Chamber and committees

Questions and answers

Parliamentary questions can be asked by any MSP to the Scottish Government or the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body. The questions provide a means for MSPs to get factual and statistical information.

Written questions must be answered within 10 working days (20 working days during recess)
Other questions such as Topical, Portfolio, General and First Minister's Question Times are taken in the Chamber

Urgent Questions aren't included in the Question and Answers search. There is a SPICe fact sheet listing Urgent and emergency questions.

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Question reference: S4W-02666

Asked by: Gavin Brown, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 13 September 2011
Current Status: Answered by Fergus Ewing on 26 September 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will provide a breakdown of what it considers to be low-carbon jobs, broken down by sector.

There is no universally agreed definition of what constitutes a Low Carbon Economy but it is accepted that the concept of low carbon employment occurs throughout the economy.

The diverse nature of this employment means that it is not possible to determine levels of low carbon employment through traditional employment measures which rely on standard industrial classifications.

The Scotland Low Carbon and Environmental Goods and Services Sector Study provided the evidence base for the Low Carbon Economic Strategy using a combination of hard market intelligence and qualitative research.

As stated in response to question S3W-39781 on 24 February 2011, the Scotland Low Carbon and Environmental Goods and Services Sector Study estimated that there were 73,960 people employed in the low carbon economy in 2008-09.

These are broken down as follows:

Sector	Employment 2008-09
Environmental Sub Sectors	18,375
Renewable Energy Technologies	22,160
Low Carbon Technologies	33,425
Total	73,960

Further information on the definition plus more detailed sectoral and regional breakdowns are available in the consultant’s report.

http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Resource/Doc/344829/0114756.pdf.

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/Apps2/MAQASearch/QAndMSearch.aspx.

Question reference: S4W-02665

Asked by: Gavin Brown, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 13 September 2011
Current Status: Answered by Fergus Ewing on 26 September 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive how many jobs the low-carbon sector supports (a) directly and (b) indirectly and how many it will support in each year until 2020.

The Low Carbon Economic Strategy estimated that there were 73,960 people directly employed in the low carbon economy in 2009 rising to 130,000 by 2020.

These estimates were derived from Scotland Low Carbon and Environmental Goods and Services Sector Study published in March 2011. The report did not contain annual employment estimates.

The consultant’s report notes that the "Low Carbon and Environmental Goods and Services (LCEGS) sector is diverse in nature and does not easily fit within simple, standard classifications". As such, it is not possible to estimate numbers of indirect jobs.

In response to the answer to question S3W-39781 on 24 February 2011, we estimated that employment in the Low Carbon Environmental Goods and Services (LCEGS) sector could support an additional 22,000 additional direct jobs by 2014-15.

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/parliamentarybusiness/28877.aspx.

Question reference: S4O-00210

Current Status: Withdrawn

Question reference: S4W-02506

Asked by: Gavin Brown, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 06 September 2011
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 15 September 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive when it published the "comprehensive document supporting the case for an economic Plan B" referred to by the Cabinet Secretary for Finance, Employment and Sustainable Growth in the Scottish Sunday Express on 28 August 2011 and how many pages it contains.

Question reference: S4W-01792

Asked by: Gavin Brown, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 19 July 2011
Current Status: Answered by Fergus Ewing on 17 August 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive what criteria the Scottish Loan Fund uses when reviewing applications to the Scottish Investment Bank and what rates it applies to loans.

A range of criteria is used when reviewing Scottish Loan Fund applications including establishing that the applicant:

has an operating base in Scotland;

has sustainable operating profits and positive cash generation with an annual turnover of at least £1 million in the preceding 12 months of trading;

has an incentivised management team with a proven track record ideally operating in a growth and/or export market, and

that it meets the EU definition of a SME (i.e. has fewer than 250 employees, an annual turnover of no more than 50 million, and/or an annual balance sheet net asset value below 43 million).

In addition, there are a number of sectoral restrictions imposed as a result of European Regional Development Fund capital being utilised in the fund, and some additional restrictions required by the other investors in the fund. These do not significantly impact on the broad target market. The fund manager, Maven Capital Partners, advises all applicants on their sector eligibility on a case by case basis.

In setting loan rates, each loan is priced on a commercial basis to reflect the specific circumstances of the applicant company. This is in line with accepted industry norms for mezzanine loans of this type.

Question reference: S4W-01791

Asked by: Gavin Brown, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 19 July 2011
Current Status: Answered by Fergus Ewing on 16 August 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive how many applications have been submitted to the Scottish Investment Bank's Scottish Loan Fund, and how many have been successful.

The Scottish Investment Bank is one of six investors in the Scottish Loan Fund, which is managed by an independent fund manager, Maven Capital Partners. At the end of July 2011, 32 companies had submitted formal business plans, of which 24 are still being actively considered. Five offers of funding have been issued; two have proceeded to diligence stage; one has been declined by the company; one is currently under consideration by the applicant, and one is on hold at the applicant’s request.

Question reference: S4W-01783

Asked by: Gavin Brown, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 19 July 2011
Current Status: Answered by Aileen Campbell on 12 August 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive how much funding it considers that the Association of Scottish Community Councils requires to function effectively.

Question reference: S4W-01787

Asked by: Gavin Brown, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 19 July 2011
Current Status: Answered by Aileen Campbell on 12 August 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive what its response is to the announcement by the Association of Scottish Community Councils that it plans to cease operating.

Question reference: S4W-01788

Asked by: Gavin Brown, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 19 July 2011
Current Status: Answered by Aileen Campbell on 12 August 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to develop and strengthen the role of community councils.

Question reference: S4W-01786

Asked by: Gavin Brown, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 19 July 2011
Current Status: Answered by Aileen Campbell on 12 August 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive how many ministerial level meetings there have been with the Association of Scottish Community Councils in each of the last five years.