Seòmar agus comataidhean

I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-19705 on 21 January 2009. 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.

I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-19705 on 21 January 2009. 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.

While no specific targets have been set for the contribution of small businesses to economic growth over the course of the current spending review, it is anticipated that their contribution to the government''s short-term and long-term growth targets will be realised through operation of a broader package of measures such as the Small Business Bonus Scheme which encourage increased productivity and competitiveness.

Data on the number of enterprises operating in Scotland are published annually within the Scottish Government publication Scottish Corporate Sector Statistics. The figures are only available from 1998 and the latest data refers to all enterprises in Scotland as at March 2008.

The following table shows the number of small enterprises (0 to 49 employees) operating in Scotland and the year-on-year growth rate from 1998 to 2008:

	1998	1999	2000	2001	2002	2003
No. of Enterprises	232,165	226,510	230,865	237,555	246,300	256,855
% Growth	-	-2.4%	1.9%	2.9%	3.7%	4.3%
	2004	2005	2006	2007	2008
No. of Enterprises	264,660	259,545	259,695	273,740	276,265
% Growth	3.0%	-1.9%	0.1%	5.4%	0.9%

Source: Scottish Government, ONS (IDBR).

Please note that these figures exclude central and local government enterprises.

In support of the Scottish Government''s promotion of the year of Homecoming, the First Minister plans to visit Washington DC next month to take part in a major symposium on the life and works of Robert Burns, featuring leading Scottish and American academics and scholars. His programme will include a traditional Burns Supper. Further details will be announced in due course.

The interest rates available to local authorities and other prescribed bodies from the Public Works Loans Body (PWLB) are published daily on their website, which can be found at:

http://www.dmo.gov.uk/index.aspx?page=PWLB/PWLB_Interest_Rates.

The comparison of PWLB rates with those available from other funding sources is a function of treasury management which is the responsibility of individual local authorities or other bodies.

This information can be derived from the Scottish Quarterly GDP publication which can be found on the Scottish Government website at http://www.scotland.gov.uk/GDP.

The growth rates for each complete calendar year since 1997 are:

1997	1998	1999	2000	2001	2002	2003	2004	2005	2006	2007
2.8%	1.9%	1.9%	2.8%	2.2%	0.8%	2.0%	2.6%	1.5%	2.6%	1.8%

Note: Annual change in Gross Value Added (chained volume measure at basic prices) for Scotland.

The information sought is set out in the following table. The data relates to campaigns that fall under the remit of the Scottish Government Marketing Unit. Information for individual portfolios/directorates is not available.

The figure for 2008-09 covers the nine-month period up to 31 December 2009. The figure will increase before the end of the financial year. All figures quoted are inclusive of VAT.

The Scottish Government uses public relations agencies from the approved supplier roster as part of integrated marketing strategies designed to inform the public about government policies and legislation, and to effect attitudinal and behavioural change related to campaign topics such as drink driving, health improvement, and climate change.

The work undertaken by these agencies is specific to the government''s marketing campaigns and is not to be confused with the work of the in-house communications teams, whose roles include being official spokespeople for Scottish ministers.

Public Relations Spend

	1 May 2007 - 31 March 2008	1 April 2008 - 31 December 2008
Total	£640,053	£313,401

 

A debate on the Scottish Government''s Response to the First Annual Report of the Council of Economic Advisers will be held on Thursday 22 January.

The SFT Chair, Sir Angus Grossart and staff working within SFT are actively engaged in meeting public bodies and the private sector to explain further their aims, including how SFT can assist in delivering increased value from the £35 billion of infrastructure investment set out in the Scottish Government''s Infrastructure Investment Plan (IIP) published in March 2008. The SFT will work to improve the prospects for efficient and timely delivery of projects across the scope of the IIP. The SFT will produce a business plan in the spring of this year.