- Asked by: John Wilson, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 26 March 2008
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Current Status:
Answered by John Swinney on 22 April 2008
To ask the Scottish Executive whether international full-time college students, serving in unpaid internships while living in Scotland, are eligible for council tax exemption.
Answer
International full-time students receive a council tax exemption for the duration of their course, but do not receive a council tax exemption by virtue of undertaking an unpaid internship.
- Asked by: John Wilson, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 28 February 2008
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Current Status:
Answered by Jim Mather on 12 March 2008
To ask the Scottish Executive how much money it has contributed to business growth and development in the last two years, broken down by industry sector.
Answer
In the last two calendar years (2006 and 2007), the Scottish Government paid out over £87 million to businesses through its Regional Selective Assistance (RSA) grant scheme. The following table shows this broken down by industry type using the Standard Industrial Classification (SIC) codes.
RSA Grant Payments Made by Industry Type, from 1 January 2006 to 31 December 2007
| Standard Industrial Classification (SIC) 1992 | Amount Paid |
| Class/Description |
| 01-05 | Agriculture, hunting, forestry and fishing | £0 |
| 10-14 | Mining & Quarrying | £0 |
| 15-37 | Manufacturing: | |
| 15-16 | Food, beverages & tobacco | £8,980,500 |
| 17-19 | Textiles, clothing, leather & footwear | £686,000 |
| 20-22 | Wood, paper, printing & publishing | £7,319,000 |
| 23-25 | Coke, petroleum, nuclear fuels, chemicals, man-made fibres, rubber & plastic | £5,873,000 |
| 26 | Non-metallic mineral products | £1,980,000 |
| 27-28 | Metals & fabricated metal products | £4,361,000 |
| 29 | Machinery & equipment | £5,343,000 |
| 30-33 | Electrical & optical equipment | £8,487,000 |
| 34-35 | Transport equipment | £7,025,000 |
| 36-37 | Other manufacturing | £2,259,000 |
| 40-41 | Electricity, gas & water supply | £50,000 |
| 45 | Construction | £692,000 |
| 50-52 | Wholesale & retail trade, repairs | £4,162,000 |
| 55 | Hotels & restaurants | £0 |
| 60-64 | Transport, storage & communication | £8,111,969 |
| 65-67 | Financial intermediation | £7,049,000 |
| 70-74 | Real estate, renting & business activities | £14,657,000 |
| 75-99 | Other Services | £645,000 |
| Total | | £87,680,469 |
During the same period, payments on innovation grants which include SMART: SCOTLAND, SPUR and SCORE, totalled over £13 million. The following table shows this broken down by industry sector.
| Innovation Grants Payments Made by Industry Sector from 1 January 2006 to 31 December 2007 |
| Industry Sector | Amount Paid |
| Manufacturing Technology | £674,758 |
| Materials Technology | £401,441 |
| Information Technology | £4,125,031 |
| Biotechnology | £2,123,921 |
| Environmental Technology | £976,051 |
| Communications | £1,473,108 |
| Instrumentation and Control | £418,052 |
| Heat and Mass Transfer | £72,786 |
| New Testing Methods | £286,811 |
| Separation Techniques | £181,353 |
| Tribology, wear and corrosion | £31,100 |
| Medical Technology | £1,544,639 |
| Other | £714,531 |
| Total | £13,023,582 |
In addition, Scottish Enterprise and Highlands and Islands Enterprise support business growth and development. As this is an operation matter for both organisations I will ask both chief executives to write to you in this regard.
- Asked by: John Wilson, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 28 February 2008
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Current Status:
Answered by Jim Mather on 12 March 2008
To ask the Scottish Executive how much finance it has contributed to small business start-up in the last two years, broken down by industry sector.
Answer
This is an operational matter for Scottish Enterprise and Highlands and Islands Enterprise. I will ask both chief executives to write to you in this regard.
- Asked by: John Wilson, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 28 February 2008
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Current Status:
Answered by Jim Mather on 12 March 2008
To ask the Scottish Executive how many companies have applied for business growth and development funding and how many have received funding in the last two years.
Answer
In the last two calendar years (2006 and 2007), there were 445 applications for Regional Selective Assistance (RSA). In the same period, 344 companies received payment of RSA grant totalling over £87 million.
