Chamber and committees

In 2009, the Scottish Government amended its standard terms and conditions for goods and services to include a clause which requires payment of valid contractor and sub-contractor invoices within 30 days throughout the supply chain of the contract. At the same time, it asked that all public bodies who do not use the Scottish Government’s standard contracts to amend their own standard terms and conditions to include a similar provision. The clause requires that each contract should specify a contact point/named individual to whom issues regarding non-payment within the 30 day period can be raised.

The roll-out of charging infrastructure for electric vehicles in Scotland has commenced with the £3.3m Low Carbon Vehicle Procurement Support Scheme, for public bodies, which we ran in conjunction with local authorities in 2010-11. This scheme delivered over 150 low carbon vehicles to Scotland and 80 electric charging points. We are currently working with local authorities to identify further installations to expand the network. These will include those delivered through the UK Government’s Plugged in Places scheme which is worth a total of £3.1m to Scotland over 2011-12 - 2012-13, including £1.45m of match funding from the UK Government.

The following table shows Scottish Government budget allocations for low-carbon, active and sustainable travel:

Total Funding for Low-Carbon, Active and Sustainable Travel

Decisions on funding for 2012-13 will be subject to the Spending Review which is currently under way.

In answering this question, we have assumed that it applies to the Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS) in Scotland. There is only one LGPS in Scotland, though it is underpinned by eleven separate pension funds.

The Scottish Executive has not made any estimate of the number of people who might leave the LGPS if employee contributions were raised in line with the proposals of the UK Government although we acknowledge there is a risk that individuals may decide to take this course of action.

Scotland has a massive renewable energy opportunity that will deliver jobs across Scotland. The Scottish Government has set a target to meet an equivalent of 100% of Scotland’s electricity demand from renewables by 2020. We have an interim target to meet 31% of electricity demand from renewables by the end of 2011 and we are well on target to exceed that. We have no plans for further interim targets.

We do not hold annual estimates for low-carbon economy job creation.

I refer the member to the answer to the question S3W-39781 on 24 February 2011 for our estimate for 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/Apps2/MAQASearch/QAndMSearch.aspx.

Skills Development Scotland has completed the contracting process for Modern Apprenticeships in 2011-12. This includes the 500 targeted at the energy and low carbon industry.

Recruitment of Modern Apprentices by employers will take place throughout the financial year. As such, Skills Development Scotland will be able to provide you with details regarding the full 500 apprentices in this sector at the end of the financial year.

SDS publishes quarterly statistics regarding uptake of apprentices on their website. With regard to average duration of training, the speed of delivery is at the pace of the individual trainee and varies depending on the particular Modern Apprenticeship Framework and level.

Officials are already in discussion with industry on this issue. Consideration of advice on extending the heat target will be a key issue for the Scottish Advisory Theme Group on Renewables to address when it meets in September.

It is estimated that, if fully implemented in line with the original UK Government policy announcement, around £140 million of additional income would be available within the Local Government Pension Scheme each year from April 2014. That income would be split pro-rata between the eleven pension funds which underpin the Local Government Pension Scheme. The following table shows the three-year impact if this policy was applied from April 2012, reflecting the UK Government’s intention that it should be introduced in three increments.

In answering this question, the Scottish Government has assumed that it refers to the Local Government Pension Scheme. There is only one Local Government Pension Scheme in Scotland, though it is underpinned by eleven separate funds. Membership totals, based on the most recent figures reported by local authorities to the Scottish Government¹, are set out in the following table.