Tuesday 7 August 2012

SCOTTISH GOVERNMENT

Finance Ken Macintosh (Eastwood) (): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will provide a breakdown of how it calculated the underspend in the (a) Rural Affairs and the Environment, (b) Education and Lifelong Learning and (c) Finance, Employment and Sustainable Growth portfolio that were reported in Provisional Outturn 2011-12 and Shovel-Ready Projects. Holding answer issued: 25 July 2012 (S4W-08317) Gavin Brown (Lothian) (Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will provide an explanation for the cash departmental expenditure limit (DEL) underspend in 2011-12 for the Finance, Employment and Sustainable Growth portfolio. Holding answer issued: 1 August 2012 (S4W-08419) Gavin Brown (Lothian) (Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will provide an explanation for the cash departmental expenditure limit (DEL) underspend in 2011-12 for the Health, Wellbeing and Cities Strategy portfolio. Holding answer issued: 1 August 2012 (S4W-08420) Gavin Brown (Lothian) (Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will provide an explanation for the cash departmental expenditure limit (DEL) underspend in 2011-12 for the Education and Lifelong Learning portfolio. Holding answer issued: 1 August 2012 (S4W-08421) Gavin Brown (Lothian) (Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will provide an explanation for the cash departmental expenditure limit (DEL) underspend in 2011-12 for the Justice portfolio. Holding answer issued: 1 August 2012 (S4W-08422) Gavin Brown (Lothian) (Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will provide an explanation for the cash departmental expenditure limit (DEL) underspend in 2011-12 for the Rural Affairs and the Environment portfolio. Holding answer issued: 1 August 2012 (S4W-08423) John Swinney: The Provisional Outturn 2011-12 and Shovel-Ready Projects paper of 27 June 2012 provided unaudited figures in respect of performance against budget. As in previous years, the Scottish Government will publish an Analysis of Major Variances (including these DEL variances) based on audited figures in the Scottish Government Consolidated Accounts. The accounts for the year ended 31 March 2012 are expected to be published in late September.

Gavin Brown (Lothian) (Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party): To ask the Scottish Executive what the provisional total departmental expenditure limit (DEL) underspend has been in each of the last five years. Holding answer issued: 1 August 2012 (S4W-08411) Gavin Brown (Lothian) (Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party): To ask the Scottish Executive what the provisional cash departmental expenditure limit (DEL) underspend has been in each of the last five years. Holding answer issued: 1 August 2012 (S4W-08412) Gavin Brown (Lothian) (Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party): To ask the Scottish Executive what percentage of the departmental expenditure limit (DEL) cash budget the provisional cash DEL underspend has represented in each of the last five years. Holding answer issued: 1 August 2012 (S4W-08413) Gavin Brown (Lothian) (Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party): To ask the Scottish Executive what the provisional non-cash departmental expenditure limit (DEL) underspend has been in each of the last five years. Holding answer issued: 1 August 2012 (S4W-08414) John Swinney: The Scottish Government is required to manage its Departmental Expenditure Limit (DEL) cash and non-cash budget within the framework of the Consolidated Budgeting Guidance published by HM Treasury on an annual basis. The figures in the following table are provided on the basis of the rules in place for the respective years and reflect the provisional outturn underspends announced to the Parliament. Financial year 2011-12 was the first year of the Devolved Administrations Budget Exchange Mechanism with the scope for a planned carry forward to 2012-13. Provisional HM Treasury DEL Underspend by Cash/ Non Cash – 2007-08 to 2011-12 2007-08 2008-09 2009-10 2010-11 2011-12 £ million £ million £ million £ million £ million Budget Exchange planned c/f (1) - - - - -100 Fiscal DEL -42 -125 -168 -12 -79 Non-cash DEL (2) 0 94 121 -86 -8 Total DEL Underspend -42 -31 -47 -98 -187 Fiscal DEL% of Total SG DEL -0.2% -0.5% -0.6% -0.04% -0.6% Notes: 1. The Budget Exchange Mechanism is effective from 2011-12 for the period of the current Spending Review. 2. Under HM Treasury Consolidated Budgeting rules, non-cash was monitored separately from 2008- 09 onwards.

