About the Inquiry
The
Economy, Energy and Fair Work Committee is focusing its pre-budget 2020-21
scrutiny on Regional Selective Assistance (RSA) and other financial support for
businesses provided by Scotland’s enterprise agencies. It is our expectation
that this will feed into Scottish Government budget plans and policy
development.
The
Committee would like to hear from businesses that have received RSA or other
financial support from Scottish Enterprise or Highlands and Islands Enterprise
over the past ten years. We want to understand what impact these grants have
had and whether grant support could be improved.
We would also like to hear from businesses that have applied for RSA funding but have not had their applications accepted.
In addition, the Committee would like to gain an understanding of how the enterprise agencies measure the impact of the grant support they provide. This is fundamentally important to the Committee, as it attempts to focus more on the outcomes of public sector budgets.
Finally,
the Committee would like to hear from any others who have views on these matters.
The remit of
this year’s pre-budget scrutiny is:
To examine the impact of Regional
Selective Assistance (RSA), and other enterprise agency financial support, in
delivering the Scottish Government’s economic goals. Specifically, the
Committee is interested in whether RSA helps businesses become more productive
and internationally-focused, whether RSA impacts employment levels and fair work practices and the future of
such support mechanisms.”
Evidence
The Committee has issued a call for written views. The deadline for submissions was 16 August 2019.
Read the Call for Written Views.
The Committee received submissions from:
The Committee also received submissions from Scottish Enterprise and Highlands and Islands Enterprise.
Members
of the Committee visited a number of businesses to discuss the inquiry.
Here are the notes of these visits:
Scottish Enterprise and Highlands and Islands Enterprise followed up on points raised at the evidence session on 24 September.
Scottish Enterprise provided the following supplementary evidence.
On 7 October Scottish Enterprise provided a table of the total Regional Selective Assistance rejections and withdrawals from 2014/15 to 2018/19.
Correspondence
The Committee wrote to Scottish Enterprise and Highlands and Islands Enterprise on 20 June 2019.
Letter to Scottish Enterprise (105KB pdf)
Letter to Highlands and Islands Enterprise (105KB pdf)
The Committee wrote to Scottish Enterprise on 25 September 2019 seeking additional information on regional selective assistance. Scottish Enterprise provided additional evidence on 26 September and Steve Dunlop responded on 30 September.
On 2 October the Committee wrote to the Cabinet Secretary for Rural Economy. The Cabinet Secretary responded on 7 October.
On 8 October the Cabinet Secretary for Finance, Economy and Fair Work provided additional evidence.
On 22 October Cabinet Secretary for Finance, Economy and Fair Work wrote to the Committee regarding the Scottish Growth Scheme.
Report
11th Report, 2019 (Session 5): Pre-budget scrutiny 2020-21
The Scottish Government responded on 6 February 2020.
On 6 February, Dame Susan Rice of the Scottish Fiscal Commission wrote to the Committee regarding the publication of Scotland’s Economic and Fiscal Forecasts.
Dr Angela O’Hagan, the Independent Chair of
the Scottish Government’s Equality Budgetary Advisory Group wrote to the Committee on 13 February regarding equality analysis within budget scrutiny.
The Committee took evidence from the Minister for Business, Fair Work and Skills at its meeting on 18 February 2020.
Official Report
The Committee wrote to the Minister for Business, Fair Work and Skills on 20 February 2020 with a follow up to the evidence session. The Minister replied on 10 March.