- Asked by: Gavin Brown, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 26 July 2013
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Current Status:
Answered by John Swinney on 16 August 2013
To ask the Scottish Government how many jobs it estimates will be created in the oil and gas industry in the next two years.
Answer
According to Oil and Gas UK, the oil and gas industry provides employment for around 200,000 people across Scotland both directly in the industry and by supporting jobs in other sectors of the economy. This is almost half of the UK employment supported by the sector. Lloyds Banking Group forecast in March 2013 that future growth in the sector will create 34,000 jobs in the industry and related businesses across the UK over the next two years, with all areas of Scotland expected to benefit.
With more than half the total wholesale value of oil and gas reserves still to be extracted, with record levels of field investment expected throughout 2013, and with investment in companies’ future plans worth around £100 billion, the sector in Scotland will continue to thrive.
- Asked by: Gavin Brown, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 26 July 2013
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Current Status:
Answered by John Swinney on 16 August 2013
To ask the Scottish Government on what basis its paper, Maximising the Return from Oil and Gas in an Independent Scotland, stated that "Lloyds Banking Group forecast in March 2013 that future growth in the sector will create 34,000 jobs in the industry and related businesses in Scotland over the next two years".
Answer
This was a result of an incorrect interpretation of data presented by Lloyds Banking Group by Scottish Government officials in the original published version of “Maximising the Return from Oil and Gas in an Independent Scotland”.
The Scottish Government report was subsequently updated on the 26 July 2013, and it now states that “Lloyds Banking Group forecast in March 2013 that future growth in the sector will create 34,000 jobs in the industry and related businesses across the UK over the next two years, with all areas of Scotland expected to benefit”.
- Asked by: Gavin Brown, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 23 July 2013
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Current Status:
Answered by John Swinney on 16 August 2013
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide a breakdown of how the 2013-14 third sector budget has been allocated, showing the amounts allocated to each organisation funded.
Answer
The following table breaks down funding for third sector intermediaries (largely grant funding), business support contracts and support for third sector events and initiatives, which represents the major part of the third sector budget.
The table includes funding to be transferred to other Scottish Government Directorates under the Spring Budget Review process to support third sector purposes.
| Third Sector Organisation | 2013-14 |
| Third Sector Intermediaries and Related Activities | |
| Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations (SCVO) | £929,536.00 |
| Association of Chief Officers of Scottish Voluntary Organisations (ACOSVO) | £109,035.00 |
| Volunteer Development Scotland (VDS) | £810,000.00 |
| Development Trusts Association Scotland | £150,000.00 |
| Voluntary Action Scotland (VAS) | £250,000.00 |
| Senscot | £45,250.00 |
| Community Health Exchange - Learning Exchanges | £34,500.00 |
| Supporting Social Enterprise Alliance (Senscot, Social Enterprise Scotland, Social Firms Scotland) | £320,000.00 |
| Third Sector Interfaces | £8,135,094.00 |
| Social Enterprise Academy | £300,000.00 |
| Scottish Community Alliance | £50,000.00 |
| Evaluation Support Scotland | £200,000.00 |
| Barnardos/Voluntary Action Scotland/Improvement Service - Getting it Right for Every Child - National Project | £232,065.00 |
| Royal College of General Practitioners Scotland with Assist Social Capital/International Futures Form | £21,107.00 |
| Third Sector Funds | |
| Social Investment Scotland | £385,000.00 |
| Social Entrepreneurs Fund | £500,000.00 |
| Enterprise Ready Fund | £4,800,000.00 |
| Voluntary Action Fund | £1,259,326.00 |
| International Social Enterprise Programme | £110,000.00 |
| Funding Models | £100,000.00 |
| Framework/Reserve | £50,000.00 |
| Business Support Contracts | |
| Ready for Business | £600,000.00 |
| Just Enterprise | £1,200,000.00 |
| Public Social Partnerships (PSP) | £500,000.00 |
| Third Sector Longitudinal Study | £41,775.00 |
| Support for Third Sector Events & Initiatives | |
| CEiS Conference | £9,900.00 |
| Supplier Development Programme | £7,000.00 |
| Pilot Light | £18,000.00 |
| Providers & Personalisation - Coalition of Care & Support Providers Scotland (CCPS) | £40,000.00 (SBR) |
| The Change Fund: Enhancing the Role of the Third Sector Programme - The Alliance | £180,000.00 (SBR) |
| Strategic Lead for Third Sector Engagement and Partnership (Health, Care and Wellbeing) | £35,000.00 (SBR) |
| Glasgow Council for Voluntary Service (GCVS) Strategic Funding Partnership Early Years Initiative | £141,000.00 |
| Edinburgh Castle Volunteering Reception | £10,000.00 |
| Holyrood Conferences | £179.00 |
| Core Solutions | £3,000.00 |
| Senscot -Cultural/Sports Round Table | £47,555.00 |
| Financial Memorandum of the Public Bodies (Joint Working) Scotland Bill | £180,000.00 |
| | £21,422,588.00 |
- Asked by: Gavin Brown, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 28 June 2013
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Current Status:
Answered by John Swinney on 26 July 2013
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide a breakdown of (a) how much funding was given to and (b) what the current status is of each key policy priority announced in its news release of 27 June 2012, Over £100m to stimulate economic growth.