Gavin Brown (Lothian) (Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party): To ask the Scottish Executive how much control it has over the (a) cash and (b) non-cash departmental expenditure limit (DEL) underspend. Holding answer issued: 1 August 2012 (S4W-08415) John Swinney: The Scottish Government is required to manage its DEL cash and non-cash budget within the framework of the Consolidated Budgeting Guidance published by HM Treasury on an annual basis. Accordingly, the Scottish Government monitors performance against budgets authorised by the Scottish Parliament and HM Treasury limits. Budget Exchange arrangements for the Devolved Administrations has replaced End Year Flexibility and will operate across the UK 2010 Comprehensive Spending Review period. This provides a facility to plan budget carry-forward within agreed limits. The Devolved Administrations Budget Exchange Mechanism allows the Scottish Government to carry forward any underspends from one financial year to the next up to a limit which is calculated as a percentage of the DEL budget.

Gavin Brown (Lothian) (Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will provide a breakdown of the cash departmental expenditure limit (DEL) underspend in 2011-12 for each portfolio, broken down by resource and capital. Holding answer issued: 1 August 2012 (S4W-08424) John Swinney: The following table provides a breakdown of the provisional HM Treasury cash Departmental Expenditure Limit (DEL) underspend in 2011-12 for each portfolio, broken down by resource and capital. Provisional HM Treasury DEL Cash Underspend by Portfolio Split by Capital/Resource: 2011-12 Resource Capital Total Fiscal DEL £ Million £ Million £ Million Finance, Employment and Sustainable Growth -52 38 -14 Health, Wellbeing and Cities Strategy -8 -1 -9 Education and Lifelong Learning -17 -3 -20 Parliamentary Business and Government Strategy -1 0 -1 Justice -7 2 -5 Resource Capital Total Fiscal DEL £ Million £ Million £ Million Rural Affairs and the Environment -40 -13 -53 Culture and External Affairs -2 0 -2 Infrastructure and Capital Investment 7 -7 0 Administration -2 1 -1 Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal 0 0 0 Local Government -2 0 -2 Total Scottish Government -124 17 -107 Food Standards Agency 0 0 0 Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body -2 0 -2 Audit Scotland -1 0 -1 Total Scottish Block -127 17 -110 Funding secured for Carry Forward to 2012-13 -44 -35 -79 Budget alignment transfer 22 -12 10 Year End DEL Underspend -149 -30 -179

Gavin Brown (Lothian) (Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will provide a breakdown of the capital projects that had altered timescales that resulted in a £30 million capital departmental expenditure limit (DEL) underspend in 2011-12. Holding answer issued: 26 July 2012 (S4W-08425) John Swinney: Capital projects, by nature, are often managed over a number of financial years and as such the Scottish Government recognises that there will, on occasions, be minor and marginal movements to timescales caused by, for example, weather or planning delays, with a subsequent impact on the expenditure profile of the project. This requires a flexible approach to managing capital budgets over time. In respect of financial year 2011-12, the following projects experienced marginal movements in timescales – the Forth Replacement Crossing, the Victoria and Albert Waterfront project, the Port Edgar project, the Stromness Harbour extension project. Accordingly, appropriate budget will be reassigned to these projects in 2012-13 through the Budget Exchange Mechanism.

Gavin Brown (Lothian) (Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party): To ask the Scottish Executive what its prediction was in (a) October, (b) November and (c) December 2011 for the 2011- 12 provisional cash departmental expenditure limit (DEL) underspend for (i) resource and (ii) capital. Holding answer issued: 26 July 2012 (S4W-08426) Gavin Brown (Lothian) (Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party): To ask the Scottish Executive what its prediction was in (a) January, (b) February, (c) March and (d) April 2012 for the 2011-12 provisional cash departmental expenditure limit (DEL) underspend for (i) resource and (ii) capital. Holding answer issued: 26 July 2012 (S4W-08429) John Swinney: The Scottish Government is engaged in the proactive management of the capital and resource departmental expenditure limits budgets throughout the financial year. Financial information at key points in the year is used to support decision making by ministers to ensure the best use of the resources available to the Scottish Government. This is conveyed to the Scottish Parliament’s Finance Committee through the Autumn and Spring Budget Revision processes.

