Parliamentary questions
Jackie Baillie
9,397 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.
7 Jun 2016 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government by what date the Scottish Business Development Bank will be established.
Answer · Keith Brown: There are no immediate plans to establish a Scottish Business Development Bank. I refer to the response to S4W-30114 on 26 February 2016 by John Swinney, then Cabinet Secretary for Finance, Employment and Sustainable Growth. Our approach, given the UK Gover…
7 Jun 2016 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government who the members are of the Scottish Investment Bank; what its remit is; how many loans it has issued and to whom; how much risk capital it has raised, and how many equity schemes have been set up, broken down by year.
Answer · Keith Brown: This is an operational matter for Scottish Enterprise. I will arrange for the Chief Executive to write to you with the information requested.
7 Jun 2016 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government who the members are of the Fair Work Convention; what its remit is; when it will first meet; whether the minutes of its meetings will be published, and when it will report.
Answer · Keith Brown: The Fair Work Convention was established in April 2015, details of its membership, remit and the Fair Work Framework published in March 2016 are available on its website at: http://www.fairworkconvention.scot/index.html. The Fair Work Convention is an indep…
7 Jun 2016 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what national performance framework national indicators priorities apply to Scotland's Economic Strategy.
Answer · Keith Brown: Scotland’s Economic Strategy (SES) is directed towards achieving the Scottish Government’s central purpose of creating a more successful country, with opportunities for all of Scotland to flourish, through increasing sustainable economic growth. Progress is m…
7 Jun 2016 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the comment in its news release of 26 February 2016, Enhanced Scottish Investment Bank, that "Scottish Enterprise have been asked to prepare a plan for creating the Business Development Bank services by expanding the remit of SIB and they will report before the end of the Par…
Answer · Keith Brown: An early stage action plan was received from the chief executive of Scottish Enterprise on 10 March 2016 and made available to Parliament through the Scottish Parliament information centre at Bib reference 57943.
6 Jun 2016 · Topical Question
[Withdrawn]
2 Jun 2016 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government which delivery partners have published business plans to show how their planned activities will support the delivery of Scotland's Economic Strategy.
Answer · Keith Brown: Scottish Enterprise, Highlands and Islands Enterprise and Visit Scotland are issued with strategic guidance by Scottish ministers. That guidance is used to develop their business plans, which are published on their individual websites. All three have publish…
2 Jun 2016 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what progress it is making in (a) boosting competitiveness and (b) tackling inequality as set out in Scotland's Economic Strategy, and what methodology it uses to determine whether this is being made.
Answer · Keith Brown: Scotland’s competitiveness is closely linked to its productivity performance. The productivity purpose target monitors progress in Scotland’s productivity performance, and data on progress is available online at the following address: http://www.gov.scot/Abou…
2 Jun 2016 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it has published (a) an action plan and (b) a monitoring framework to support the implementation of Scotland's Economic Strategy.
Answer · Keith Brown: Scotland’s Economic Strategy sets out the Scottish Government’s strategic approach to creating a more prosperous and fairer nation. It is directed towards achieving the Scottish Government’s central purpose of creating a more successful country, with opportun…
2 Jun 2016 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what the remit is of the review of Scottish Enterprise, Skills Development Scotland and the Scottish Funding Council that was announced by Keith Brown on 31 May 2016 (Official Report, c. 19); when it will commence; what the timetable is for each stage; which stakeholders will be invited …
Answer · Keith Brown: I have today, on 15 June, published the terms of reference for the review and copies are available in the Scottish Parliament’s Information Centre (bib number 58005). The review and recommendations will focus on achieving three main aims: achieving the govern…
1 Jun 2016 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government when it will next publish an oil and gas analytical bulletin, and what plans it has to publish this on a regular basis.
Answer · Keith Brown: I refer the member to the answer to S4W-29508 on 11 February 2016. 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/28877.…
1 Jun 2016 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what funding is available for the (a) Adopt an Apprentice scheme and (b) Transition Training Fund; how much it has spent on it so far; what the time period is; who administers it, and how many people it has helped.
Answer · Jamie Hepburn: Adopt an apprentice launched in 2009, Skills Development Scotland (SDS) administers the Adopt an Apprentice scheme. Funding is allocated to SDS through their annual block grant. Annual spend on adopt an apprentice is published in the SDS annual accounts which…
1 Jun 2016 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what work the Oil and Gas Taskforce has carried out to secure jobs and apprenticeships in the oil industry.
Answer · Jamie Hepburn: Last year, the First Minister set up the Energy Jobs Task Force, which has already helped to support more than 2,500 individuals and 100 employers through the current downturn, and will continue to support the industry to improve collaboration, co-operation a…
1 Jun 2016 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many apprenticeships have been lost each month since January 2015 as a result of the reduction in the price of oil.
Answer · Jamie Hepburn: It isn’t possible to accurately report on how many apprenticeships have been lost each month since January 2015 as a result of the reduction in the price of oil.
1 Jun 2016 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many jobs have been lost each month since January 2015 as a result of the reduction in the price of oil, broken down by employer.
Answer · Keith Brown: The Scottish Government continues to monitor the impact that low oil prices is having on the oil and gas industry and its wider supply chain. This was discussed at the energy jobs taskforce meeting on the 23 March 2016, with the next meeting taking place on 1…
1 Jun 2016 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what measures to improve productivity it (a) has introduced and (b) plans to adopt.
