- Asked by: Jim Mather, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 26 February 2004
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Current Status:
Answered by Jim Wallace on 9 March 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to produce additional statistical data giving a clearer understanding of Scotland's competitiveness and productivity relative to (a) other UK nations, (b) other UK regions and (c) major Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development countries.
Answer
There is currently asignificant agenda of work on developing regional indicators of productivityand competitiveness, both within the Executive, and at the national level. DTIis planning to consult on regional productivity indicators, and the Executivewill participate fully in this exercise. The Allsopp review of statistics foreconomic policymaking focuses on regional productivity measurement, and the Executive plans to work in partnership with relevant Whitehall departmentsand other organisations to take forward the final recommendations. This willinclude the need to produce comparable indicators for UK regionsand countries, and to allow meaningful comparison with other OECD and EUcountries.
Separately, the Executivehas already published a number of articles and analysis of productivityinformation in the Scottish Economic Report (SER) and further analysisis presented in the latest SER, published on 5 March 2004.The report “Measuring Progress in Smart Successful Scotland” due forpublication later in the year, will also contain a range of indicatorscomparing Scottish performance against OECD countries.
The Executive consultsregularly with external experts, through the Scottish Economic StatisticsConsultants Group, on the range of information required to provide a completeunderstanding of the Scottish economy, and relevant comparisons with otherareas. It publishes an annual programme for statistical development which actsas a consultative document, on which feedback and comment is welcomed.
- Asked by: Jim Mather, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 26 February 2004
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Current Status:
Answered by Jim Wallace on 9 March 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive what the justification was for choosing 2000 as the base year for the calculation of Scottish gross domestic product.
Answer
The year 2000 was chosen asthe base year for the calculation of GDP because this is the most recent yearfor which industry weights are available. As industry weights are derived from input-outputtables, the base year used in the GDP index will relate to the latest year forwhich input-output tables are available - currently 2000. This is consistentwith the UK approach, and means that the Scottish index iscomparable with the UK and other EU countries which have complied with theESA95 EU regulation.
When input-output tables for2001 are published, the Scottish GDP index will be updated to a base year of2001. This will affect data from 2002 onwards, as previous years data willcontinue to be calculated with the relevant year’s input-output derivedweights.
- Asked by: Jim Mather, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 26 February 2004
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Current Status:
Answered by Jim Wallace on 9 March 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it is satisfied that current gross domestic product data provide a true and fair view of the Scottish economy.
Answer
The Scottish quarterly GDPindex is only one tool used to assess the Scottish economy. This is becomplimented by, for example, the full range of labour market statistics,corporate sector activity, productivity analysis, and benefit data we haveavailable to us.
The Executive consultsregularly with external experts, through the Scottish Economic StatisticsConsultants Group, on the range of information required to provide a completeunderstanding of the Scottish economy. It publishes an annual programme forstatistical development which acts as a consultative document, on whichfeedback and comment is welcomed.
- Asked by: Jim Mather, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 09 February 2004
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Current Status:
Answered by Jim Wallace on 8 March 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive, in light of economic growth being its top priority, what targets it will be asking the new senior management of Scottish Enterprise to achieve and for what reasons.
Answer
The Scottish Executive has provided strategic direction to Scottish Enterprise in
A Smart,Successful Scotland. Measures for tracking performance againstpriorities, and progress against these measures, are set out in the reports
MeasuringProgress towards a Smart, Successful, Scotland. The measures deal with performance of the economyand add to the strategic guidance given to the enterprise networks but they arenot direct measures of enterprise network activity.
Targets for Scottish Enterpriseactivity are for the board of that body to set, taking into account strategicdirection and performance measures, discussion with the Executive and availableresources. Such in year output targets are set out in operating plans.
- Asked by: Jim Mather, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 09 February 2004
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Current Status:
Answered by Jim Wallace on 8 March 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive, in light of economic growth being its top priority, which measurement it considers to be the most important in measuring the impact of economic performance on the people of Scotland and for what reasons.
Answer
I refer the member to the answer given to question S2W-6099 on 8 March 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: Monday, 09 February 2004
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Current Status:
Answered by Jim Wallace on 8 March 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive, in light of economic growth being its top priority, which measurement it considers to be the most important in measuring economic performance and for what reasons.
Answer
I refer the member to the answer given to question S2W-2774 on 30 September 2003, which noted that economic performance is assessed by a number ofindicators. 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: Tuesday, 27 January 2004
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Current Status:
Answered by Jim Wallace on 23 February 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive what statutory powers it has to influence the economy and what plans it has to use such powers in each case.
Answer
The powers of the Scottish Executive and the Scottish Parliament are defined in the Scotland Act. TheExecutive’s overarching approach to economic development is set out in the Frameworkfor Economic Development in Scotland, published in June 2000. My reply toS2W-5814 on 9 February 2004 sets out current developments in this area, but oneof the key underpinning principals to the framework is to recognise the impactpolicies in all areas of the Executive’s competence have on economicdevelopment.
- Asked by: Jim Mather, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 27 January 2004
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Current Status:
Answered by Jim Wallace on 23 February 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to issue economic growth forecasts.
Answer
The Scottish Executive monitors the projections of three independent economic forecasters:Cambridge Econometrics, Fraser of Allander Institute and Experian BusinessStrategies. We work closely with each of these organisations in sharinginformation and assessments of Scottish, UK and global economic activity. Wefeel that the most appropriate role of the Scottish Executive is toconcentrate our resources on producing the most robust and timely estimates ofScottish economic activity and these, in turn, feed into the independentforecasters models and projections.
- Asked by: Jim Mather, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 27 January 2004
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Current Status:
Answered by Jim Wallace on 10 February 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive what the Scottish gross domestic product (GDP) and gross national product (GNP) have been in each year since 1900 compared with the UK figures, expressing Scottish GDP and GNP as a percentage of the UK equivalent and outlining the methodology used to compile these figures.
Answer
Gross Value Added estimates (thereplacement for GDP) for 1995 to 2001, for both Scotland and the UK werepublished by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) on 14 August 2003, andare available through the following link;
http://www.statistics.gov.uk/downloads/theme_economy/Regional_GVA.pdfThearticle also provides an analysis of Scotland as a percentage of the UK, and adescription of the methodology used.
ScottishGDP for the period 1971 to 1988 is publicly available on request from ONSenquiries. To obtain the data prior to this period would incur disproportionatecosts.
Gross National Income (thereplacement for GNP) is not currently available for Scotland.
- Asked by: Jim Mather, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 27 January 2004
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Current Status:
Answered by Jim Wallace on 9 February 2004
To ask the Scottish Executive what statistical information collected by Her Majesty's Government and organisations regarding the creation of new businesses or companies in Scotland it uses to inform policies on economic growth.
Answer
I refer the member to the answer given to question S2W-5808 on 9 February 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.