Gavin Brown (Lothian) (Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party): To ask the Scottish Executive whether the figure of £98 million for 2010-11, on page 2 of Provisional Outturn 2011-12 and Shovel-Ready Projects, includes both cash and non-cash DEL. Holding answer issued: 26 July 2012 (S4W-08433) Gavin Brown (Lothian) (Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party): To ask the Scottish Executive whether the figure of £47 million for 2009-10 on page 2 of Provisional Outturn 2011-12 and Shovel-Ready Projects includes both cash and non-cash departmental expenditure limit (DEL). Holding answer issued: 26 July 2012 (S4W-08434) Gavin Brown (Lothian) (Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party): To ask the Scottish Executive whether the figure of £31 million for 2008-09 on page 2 of Provisional Outturn 2011-12 and Shovel-Ready Projects includes both cash and non-cash departmental expenditure limit (DEL). Holding answer issued: 26 July 2012 (S4W-08435) Gavin Brown (Lothian) (Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party): To ask the Scottish Executive whether the figure of £42 million for 2007-08 on page 2 of Provisional Outturn 2011-12 and Shovel-Ready Projects includes both cash and non-cash departmental expenditure limit (DEL). Holding answer issued: 26 July 2012 (S4W-08436) John Swinney: I can confirm that the figures for 2007-08 to 2010-11, on page 2 of the Provisional Outturn 2011-12 and Shovel-Ready Projects, include both cash and non-cash DEL.

Governance and Communities Kezia Dugdale (Lothian) (Scottish Labour): To ask the Scottish Government how (a) it and (b) its agencies plan to increase the number of young people in its/their workforce. (S4W-08725) Angela Constance: As part of the all government, all Scotland approach to tackling youth employment, all areas of the Scottish Government and its agencies will continue to consider how best they can support Scottish Government objectives of helping young people into employment on an ongoing basis.

Learning and Justice Kezia Dugdale (Lothian) (Scottish Labour): To ask the Scottish Government what proposals arose from the Making Training Work Better review. (S4W-08608) Angela Constance: Making Training Work Better allowed us to develop proposals that seek to reduce duplication of funding for episodes of training whilst focussing on the provision of skills development for young people and maximising support for the low paid low skilled and the unemployed across Scotland. The proposals are: - Develop higher level Technical and Professional Apprenticeships to offer a wider range of entry and progression opportunities through the apprenticeship programme; - Provide flexible support, including incentives to employers, to support 16 to 24-year-olds from disadvantaged groups such as care leavers and young carers into jobs, including Modern Apprenticeships; - Support 20 to 24-year-old Modern Apprentices across all frameworks rather than for selected sectors; - Develop a transparent process for developing new apprenticeship frameworks that focus on employer needs through Scotland’s Modern Apprenticeship Group; - Enhance the work experience element of the Get Ready for Work programme; - Explore the potential for an outcome-focused national employability fund that brings together funding from a range of sources to provide more coherent and flexible pre-employment support for young people and adults; - Protect provision and access to pre-employment skills provision for adults by ensuring that all the funding used to train and support individuals is dispersed in most appropriate way; - Maximise support for those moving towards and into work by better targeting Individual Learning Account funding, and - Continue to provide support for small and micro employers with 100 employees or less through Flexible Training Opportunities.

Kezia Dugdale (Lothian) (Scottish Labour): To ask the Scottish Government whether discussions have taken place with Skills Development Scotland on collecting data on the 16 to 19 age group in addition to those collected in September and March/April on school leavers. (S4W-08613) Angela Constance: The Scottish Government is working with Skills Development Scotland and other partners to improve the quality and use of data on 16 to 19-year-olds in order to support the delivery of Opportunities for All.

Kezia Dugdale (Lothian) (Scottish Labour): To ask the Scottish Government how much it will provide to support local authorities in delivering activity agreements in each of the next three years. (S4W-08614) Angela Constance: We are investing £10.5 million in the next three years to support local partnerships to deliver activity agreements. Broken down as follows: 2012-13 - £4 million, 2013-14 - £3.5 million and 2014-15 - £3 million. A dedicated National Development Manager is providing additional support directly to partnerships.

Joan McAlpine (South Scotland) (): To ask the Scottish Government how many modern apprenticeships were created in the (a) Annandale East and Eskdale, (b) , (c) , (d) , (e) and (f) Mid and Upper Nithsdale ward in (i) 2011-12 and (ii) 2006. (S4W-08657) Angela Constance: Skills Development Scotland (SDS), who have operational responsibility for national training programmes including modern apprenticeships (MAs), do not gather statistical information broken down as far as council ward level. MA start numbers in Local Authority area in 2006-07 and 2011-12 are provided in response to your question S4W-08661 on 7 August 2012. 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.

