Jackie Baillie

27 Apr 2018 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it has seconded any staff to work on the Centre for Regional Inclusive Growth and, if so, how many.

Answer · Keith Brown: The Centre for Regional Inclusive Growth is not supported by any seconded staff. The Centre is currently being developed by Scottish Government officials.

27 Apr 2018 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many times the Enterprise and Skills Strategic Board has met since it was announced.

Answer · Keith Brown: Since the announcement of the Strategic Board on 27 November 2017, the Strategic Board has met on three separate occasions. 13 December 2017 17 January 2018 21 March 2018

27 Apr 2018 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what the cost of the Enterprise and Skills Strategic Board has been since it was announced.

Answer · Keith Brown: Since the announcement of the Strategic Board on 27 November 2017, it has to date incurred expenses of £4,955.94. This can be broken down as follows: Venue and meeting costs: £3,483.61 Members Remuneration, travel and subsistence claims: £1,472.33 Total: …

27 Apr 2018 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the contribution that the Centre for Regional Inclusive Growth is expected to make to Scotland’s economic growth in each of the next five years.

Answer · Keith Brown: The principal objective of the Centre for Regional Inclusive Growth is to support Regional Economic Partnerships to accelerate economic growth that will also address inequalities. The Centre aims to do this by deepening the evidence base on how inclusive grow…

26 Apr 2018 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many SMEs have supplied goods and services for each (a) local authority, (b) NHS (i) board and (ii) body and (c) non-departmental public body (NDPB) in each year since 1999, broken down by the (A) number and (B) total value of the contracts.

Answer · Derek Mackay: The information requested is being collated and will be voluminous. It will not be available by the answer date, but I will advise the member as soon as the information is available in the Parliament’s Reference Centre at Bib reference 59733.

26 Apr 2018 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-14428 by Derek Mackay on 20 February 2018, whether it will provide the information broken down by SME suppliers that are (a) micro-, (b) small- and (c) medium-sized.

Answer · Derek Mackay: The following table provides the number of SME suppliers, broken by (a) micro, (b) small and (c) medium-sized suppliers, who have supplied goods and services to core Scottish Government for Financial Years 2005-06 to 2016-17 based on data contained in the Sco…

26 Apr 2018 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how the nursery relief is being implemented.

Answer · Derek Mackay: From 1 April 2018, day nurseries in Scotland have been eligible for up to 100% non-domestic (business) rates relief. As common to other rates reliefs an application form is required. To raise awareness of this relief and encourage take-up Scottish Government …

26 Apr 2018 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many businesses that have applied for nursery relief have been granted it.

Answer · Derek Mackay: I refer the member to the answer to question S5W-16212 on 4 May 2018. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.parliament.scot/parliamentarybusiness/288…

26 Apr 2018 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many businesses are eligible for nursery relief.

Answer · Derek Mackay: I refer the member to the answer to question S5W-16212 on 4 May 2018. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.parliament.scot/parliamentarybusiness/288…

26 Apr 2018 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how the business growth accelerator is being implemented.

Answer · Derek Mackay: From 1 April 2018, The Growth Accelerator will allow 12 months rates relief on rateable value increases due to improvements or expansions of existing premises. To raise awareness of this relief and encourage take-up Scottish Government will continue to work w…

26 Apr 2018 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many businesses are eligible for the business growth accelerator.

Answer · Derek Mackay: I refer the member to the answer to question S5W-16216 on 4 May 2018. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.parliament.scot/parliamentarybusiness/288…

26 Apr 2018 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many business that are eligible for nursery relief have applied for this.

Answer · Derek Mackay: I refer the member to the answer to question S5W-16212 on 4 May 2018. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.parliament.scot/parliamentarybusiness/288…

26 Apr 2018 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many businesses that have applied for the business growth accelerator have been granted it.

Answer · Derek Mackay: I refer the member to the answer to question S5W-16216 on 4 May 2018. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.parliament.scot/parliamentarybusiness/288…

19 Apr 2018 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government which research projects relating to Parkinson's disease it has funded since 1999, and what the funding commitment was to each project.

Answer · Shona Robison: Researchers can apply to the Chief Scientist Office for funding. The CSO's Translational Clinical Studies Committee and the Health Improvement, Protection and Services Research Committees each meet twice per year to consider funding applications. Details of t…

17 Apr 2018 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many (a) small- and (b) medium-sized enterprises exported their goods and services in each year since 2015.

Answer · Keith Brown: The Scottish Government does not hold information on the number of small enterprises and medium-sized enterprises in Scotland that exported goods and services from 2015 onwards. However, the Small Business Survey Scotland (SBSS) 2016, available at https://b…

17 Apr 2018 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many pupils in secondary schools have achieved foreign language qualifications in each year since 2007, also broken down by level of qualification.

Answer · John Swinney: The following table sets out how many passes there are in foreign languages in each year since 2007 in secondary schools. It includes the following languages: Cantonese, French, German, Italian, Mandarin, Russian (although this is no longer available), Spanis…

17 Apr 2018 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government which foreign languages are taught in (a) primary and (b) secondary schools, and what percentage of the curriculum this represents.

