Chamber and committees

Questions and answers

Parliamentary questions can be asked by any MSP to the Scottish Government or the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body. The questions provide a means for MSPs to get factual and statistical information.

Written questions must be answered within 10 working days (20 working days during recess)
Other questions such as Topical, Portfolio, General and First Minister's Question Times are taken in the Chamber

Urgent Questions aren't included in the Question and Answers search. There is a SPICe fact sheet listing Urgent and emergency questions.

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Question reference: S4W-01886

Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 26 July 2011
Current Status: Answered by Fergus Ewing on 8 September 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive what steps will it take to promote the big invitation for tourists initiative that was outlined in the SNP manifesto.

VisitScotland’s extensive successful international and domestic campaigns and its work with private and public sector partners across tourism, focus on drawing visitors to experience all that Scotland has to offer. Over the next few years we will build further momentum, continuing to raise the profile of Scotland through a programme of focus years, highlighting some of our greatest assets (2011 Year of Active Scotland, 2012 Year of Creative Scotland, 2013, Year of Natural Scotland), leading up to 2014 when Scotland will welcome the world with the Commonwealth Games, the Ryder Cup and our Homecoming celebrations.

Question reference: S4W-02024

Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 02 August 2011
Current Status: Answered by Richard Lochhead on 5 September 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive how much Scotland Rural Development Programme rural priorities funding was or has been awarded per head of population in each project assessment area in (a) 2009, (b) 2010 and (c) 2011.

The following table shows the approved funding per head of population in each Regional Proposal Assessment Committee (RPAC) region. It should be noted that certain regions, particularly Clyde and Forth, contain large urban areas; therefore rural development funding per capita is consequentially lower.

Approved Funding (£) Per Capita

RPAC Region	Population	2008	2009	2010	2011	Total
Argyll	89,200	44.13	152.51	80.37	44.76	321.77
Ayrshire	366,860	7.73	22.31	19.98	18.13	68.15
Borders	112,870	44.70	146.19	170.14	27.14	388.18
Clyde Valley	1765,770	0.69	2.26	5.53	2.17	10.65
Dumfries and Galloway	148,190	18.67	181.07	178.84	93.57	472.15
Forth	1495,620	2.36	11.81	7.77	3.36	25.31
Grampian	550,620	27.21	83.42	45.31	14.48	170.41
Highland	221,630	22.83	184.27	134.13	44.92	386.16
Northern Isles	42,510	86.43	281.40	173.08	25.08	565.99
Outer Hebrides	26,190	10.60	160.85	76.82	11.94	260.21
Tayside	402,640	14.19	43.16	30.75	11.20	99.30

Population figures are from Mid-2010 Population Estimates Scotland, published on 27 April 2011 by the General Registers of Scotland:

http://www.gro-scotland.gov.uk/files2/stats/population-estimates/mid-2010/mid-year-pop-est-2010.pdf.

Details of which councils are in each RPAC area are available on the Rural Priorities website:

http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/farmingrural/SRDP/RuralPriorities/WhatRegion.

Question reference: S4W-02023

Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 02 August 2011
Current Status: Answered by Richard Lochhead on 31 August 2011

The following table shows the number of approved cases per year. This includes cases where the offer of a contract has been rejected by the applicant, and cases where the applicant has not yet returned a signed contract.

RPAC Region	2008	2009	2010	2011	Total
Argyll	75	235	143	27	480
Ayrshire	45	150	98	66	359
Borders	76	259	149	59	543
Clyde	14	63	92	39	208
Dumfries and Galloway	60	344	214	137	755
Forth	45	188	130	49	412
Grampian	250	703	391	76	1,420
Highland	70	435	327	81	913
Northern Isles	76	205	112	14	407
Outer Hebrides	9	90	56	5	160
Tayside	82	279	175	48	584
Total	802	2,951	1,887	601	6,241

Question reference: S4W-02017

Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 02 August 2011
Current Status: Answered by Richard Lochhead on 29 August 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it plans to publish proposals for a land fund before the end of 2011.

Question reference: S4W-02012

Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 03 August 2011
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 25 August 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive whether applications for funding through the (a) Enterprise Growth Fund and (b) Just Enterprise initiative will be considered on a rolling basis or through application rounds.

The £4 million Enterprise Growth Fund will open to applications from third sector organisations on 29 August 2011. All funds will be fully allocated by the end of January 2012. Applications will be accepted until all of the funding has been allocated.

Just Enterprise will provide an ongoing programme of business development support to third sector organisations until 31 March 2014. Just Enterprise works closely with the network of third sector interfaces, Business Gateway, Scottish Enterprise and HIE to provide a comprehensive package of support to third sector organisations.

Question reference: S4W-02013

Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 03 August 2011
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 25 August 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive whether funding for successful applicants to the (a) Enterprise Growth Fund and (b) Just Enterprise initiative will be delivered as a single grant or in instalments.

The contract to administer the £4 million Enterprise Growth Fund has been awarded to a consortium led by the Wise Group. Successful applicants to the Fund will receive their funding in instalments.

The Just Enterprise programme provides access to a free business support programme to enterprising third sector organisations in Scotland. The contract to deliver Just Enterprise has been awarded to a consortium led by CEiS.

Question reference: S4W-02015

Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 03 August 2011
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 25 August 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive whether the support that will be offered through the (a) Enterprise Growth Fund and (b) Just Enterprise initiative will include (i) advice on and (ii) funding for employment and redundancy.

The Enterprise Growth Fund provides direct investment to third sector organisations to help ensure their long-term sustainability. This may include funding support towards employment costs, depending on the requirements of the applicant organisation. The fund will not support redundancy costs.

Just Enterprise provides business development support and advice to help enterprising third sector organisations move towards increased growth and/or financial sustainability. The support provided will be tailored to the individual needs of each organisation, and will include access to specialist advice if required.

Question reference: S4W-02021

Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 02 August 2011
Current Status: Answered by Stewart Stevenson on 25 August 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive what average percentage of the full project costs in each project assessment committee area was or has been made up by Scotland Rural Development Programme grant in (a) 2009, (b) 2010 and (c) 2011.

Question reference: S4W-02019

Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 02 August 2011
Current Status: Answered by Stewart Stevenson on 25 August 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive what independent evaluation has been undertaken of the success of community land ownership and the contribution that it is making to community resilience and development.

Question reference: S4W-02014

Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 03 August 2011
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 25 August 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive what the timescale will be for (a) considering applications to and (b) allocating funds from the (i) Enterprise Growth Fund and (ii) Just Enterprise initiative.