Joan McAlpine (South Scotland) (Scottish National Party): To ask the Scottish Government how much money was spent on modern apprenticeships in the (a) Annandale East and Eskdale, (b) Annandale North, (c) Annandale South, (d) Nith, (e) Lochar and (f) Mid and Upper Nithsdale ward in (i) 2011-12 and (ii) 2006. (S4W-08659) Angela Constance: The Scottish Government does not hold this level of detailed information centrally. I will ask the Chief Executive of Skills Development Scotland to respond to you with this information.

Joan McAlpine (South Scotland) (Scottish National Party): To ask the Scottish Government how many modern apprenticeships were created in Dumfries and Galloway in (a) 2011-12 and (b) 2006. (S4W-08661) Angela Constance: Please see below the figures for modern apprenticeship (MA) starts in Dumfries and Galloway in 2006-07 and 2011-12: MA starts, Dumfries and Galloway 2006-07 2011-12 415 960

Joan McAlpine (South Scotland) (Scottish National Party): To ask the Scottish Government how much money was spent on modern apprenticeships in Dumfries and Galloway in (a) 2011-12 and (b) 2006. (S4W-08663) Angela Constance: The Scottish Government does not hold this information centrally. I will ask the Chief Executive of Skills Development Scotland to respond to you with this information.

Joan McAlpine (South Scotland) (Scottish National Party): To ask the Scottish Government in what sectors modern apprenticeships were created in Dumfriesshire in 2011-12. (S4W-08665) Angela Constance: The Scottish Government does not hold this level of detailed information centrally. I will ask the Chief Executive of Skills Development Scotland to respond to you with this information.

Kezia Dugdale (Lothian) (Scottish Labour): To ask the Scottish Government what criteria it used in choosing local authorities for its pilot scheme to support graduate recruitment and business growth. (S4W-08715) Angela Constance: The Scottish Chambers of Commerce put forward a proposal for a pilot scheme to support graduate recruitment and business growth. The Scottish Chambers of Commerce considered areas with high rates of unemployed young people aged 18 to 24 and areas in which they are well placed to immediately support delivery of the pilot.

Kezia Dugdale (Lothian) (Scottish Labour): To ask the Scottish Government how many 16 to 18- year-olds have been unemployed for over a year and not in full-time education, broken down by geographical area. (S4W-08716) Angela Constance: The Annual Population Survey (APS) is the preferred source of detailed data on young unemployed people. The latest APS data available is for April 2011 to March 2012. This data shows that there were 4,500 people aged 16 to 18 who were not in full-time education and had been unemployed for over year. It is not possible to provide data broken down by local authority area due to the underlying sample sizes.

Kezia Dugdale (Lothian) (Scottish Labour): To ask the Scottish Government when each local authority and Skills Development Scotland will have completed youth employment actions plans and whether these will be made public. (S4W-08717) Angela Constance: In support of Opportunities for All, we anticipate that Youth Employment Action Plans for all local authority areas to be in place by the end of the autumn. For most areas this will be a first version and plans will be updated on a regular basis. The documents will be available on request, subject to local authority agreement. However, the contents will change on a regular basis in light of progress and local priority.

Kezia Dugdale (Lothian) (Scottish Labour): To ask the Scottish Government what youth unemployment action forums it has planned. (S4W-08719) Angela Constance: An action forum on youth employment is being planned in Erskine (for Renfrewshire, Inverclyde and West Dunbartonshire) in August 2012, with a wider rural skills and youth employment action forum taking place in Oban in September 2012. Further events will take place later in the year in Ayrshire, Tayside and Forth Valley.

Kezia Dugdale (Lothian) (Scottish Labour): To ask the Scottish Government who will be invited to the youth unemployment action forum in (a) Oban and (b) Dumfries. (S4W-08720) Angela Constance: An action forum on youth employment was held in Dumfries on 21 June. Those invited included local employers, young people, training providers, politicians and representatives of public, private and third sector organisations. Invitations to the event in Oban, being planned for September, will cover a similar list.

Kezia Dugdale (Lothian) (Scottish Labour): To ask the Scottish Government how many jobs in the energy industry will be created for young people as part of the establishment of the Nigg Skills Academy. (S4W-08721) Angela Constance: The Nigg Skills Academy has been developed to provide access to training which will equip individuals with the skills to participate in the opportunities that will flow from current and future investment in Nigg and in the wider energy industry. In 2012-13 the Nigg Skills Academy has been contracted to deliver 270 modern apprenticeship starts. 140 of the contracted places are for 16 to 24-year-olds.

