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All organisations are advised that they should not become solely reliant on Section 10 funding nor expect it to be renewed following a subsequent application.

They are advised of the importance in seeking alternative sources of funding and must have adequate financial management controls and systems in place when applying for Section 10 funding.

The Scottish Fiscal Commission has been allocated an indicative annual operating budget of £20,000. The Scottish Government will however ensure that the commission has access to the necessary resources to enable it to fulfil its functions.

The Scottish Fiscal Commission published its first report on the Scottish Government’s forecasts of devolved tax revenues and on the economic determinants which underpin the Scottish Government’s forecasts of non-domestic rate income on 9 October 2014. The commission’s report can be accessed at:

http://www.scottishfiscalcommission.org/

The Scottish Fiscal Commission will be required to report on any future devolved tax forecasts published by the Scottish Government.

I refer the member to the answer to question S4W-23932 on 20 January 2015. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at:

http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/parliamentarybusiness/28877.aspx

Yes. Any proposal to invest public sector funding in a film studio would need to be state aid compliant which is, in effect, the requirement to meet the Market Economy Investor Principle (MEIP). In order to meet the MEIP requirement, a robust case would have to be made which demonstrates that any investment will achieve a commercially acceptable return. The state aid issue is particularly sensitive as the European Commission determined in 2008 that state aid was granted to the Spanish film studio complex by Ciudad De La Luz (in effect the Valencia Regional Government) who funded it entirely by the public sector and that the MEIP had not been met. This decision was upheld in July 2014 by the EU General Court.

In 2014-15 there were 32 applications received, 14 of which were funded from Section 10 of the Social Work (Scotland) Act 1968.

A total of 51 organisations applied for Section 10 funding. All applicants will be advised of the outcome of their application in due course.

The costs associated with each meeting of the Council of Economic Advisers are available at the following address:

http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Economy/Council-Economic-Advisers/disclosures

Members of the Council of Economic Advisers (CEA) and any associated sub-groups are appointed on a voluntary and personal basis. They do not receive any direct remuneration related to this role. All reasonable expenses incurred by members in the course of attending the CEA and any associated sub-groups are met by the Scottish Government. These include air travel, rail travel, meal allowances and accommodation.

An Annual Chair’s Report is published by the Chair of the Council of Economic Advisers, Crawford Beveridge. The reports are published at the following address:

http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Economy/Council-Economic-Advisers/Reports

The reports of the Fiscal Commission Working Group are also available at the following address:

http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Economy/Council-Economic-Advisers/FCWG

Future reports produced by the council will be published on the Scottish Government website.

The Council of Economic Advisers meets twice each year, and the council last met on 12 November 2014. The dates of future meetings will be announced in due course.

I refer the member to the answer to question S4W-23832 on 14 January 2015. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at:

http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/parliamentarybusiness/28877.aspx.