13 December 2012
This briefing provides the latest unemployment data for Scottish Parliament constituency areas. Official unemployment rates from the Labour Force Survey are available by Parliamentary constituency area.
13 December 2012
This briefing provides background information on the tree disease ash dieback. It considers how the disease is caused and spread and what is being done to tackle it.
11 December 2012
The Office for National Statistics released the Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (ASHE) 2012 Provisional results on 22 November 2012. Using this data, this briefing provides an overview of earnings in Scotland.
10 December 2012
This briefing sets out the Scottish Government’s plans for allocating £9.9billion to Scottish local authorities in 2013-14, including information on the timeline for final agreement of the allocations.
6 December 2012
This briefing gives an overview of developments relating to teacher education and career long learning stemming from the 2010 Donaldson review of teacher education.
03 December 2012
This briefing highlights some of the important issues in the December 2012 fisheries negotiations at which decisions on fishing quotas and limits on fishing time will be made for 2013.
28 November 2012
This briefing outlines a range of renewable energy community benefit and ownership models and the support available to communities to develop renewable energy projects. It also explores some current issues.
23 November 2012
This briefing provides a summary of the parliamentary scrutiny of the Social Care (Self-directed Support) (Scotland) Bill prior to the Stage 3 proceedings, due on 28 November 2012.
15 November 2012
This briefing provides the latest unemployment data for Scottish Parliament constituency areas. Official unemployment rates from the Labour Force Survey are available by Parliamentary constituency area.
05 November 2012
This Bill makes changes to the law on fish farming and shellfish farming.
1 November 2012
This briefing includes information on: the current law in relation to high hedges; previous developments in relation to high hedges; the consultation process; the main provisions in the Bill.
26 October 2012
This short SPICe Briefing note provides information on the Europe and External Affairs element of the Scottish Government’s 2013-14 Draft Budget.
19 October 2012
This briefing presents the Scottish Government’s Draft Budget 2013/14 for the higher education (HE) sector in both cash and real terms.
19 October 2012
This briefing considers the Scottish Government‟s Draft Budget 2013/14 for the further education sector and looks at recent funding trends in the light of Government policy priorities.
27 September 2012
This briefing has been prepared to assist the Justice Committee in its scrutiny of the Scottish Government’s draft budget for 2013-14.
27 September 2012
This briefing is one in a series of SPICe briefings analysing the Scottish Government’s ‘Scottish Draft Budget 2013-14’.
21 September 2012
This briefing summarises the spending plans contained within the Scottish Government’s Draft Budget 2013-14. The main body of the briefing focuses on the draft spending plans for the next financial year (2013-14).
21 September
This briefing provides the second update on the Scottish Government’s progress against the Purpose Targets and National Indicators, set out in its National Performance Framework and the Scotland Performs website.
14 September 2012
This briefing provides the latest data for a selection of indicators from which we are able to identify trends within the Scottish economy.
13 September 2012
This briefing provides the latest unemployment data for Scottish Parliament constituency areas.
11 September 2012
This briefing provides background to the Finance Committee inquiry into demographic change and population ageing.
7 September 2012
The Water Resources (Scotland) Bill was introuced in the Scottish Parliament by Alex Neil MSP, Cabinet Secretary for Infrastructure and Capital Investment, on 27 June 2012
3 September 2012
This briefing describes genetic healthcare services and public health screening programmes in Scotland.
30 August 2012
The Scottish Government introduced the Freedom of Information (Amendment) (Scotland) Bill on 30 May 2012 to remedy weaknesses which it has identified in the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002.
30 August 2012
This briefing sets out the main issues relating to community sport in Scotland, including the legislative and policy context, and funding of sport in Scotland.
28 August 2012
This briefing outlines the principles which govern the care and protection of children by public authorities, the legislation and guidance in the area and local authority child protection systems with some key stats.
23 August 2012
This briefing outlines both the process for licensing a new medicine in the UK and the process for issuing guidance and advice to the NHS in Scotland on its use.
02 August 2012
This briefing examines a number of relevant issues including contempt of court, the use of live text-based communications from courts and the televising of court proceedings.
18 July 2012
This briefing provides information on how the Scottish Government helps to fund the supply of affordable housing in Scotland.
16 July 2012
This briefing highlights some of the key enablers and barriers to integration and provides information on integrated approaches to health and social care in the UK, Europe and further afield.
13 July 2012
The Climate Change (Scotland) Act 2009 sets targets for Scotland to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions by 42% by 2020 and 80% by 2050, based on 1990 levels.
04 July 2012
This briefing provides information on how houses in the social rented sector are allocated. It covers the legislative framework, housing allocation policies in practice, key statistics and future issues.
25 June 2012
Stage 3 proceedings on the Bill are scheduled for 28 June 2012. This briefing summarises the key proposals in the Bill and considers some of the issues raised during Stage 1 and 2 of the Bill.
21 June 2012
This briefing considers the parliamentary scrutiny of the Police and Fire Reform (Scotland) Bill prior to Stage 3 proceedings which are scheduled for 27 June 2012.
20 June 2012
This briefing provides the latest unemployment data for Scottish Parliament constituency areas.
19 June 2012
The conference marks the 20th anniversary of the 1992 UN Conference on Environment and Development in Rio. This briefing outlines what has happened since 1992, and what the expectations are for this year's meeting.
13 June 2012
Stage 3 proceedings on the Criminal Cases (Punishment and Review) (Scotland) Bill are scheduled to take place on 20 June 2012.
12 June 2012
This briefing provides an update on the Scottish Government’s progress against the Purpose Targets and National Indicators, set out in its National Performance Framework and the Scotland Performs website.
