Parliamentary questions
Derek Brownlee
680 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.
11 Apr 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether the Executive will implement a better regulation action plan similar to the one launched in England in 2005.
Answer · Nicol Stephen: The Scottish Executive andits agencies will adopt best practices from the Better Regulation Action Plan whichwas launched by the Chancellor in May 2005.</p><p>In addition, in Scotland, weare promoting the Better Regulation Agenda by making sure all new legisl…
11 Apr 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it plans to set up a scheme similar to the Local Authority Business Growth Incentives scheme which has operated in England since April 2005.
Answer · Tom McCabe: Scottish ministers reviewed proposalsto allow councils to retain some buoyancy from business rates as part of the CitiesReview and, following that review, established the Cities Growth Fund, which willprovide around £173 million to Scotland’s six cities over …
11 Apr 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how much of the £200 million of public money pledged by the Chancellor of the Exchequer towards the 2012 Olympics for athletics in the recent budget will be allocated to, or spent in, Scotland.
Answer · Patricia Ferguson: The £200 million of publicmoney pledged by the Chancellor will be distributed by UK Sport acrossthe Olympic and Paralympic sports over the seven year period to the Games inLondon in 2012. For the period 2006-09, UK Sport has allocated anadditional £65.3 milli…
11 Apr 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-22941 by Nicol Stephen on 31 March 2006, what the actual figure was of direct representations to the Improving Regulation in Scotland Unit from non-governmental bodies or the public in 2005.
Answer · Nicol Stephen: Further to my answer to questionS2W-22941 on 31 March 2006, the majority of concerns from business are raised andaddressed through the work of the industry led Regulatory Sub-Group of the SmallBusiness Consultative Group. This group was set up in December 200…
11 Apr 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-22941 by Nicol Stephen on 31 March 2006, how many calls the IRIS hotline received in total in 2005.
Answer · Nicol Stephen: The Improving Regulation Unithotline received four calls in total in 2005, all from non-governmental bodies orthe public. None of these were substantive. However, as I explained in my answerto S2W-25186, since 2004 we have established a different approach tow…
11 Apr 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-22941 by Nicol Stephen on 31 March 2006, how many calls the IRIS hotline received from non-governmental bodies or the public in 2005.
Answer · Nicol Stephen: I refer the member to theanswers to questions S2W-25185 and S2W-25186 on 6 October 2006. All answers towritten parliamentary questions are available on the Parliaments website, the searchfacility for which can be found at:</p><p><ahref="http://www.scottish.pa…
4 Apr 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether Scottish Enterprise suggested that the twelve local enterprise companies (LECs) should be abolished and, if so, on what basis the Executive decided that the LECs should be retained.
Answer · Nicol Stephen: Scottish Enterprise didnot suggest the abolition of the 12 local enterprise companies.</p>
31 Mar 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive when KPMG will report the findings of its work to confirm Scottish Enterprise's projected resource spend for 2005-06.
Answer · Nicol Stephen: KPMG submitted their final reporton 24 April 2006 and this is available on the Scottish Executive’s website.However, a near final draft was made available on the Scottish Executive’s websiteon 21 April 2006.</p>
31 Mar 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how KPMG was selected to undertake work to confirm Scottish Enterprise's projected resource spend for 2005-06 and what alternatives were considered.
Answer · Nicol Stephen: The selection of KPMG was througha Scottish Executive framework agreement. The framework was established after anEU-compliant tendering exercise and its remit covers reviews of this nature.</p><p>The Scottish Executive consideredselecting other companies from…
31 Mar 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive when KPMG was first asked to undertake work to confirm Scottish Enterprise's projected resource spend for 2005-06.
Answer · Nicol Stephen: KPMG were invited to set outhow they would meet the Executive’s terms of reference on 28 March 2006.</p>
31 Mar 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how much KPMG will be paid for its work to confirm Scottish Enterprise’s projected resource spend for 2005-06.
