Seòmar agus comataidhean

Questions and answers

Parliamentary questions can be asked by any MSP to the Scottish Government or the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body. The questions provide a means for MSPs to get factual and statistical information.

Written questions must be answered within 10 working days (20 working days during recess)
Other questions such as Topical, Portfolio, General and First Minister's Question Times are taken in the Chamber

Urgent Questions aren't included in the Question and Answers search. There is a SPICe fact sheet listing Urgent and emergency questions.

Find out more about parliamentary questions

Criathragan Hide all filters

Displaying 9140 questions Show Answers

Order by |

Question reference: S5W-11881

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 06 October 2017
Current Status: Answered by Jamie Hepburn on 27 October 2017

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-11227 by Jamie Hepburn on 21 September 2017, whether it will provide a breakdown of self-employment income by type in each year since 1999.

The following tables show the estimated average incomes of self-employed adults in Scotland between 1999-2000 and 2015-16. The figures are estimates based on the Family Resources Survey (FRS). They relate to all adults identified as either part-time or full-time self-employed including those who reported a loss in the period. Figures are nominal values.

Two alternative measures of the average are provided. Table 1 provides median incomes whilst table 2 provides mean incomes and includes a breakdown by income source.

The median (table 1) may be seen as the preferred measure as it is less sensitive to small numbers of especially high incomes in the underlying (FRS) dataset. However it does not make sense to provide medians for different income sources and so only the median total income of self-employed people is provided. This is made up of income from self-employment as well as from other sources.

To provide a breakdown by income source it makes sense to use the mean. The mean is sensitive to small numbers of especially high incomes in the underlying (FRS) dataset and so the overall income figures are higher than those in table 1 and are more prone to fluctuate over time.

Table 1: Annual median total income of self-employed adults in Scotland between 1999-2000 and 2015-16 , £s (nominal)

	Total income
1999-2000	13,000
2000-01	13,000
2001-02	13,000
2002-03	12,200
2003-04	14,500
2004-05	14,400
2005-06	12,400
2006-07	15,300
2007-08	15,000
2008-09	16,100
2009-10	15,600
2010-11	15,300
2011-12	15,600
2012-13	13,700
2013-14	16,900
2014-15	16,800
2015-16	17,000

Source: Family Resource Survey

Table 2: Annual average (mean) income of self-employed adults in Scotland between 1999-2000 and 2015-16 broken down by income source, £s (nominal)

	Income from self-employment	Income from benefits	Income from other sources	Total income
1999-2000	15,200	400	3,100	18,700
2000-01	28,800	500	3,600	32,900
2001-02	16,200	400	1,900	18,400
2002-03	16,400	600	2,300	19,200
2003-04	22,100	600	2,500	25,200
2004-05	17,600	600	2,800	21,000
2005-06	17,400	600	3,900	21,900
2006-07	19,800	600	2,900	23,200
2007-08	20,500	600	3,000	24,100
2008-09	22,900	700	3,400	27,100
2009-10	25,400	900	2,800	29,100
2010-11	19,200	900	3,600	23,700
2011-12	19,500	1,000	3,200	23,800
2012-13	20,000	900	2,700	23,600
2013-14	21,500	700	3,500	25,600
2014-15	21,500	900	4,400	26,800
2015-16	23,800	700	3,800	28,300

Source: Family Resource Survey

Notes:

1. All figures are nominal meaning that they have not been adjusted for inflation.

2. The FRS is a sample survey. All survey estimates have a sampling error attached to them. Given the relatively small number of records associated with self-employed adults in Scotland in the sample, some of the variability between years may be due sampling error rather than any real change in income for self-employed people in Scotland.

3. The FRS asks a detailed and consistent set of questions on self-employment earnings. However, FRS earnings measures are likely to underestimate the true monetary and other benefits of self-employment e.g. income in kind, flexibility in working patterns etc.

4. Self-employed income is the total amount of income received from self-employment gross of tax and national insurance payments, based on profits where the individual considers themselves as running a business or on estimated earnings-drawings otherwise. Excludes any profit due to partners in the business. Any losses are deducted.

Question reference: S5W-11846

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 09 October 2017
Current Status: Answered by Jamie Hepburn on 27 October 2017

To ask the Scottish Government how it will monitor the Fair Start Scotland programme and what criteria it will use to determine its effectiveness.