Answer
The information relating to part (a) was provided to MSPs on the 27 June 2012 but has been included in the following table together with the information relating to part (b). The negative figures indicate where funding has been accelerated to an earlier year.
| PROJECT | 2012-13 | 2013-14 | 2014-15 | Current status |
| | £m | £m | £m | |
| Section A: Low Carbon Investment/Renewables |
| Transport Scotland: Green Bus Fund | 2.8 | -2.8 | 0 | In progress |
| Regeneration: Rutherglen Low Carbon Zone (RCLZ) | 0.8 | 1.3 | 0 | In procurement |
| Higher Institute of Education: Arnish Plant and Estate Improvements | 2 | 0 | 0 | In construction |
| Renewable Projects (TOTALS £103 million fossil fuel levy) | 16 | 45 | 42 | The Renewable Energy Investment Fund covers a wide range of projects at various stages of development |
| TOTAL for section A | 21.6 | 43.5 | 42 | |
| Section B: Housing and Regeneration |
| Housing: Priority investments within Local Authority Strategic Housing Investment Plans - bring forward 300 homes | 15 | -7.5 | -7.5 | Completed/In construction |
| Housing year 2012-13 only: Priority investments within Local Authority Strategic Housing Investment Plans - further 350 homes in addition to those from accelerating budget above | 20 | 0 | 0 | Completed/In construction |
| Govanhill - Empty Homes Purchase | 0.5 | 0.5 | 0.5 | Complete for 2012-13 and in progress for next two years |
| Govanhill - Backcourt Improvements | 0 | 0.5 | 0.5 | In progress |
| Accelerated programme of developments in Riverside Inverclyde Urban Regeneration Company | 3.4 | -3 | -0.4 | In progress |
| Regeneration: High-growth pre-let office, Bridgeton 1,800 square meters. | 0.5 | 3 | 0 | In procurement |
| TOTAL for section B | 39.4 | -6.5 | -6.9 | |
| Section C: Infrastructure and Investment |
| Health: Maintenance to ensure assets are safe, effective and patient centred - accelerated spend | 15 | -15 | 0 | Completed |
| Higher Institute of Education: Inverness Campus | 6 | 0 | 0 | In construction |
| Scottish Funding Council: West Highland College, Fort William – infrastructure expansion | 1.5 | 0 | 0 | In construction |
| Transport Scotland: Kennacraig, Kintyre, Phase 2 - causeway | 3.5 | 0.2 | 0.2 | In construction |
| Transport Scotland: A75 Hardgrove to Kinmount | 2.5 | 17.5 | 0 | In construction |
| TOTAL for section C | 28.5 | 2.7 | 0.2 | |
| Higher Institute of Education: Forres Enterprise Park – Extension of Roads | 3 | 0 | 0 | In construction |
| Higher Institute of Education: Forres Enterprise Park – Provide 2 Units | 1 | 2 | 0 | In construction |
| Higher Institute of Education: Building Development within Forres Enterprise zone | 3.5 | 0 | 0 | Completed |
| TOTAL for section D | 7.5 | 2 | 0 | |
| Section E: Investment in Tourism – our Year of Natural Scotland |
| Forestry Commission Scotland - upgrade of visitor facilities at David Marshall Lodge, Aberfoyle | 0.7 | -0.7 | 0 | Completed - due to reopen August 2013 |
| Rural: National Parks - visitor facility improvements within the National Parks | 1.8 | 0 | 0 | Completed |
| Royal Botanic Garden, Edinburgh - commence replacement of the Garden's ageing glasshouses | 1.5 | 0 | 0 | In progress |
| Forestry Commission Scotland - upgrade of visitor facilities at Queen's View Perthshire | 0.5 | 0.5 | 0 | In progress - phase 1 completed; phase 2 due to start October 2013 |
| TOTAL for section E | 4.5 | -0.2 | 0 | |
| F: Protecting our Cultural Assets/Investing in Tourism |
| Historic Scotland – Lews Castle development | 0.8 | 0.8 | 0 | Completed |
| Historic Scotland - essential maintenance of heritage assets | 0.5 | 1.5 | 0 | In construction |
| National Records of Scotland - Thomas Thomson House - urgent roof repairs | 0.9 | 0.6 | 0 | Completed |
| National Library of Scotland – internal and external fabric maintenance of city centre estate (George IV Bridge and Baden Powell House) | 0.2 | 0.9 | 1.1 | In construction |
| National Galleries of Scotland – Energy saving maintenance project at the National Gallery | 0.5 | 0.5 | 0 | In construction |
| Creative Scotland capital grants programme for local and regional cultural projects across Scotland | 1 | 1 | 1 | In construction |
| TOTAL for section F | 3.9 | 5.3 | 2.1 | |
- Asked by: Gavin Brown, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 28 June 2013
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Current Status:
Answered by John Swinney on 24 July 2013
To ask the Scottish Government how much of the money announced in its news release of 19 June 2013, £20 million drive for business innovation and growth, is new money and what the basis was for describing all of the £20 million as new money.