Answer · Nicol Stephen: The value of the contract betweenthe Scottish Executive and KPMG for its work in relation to Scottish Enterprise’soverspend is around £60,000.</p>
31 Mar 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive on how many occasions since 1999 has Scottish Enterprise not had a final agreed budget in place prior to the commencement of the financial year to which that budget related.
Answer · Nicol Stephen: The Executive notifies ScottishEnterprise of its budget prior to the commencement of each financial year, as publishedin the annual Budget Bill. There are two occasions during each financial year whenrevisions to that budget may be proposed and approved by th…
31 Mar 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many non-departmental public bodies will not have final agreed budgets in place prior to the commencement of the 2006-07 financial year.
Answer · Tom McCabe: All non-departmental public bodieswere informed of their initial budgets for 2006-07 prior to the commencement of the financial year. As with Scottish Executive departments, these budgets are subjectto in-year revision as appropriate.</p>
31 Mar 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what actions the Deputy First Minister and Minister for Enterprise and Lifelong Learning took to monitor the progress of Scottish Enterprise in (a) achieving its stated objectives and (b) remaining withi its agreed budget, prior to his becoming aware of a projected overspend in Scottish E…
Answer · Nicol Stephen: The Executive receives regularreports from Scottish Enterprise, following board discussion, on overall performanceagainst objectives. Any matters of concern are raised with Scottish Enterprise.In addition, the Enterprise Department receives regular financial …
31 Mar 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive on what date the Deputy First Minister and Minister for Enterprise and Lifelong Learning first became aware of a projected overspend in Scottish Enterprise's budget for 2005-06.
Answer · Nicol Stephen: I was made aware of ScottishEnterprise’s likely budget overspend on 25 January 2006.</p>
31 Mar 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether any element of the projected £30 million overspend in Scottish Enterprise’s Budget for 2005-06 arose due to factors other than the “deliberate strategy to encourage new project proposals in each local enterprise area” and the “identification of a growing number of projects of nat…
Answer · Nicol Stephen: I refer the member to the answer to question S2W-24922 on 1 June 2006. All answers to writtenparliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the searchfacility for which can be found at <ahref="http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.se…
31 Mar 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how much of the projected £30 million overspend in Scottish Enterprise’s budget for 2005-06 related to the “identification of a growing number of projects of national significance”, referred to by the Deputy First Minister and Minister for Enterprise and Lifelong Learning on 30 March 2006…
Answer · Nicol Stephen: I refer the member to the answer to question S2W-24922 on 1 June 2006. All answers to written parliamentary questions are availableon the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at <ahref="http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.s…
31 Mar 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how much of the £30 projected million overspend in Scottish Enterprise’s budget for 2005-06 related to the “deliberate strategy to encourage new project proposals in each local enterprise area”, referred to by the Deputy First Minister and Minister for Enterprise and Lifelong Learning on …
Answer · Nicol Stephen: The report prepared for the Scottish Executive by KPMG, which is available on the Executive’s website at <ahref="http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Business-Industry/Enterprise/16858/KPMGreport">http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Business-Industry/Enterprise/16…
31 Mar 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what alternative options were considered prior to the decision to bring Careers Scotland within the remit of Scottish Enterprise and what the reasons were for rejecting such options.