The Scottish Government have designed a robust performance management framework to ensure that both key performance indicators (KPIs) and key delivery indicators (KDIs) which were set out within the Statement of requirements are met, providing quality of support to all Participants. Key products and tools have been developed to assist in the performance management activity. The performance Management framework will consist of monthly random sampling of Participant case files, observation visits and more in depth reviews where appropriate to ensure that the KPIs/KDIs are being achieved and that the service is delivered consistently across the programme for all Participants. Any areas requiring to be addressed will be monitored through performance management reviews and improvement activities.

In addition to performance management and monitoring, the Scottish Government will fully evaluate the delivery and outcomes of Fair Start Scotland. This will include commissioned research with service users, providers, delivery partners and employers, as well as ongoing analysis of performance and monitoring information. The aim of the evaluation will be to provide a clear picture of impacts at an individual, group and system level.

Question reference: S5W-11880

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 06 October 2017
Current Status: Answered by Keith Brown on 26 October 2017

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will publish the accounts of Scottish Enterprise and Highlands and Island Enterprise in the first week of September in each year to aid financial scrutiny, given that it understands they are signed-off at the start of each summer.

Question reference: S5O-01397

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 25 October 2017
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 1 November 2017

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to review the operation of the Scottish Futures Trust to help improve transparency.

Question reference: S5W-11777

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 03 October 2017
Current Status: Answered by Derek Mackay on 25 October 2017

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the financial implications for the block grant, in cash terms, of a growth rate in Scotland that is lower than the rest of the UK.

Under the Fiscal Framework, Scotland’s block grant continues to be determined by the operation of the Barnett Formula, and is adjusted to reflect the new fiscal powers that have been devolved. The Scottish Government remains committed to doing all it can to generate sustainable economic growth, which is important for protecting and growing tax receipts. As part of its financial management, the Scottish Government monitors performance of both the UK and the Scottish economy, updating assessments at key UK Fiscal events to inform Budget decisions.

Question reference: S5W-11773

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 03 October 2017
Current Status: Answered by Derek Mackay on 25 October 2017

To ask the Scottish Government when it will publish a full set of public sector assets and liabilities.

Question reference: S5W-11772

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 03 October 2017
Current Status: Answered by Derek Mackay on 25 October 2017

To ask the Scottish Government when it will publish Whole Government Accounts.

A commitment was given in November 2016 to produce a "tailored for Scotland" consolidated public account. The Scottish Government has designated the financial year 2016-17 as a shadow year for production of this account, with a view to publishing outputs during 2018. The on-going work to deliver this shadow year account will inform the plans as to the timetable, scope, format, content and audit arrangements for production of this account in future periods.

It may be helpful to note that the scope of the accounts produced will include assets and liabilities of public bodies within the Scottish Administration, plus local authorities and other public sector bodies such as non-departmental public bodies and public corporations.

Question reference: S5W-11833

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 05 October 2017
Current Status: Answered by Keith Brown on 24 October 2017

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-11233 by Keith Brown on 28 September 2017, how many of its staff have been seconded to the secretariat, and what financial support it has provided.

Scottish Government officials are supporting Benny Higgins in taking this work forward. The core Secretariat is currently resourced by four dedicated members of staff from the Scottish Government Economic Policy Unit, augmented by a variety of additional skills and expertise from across other portfolios as required.

The Scottish Government has not set a fixed budget for this work but will ensure that the appropriate financial support is provided whilst ensuring maximum value for public money.

Question reference: S5W-11894

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 09 October 2017
Current Status: Answered by Keith Brown on 24 October 2017

To ask the Scottish Government which (a) passenger and (b) freight cargo airlines use Glasgow Prestwick Airport, broken down by the number of flights each day.

Ryanair are the only passenger airline currently serving Prestwick Airport. However, we do not hold information on the number of Ryanair flights broken down for each day.

Two freight operators, Air France and Cargolux, currently operate scheduled flights to Prestwick Airport with approximately six flights per week. We do not, however, hold this information broken down by flights per day. A range of other cargo operators use Prestwick on an ad-hoc basis.

Question reference: S5W-11896

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 09 October 2017
Current Status: Answered by Keith Brown on 24 October 2017

To ask the Scottish Government how many tonnes of freight cargo have (a) departed from and (b) arrived at Glasgow Prestwick Airport (i) since April 2017 and (ii) in each year since 2015, also broken down by airline.

The volume of arriving and departing freight transported through the airport since 2015 is provided in the following table. We cannot provide the freight volume figures broken down by airline as this information is commercially sensitive.

Year	Departing	Arriving	Total
2015	4,825	6,499	11,324
2016	3,853	7,312	11,165
2017*	2,780	5,613	8,393
Apr-Sep 2017	1,769	3,582	5,351

* Total freight figures January to September 2017

Source: Glasgow Prestwick Airport