Seòmar agus comataidhean

The Scottish Government recognises the valuable role that the local authority delivered Business Gateway service offers to support a wide range of businesses. The service offers a first point of contact for all publicly funded business support to pre-start, early stage and growth businesses regardless of gender, age, ethnicity, ability or type of business. Support includes a nationally consistent start-up and growth service with flexibility and discretion to meet local needs and opportunities.

Delivery of the Business Gateway (BG) service is the responsibility of local authorities and they are not required to report operational information on the delivery of Business Gateway to the Scottish Government.

We understand from the Business Gateway Management Unit based in COSLA that the provision of equal opportunity monitoring data, including gender data, is self-declared by BG clients and is provided on a voluntary basis. The percentage of records that hold gender disaggregated data sits at around 54%-60% per year. In 2014-2015, where gender had been recorded, the percentage of Business Gateway assisted start-ups which were women-led (defined as majority owner or equally owned by women) was over 38%.

This is an operational matter for Scottish Enterprise (SE) and Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE). I have asked the Chief Executives of both SE and HIE to contact you with the information you have requested and my understanding is that this will be with you soon.

A table containing Scottish Government grant funding for (a) Scottish Enterprise and (b) Highlands and Islands Enterprise is provided in the following tables:

SE cash budget since 2011-12 (£m)

HIE cash budget since 2011-12 (£m)

Notes:

(1) Data from annual accounts except for 2016-17(sourced from SG budget, SE’s Business Plan for 2015-18 and HIE’s Operating Plan 2016-19.

(2) The % difference is based on the budget allocation from the previous year.

(3) Above figures exclude ring-fenced DEL (non-cash).

'Reported Road Casualties in Scotland 2015' reports that in 2015, the first full year in which the reduced limit has been in force, there were 168 fatalities and 1,596 people seriously injured in road accidents.

These figures are compiled from Police data which records whether or not a breath test was passed/failed/refused but not the blood alcohol level. Figures on how many occasions the driver was above the new but below the old limit are not available.

The Scottish Government has been clear in our approach to decommissioning and the opportunities that are available within our refreshed Oil and Gas Strategy and the recently published Programme for Government. Scottish Enterprise are developing a Decommissioning Action Plan, which will be complementary to the Oil and Gas Authority’s recently published Decommissioning Strategy. We are also carrying out further work to identify potential sites for investment with a view to increasing capacity for larger decommissioned units to come ashore at out ports and harbours.

The Scottish Business Pledge is a commitment made voluntarily by firms in recognition of shared values and ambition to boost productivity and competitiveness through innovation, internationalisation and progressive workplace practices. Information on the Pledge elements met by businesses is given in the quarterly “Business Pledge – Statistical overview” which is placed in the Scottish Parliament’s Reference Centre. Formal evaluation of the Business Pledge, scheduled for 2017, will provide further evidence of company behaviours.

As of 3 November there are 296 Scottish Business Pledge companies.

EU

SFC match

Ayrshire College

£640,000

£426,624

£213,376

Glasgow College Region

£6,123,802

£4,082,126

£2,041,676

Lanarkshire College Region

£3,891,238

£2,593,899

£1,297,339

West College Scotland

£2,451,097

£1,633,901

£817,196

Total funding under YEI

£13,106,137

£8,736,551

£4,369,586

ESF - Developing Scotland's Workforce

Lowlands & Uplands Scotland

Borders College

£210,642

£84,257

£126,385

Dundee and Angus College

£2,362,999

£945,200

£1,417,799

Fife College

£1,014,702

£405,881

£608,821

Forth Valley College

£656,981

£262,792

£394,189

North East Scotland College

£1,004,495

£401,798

£602,697

West Lothian College

£318,283

£127,313

£190,970

SRUC

£149,210

£59,684

£89,526

Total funding under DSW (LUPS)

£5,717,312

£2,286,925

£3,430,387

Highlands & Island

UHI partner colleges (including Perth)

£1,610,029

£805,015

£805,015

Total funding under DSW (H&I)

£1,610,029

£805,015

£805,015

OVERALL TOTAL FUNDING ALLOCATED THROUGH ESF PROGRAMMES

£20,433,478

£11,828,490

£8,604,988

Source: Scottish Funding Council, October 2016

The audited accounts of incorporated colleges for the year ended 31 July 2016 are not due to be received by the Scottish Funding Council until the end of December 2016.

The financial health of the college sector in 2014-15 is reported in paragraphs 59-62 of the Audit Scotland report Scotland’s colleges 2016 , which is at http://www.audit-scotland.gov.uk/uploads/docs/report/2016/nr_160825_scotlands_colleges.pdf

Exhibit 10 of the report indicates that while the sector reported an overall deficit of £28 million in 2014-15, after taking account of adjustments (including technical accounting adjustments), the deficit decreases to £3 million, representing less than one per cent of income.

There is no legislative requirement that would prevent a college from bidding for and being awarded a contract by a local authority because the college was in deficit.

Source: Scottish Funding Council, October 2016