Answer · Nicol Stephen: We published our response tothe Careers Service review on the 11 January 2001.This set out a range of options and highlighted the advantages and disadvantagesof each. These included:</p><p>Network independent companieswith a national partnership body.</p><p>R…
31 Mar 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether the statement by the Deputy First Minister and Minister for Enterprise and Lifelong Learning on 30 March 2006 that Scottish Enterprise will continue to invest over £500 million per year in Scotland's economic future (Official Report c. 24609) mean Scottish Enterprise will continue…
Answer · Nicol Stephen: When Careers Scotland transfersout of Scottish Enterprise the budget for Scottish Enterprise will be adjusted accordingly.</p>
31 Mar 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether the statement by the Deputy First Minister and Minister for Enterprise and Lifelong Learning on 30 March 2006 that Scottish Enterprise will continue to invest over £500 million per year in Scotland's economic future (Official Report c. 24609) mean Scottish Enterprise's annual budg…
Answer · Nicol Stephen: I wrote to Sir John Ward on11 May confirming that Scottish Enterprise’s resource budget for 2006-07 willbe £550 million. A copy of this letter has been placed in the Scottish ParliamentInformation Centre (Bib. number. 39557).</p>
31 Mar 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how much of the £30 projected million overspend in Scottish Enterprise’s budget for 2005-06 related to the “deliberate strategy to encourage new project proposals in each local enterprise area”, referred to by the Deputy First Minister and Minister for Enterprise and Lifelong Learning on …
24 Mar 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive when it will first publish details of performance against the benchmarks it sets in respect of the effectiveness of spending on further and higher education in terms of growth, jobs and incomes, in light of the Deputy First Minister’s support for amendment S2M-4163.2 on 23 March 2006 (Of…
Answer · Nicol Stephen: The benefits and returns thatarise from our investment in post-compulsory education are continuously monitoredand published. Both regular and ad hoc specific analysis is undertaken by the Executive,the Scottish Funding Council and more recently, by Futureskil…
24 Mar 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how frequently it will publish details of performance against the benchmarks it sets in respect of the effectiveness of spending on further and higher education in terms of growth, jobs and incomes, in light of the Deputy First Minister’s support for amendment S2M-4163.2 on 23 March 2006 …
Answer · Nicol Stephen: The Executive constantly examinethe benefits and returns that arise from our investment in post-compulsory educationwith continuous monitoring of the further and higher education graduate labour markets,including earnings and returns to skills, and employment…
24 Mar 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what measures it will use to benchmark the effectiveness of spending on further and higher education in terms of growth, jobs and incomes, in light of the Deputy First Minister’s support for amendment S2M-4163.2 on 23 March 2006 (Official Report, c. 24289).
Answer · Nicol Stephen: The Executive uses a range ofmeasures to examine the benefits and returns that arise from our investment in post-compulsoryeducation. This includes continuous monitoring of the further and higher educationgraduate labour markets, including earnings and wage p…
24 Mar 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether the close scrutiny to be applied to the spending on further and higher education will extend to all spending on those areas since 1999, in light of the Deputy First Minister's support for amendment S2M-4163.2 (Official Report, c. 24289).
Answer · Nicol Stephen: The continuous monitoring of the benefits and returns that arise from our investment in post-compulsory education,undertaken by the Executive, the Scottish Funding Councils and, more recently, FutureskillsScotland, stretches back to 1999 and is an on-going ac…
24 Mar 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-21646 by Tavish Scott on 7 March 2006, why it took 85 days to respond, given that the decision to suspend the Glenmayne scheme had already been taken at least 25 days prior to the question being lodged on 12 December 2005.
Answer · Tavish Scott: Following completion of theirdue diligence, officials concluded in November 2005 that the scheme should not betaken forward. There followed a period of discussion and review in order that Icould be satisfied that this decision was correct.</p><p>Transport Sco…
23 Mar 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what proportion of businesses started in Scotland in each year from 1999 to 2005 remain in operation.
Answer · Nicol Stephen: Data on the number of VATregistrations and de-registrations are releasedannually by the Small Business Service, an agency of the Department for Tradeand Industry. These figures are used to monitor the number of businessstart-ups and closures in the UK. Analys…
23 Mar 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many businesses were started in Scotland in each year from 1999 to 2005.
Answer · Nicol Stephen: Data on the number of VATregistrations are released annually bythe Small Business Service, an agency of the Department for Trade and Industry.These figures are used to monitor the number of business start-ups.</p><p>The following table showsthe number of VAT …
23 Mar 2006 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how much of the £50 million that the Chancellor of the Exchequer announced in the Budget for micro-generation technologies will be allocated to Scotland.
Answer · Nicol Stephen: The Chancellor of theExchequer announced in the budget £50 million in additional funding for theDepartment of Trade and Industry’s Low Carbon Building Programme. This is a UK wideprogramme which was launched on 29 March 2006. The Executive is working with DTI…