- Asked by: Alex Neil, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 19 September 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Elaine Murray on 3 October 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive what baseline figure will be used to measure and monitor each of targets 1, 2, 3, 8, 9 and 10 in the tourism, culture and sport section of Building a Better Scotland - Spending Proposals 2003-06: What the money buys.
Answer
Technical Notes setting out the detail for each target in Building a Better Scotland - Spending Proposals 2003-06: What the money buys will be available shortly. The Technical Notes will include information on definitions, who will gather the data, how the data will be gathered, the time period covered, trends, baseline data, and milestones.
- Asked by: Alex Neil, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 19 September 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Iain Gray on 3 October 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive how the savings made from the Business Transformation Project will be re-allocated in each year to 2003-06, as referred to in the enterprise and lifelong learning section of Building a Better Scotland - Spending Proposals 2003-06: What the money buys.
Answer
As indicated in Building a Better Scotland, Scottish Enterprise will achieve savings of approximately £45 million a year from its Business Transformation project over the three-year period of the Spending Review. Scottish Enterprise have stated in their annual report that some of the savings will be used towards priority projects such as Intermediary Technology Institutes, Fund of Funds, Project Atlas and the Pacific Quay media centre. These priorities are in line with the strategic direction set by Smart, Successful Scotland.
- Asked by: Alex Neil, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 19 September 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Andy Kerr on 3 October 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will give a breakdown of the spending on enterprise and education by its departments in each of the last three years and as planned for each of the next three years.
Answer
Detailed spending plans by portfolio for the last three years were provided in the Annual Expenditure Report: The Scottish Budget published in March 2002. The Draft Budget Document published in October will provide detailed information on spending plans until 2005-06.
- Asked by: Alex Neil, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 19 September 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Iain Gray on 3 October 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive what criteria will be used to assess applications for regional selective assistance grants of #2 million and over against its sustainable development objectives by 2004, as referred to in target 3 in the enterprise and lifelong learning section of Building a Better Scotland - Spending Proposals 2003-06: What the money buys.
Answer
All applications for Regional Selective Assistance are assessed against the scheme's standard eligibility criteria. The additional sustainable development assessment, to be applied to grants of £2 million and over from 2004, will be developed in the intervening period. The specific criteria to be used in this assessment are therefore still under consideration, but will be informed by the objectives and indicators outlined in Meeting the Needs...Priorities, Actions and Targets for Sustainable Development in Scotland, a copy of which is available in the Parliament's Reference Centre (Bib. number 20879).
- Asked by: Alex Neil, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 19 September 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Iain Gray on 3 October 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive what percentage increase in productivity levels in industry would be required to equal the average level of productivity across Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) countries, as referred to in target 2 in the enterprise and lifelong learning section of Building a Better Scotland - Spending Proposals 2003-06: What the money buys.
Answer
In 1999, Scottish productivity was marginally below the UK average, according to the Office of National Statistics (ONS). According to OECD statistics, Gross Domestic Product (GDP) per person employed in the UK was 92% of the OECD average in 1999. This suggests that GDP per person employed in Scotland was around 8% lower than the OECD average in 1999. However, this is an approximate figure given the problems of comparing productivity data from ONS and OECD sources. The department is presently considering how best to combine these sources to provide a rigorous comparison of productivity in Scotland with productivity in OECD competitors. Further details of the measurement and monitoring of this target will be published later in the Building a Better Scotland - Spending Review Proposals 2003-06, Technical Notes.
- Asked by: Alex Neil, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 19 September 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Iain Gray on 3 October 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive what (a) percentage and (b) monetary increase in business investment in research and development would be required to equal the average percentage and amount of gross domestic product (GDP) spent on research and development across Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) countries as referred to in the enterprise and lifelong learning section of Building a Better Scotland - Spending Proposals 2003-06: What the money buys.
Answer
Business Enterprise Research and Development spending in Scotland was 0.53% of GDP, compared to 1.54% for the OECD (this includes estimated figures for some countries). Accordingly research and development spending in Scotland would have to rise - from the 1999 level - by 190%, or £750 million, to reach the OECD average percentage of GDP.
- Asked by: Alex Neil, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 19 September 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Iain Gray on 3 October 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will list those joint academic and industry ventures that are currently assisted, as referred to in target 10 in the enterprise and lifelong learning section of Building a Better Scotland - Spending Proposals 2003-06: What the money buys.
Answer
Although the spending proposals refer to future years, there is a great deal of work under way to ensure that this target is met and it is anticipated that at least 150 such ventures will be supported by the Executive and its agencies through, for example, SMART, Enterprise Fellowships, TCS and the development of the Intermediary Technology Institutes. Commercial confidentiality prevents the listing of ventures under development.
- Asked by: Alex Neil, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 19 September 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Iain Gray on 3 October 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive what baseline figure will be used to measure and monitor the number of graduates as a proportion of the workforce, as referred to in target 9 in the enterprise and lifelong learning section of Building a Better Scotland - Spending Proposals 2003-06: What the money buys.
Answer
The baseline figure for measurement of this target will be the figure for the calendar year 2001. Labour Force Survey Statistics show that the proportion of graduates in the workforce in 2001 is 18%. Data at the Scottish level will be published annually in the Scottish Executive/Enterprise Networks publication Joint Performance Team: Measuring Scotland's Progress Towards a Smart Successful Scotland.Further details of the measurement and monitoring of this target will be published later in the Building a Better Scotland - Spending Review Proposals 2003-06, Technical Notes.
- Asked by: Alex Neil, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 19 September 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Iain Gray on 3 October 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive what baseline figures will be used to measure and monitor the number of 16- to 19-year-olds from low income families staying on at school or attending further education colleges, as referred to in target 8 in the enterprise and lifelong learning section of Building a Better Scotland - Spending Proposals 2003-06: What the money buys.
Answer
Baseline figures for measurement of these targets will be derived from the academic year 2001-02. The target end date will be 2007-08. This will be confirmed once the programme for rolling out Education Maintenance Allowances (EMAs) has been set.This information will be published later in the month in the Building a Better Scotland - Spending Proposals 2003-06, Technical Notes.
- Asked by: Alex Neil, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 19 September 2002
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Current Status:
Answered by Iain Gray on 3 October 2002
To ask the Scottish Executive what definition will be used of low income families in relation to increasing support to 16- to 19-year-olds, as referred to in target 8 in the enterprise and lifelong learning section of Building a Better Scotland - Spending Proposals 2003-06: What the money buys.
Answer
In our pilots of Educational Maintenance Allowances (EMA), support for 16- to 19-year-olds is targeted at families whose income is less than £25,000 per annum.Details of how EMAs will be rolled out will be announced in due course. An evaluation of the current pilots will be taken into account.
