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I agree that we need to get that message across and do more to encourage indigenous growth.Agriculture (Regulatory Burdens) Agriculture (Regulatory Burdens) To ask the Scottish Executive how many of the recommendations made in the report "Review of the Regulatory Burden: IACS and Inspections in Scotland" have been implemented since its publication in January 2000. R (S1O-2363) As Mr Fergusson is aware, we published an interim report in June 2000; a copy has been placed in the Scottish Parliament information centre.
Some £1.8 million of additional investment from Scottish Enterprise's R&D plus programme helped to bring forward the timescale of the project and improved capacity within the site.
As I have said, if the schemes that we hope to put in place fall foul of state aid rules, we will find a way of bolstering existing schemes to ensure that more money is channelled in the direction of R and D. So you confirm that there is a problem with state aid rules with regard to the Government's plans to assist small businesses that are involved in R and D.
The reason was this: in a case in the Privy Council called R v HMA, the Privy Council interpreted article 6 of the European convention on human rights in such a way that I was simply barred from prosecuting if there was undue delay in prosecution, which stopped me from bringing a prosecution in a number of cases.
In relation to R and D in business, the document shows that in 2003, Scotland was towards the bottom of the third quartile; we need to triple the percentage of GDP that we spend on R and D to get into the top quartile.
As I said, the report refers time and again to such measures, including Scottish Enterprise's business growth fund, R and D plus, and the Scottish venture fund, all of which are of some benefit.