Answer · Keith Brown: Improving productivity is central to achieving the twin aims of Scotland's Economic Strategy (SES): improving economic competitiveness and tackling inequality. Each of the four priorities for growth identified in the SES – Investment, Innovation, inclusive gr…
1 Jun 2016 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what (a) initiatives and (b) programmes it has in place to help meet its Scotland Performs' productivity purpose target for Scotland to rank in the top quartile against its key OECD trading partners by 2017, and what analysis it has made of the effectiveness of these.
Answer · Keith Brown: The importance of improving Scotland's productivity performance has been recognised in each of the Scottish Government's economic strategies since 2007. Scotland's Economic Strategy (SES), published in 2015, reaffirms the importance of improving Scotland's pr…
1 Jun 2016 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government for what reason the Scotland Performs' webpage has recorded figures showing that Scotland's OECD productivity ranking has "worsened" from 16th place in 2006 to 19th currently.
Answer · Keith Brown: The evaluation of progress towards the Scottish Government's productivity purpose target is based on any change in Scotland's productivity rank among organisation for economic co-operation and development (OECD) member countries. In 2006, Scotland was ranked …
1 Jun 2016 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what progress it is making on meeting its Scotland Performs' productivity purpose target for Scotland to rank in the top quartile against its key OECD trading partners by 2017.
Answer · Keith Brown: Scotland Performs monitors and reports on progress against the Scottish Government's purpose targets and national indicators. Data on Scotland's productivity performance is currently available for years up to and including 2014. Data on progress towards the …
26 May 2016 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what information it has on how much Citizens Advice Scotland has spent on terminating the contract of its most recent chief executive.
Answer · Keith Brown: As an independent charity, issues relating to its staff are a matter for Citizens Advice Scotland.
26 May 2016 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it believes that the Office of the Scottish Charity Regulator should investigate Citizens Advice Scotland following allegations about the use of the development fund.
Answer · Keith Brown: The Office of the Scottish Charity Regulator (OSCR) is aware of the current position of Citizens Advice Scotland. OSCR is an operationally independent body and it is for OSCR to interpret charity law and apply it to situations it encounters. As such, it would…
26 May 2016 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it has any concerns about the governance arrangements at Citizens Advice Scotland, in light of repeated governance reviews following the departure of a number of chief executives.
Answer · Keith Brown: The Scottish Government is supporting Citizens Advice Scotland through its governance review to ensure it can achieve its aim of being a model of good practice. In particular, this will include that the organisation can clearly demonstrate appropriate and val…
26 May 2016 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether funding of Citizens Advice Scotland should be transferred from the UK Government.
Answer · Keith Brown: We fully support the transfer of funding to the Scottish Government for consumer advocacy and advice activities undertaken by Citizens Advice Scotland, which arises as a consequence of the devolution of powers under the Scotland Act 2016. Core funding for Cit…
26 May 2016 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what information it has on how much funding is provided by the UK Government to Citizens Advice Scotland each year.
Answer · Keith Brown: This is a matter for the UK Government.
26 May 2016 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how much funding it provides to Citizens Advice Scotland each year; for what purpose, and what monitoring arrangements are in place.
Answer · Keith Brown: The Scottish Government provided Citizens Advice Scotland with funding of over £2.6 million in 2015-16 to support a wide range of projects delivered by Citizens Advice Scotland and Citizens Advice Bureaux in areas such as welfare, health care and managing fin…
26 May 2016 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government which directorate is the sponsor for Citizens Advice Scotland.
Answer · Keith Brown: The Directorate for Economic Development takes the lead role in the Scottish Government’s relationship with Citizens Advice Scotland.
25 May 2016 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what action it can take to combat nuisance calls.
Answer · Keith Brown: The UK Government is responsible for the regulation of nuisance calls, and is therefore best placed to take direct action to tackle this issue. However, the Scottish Government is determined to make the most of our new consumer powers to take positive steps t…
20 May 2016 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will meet the Cystic Fibrosis Trust to discuss its proposal to have the drug, Orkambi, available to patients with funding from the New Medicines Fund.
Answer · Shona Robison: In Scotland we have a clear route for new drugs to be appraised through the Scottish Medicines Consortium (SMC). The independence of SMC decisions on individual drugs is well established. The Scottish Government has made clear to the manufacturer of this drug…
20 May 2016 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will extend the New Medicines Fund to include the provision of the drug, Kalydeco, for two to five-year-olds.
Answer · Shona Robison: The scope of the Scottish Government’s New Medicines Fund already includes licensed ultra-orphan drugs. However it would be in the best interests of people in Scotland for the manufacturer of this drug to put forward a resubmission to the Scottish Medicines C…
10 Mar 2016 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it considers that the standards set by the UK Statistics Authority relating to official statistics were satisfied by the Scottish Government’s publication and subsequent revisions to the report, Government Expenditure & Revenue Scotland 2014-15.
Answer · John Swinney: As with all national statistics, Government Expenditure & Revenue Scotland (GERS) is regularly reviewed by the UK Statistics Authority to ensure that it meets the standards set out in the Code of Practice for Official Statistics. The last review was completed…