- Asked by: Jim Mather, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 23 June 2003
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Current Status:
Answered by Jim Wallace on 16 July 2003
To ask the Scottish Executive how many, and what percentage of, inward investment jobs from companies whose headquarters are located outwith Scotland have been located in the Highlands and Islands in each year since 1990.
Answer
Figures from Highlands and Islands Enterprise for inward investment jobs secured since 1991, the first year for which figures are available, are given in the following table:
| Year | Jobs secured |
| 1991 | 29 |
| 1992 | 38 |
| 1993 | 141 |
| 1994 | 122 |
| 1995 | 528 |
| 1996 | 91 |
| 1997 | 590 |
| 1998 | 836 |
| 1999 | 1,070 |
| 2000 | 592 |
| 2001 | 23 |
| 2002 | 371 |
| Total | 4,431 |
Regional figures are compiled on a different basis from the statistics about inward investment projects in which the national agency Scottish Development International and its predecessor Locate in Scotland had a significant involvement. Therefore, a direct comparison with national figures is not possible.
- Asked by: Jim Mather, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 24 June 2003
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Current Status:
Answered by Jim Wallace on 16 July 2003
To ask the Scottish Executive how it is engaging with banks and other major business organisations on the issue of economic growth.
Answer
The Scottish Executive maintains contacts with the major organisations representing business and finance and engages with these as appropriate on a range of issues relating to the Scottish economy.
- Asked by: Jim Mather, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 23 June 2003
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Current Status:
Answered by Jim Wallace on 16 July 2003
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will publish the existing performance and results standards set for its Enterprise and Lifelong Learning Department in relation to enterprise.
Answer
The Executive's targets in relation to enterprise are set out in Building a Better Scotland (BABS), which was published in September 2002. As is noted in BABS, several of these targets are taken from A Smart, Successful Scotland. Performance measures relating to those targets are published annually in Measuring Scotland's Progress Towards a Smart, Successful Scotland. The latest version of this document was published on the Executive's website in March 2003.The Scottish budget documents (Annual Expenditure Report, Draft Budget and Budget) also include information about progress against a large number of objectives and targets which relate to enterprise.
- Asked by: Jim Mather, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 24 June 2003
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Current Status:
Answered by Andy Kerr on 16 July 2003
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has responded to the call from the Scottish Council for Development and Industry for an independent commission to review and report on the potential impact of financial independence for Scotland.
Answer
The Executive sees no need to commission an independent study of the potential impacts of financial independence. Considerable work in this area has been undertaken over recent years by experts, notably in the academic world, and this has significantly informed this important debate.The Executive has participated actively in this debate.
- Asked by: Jim Mather, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 20 June 2003
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Current Status:
Answered by Jim Wallace on 15 July 2003
To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it will take to inform Sir Michael Lyons' independent review into the scope for relocating civil service and public sector jobs, currently based in London and the south-east of England, to other areas of the United Kingdom and when it will meet with Sir Michael as part of this review.
Answer
The Executive has written to Sir Michael Lyons agreeing to offer assistance and officials have met with the review team. The review team has welcomed discussions on the existing executive relocation policy and has requested input from the Executive on potential locations in Scotland.
- Asked by: Jim Mather, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 23 June 2003
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Current Status:
Answered by Andy Kerr on 14 July 2003
To ask the Scottish Executive how many employees were employed in the economic development department of (a) Glasgow City Council, (b) City of Edinburgh Council, (c) Perth and Kinross Council, (d) Highland Council, (e) Aberdeen City Council, (f) Dundee City Council and (g) Stirling Council; what the total annual remuneration of those employees was on 30 April 2003, and what the total annual expenditure of those councils was on these departments in 2002-03.
Answer
The information requested is not held centrally. The latest available information on numbers of full-time equivalent staff employed by each local authority associated with the services of "planning and economic development" is given in table 5 of Joint Staffing Watch: December 2001, published jointly by the Scottish Executive and COSLA in December 2002. A copy is available in the Parliament's Reference Centre (Bib. number 25781).
- Asked by: Jim Mather, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 23 June 2003
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Current Status:
Answered by Jim Wallace on 14 July 2003
To ask the Scottish Executive when it will review the policy, processes and expenditure guidelines associated with the hiring of consultants by Scottish Enterprise, Highlands and Islands Enterprise and its Enterprise and Lifelong Learning Department and whether it will have separate discussions with local authorities to review similar matters in relation to their hiring of consultants.
Answer
The Management Statements between the Department and the Enterprise Networks contain guidelines on expenditure and procurement of services, which include the hiring of consultants. These guidelines are subject to review on a regular basis to ensure that they are consistent with best practice. It is for local authorities to make decisions about hiring consultants in pursuit of their own functions.
- Asked by: Jim Mather, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 23 June 2003
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Current Status:
Answered by Jim Wallace on 14 July 2003
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will initiate a review to identify any areas of management overlap between its Enterprise and Lifelong Learning Department, Scottish Enterprise and Highlands and Islands Enterprise.
Answer
No. In 2000 a Review of the Enterprise Networks examined the roles and responsibilities of the Department and the Enterprise Networks and clarified relationships. The Executive is responsible for setting strategic direction and has done so through A Smart, Successful Scotland. That document also sets out the wider nature of the revised relationship with the Enterprise Networks.
- Asked by: Jim Mather, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 23 June 2003
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Current Status:
Answered by Jim Wallace on 14 July 2003
To ask the Scottish Executive when it will receive the report by Audit Scotland on Scottish Enterprise.
Answer
Audit Scotland's review of Scottish Enterprise is still under way. When completed, later in the summer, Audit Scotland will report their findings to the Auditor General and to the Chief Executive of Scottish Enterprise. It will then be for the Auditor General to decide on publication of the report's findings.
- Asked by: Jim Mather, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 23 June 2003
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Current Status:
Answered by Jim Wallace on 14 July 2003
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will change the operational guidelines for relations between the Minister for Enterprise and Lifelong Learning, its Enterprise and Lifelong Learning Department and Scottish Enterprise on all matters relating to enterprise.
Answer
Operational guidelines for Scottish Enterprise are contained in a Management Statement for which the Enterprise, Transport and Lifelong Learning Department is responsible. This document was substantially revised in 2002 and is reviewed on a regular basis.
