Chamber and committees

The year on year savings projected to achieve the £1.1 billion savings target by March 2026 noted in the Financial Memorandum of the Police and Fire Reform (Scotland) Act 2012 are set out in table 2.1 on pages 51-52 of the Financial Memorandum to the Act.

The Cabinet Sub Committee on Climate Change has overall responsibility for ensuring that Scotland meets the world-leading climate change targets set out in the Climate Change (Scotland) Act 2009, contributing to the government’s purpose of creating a more successful country, with opportunities for all of Scotland to flourish, though increasing sustainable economic growth. The Cabinet Sub Committee met for the second time on 8 January 2015 and discussed both the good progress made to date and the policy options available across the members’ portfolios to help ensure Scotland stays on track to meet its world-leading climate change targets. These included options in energy, housing, transport, local government and communities, land use, agriculture and forestry.

The Scottish Government will submit its response to the recommendations made in the Finance Committee’s 1st report on the Draft Budget 2015-16, prior to the Stage 3 reading of the Budget Bill on 4 February 2015.

The draft budget sets out the Scottish Government’s spending plans for the upcoming year for consultation with the Scottish Parliament and the people of Scotland, while actual reporting of expenditure is included in the Scottish Government’s consolidated accounts.

Expenditure of repayments relating to non-profit distribution schemes are reported by NHS boards in note 23 of their annual accounts which are published and laid before Parliament each year. A consolidated position, including all NHS boards, is then reported in note 18b of the Scottish Government’s consolidated accounts.

There are no plans at present to include that information in the draft budget.

The following tables set out additional funding made available to the Scottish Ambulance Service between financial years 2011-12 to 2014-15.

(a) 2011-12

(b) 2012-13

(c) 2013-14

(d) 2014-15 year to date 31 December 2014

The Scottish Government is considering a number of options in line with the commitment in the national litter strategy to influence product design of frequently littered items to reduce their environmental impact. This could include looking at whether changes in materials used would be viable and offer environmental benefits without unintended consequences. However, we note a number of US cities have introduced bans on Styrofoam products, most recently New York City. We are keen to learn from these cities’ experience of introducing and implementing such bans.

The Scottish Futures Trust has operational responsibility for setting the wages of its staff, however I can confirm that since its inception in 2008 the Scottish Futures Trust has paid its staff the living wage or above.

I can also confirm that all staff employed by hubCos are paid the living wage or above.

The most effective way of ensuring that all workers receive at least the living wage would be for responsibility for the legal minimum wage to be devolved to the Scottish Parliament, which is why this government called on The Smith Commission to recommend devolution of the national minimum wage to Scotland.

The Scottish Government had regular and frequent discussions with Scottish Enterprise throughout 2014. Along with Scottish Enterprise, we remained the last funders in Pelamis for some time. Scottish Enterprise is required to comply with the state aid framework and to make prudent investments with a credible chance of return. With no prospect of further commercial investment, Scottish Enterprise was not in a position to provide any further loan investment in Pelamis. The company was advised of the decision on 19 November 2014.

Our enterprise agency, Scottish Enterprise, commissioned a number of external due diligence reports during late 2013 and 2014 to understand the operational and financial position of the company. Operational due diligence was undertaken by Black and Veatch, Murgitroyd, and Maclay Murray and Spens. Financial due diligence was undertaken by Metis Partners, Optimat, Scott-Moncrieff, Ernst and Young, RPS Group and PwC.

Wave Energy Scotland (WES) will be a subsidiary of Highlands and Islands Enterprise and it is expected that most of the early stage team will be based in Inverness. I set out the remit of WES in my parliamentary statement during topical questions on 25 November 2014. Further details can be found in the Wave Energy Scotland fact sheet, a copy of which has been placed in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre (Bib. number 56436).

Work to establish the new venture is already underway and open recruitment of staff will take place in the first quarter of 2015.