Answer · John Swinney: The Scottish Government is supporting the implementation of the 1+2 language policy which is due to be delivered by 2021 and will entitle pupils to learn two languages in addition to their mother tongue. It is for local authorities to decide which languages w…

17 Apr 2018 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what the level of exports was in (a) 2010 and (b) 2017.

Answer · Keith Brown: The Scottish Government produces a National Statistics publication, Export Statistics Scotland, which estimates the nominal value of Scottish exports (excluding oil and gas). The most up to date figures cover the period 2002 to 2016. Nominal value of exports…

17 Apr 2018 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many pupils in (a) primary and (b) secondary schools have been learning foreign languages in each year since 2007.  

Answer · John Swinney: This information is not held centrally. Language learning was not routinely offered across the primary sector before the Scottish Government’s manifesto commitment to the 1+2 policy in 2011. The implementation of this language policy is progressing well and …

16 Apr 2018 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the Scottish Futures Trust's (SFT) annual assessment of savings and benefits, how the effectiveness factor of 30% for asset management is estimated; whether property disposals will be 30% larger than they otherwise would have been because of SFT activities, and how the assum…

Answer · Derek Mackay: The effectiveness factor of 30% for asset management was based on the SFT Benefits Methodology 2016 - 17 and which is available from SFT's website www.scottishfuturestrust.org.uk/publications/category/benefits . Examples of work within the programme include…

16 Apr 2018 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether the Scottish Futures Trust will publish an updated Statement of Benefits, and when the last such statement was published.

Answer · Derek Mackay: Scottish Futures Trust publishes its annual benefits statement in autumn. These are a financial estimate of the benefits and savings delivered by its work during the financial year which runs 1 April until 31 March. SFT’s latest Benefits Statement 2016-17 wa…

13 Apr 2018 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-13041 by Angela Constance on 12 December 2017, when the ethnicity evidence workshop with stakeholders will take place, and how it will ensure that all relevant groups are included.

Answer · Angela Constance: The Scottish Government held a round table discussion with stakeholders in February 2017 to discuss the ethnicity evidence base and identify evidence gaps to inform the development of Scotland’s Equality Evidence Strategy. The organisations represented includ…

13 Apr 2018 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it has sufficient data to reliably calculate and publish information on the ethnicity pay gap in Scotland and, if so, when it will do so.

Answer · Jamie Hepburn: I refer the member to the answer to question S5W–15903 on 9 May 2018. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.parliament.scot/parliamentarybusiness/288…

13 Apr 2018 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-13040 by Jamie Hepburn on 18 December 2017, whether the estimated ethnicity pay gap has been successfully quality-assured by its analysts and deemed reliable for public use and, if so, when the data will be made publicly available.

Answer · Jamie Hepburn: The Scottish Government has successfully quality assured and published online indicative APS pay gap information for minority ethnic employees in Scotland.

11 Apr 2018 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide a breakdown by (a) Private Finance Initiative and (b) Non-Profit Distributing projects of Table 3.2 in its statistics publication, School Estates 2017, for each year between 2007-08 and 2012-13.

Answer · John Swinney: The data collected by the Scottish Government did not differentiate between Private Finance Initiatives and Non-Profit Distributing projects until 2010-11. The breakdowns for 2010-11, 2011-12 and 2012-13 are shown in table 1. Table 1. Number of schools whic…

4 Apr 2018 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what targets it has set in in consultation with disability persons’ organisations and public sector bodies regarding increasing the percentage of disabled people in the workplace.

Answer · Jamie Hepburn: As part of our commitments in the Disability Action Plan we will consult with Disabled People’s Organisations and public sector bodies around setting targets or other measures to increase the disability employment rates in the public sector. Seeking to reduc…

4 Apr 2018 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many people have taken part each year in the NHS internship for disabled graduates programme.

Answer · Shona Robison: The NHS Professional Careers Programme is a 2 year employment opportunity for disabled graduates and provides a challenging and rewarding experience of employment in NHS Scotland. Each placement is tailored around the graduate and both the graduate and NHS Bo…

4 Apr 2018 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many people have taken part each year in the SCVO and Inclusion Scotland disability internship programme.

Answer · Jamie Hepburn: The “Disability Equality Internship Programme” was a project delivered jointly between SCVO and Inclusion Scotland with funding from the Scottish Government between 2015 and 2017. Scottish Disability Equality Forum (since renamed Disability Equality Scotland)…

4 Apr 2018 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what action it takes to promote the supported employment model, Project SEARCH.

Answer · Jamie Hepburn: Scottish Government believes that supported employment has an important role to play in helping disabled people find sustained work. We are very pleased that there are currently 12 Project Search sites with two in development (Falkirk Council’s site with NHS…

29 Mar 2018 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-14390 by Derek Mackay on 21 February 2018, whether it will provide further details of the 11 contracts worth £354 million that will be awarded shortly.

Answer · Derek Mackay: Further details of eleven projects commissioned by public bodies to which Scottish Government’s project bank account (PBA) policy applies which will be awarded with a PBA over the next 16 months are as follows:Transport Scotland 1. A9 Luncarty to Pass of Bir…