Chamber and committees

Allfunding eligible for allocation to Scottish budgets by way of budgetconsequentials is held centrally. It is then allocated by the ScottishGovernment in light of all competing pressures and the government’s priorities.

Atthe present time there has been no indication of the status of thisannouncement on support for disabled children.

Rurality is takeninto account in the allocation of funding to local authorities through the corelocal government finance settlement. The grand aided expenditure (GAE) fundingmechanism is a needs-based methodology that helps determine the allocation ofthat funding. Rurality has been identified as a financial pressure for somelocal authorities and as such it is a factor recognised within the series ofindicators that contribute towards the calculation of GAE lines. Theseindicators recognise the particular needs that are associated with populationdispersal.

As part of the Scottish Government’s Fresh Talent initiative the Relocation Advisory Service’s(RAS) business team is in regular contact with Scottish employers and theirrepresentatives, providing advice on employing migrant workers through itswebsite, presentations, e-newsletters etc. The issue of comparing non-UKqualifications with potential Scottish counterparts has not been perceived as asignificant difficulty in correspondence and meetings with employers.

Careers Scotland in the Highlands and Islands area are workingwith the National Academic Recognition Information Centre (NARIC) to develop aservice which will provide guidance to individuals and employers on matchingqualifications. They intend to publicise this service in due course, onceinitial testing is complete.

In November last year the Relocation Advisory Service(RAS) engaged with the Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA) and learned of the latter’s recent research into qualifications from Poland. SQA informed RASthat this was in response to a growing demand from employers for a tool thatwould provide a basic understanding of the the typical qualifications beingpresented by the large number of Polish nationals seeking employment inScotland.

With the SQA’s permissionand input, RAS put information relating to this work on the business section ofFresh Talent’s main website www.scotlandistheplace.com.There are also links to the various international elements of the SQA’s work.RAS is also in regular contact with the SQA and would be keen to highlight anyfuture work of the latter which could prove useful to the Scottish businesscommunity.

As indicatedin my answer to question S3W-1486 on 19 July 2007, consequential funding is agreedbiannually and is dependent on confirmation from HM Treasury that any additionalfunding announced by departments is new money and has not been reallocated fromexisting resources. Where consequential funding is received, it is held centrally.Funding is then allocated by the Scottish Government in light of all competing pressuresand the government’s priorities.

At thepresent time there has been no indication of the status of this announcement onsupport for disabled children.

All answersto written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website thesearch facility for which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search.

The Scottish Executiveis actively working with the European Commission in the development of the EuropeanQualifications Framework (EQF) which aims to be implemented across Europe by 2009. The EQF aims to improve the mobility of individualsand their qualifications by acting as a translation device. By mapping nationalqualification frameworks to the EQF individuals and employers will be able to understandand compare qualifications across Europe. The Scottish Executivehosted a conference in September 2005 to launch the consultation on the EQF whichwas instrumental in shaping the proposal. Since then, the Scottish Executive hascontinued to work alongside the Commission and is currently involved in a numberof projects designed to test the EQF.

Scotland has its own qualifications framework, the Scottish Credit and Qualifications Framework (SCQF). The SCQF is one of the leadingoperational frameworks across Europe and we are well placed to map the SCQF againstthe EQF once the Recommendation is approved.

Scotland also takes an active role in the Bologna Processwhich aims to create greater coherence across the European Higher Education Area(EHEA) by 2010. To facilitate mobility within the EHEA all 46 participating countrieshave agreed to produce a national qualifications framework. Scotland is one of onlytwo countries that have so far successfully self-certified their Framework for Qualificationsof Scottish Higher Education Institutions against the overarching Framework forQualifications of the EHEA.

Decisions on extendingSingle Farm Payment support beyond 2013 will be taken in the context of the EuropeanUnion’s Common Agricultural Policy for 2013 onwards.

The requestedinformation is not held centrally. The information on housing lists collectedby the Scottish Government is published on an annual basis in the ScottishExecutive Statistical Bulletin (Housing Series) Housing trends in Scotland: quarter ending 31 March. This is available on-line in thepublications section of the housing statistics branch reference site:http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Statistics/Browse/Housing-Regeneration/PubHousingTrend.

A major piece ofresearch on housing need was conducted for the Scottish Government by ProfessorGlen Bramley and published in November 2006. This contains analysis of housingneed by local authority area. Further information can be found at:http://www.communitiesscotland.gov.uk/stellent/groups/public/documents/webpages/cs_016551.pdf.

The Government iscurrently conducting an exercise which is seeking to gain a consistent picturefrom local authorities of their own assessment of the main factors affectingestimates of affordable housing need for their areas, and the evidence whichsupports this.

The informationrequested is not held centrally.

The present charge leviedfor high quality bulls typically works out (after deduction of the grant) atless than £40 per cow with the actual cost depending on the number of cows aparticular bull has to cover. This charge is substantially below full economiccost and is comparable to the cost per cow incurred by other cattle producers oninsemination.

The Scottish Government arereviewing arrangements for Crofters Cattle Quality Improvement in the light of the new State Aid guidelines from the European Commission. We hope to make an announcement in August about futurearrangements for support.