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The answer to this question varies depending on the grade of staff. For Scottish Government staff in lower paid grades, there have been real term increases in average salary between 2011 and 2016. This reflects specific measures put in place by Scottish Ministers in their Public Sector Pay Policy to support lower paid staff at a time of continued real term reductions in public sector budgets for Scotland flowing from the UK Spending Round. For staff in higher paid grades, there have in some cases been real term decreases in average salaries between 2011 and 2016. The position for the majority of Scottish Government staff is that there has been a real term increase in average median salary between 2011 and 2016 ranging between 2.7% and 3.9% depending on grade.

The Strategic Forum discussed a range of strategic economic issues and encouraged and promoted collaborative actions by our agencies. Scotland's Economic Strategy sets out the overall economic aims of the Scottish Government. Individual agency activities align with those priorities. The National Performance Framework

(http://www.gov.scot/About/Performance/scotPerforms)

measures progress and the individual agencies have their own monitoring systems that are scrutinised by Parliament.

£283 million was set against the Scottish Government’s borrowing cap in 2015-16. This meant that the budget cover available from the borrowing facility was utilised to cover non-cash costs without having to draw down funds and incur the interest costs normally associated with borrowing.

There is no guarantee required for NPD projects. The provision set out in the
2016-17 Draft Budget published last December to reflect the budgeting treatment of the capital costs of NPD projects is £398 million. No decision has been taken yet on borrowing requirements in 2016-17.

£283 million was set against the Scottish Government’s borrowing cap in 2015-16. We would expect to take decisions about borrowing in 2016-17 and 2017-18 respectively late in each financial year, on the basis that it is prudent to only draw down borrowing late in any financial year, based on an up to date assessment of programme requirements. As noted in the Draft Budget 2016-17 and Draft Budget 2017-18, the Government has indicated that it will borrow up to the full amounts available in order to support the overall capital programme.

Historic Environment Scotland are responsible for operations at Dumbarton Castle and at Scotland's other historic properties in care. I understand that Historic Environment Scotland wrote to the member on 22nd December detailing their forward plans for Dumbarton Castle, including the removal of scaffolding from the Governor’s House.

In our report on phase one of the Enterprise and Skills Review we have committed to work with agencies and other partners to strengthen our enterprise and skills system by consulting on the strategic board, including the best distribution of functions between the agencies underneath it and the associated legislative requirements.

The airport have recorded a total of 647,813 passengers using the airport between January 2016 and November 2016. These are the latest figures available at this time.

Glasgow Prestwick Airport operates on a wholly commercial basis and at arm’s length from the Scottish Government. The airport offers aviation services to a wide variety of customers through its in-house Fixed Base Operation (FBO), including military customers. As with any commercial FBO, contracts and agreements between Glasgow Prestwick Airport FBO and the customers who use this service are commercially sensitive.

There have been 1,659 inbound military flights to Glasgow Prestwick Airport between January 2016 and November 2016. These are the latest figures available at this time.

Between January 2016 and November 2016 a total of 10,313 tonnes of freight was transported through Glasgow Prestwick Airport. These are the latest figures available at this time.