- Asked by: George Foulkes, MSP for Lothians, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Thursday, 26 August 2010
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Current Status:
Answered by Jim Mather on 6 October 2010
To ask the Scottish Executive how the core terms of the Scottish Enterprise final salary pension scheme by which Scottish Enterprise contributes 20% of employees’ pensionable salary and provides benefits at a normal retirement age of 60 for staff who joined prior to December 2006 compare with the Scottish Government’s scheme for its own employees.
Answer
The Scottish Enterprise Pension and Life Assurance Scheme is a funded final salary pension scheme which was originally set up in 1951 as the Scottish Industrial Estates Limited Pension Scheme
The following table provides a comparison between it and the schemes currently in operation in the Scottish Government.
| | Scottish Enterprise |
| Name of Scheme | Scottish Enterprise Pension and Life Assurance Scheme |
| Key Features | A taxable pension based on final pensionable salary and pensionable service, plus a tax free lump sum equivalent to three times the annual pension Provides benefits at a retirement age of 60 to members of staff who joined before 1 December 2006, and at 65 for members who joined after 1 December 2006. |
| Scope of Scheme | Open to all staff in Scottish Enterprise |
| Employer Contributions | |
| All staff | 20% |
| Salary up to £21,000 | - |
| Salary from £21,001 to £43,000 | - |
| Salary from £43,001 to £74,000 | - |
| Salary of £74,001 and over | - |
| Employee contributions | 6% |
| | Scottish Government |
| Name of Scheme | Classic | Classic Plus | Premium | Nuvos |
| Key Features | A taxable pension based on best salary in last three tax years divided by 80 and multiplied by reckonable service. Plus a tax free lump sum of three times the annual pension | A taxable pension based on best salary in last three tax years divided by 80 and multiplied by number of years service in the scheme before 1 October 2002 (classic) and divided by 60 for reckonable service in the scheme from 1 October 2002 (premium). Plus a tax free lump sum relating to three times classic service. | A taxable pension based on best salary in last three tax years divided by 60 and multiplied by number of years service. No automatic lump sum. | A defined benefit pension scheme that provides a taxable pension based on pensionable earnings throughout career. |
| Scope of Scheme | Closed to new members in September 2002 | Closed to new members from October 2002 | Closed to new members from 30 July 2007. | Open to new members |
| Employer Contributions | | | | |
| All staff | - | - | - | - |
| Salary up to £21,000 | 16.70% | 16.70% | 16.70% | 16.70% |
| Salary from £21,001 to £43,000 | 18.80% | 18.80% | 18.80% | 18.80% |
| Salary from £43,001 to £74,000 | 21.80% | 21.80% | 21.80% | 21.80% |
| Salary of £74,001 and over | 24.30% | 24.30% | 24.30% | 24.30% |
| Employee contributions | 1.5% | 3.5% | 3.5% | 3.5% |
- Asked by: George Foulkes, MSP for Lothians, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Friday, 24 September 2010
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Current Status:
Answered by Jim Mather on 6 October 2010
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it was given confirmation by the deputy leader of Edinburgh City Council that the remaining private sector obligations of The Gathering 2009 Ltd would be taken on by Destination Edinburgh Marketing Alliance.
Answer
Confirmation to the Scottish Government that Destination Edinburgh Marketing Alliance (DEMA) was intending to buy The Gathering 2009 Ltd was given by the Director of Corporate Services at the City of Edinburgh Council to the Permanent Secretary on 14 October 2009. The news release issued by the Council on behalf of DEMA the following day confirmed this and stated that DEMA would be taking over The Gathering 2009 Ltd and would take on the company''s remaining private sector obligations.
- Asked by: George Foulkes, MSP for Lothians, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 21 September 2010
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Current Status:
Answered by Nicola Sturgeon on 5 October 2010
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-34007 by Nicola Sturgeon on 18 August 2010, what the reason was for the number of inpatient and day cases treated in the independent sector having been underreported since May 2007.
Answer
In order for NHS boards to complete accurate records for NHS patients referred for treatment in the independent sector and submit them for central collation to ISD, independent hospitals are required to return information to the referring board for each episode of care.
It was actually prior to 2007 that information received from the independent sector was under reported and was not sufficiently complete to allow boards to generate SMR returns covering all cases that have been handled in whole or in part through the independent sector.
