- Asked by: Jim Mather, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 06 August 2004
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Current Status:
Answered by Jim Wallace on 7 September 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it will take to reduce the gap of 16.05% between Scotland's score of 62.026 and the United Kingdom's score of 72.186 as set out in the recent IMD World Competitiveness Yearbook.
Answer
I refer the member to the answer to question S2W-9885 answered on 7 September 2004. 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/search_wa.
- Asked by: Jim Mather, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 12 August 2004
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Current Status:
Answered by Jim Wallace on 6 September 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive what steps are being taken to attract major employers to Scotland, in light of the reduction in the number of jobs available with such employers in 2003.
Answer
Through our international economicdevelopment agency, Scottish Development International, the Scottish Executive istargeting high-value, knowledge intensive inward investment that complements Scotland’skey strengths. SDI’s global sales force works from their own overseas bases andthrough the commercial section of UK embassies and consulates to develop positive relationshipswith potential new investors. They also seek to attract new, higher value investmentsfrom existing investors in Scotland, most of whom are major employers.The most recent Scottish CorporateSector Statistics which can be found at the Scottish Executive website at thefollowing link:
http://www.scotland.gov.uk/about/ETLLD/EI/00018389/page1346731326.aspx showed that the number of people in Scotland employedby overseas-owned businesses increased from 174,070 in 2002 to 214,640 in 2003.This is an increase from 9% of total jobs to 12%.
- Asked by: Jim Mather, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 12 August 2004
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Current Status:
Answered by Jim Wallace on 6 September 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive what the level of employment was in (a) 1996, (b) 1997 and (c) 1998.
Answer
Table 1 Total Employment (Seasonally Adjusted), Scotland
1 | | Total Employment (000) |
| Spring 1996 | 2,243 |
| Spring 1997 | 2,267 |
| Spring 1998 | 2,295 |
Source: Labour Force Survey.
Note: 1. Ages 16 and over.
- Asked by: Jim Mather, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 26 July 2004
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Current Status:
Answered by Jim Wallace on 3 September 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive what the average weekly income was in each area served by (a) Argyll and the Isles Enterprise, (b) Caithness and Sutherland Enterprise, (c) Inverness and Nairn Enterprise, (d) Lochaber Enterprise, (e) Moray Badenoch and Strathspey Enterprise, (f) Orkney Enterprise, (g) Ross and Cromarty Enterprise, (h) Shetland Enterprise, (i) Skye and Lochalsh Enterprise, (j) Western Isles Enterprise and (k) Highlands and Islands Enterprise network in each year from 1993 to 2003, expressed also as a percentage of the UK average weekly income.
Answer
Average weekly income figures are not available at the level of Enterprise area.
Some information on Gross Average Weekly Earnings is available by Enterprise area. The following table show Gross Average Weekly Earning for full-time employees on adult rates for 1999-2003 for four of the Highland and Islands Enterprise areas, for Scotland as a whole and for the UK. Estimates for the other Highland and Island Enterprise areas are not available due to small sample sizes. The information is from the New Earnings Survey. Data is not available prior to 1999 on this basis.
| | 1999 | | 2000 | | 2001 | | 2002 | | 2003 | |
| (£) | % of UK average | (£) | % of UK average | (£) | % of UK average | (£) | % of UK average | (£) | % of UK average |
| Argyll, Bute, Arran and Cumbrae | 320.16 | 80 | 332.06 | 79 | .. | .. | 342.29 | 74 | .. | .. |
| Moray, Badenock and Strathspey | 324.19 | 81 | .. | .. | 322.17 | 73 | 342.51 | 74 | 369.93 | 78 |
| Inverness and Nairn | 356.58 | 89 | 374.20 | 90 | 396.88 | 90 | .. | .. | .. | .. |
| Lochaber | 339.30 | 85 | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. | .. |
| Scotland | 370.17 | 93 | 383.04 | 92 | 404.81 | 92 | 427.08 | 92 | 436.76 | 92 |
| United Kingdom | 400.09 | 100 | 418.08 | 100 | 442.25 | 100 | 462.46 | 100 | 473.76 | 100 |
Note: ..Estimates are not given where sample sizes are below 30 individuals.
- Asked by: Jim Mather, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 06 August 2004
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Current Status:
Answered by Jim Wallace on 3 September 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive what new steps it will take to increase the business birth rate, in light of recent VAT registration data.
Answer
The Scottish Executive is committed to improving the business birth rate, although direct support for new and existing businesses in Scotland is largely a matter for Scottish Enterprise and Highlands and Islands Enterprise. Scottish Enterprise launched their
New Approach to Entrepreneurship in January 2002. This addresses a range of issues relevant to Scotland’s business start-up rate and was developed following a review of Scottish Enterprise’s Business Birth Rate Strategy by the Fraser of Allander Institute, completed in June 2001.
Measures introduced in the Scottish Enterprise area include Business Gateway – a first stop access to support and advice to business start-ups and growing businesses. In addition, I recently announced the introduction of a new £1,000 business start-up grant for young people aged 18-30 years, which will be available from 1 October 2004; a substantial contribution to the Prince’s Scottish Youth Business Trust’s Revolving Loan Fund which provides loans for new start-up businesses, and boosted the existing Highlands and Islands Enterprise start-up programme by a £1 million over the next two years.
