Chamber and committees

I refer the member to the answer to question S4W-651 on 22 June 2011. 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.

Our clear ambition is for Scotland to be a well connected, outward facing nation. It would however be wrong for Scottish ministers to intervene in decisions about what languages are taught by individual higher education institutions. The Scottish Funding Council is the body charged in law not only with ensuring coherent provision across colleges and universities, but also with having regard to skills needs in Scotland, issues affecting the economy of Scotland, and social and cultural issues in Scotland.

I refer the member to the answer to question S4W-651 on 22 June 2011. 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.

The official measure of unemployment based on the International Labour Organisation (ILO) definition is not reliable for sub-groups of the population (such as age) at local authority level. However, an alternative measure of unemployment is the claimant count. This gives the number of people claiming unemployment-related benefits and as it is based on administrative records it is available for small areas. Claimant count is always lower than ILO unemployment as some unemployed people choose not to claim benefits or are not entitled to do so, particularly those under 18 years.

The latest claimant count data is for May 2011.

Table 1 gives the claimant count levels for those aged below 17 and those aged 17 by local authority area.

Table 1: Claimant Count Levels by Age for Scottish Local Authorities, May 2011

Source: Claimant Count, Office for National Statistics.

Note: Disaggregation of claimant count levels below age 17 is not possible.

I refer the member to the answer to question S4W-651 on 22 June 2011. 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.

(a) Social Research Undertaken by George Street Research since January 2010

(b) Social Research Undertaken by GfK Custom Research since January 2010

(c) Social Research Undertaken by Ipsos MORI since January 2010

(d) Social Research undertaken by TNS BMRB since January 2010

The following table outlines the cost of the work referred to the answer to question S4W-455 on 10 June 2011.

Scottish ministers would welcome an opportunity to meet their UK counterparts on the very important issues of welfare reform. Since the formation of the current government, no such meetings have taken place. Lord Freud, the UK Minister for Welfare Reform, spoke by telephone with me on the morning of 16 June 2011 and it is expected that this call will be followed by further discussions.

The Child Poverty Strategy for Scotland sets out the key measures the Scottish Government intend to progress, and sets a framework for action by a range of partners across Scotland. Annual progress reports will be produced and laid in the Parliament.

The Scottish Government has not met with, or made representations to, this committee on the issue of payment of a living wage using public procurement processes. At present, officials are in discussions with other UK public bodies about the living wage in the context of public procurement processes.