Seòmar agus comataidhean

I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-37161 on 11 November 2010. 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/Apps2/Business/PQA/Default.aspx.

The £500 million figure was provided by Universities Scotland and is taken from an independent economic impact study undertaken by BiGGAR Economics Limited.

I will inform the Parliament how the announcement will be made in due course.

The value of the pay ranges which apply in the Scottish Government core directorates and the percentage of the total staff in each range are as follows:

Pay Range	Minimum (£)	Maximum (£)	% of Staff
A3	15,792	17,632	19.1%
A4	17,632	20,405	5.0%
B1	22,173	25,165	15.8%
B2	25,165	30,267	21.3%
B3	32,249	40,173	16.5%
BF	27,000	32,555	1.0%
C1	43,736	52,595	12.2%
C2	52,595	63,743	5.0%
C3	59,284	66,671	0.9%
SCS1	58,200	117,800	2.0%
SCS1A	67,600	128,900	0.6%
SCS2	82,900	162,500	0.6%
SCS3	101,500	208,100	0.1%

 

Scottish Ministers have written to the UK Government on a number of occasions to express their opposition to the proposal to hold the next UK General Election on the same day as elections to the Scottish Parliament in 2015. Scottish Ministers have also raised this issue in meetings with UK Ministers and will continue to press the UK Government to work with the Scottish Government and Parliament to avoid the problems which a clash of dates would create.

Yes.

The Protocol and UK Relations Division is responsible for:

(i) all matters of ministerial, royal and ceremonial protocol, including royal, state and VIP visits and events, jubilee celebrations, garden parties, the appointments of Lord-Lieutenants and of the Lord High Commissioner of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland, the issue of royal warrants and charters and the use of royal names. It also works on other ceremonial issues including flag flying policy and bank holidays in Scotland.

(ii) the overview of the Scottish Government''s intergovernmental relations with the UK Government, the devolved administrations of Wales and Northern Ireland and the Crown Dependencies. It coordinates high-level bi-lateral contacts between ministers (e.g. meetings between the First Minister and Prime Minister or Deputy Prime Minister). It provides the Scottish element of the secretariat for the re-established Joint Ministerial Committee, including work under the recently introduced dispute resolution protocol. It also leads on the Scottish Government''s participation in the British-Irish Council, and heads the project to establish the standing secretariat in Edinburgh. It has a role in awareness-raising and capacity-building both within the Scottish Government and in Whitehall, working with a network of contacts in all UK Government Departments and the National School for Government.

The division led the Scottish Government''s significant contribution to the preparations for and delivery of the Papal visit in September 2010.

The National Conversation, Referendum and Elections Division is responsible for a range of policies concerned with the development of Scotland''s constitution and elections. Current work includes the development of primary and secondary legislation about the administration of local government elections, the electronic counting system for the 2012 local government elections and the Bill for a referendum on Scotland''s constitutional future. It is also responsible for the co-ordination of the Scottish Government''s interest in the UK Government''s proposed legislation to implement the recommendations of the Commission on Scottish Devolution.

My answer to question S3W-36450 referred specifically to the new UK Government''s commitment, published in May this year, to review the control and use of accumulated and future revenues from the Fossil Fuel Levy (FFL) in Scotland (currently standing at £191 million). The Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Sustainable Growth has written to the UK Government on several occasions requesting the early release of these funds. This request is backed by leaders in Scottish Industry, environmental non-governmental organisations, business organisations and Trade Unions, dedicated to Scotland''s sustainable economic development, who wrote to the Chancellor of the Exchequer on 14 October 2010 pressing for the release and rapid deployment of these funds.

The Chief Secretary of the Treasury wrote to the Cabinet Secretary on 19 October 2010 with a new proposal. The new UK Government proposal is that Scottish Ministers surrender current and future FFL surpluses in exchange for the creation of a ring fenced £250 million for Scotland to form part of an undefined and yet to be established Green Investment Bank. We do not believe that this proposal as it stands is in Scotland''s interests, or changes the current position in any material way. The Cabinet Secretary has replied to the Chief Secretary of the Treasury expressing these concerns and seeking urgent clarification of the details underlying the proposal.

There is no Saltire Prize Communication unit currently operating within the Scottish Government. From June 2008 to March 2010 two staff were tasked with promotion of the Saltire Prize prior to the competition opening to applications. Scottish Development International now has the main responsibility for encouraging international participation in the competition.