- Asked by: Jim Mather, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 06 August 2004
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Current Status:
Answered by Andy Kerr on 3 September 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive what new steps will be taken to avoid a demographic skew towards older people, especially in rural Scotland, in light of the recent population forecast by the Office of National Statistics.
Answer
In reference to population and age structure generally, I refer the member to the answer to question S2W-9926 on 30 August 2004, 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/search_wa.Specifically with regard to rural areas, while the Fresh Talent initiative as such does not differentiate between rural and urban areas, we are committed tomaintaining strong, prosperous and growing communities in rural Scotland, andare working to ensure that the same opportunities are available to rural residentsas to those in urban areas.
- Asked by: Jim Mather, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 06 August 2004
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Current Status:
Answered by Andy Kerr on 3 September 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will liaise with Her Majesty's Government to set and publish macro-level targets for Scotland on issues such as economic growth, population and average life expectancy and, if so, when it will do so and what the reasons are for its position on this matter.
Answer
The Scottish Executive is in regular contact with the UK Government on a range of matters of relevance to the people of Scotland. We work together to stimulate economic growth. This is the right approach. There are no current plans to publish any joint targets. We will publish our targets across the range of the Executive’s activities for the next three years when we announce the outcome of our spending review.
- Asked by: Jim Mather, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 06 August 2004
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Current Status:
Answered by Jim Wallace on 1 September 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive, in light of Scottish Low Pay Unit data, what new steps it will take to boost the economy and address the “employed poverty trap”.
Answer
The Executive’s top priority is growing the economy and our policies are directed to that end. Our focus is on competitiveness through high value, high skills activity. On 12 July 2004, Margaret Curran announced six high-level objectives which are driving anti-poverty initiatives. These include increasing chances of sustained employment for vulnerable and disadvantaged groups in order to lift thempermanently out of poverty.
- Asked by: Jim Mather, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 06 May 2004
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Current Status:
Answered by Nicol Stephen on 1 September 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive whether the proposed tendering of the Caledonian MacBrayne ferry routes will include provision for an operator of last resort and, if not, what other safeguards will be put in place to protect, and ensure the continuation of, lifeline ferry services and minimise the risk to the public purse.*The member has provided the following Gaelic translation: A dh'fhaighneachd de Riaghaltas na h-Alba am bi an tairgseachadh, air a mholadh airson slighean aiseag Chaledonian Mhic a' Bhruthainn, a' gabhail a-staigh ullachadh airson luchd-solair mar “innleachd mu dheireadh”; agus mur a bi, dh a thhid a dhhanamh gus seirbheisean aiseig a tha deatamach a dhlon agus a ghlhidheadh, agus gus lyghdachadh a dhhanamh air cunnartan dhan sporan phoblach.*
Answer
The proposals for tendering,published for consultation in June 2002, explained that we intended to restructureCaledonian MacBrayne into a publicly owned vessel owning and leasing company (VesCo)and an operating company (OpsCo). As well as VesCo’s functions in relation to harboursand vessels it is also intended that it will have responsibility for providing anoperator of last resort function.
VesCowill be instructed to ensure that arrangements for the operator of last resort arein place by the start of the first contract period. It will therefore be an earlypriority for VesCo to consider how it will provide this function and to make recommendationsto ministers.
*The Scottish Executive has provided the following Gaelic translation:
Mhìnichna molaidhean a thaobh tagraidhean, a bha foillsichte airson co-chomhairle san Ògmhios2002, gu robh sinn an dùil Caledonian Mac a’ Bhruthainn ath-structaradh gu companaidhaig am bi soithichean dhaibh fèin agus airson màil (VesCo) agus companaidh obrachaidh(OpsCo). A thuilleadh air gnìomhan VesCo an co-cheangal ri puirt agus soithicheanthathar an dùil cuideachd gur ann air a bhios uallach airson dreuchd Obraiche ÀmÈiginn.
Thèid iarraidh air VesCo dèanamhcinnteach gum bi ullachadh airson an Obraiche Àm Èiginn stèidhichte mus tòisicha’ chiad ùine cùmhnant. Mar sin bidh e na phrìomh-amas aig VesCo beachdachadh mundòigh air an dreuchd seo ullachadh agus molaidhean a thoirt do Mhinistearan.
- Asked by: Jim Mather, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 06 August 2004
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Current Status:
Answered by Jim Wallace on 1 September 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive what new steps it will take to create a bigger pipeline of medium-si'ed companies, in light of the Federation of Small Businesses' report, Lifting the Barriers to Growth in UK Small Business: Scotland.
Answer
Growing businesses is a key theme in A Smart, Successful Scotland (SSS). Information such as that in the Federation of Small Businesses’ report helps inform our understanding of how the challenges facing the Scottish economy have evolved since SSS was first published and will, along with information from other sources, inform the priorities in the refreshed SSS. The Enterprise Networks will continue to play a major role in assisting businesses with growth potential and detail of their activity is set out in corporate plans.
