Chamber and committees

Arrangements are in hand to notify Greater Glasgow and Clyde of approval of the Outline Business Case now that confirmation has been received regarding the provision of community dentistry services within Dumbarton.

The Chief Dental Officer was provided with information regarding community dentistry provision in the Clyde area during visits to the dental clinics in the Alexandria area in April 2008 following initial discussions with the Director of Oral Health within NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde. This included details of the numbers attending, members of staff, and categories of patients. The Outline Business Case for the new Alexandria Health Centre did not refer to the proposed closure of the dental surgeries in Dumbarton. As part of the assessment of the Outline Business Case, the Chief Dental Officer sought clarification of the impact of proposed dental services on existing community dentistry in Dumbarton.

Issues regarding the impact on dental services in Dumbarton were raised with NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde as part of the assessment of the Outline Business Case for Alexandria Health Centre on 1 April 2009.

I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-32947 on 21 April 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.

The Scottish Government is not involved routinely in decisions connected to the delivery of specific Scottish Enterprise (SE) interventions, which are clearly matters for the agency itself, taking account of the need to optimise the value and impact of its spend.

However, in this case, I understand that SE has postponed the proposed delivery of EDGE in 2010, rather than cancelled the scheme overall. The aim of this postponement is to allow SE to work with a range of partners to consider the scope for the organisation and funding of the programme to be put on a stronger and longer term footing.

In addition, the postponement of the EDGE programme in 2010 should be seen in the context of the significant range of other support provided by this government and its agencies to promote entrepreneurship in our schools and university students. Through our Enterprise in Education Strategy, Determined to Succeed we are working with a range of entrepreneurial agencies. These include Social Enterprise Academy school awards, Social Enterprise Academy Fresh Options Booklet & A guide to social enterprise in relation to enterprise and employability Skills, work with the Co-operative Education Trust and Young Enterprise Scotland.

The Scottish Government is not involved in the delivery of the Encouraging Dynamic Global Entrepreneurs (EDGE) programme, which has been led by Scottish Enterprise, or in consideration of future plans for the scheme which are clearly a matter for the agency itself, taking account of the need to optimise the value and impact of its spend.

However, I understand that Scottish Enterprise has postponed the proposed delivery of EDGE in 2010, rather than cancel the scheme overall and other options are being explored such as combining with other programmes of a similar nature such as Graduates into Business. The aim of this decision is to allow Scottish Enterprise to work with a range of partners to consider the scope for the organisation and funding of the programme to be put on a stronger and longer-term footing.

The Scottish Government has no plans, itself, to replace the EDGE programme but our ongoing commitment to encouraging entrepreneurship in our school and university students is illustrated by the significant range of other measures we have in place to support this agenda through our Enterprise in Education Strategy, Determined to Succeed. These include Social Enterprise Academy school awards, Social Enterprise Academy Fresh Options Booklet & A guide to social enterprise in relation to enterprise and employability Skills, work with the Co-operative Education Trust and, Young Enterprise Scotland.

Scottish Enterprise advise that there have been 600 participants in the EDGE programme since its inception.

I have asked Lena Wilson, the Chief Executive of Scottish Enterprise to respond to you directly on this question.

Since it''s inception in 2005 the success of EDGE has been built on a partnership between Scottish Enterprise, Universities, Careers Scotland now Skills Development Scotland (SDS), Local Authority Education Departments and Scottish Businesses. Initially a programme available in the Scottish Enterprise Dunbartonshire area, its focus and stretch grew to organisations and academic institutions located in the West of Scotland together with the involvement of overseas universities. Scottish Enterprise has led the partnership over the period as well as providing significant support through involvement in the form of account managers and specialist support staff. Over the course of that period the overall costs of the scheme have amounted to £1.754 million, the vast majority of which was met by Scottish Enterprise. The total costs for 2009 were £360,000

I have asked Lena Wilson, the Chief Executive of Scottish Enterprise to respond to you directly on this question.