12 June 2012
This briefing answers a number of specific questions about the disease. It also sets out the roles and responsibilities of different organisations to deal with public health matters of this nature.
8 June 2012
This briefing contains an overview of the Scottish government elections 2012
8 June 2012
This briefing explores the harnessing of tidal, wave and offshore wind resources to generate electricity.
7 June 2012
This bill seeks to establish a Scottish Civil Justice Council with responsibility for formulating policy, and drafting court procedure rules, in relation to civil justice matters.
29 May 2012
The Land Register was created under the Land Registration (Scotland) Act 1979 (c 33) and since 2003 has been operational across the whole of Scotland.
17 May 2012
This briefing provides a summary of the parliamentary scrutiny of the Alcohol (Minimum Pricing) (Scotland) Bill prior to the Stage 3 proceedings, due on the 24 May 2012.
16 May 2012
This briefing provides the latest unemployment data for Scottish Parliament constituency areas.
3 May 2012
This briefing details the Social Care (Self-Directed Support) (Scotland) Bill. It discusses the policy context to the Bill, current legislative provisions for self-directed support and the provisions in the Bill itself.
3 May 2012
This briefing covers the Local Government Finance (Unoccupied Properties etc.) (Scotland) Bill. It outlines the three main provisions, explaining the current position, the proposed changes and their anticipated cost.
30 April 2012
This briefing is one of six covering various aspects of the Scottish criminal justice system. It provides a brief description of the operation of the prison service in Scotland.
24 April 2012
This briefing provides the latest data for a selection of indicators from which we are able to identify trends within the Scottish economy
20 April 2012
This briefing describes the ecosystems services provided by peatlands in Scotland, with particular emphasis on their importance for climate change mitigation.
18 April 2012
This briefing provides the latest unemployment data for Scottish Parliament constituency areas.
10 April 2012
This briefing considers some of the anticipated impacts of climate change on health in Scotland, and associated policy
29 March 2012
This briefing is one of six covering various aspects of the Scottish criminal justice system. It provides a brief description of the system of public prosecution in Scotland.
28 March 2012
This short briefing provides background information on cycling as a form of transport in Scotland.It provides a brief summary of cycling statistics, cycling policy and funding plus other topical cycle related issues.
27 March 2012
This briefing explains the EU rules governing public procurement and how they operate in Scotland
This briefing provides some background information on the role of the Office for Budget Responsibility in forecasting Scottish tax receipts and provides an initial analysis of the first forecasts.
26 March 2012
The Welfare Reform (Further Provision) (Scotland) Bill confers powers on Scottish Ministers to make provision via regulations in consequence of changes to the new Universal Credit and Personal Independence Payment.
12 April 2012
This briefing examines in detail the various policies, strategies and interventions, at a Scottish level, aimed at improving youth employment in Scotland.
23 March 2012
This briefing looks at the scale and nature of youth unemployment in Scotland as well as reviewing research that considers its longer-term impacts.
16 March 2012
This briefing provides details of the Scottish Government’s proposed Waste (Scotland) Regulations 2012 which were laid before the Scottish Parliament on 15 March 2012.
14 March 2012
This briefing provides the latest unemployment data for Scottish Parliament constituency areas.
29 February 2012
This briefing outlines the origins of Enterprise Zones in the UK and summarises evidence in relation to their success. Furthermore, it looks at the criticisms of Enterprise Zones and lessons for the future
20 February 2012
This paper summarises some of the main financial issues Parliament may wish to consider during scrutiny of the Police and Fire Reform (Scotland) Bill.
20 February 2012
This briefing considers the proposals brought forward in the Police and Fire Reform (Scotland) Bill. It also provides background to the proposed reforms including discussion of the preceding consultations, consultati
15 February 2012
This briefing provides the latest unemployment data for Scottish Parliament constituency areas.
7 February 2012
This briefing focuses on the National Performance Framework and Scotland Performs, the Scottish Government’s outcomes-based system of measuring and reporting on its performance.
2 February 2012
This briefing discusses the Long Leases (Scotland) Bill which was introduced in Scottish Parliament on 12 January 2012.
1 February 2012
The National Library of Scotland was formally established by the National Library of Scotland Act 1925 c. 73. Since then there has been no substantial changes to the legislation
27 January 2012
This briefing considers the provisions in Part 2 of the Criminal Cases (Punishment and Review) (Scotland) Bill
25 January 2012
The Scottish Government introduced the Criminal Cases (Punishment and Review) (Scotland) Bill in the Parliament on 30 November 2011.
25 January 2012
This briefing looks at the statistics on fuel poverty, the policy measures in place to tackle fuel poverty and the levels of spending directed at fuel poverty.
25 January 2012
This briefing sets out the Scottish Government’s plans for allocating £11.5 billion to Scottish local authorities in 2012-13 (£34.6 billion over the three years to 2014-15).
25 January 2012
This briefing gives an introduction to kinship care policy in Scotland, regulations for assessment and the provision of allowances. It updates SPICe briefing SB 08/03
19 January 2012
This briefing provides the latest data for a selection of indicators from which we are able to identify trends within the Scottish economy
18 January 2012
This briefing provides the latest unemployment data for Scottish Parliament constituency areas
9 January 2012
This briefing details the development of the Agricultural Holdings (Amendment)(Scotland) Bill and the changes proposed by the Bill.
5 January 2012
This briefing outlines the rationale behind minimum pricing, the results from the Health and Sport Committee‟s call for evidence and the key issues raised in relation to the policy.