Since 2007, steps have been taken to improve the recording of this activity and the consequent effects of this on apparent activity can be seen in the answer to question S3W-34007 on 18 August 2010. 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/Business/PQA/Default.aspx.
You will note that, in order to further improve the current recording system we are actively considering asking NHS boards to link payment for treatment in the independent sector with completion of SMR records. Payments to the private sector would then be contingent on receipt of accurate and timely case records for each episode of care.
- Asked by: George Foulkes, MSP for Lothians, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 21 September 2010
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Current Status:
Answered by Richard Lochhead on 4 October 2010
To ask the Scottish Executive what review it has undertaken of the contribution made to the Scottish economy by the whisky industry.
Answer
The Scottish Government has not undertaken its own review of the contribution made to the Scottish economy by the whisky industry as other organisations have. For example, the Scotch Whisky Association recently published
The Economic Impact of Scotch Whisky Production in Scotland, which can be found at the following link:
http://www.scotch-whisky.org.uk/swa/files/EconomicImpactReportMay2010.pdf.
- Asked by: George Foulkes, MSP for Lothians, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 21 September 2010
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Current Status:
Answered by Richard Lochhead on 4 October 2010
To ask the Scottish Executive what support it has given to the development of skills in the food and drink industry, particularly in relation to niche food manufacturers.
Answer
We are working with key industry partners, public agencies and the sector skills councils to support skills development across the food and drink supply chain through the Food and Drink Skills Strategy Group.
- Asked by: George Foulkes, MSP for Lothians, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 24 August 2010
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Current Status:
Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 4 October 2010
To ask the Scottish Executive what action it has taken arising from the findings of the report of the Scottish Broadcasting Commission.
Answer
As indicated in my statement to the Parliament on Wednesday 29 September 2010 the Scottish Government''s
Second Annual Report on Progress on implementing the Scottish Broadcasting Commission''s recommendations has now been published.
The report can be found on the Scottish Government''s website at:
http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/ArtsCultureSport/arts/Broadcasting/SBCProgressReports.
- Asked by: George Foulkes, MSP for Lothians, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 24 August 2010
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Current Status:
Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 4 October 2010
To ask the Scottish Executive when it expects to report to the Parliament on progress of the implementation of the recommendations of the Scottish Broadcasting Commission.
Answer
I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-35854 on 4 October 2010. 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/Business/PQA/Default.aspx.
- Asked by: George Foulkes, MSP for Lothians, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 21 September 2010
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Current Status:
Answered by Michael Russell on 1 October 2010
To ask the Scottish Executive what the intake has been for each university in 2010-11 and how this compares with the five previous years.
Answer
Final enrolment numbers for each Scottish higher education institution since 1999-2000 are available at the following link:
http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Statistics/Browse/Lifelong-learning/StudentData2.
These statistics are collated by the Higher Education Statistics Agency. The latest available data relates to the academic year 2008-09. Data for academic year 2009-10 will be available in January 2011. 2010-11 data will be available the following year.
- Asked by: George Foulkes, MSP for Lothians, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 21 September 2010
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Current Status:
Answered by Michael Russell on 1 October 2010
To ask the Scottish Executive what consideration it has given to the promotion and rewarding of academic excellence at all levels in education including national prizes for top students and top performing schools.
Answer
The Scottish Government is committed to ensuring that excellence at all levels of education across Scotland is recognised, shared and promoted in a wide variety of ways. This includes support for a number of national prizes including:
· the Scottish Education Awards which celebrate the successes of pupils and staff in schools and early years establishments;
· the SQA Star Awards which celebrates the triumph and achievement of the best in Scottish education and training;
· the annual Scotland''s Colleges Awards for both student learning and college staff achievements;
· sponsorship of fellowships and awards through the Royal Society of Edinburgh for early career researchers; and
· a range of other award schemes which individuals and schools can participate in including the Duke of Edinburgh''s Award, Eco-Schools, Rights Respecting Schools and the John Muir Trust Award.
- Asked by: George Foulkes, MSP for Lothians, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 21 September 2010
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Current Status:
Answered by Michael Russell on 1 October 2010
To ask the Scottish Executive what consideration it has given to the reintroduction of university tuition fees and what the outcome was.
Answer
No consideration has been given to the reintroduction of university tuition fees.