During the same period, 257 applications for innovation grants were received. These included applications for SMART: SCOTLAND, SCORE and SPUR. 224 businesses received funding over the same period with payments totalling over £13 million.
In addition, businesses can apply to Scottish Enterprise and Highlands and Islands Enterprise for funding support for growth and development. As this is an operational matter for both organisations I will ask both chief executives to write to you in this regard.
- Asked by: John Wilson, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 28 February 2008
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Current Status:
Answered by Jim Mather on 12 March 2008
To ask the Scottish Executive how many small businesses apply for start-up funding and how many have received funding in the last two years.
Answer
This is an operational matter for Scottish Enterprise and Highlands and Islands Enterprise. I will ask both chief executives to write to you in this regard.
- Asked by: John Wilson, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 26 July 2007
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Current Status:
Answered by John Swinney on 6 March 2008
To ask the Scottish Executive how much (a) North Lanarkshire, (b) South Lanarkshire, (c) Falkirk and (d) East Ayrshire councils have been allocated from the £20.85 million Zero Waste Fund for 2009-10.
Answer
The Global Financial Services Conference will promote the industry's strengths and success on both the domestic and global stages, so that Scotland achieves the reputation it deserves as an international financial centre. As well as enhancing Scotland's international image, this will help us increase our competitiveness by:
reinforcing Scotland as a first choice base for headquarter and strategic operations
attracting new investment into Scotland
encouraging the financial services community to stay and grow in Scotland
projecting a global capacity that supports companies' international ventures
attracting talent to work in Scotland's Financial Services industry.
- Asked by: John Wilson, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 20 February 2008
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Current Status:
Answered by Kenny MacAskill on 29 February 2008
To ask the Scottish Executive how long each prison governor was in charge of each Scottish Prison Service establishment in the last 10 years.
Answer
I have asked Mike Ewart, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service to respond. His response is as follows:
The length of time, expressed as years in post, for each Governor in charge of each current Prison Service Establishment in the last 10 years is as follows:
| Establishment | Gov 1 | Gov 2 | Gov 3 | Gov 4 | Gov 5 | Gov 6 | Gov 7 |
| Aberdeen | 3 | 6 | 1 to date | | | | |
| Barlinnie | 4 | 6 to date | | | | | |
| Cornton Vale | 3 | 1 | 4 | 2 to date | | | |
| Dumfries | 1 | 6 | 2 | 1 to date | | | |
| Edinburgh | 2 | 2 | 4 | 2 to date | | | |
| Glenochil | 3 | 6 | 1 to date | | | | |
| Greenock | 1 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 to date |
| Inverness | 2 | 6 | 1 | 1 to date | | | |
| Open Estate (created 2001) | 2 | 1 | 7 to date | | | | |
| Perth | 1 | 5 | 2 | 2 to date | | | |
| Peterhead | 3 | 6 | 1 to date | | | | |
| Polmont | 6 | 3 | 1 to date | | | | |
| Shotts | 3 | 5 | 2 to date | | | | |
- Asked by: John Wilson, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 19 February 2008
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Current Status:
Answered by Kenny MacAskill on 28 February 2008
To ask the Scottish Executive how many prisons have temporary or acting governors.
Answer
I have asked Mike Ewart, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service to respond. His response is as follows:
Four prisons currently have temporary or acting governors. In three of these the Deputy Governor is temporarily in charge in keeping with normal arrangements.
- Asked by: John Wilson, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 19 February 2008
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Current Status:
Answered by Kenny MacAskill on 28 February 2008
To ask the Scottish Executive how many prison governors are absent on sick leave, secondment or for any other reason.
Answer
I have asked Mike Ewart, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service to respond. His response is as follows:
One person currently designated as governor of a prison is at present absent.
- Asked by: John Wilson, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 19 February 2008
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Current Status:
Answered by Kenny MacAskill on 28 February 2008
To ask the Scottish Executive what the turnover of prison governors has been over the last three years.
Answer
I have asked Mike Ewart, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service (SPS) to respond. His response is as follows:
Two governors have left the SPS through retirement, and two have joined other employers.
