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The Hosting Services framework was awarded after a highly competitive tender exercise and provided significant market savings. Supplier prices have not increased during the life of the framework. Call-off contracts under the framework are also typically subject to a further mini-competition to drive even further value for money.

Since the announcement of the Strategic Board on 27 November 2017, the Strategic Board 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: £4,995.94

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/28877.aspx

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 Scottish Procurement
Information Hub (the “Hub”).

Please note that the total number of SME suppliers varies in some years
from the original answer provided to S5W-14428, because the data held
in the Hub is revalidated and may change in subsequent reports as
additional information about suppliers is applied.

Number of Micro, Small and Medium-Sized Suppliers supplying goods
and services to core Scottish Governmentfor Financial Years 2005-06 – 2016-17

Data is provided for core Scottish Government only.

Data is taken from the Scottish Procurement Information Hub and is based
on suppliers that have been classed as commercial organisations or as
non-trade social care providers and with whom core Scottish Government
has spent over £1000 in aggregate in a 12 month period.

*Supplier size is based on number of employees where it is known.

SMEs are defined as suppliers with less than 250 employees.

Micro suppliers are defined as suppliers with less than 10 employees.

Small suppliers are defined as suppliers with 10-49 employees.

Medium suppliers are defined as suppliers with 50-249 employees.

Data correct at April 2018. Data is revalidated and may change in subsequent reports as
additional information about suppliers is applied.

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 has worked with sector representatives and provided guidance and model application forms to Councils.

Additionally, I will write to all potentially eligible nurseries during May to encourage applications.

Based on the valuation roll at the 1st of April 2018 there were 966 properties in Scotland classed as day nurseries for rating purposes. However, some of those nurseries will already benefit from relief under the Small Business Bonus Scheme, charity relief or other reliefs. Those nurseries may choose to continue to receive relief through these schemes, rather than through Nursery Relief.

Data on number of relief applications made is not collated, but the number of premises in receipt of Nursery Relief as at 1 June 2018 will be known in the Autumn.

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/28877.aspx

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/28877.aspx

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/28877.aspx

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 the Smarter Workplaces Programme to deliver central estate transformational change. After a five-year programme of work led by SFT an on-going annual revenue efficiency of £28 million per annum has been delivered. SFT's work with four pilot councils to demonstrate what efficiency savings could be realised through office rationalisation has acted as a catalyst for wider change resulting in an average floor-space reduction of more than 30% in the last five years.

It is not clear where the assumed benefit of 21% for school construction was found as it does not feature within SFT's Annual Business Review for 2016-17.

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), Spanish and Urdu. It includes all the Scottish Qualification Authority (SQA) qualifications at all levels.

In addition to the qualifications listed in the table, increasing numbers of schools are choosing to present young people for the SQA Modern Language for Life and Work Award which is available at levels SCQF level 3 and 4. In this award attainment has increased by 36% between 2015 and 2017 from 2,164 to 2,943.

The data in the table shows a decline in uptake of national qualifications at SCQF levels 3-5. This decline is also evident in other subjects and is due in large part to changes in Senior Phase design, changes to curriculum models since the introduction of Curriculum for Excellence and as a drop in the cohort size. A fairer representation of language attainment can be seen in the uptake at Higher (SCQF 6) and Advanced Higher (SCQF 7) where numbers have increased since 2007 at both levels. At Higher in particular the numbers have remained above 7,000 in 2015, 2016 and 2017.

Table: Passes in foreign language qualifications, by level of qualification, 2007-2017