Answer
The funding package supporting the Business Innovation and Growth Programme has not been announced prior to 19 June 2013. The funding is available to fund new activity.
- Asked by: Gavin Brown, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 28 June 2013
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Current Status:
Answered by John Swinney on 24 July 2013
To ask the Scottish Government for what reason the business innovation and growth programme that it announced in its news release of 19 June 2013, £20 million drive for business innovation and growth, has a closing date of 9 July 2013.
Answer
The closing date for Stage One of the application process was set by officials to facilitate a project selection process that requires scheduling of external advisory groups before allocations are announced in late September.
- Asked by: Gavin Brown, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 28 June 2013
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Current Status:
Answered by John Swinney on 24 July 2013
To ask the Scottish Government which capital projects had an underspend in 2012-13 and what the (a) amount and (b) reason was for each.
Answer
In our Budget for 2013-14, we had factored into our plans a carry forward from 2012-13 of £8 million capital DEL. The actual carry forward is £29 million.
The majority of the additional underspend is due to timing differences between demand and the availability of funding in capital budgets within demand-led schemes in housing and regeneration - £5.3 million underspend on the JESSICA urban regeneration fund and £7.7 million underspend on the Shared Equity Scheme.
The remaining £8 million underspend is related to small movements in a wide range of different budgets. Capital projects, by nature, are often managed over a number of financial years and as such the Scottish Government recognises that there will, on occasions, be minor and marginal movements to timescales caused by, for example, weather or planning delays, with a subsequent impact on the expenditure profile of the project. This requires a flexible approach to managing capital budgets over time.
- Asked by: Gavin Brown, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 28 June 2013
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Current Status:
Answered by John Swinney on 24 July 2013
To ask the Scottish Government whether the priorities of the business innovation and growth programme that it announced in its news release of 19 June 2013, £20 million drive for business innovation and growth, represents the underspend from the pre-existing European Regional Development Fund 2007-13 programmes.
Answer
The funding of the Business Innovation and Growth Programme includes underspends that have been returned from projects, anticipated underspends and unallocated funding that is being allocated for the first time.
- Asked by: Gavin Brown, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 28 June 2013
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Current Status:
Answered by John Swinney on 24 July 2013
To ask the Scottish Government whether the priorities of the business innovation and growth programme that it announced in its news release of 19 June 2013, £20 million drive for business innovation and growth, are the same as that of the pre-existing European Regional Development Fund 2007-13 programmes and, if not, what the differences are.
Answer
As an open call, the Business Innovation and Growth Programme invites applications under any of the priority areas for the European Regional Development Fund 2007-13 programmes. Our commitment to focus the remaining structural funds on creating opportunities for young people will mean that applications that promote business growth to help youth employment will be given a higher priority.
- Asked by: Gavin Brown, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 28 June 2013
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Current Status:
Answered by Margaret Burgess on 11 July 2013
To ask the Scottish Government whether the £7.7 million shared equity underspend for 2012-13 will be spent on shared equity in 2013-14.
Answer
The £7.7 million underspend on shared equity will be deployed in 2013-14 to support the Scottish Government’s overall investment in its housing programme. On 10 July 2013, I announced a new £62 million investment over two years for the Open Market Shared Equity Scheme. This increases the total investment in the scheme over the next two years to £90 million.
