MSP for Kilmarnock and Loudoun, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Friday, 25 November 2005
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Current Status:
Answered by Nicol Stephen on 23 December 2005
To ask the Scottish Executive what views it has expressed to Scottish Enterprise in respect of supporting the economy of Ayrshire, following the summit held by the then Deputy First Minister in Ayrshire on 30 March 2005.
Answer
Discussions have taken placefrom time-to-time on priorities identified at the summit on 30 March. One of themajor areas discussed at the summit was regeneration. The Scottish Executive willshortly set out priorities for regeneration and as part of this will clarify therole we expect Scottish Enterprise to play.
- Asked by: Margaret Jamieson, MSP for Kilmarnock and Loudoun, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Friday, 25 November 2005
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Current Status:
Answered by Nicol Stephen on 23 December 2005
To ask the Scottish Executive when it will publish its report and an update on the summit held by the then Deputy First Minister in Ayrshire on 30 March 2005 and whether it will provide the necessary funding to implement the summit's recommendations.
Answer
The report was issued to thosewho participated in the summit on 13 May 2005. Asrecognised in the report, many of the areas identified are either already beingtaken forward by, or are for, local partners to pursue. Progress is, and will continueto be, reported through engagement locally between delivery partners and stakeholdersincluding through the Local Economic Forum. Where projects are proposed that arethe responsibility of the Executive they will be appraised in the normal way.
- Asked by: Margaret Jamieson, MSP for Kilmarnock and Loudoun, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Friday, 25 November 2005
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Current Status:
Answered by Nicol Stephen on 23 December 2005
To ask the Scottish Executive what impact lack of investment in enterprise activity by Scottish Enterprise has on the effectiveness of public spending in Ayrshire.
Answer
Scottish Enterprise hasmade, and is continuing to make, significant investment in Ayrshire. This will beparticularly effective when it is co-ordinated with spending by others includingthe local authorities. The proposal for regenerating Irvine Bay providesan example of this co-ordinated approach.
- Asked by: Margaret Jamieson, MSP for Kilmarnock and Loudoun, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Friday, 25 November 2005
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Current Status:
Answered by Nicol Stephen on 23 December 2005
To ask the Scottish Executive how it is directing Scottish Enterprise in planning the training required to meet the needs of capital investment in the public sector in Ayrshire and the rest of Scotland.
Answer
A Smart, Successful Scotland makes clear that in planning training initiatives ScottishEnterprise should take account of the findings from research by Furtureskills Scotland andrequirements identified from work with specific industry sectors.