Kezia Dugdale (Lothian) (Scottish Labour): To ask the Scottish Government how it will support the development of work-focused skills among young people. (S4W-08726) Angela Constance: Through our reform of post-16 education we will ensure that the whole system is focussed on improving the life chances of learners and on meeting the needs of employers and Scotland’s economy. Through the delivery of modern apprenticeships, work experience opportunities and student placements in both public and private sectors, we will offer young people the opportunity to learn a variety of important work-focussed skills. More specifically, we will work with sector bodies such as the Digital Participation Action Group to support the development of work-focussed digital skills among our young people.

Kezia Dugdale (Lothian) (Scottish Labour): To ask the Scottish Government how it will incentivise employers to support up to 1,000 young people facing the greatest disadvantages, as noted in Action for Jobs - Supporting Young Scots into Work. (S4W-08733) Angela Constance: In December 2011, the Scottish Government announced it would support 1,000 of the most disadvantaged young people including; care leavers, ex-young offenders and young carers, to enter the labour market over the next three years. An Employer Recruitment Incentive of £1,500 is available this year to support employers who have employed a disadvantaged young person. The incentive will be subject to continuous evaluation and improvement measures throughout the three years that this incentive is available.

Kezia Dugdale (Lothian) (Scottish Labour): To ask the Scottish Government how many activity agreements each local authority will provide in the next three years. (S4W-08737) Angela Constance: Activity agreements are offered on the basis of an assessment of a young person’s needs. Local partnerships engage with all young people to ensure they continue to participate in learning upon leaving school. This includes considering whether activity agreements would be the correct option for them. Therefore, specific targets on the number delivered in each area are not set in advance.

Kezia Dugdale (Lothian) (Scottish Labour): To ask the Scottish Government whether refocusing college places on younger workers will have a negative impact on the opportunities for older workers with low skills to go back into education. (S4W-08738) Angela Constance: I refer the member to the answer to question S4W-06058, on 19 March 2012. 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.

Kezia Dugdale (Lothian) (Scottish Labour): To ask the Scottish Government what incentives it will offer to employers to take on 16 to 24-year-olds from disadvantaged groups. (S4W-08740) Angela Constance: In December 2011, the Scottish Government announced it would support 1,000 of the most disadvantaged young people including; care leavers, ex-young offenders and young carers, to enter the labour market over the next three years. An Employer Recruitment Incentive of £1,500 is available this year to support employers who have employed a disadvantaged young person. The incentive will be subject to continuous evaluation and improvement measures throughout the three years that this incentive is available.

Kezia Dugdale (Lothian) (Scottish Labour): To ask the Scottish Government what support it will offer to employers to take on 16 to 24-year-olds from disadvantaged groups. (S4W-08741) Angela Constance: In December 2011, the Scottish Government announced it would support 1,000 of the most disadvantaged young people including; care leavers, ex-young offenders and young carers, to enter the labour market over the next three years. An Employer Recruitment Incentive of £1,500 is available for the year 2012-13 to support employers who have employed a disadvantaged young person. In addition, each young person will receive additional employability support such as mentoring, job coaching, and personal organisation. This list is not exhaustive and support should and will be tailored to the young person’s needs.

Kezia Dugdale (Lothian) (Scottish Labour): To ask the Scottish Government which modern apprenticeship frameworks have contribution rates. (S4W-08742) Angela Constance: Please find attached the link to the section on the Skills Development Scotland website that details the public sector contribution rates across modern apprenticeship frameworks by age. http://www.providercentral.org.uk/OurServices/NationalTrainingProgrammes/Modern_Apprenticeships. aspx.

Kezia Dugdale (Lothian) (Scottish Labour): To ask the Scottish Government when it will explore the potential for an outcome-focused national employability fund. (S4W-08743) Angela Constance: The Scottish Government is currently exploring the potential for an outcome- focused national employability fund. Initial consultation with stakeholders was undertaken in Putting Learners at the Centre and as part of the Employability Framework refresh currently being prepared for publication later this year.

Kezia Dugdale (Lothian) (Scottish Labour): To ask the Scottish Government how many graduates will be given jobs as a result of its scheme to support graduate recruitment and business growth. (S4W-08747) Angela Constance: It is the aim of the pilot programme being run in 2012-13 by the Scottish Chambers of Commerce to support 100 graduates into employment.

Kezia Dugdale (Lothian) (Scottish Labour): To ask the Scottish Government when Skills Development Scotland and the SQA will introduce the certificate for work readiness. (S4W-08749) Angela Constance: The certificate for work readiness is currently being piloted by Skills Development Scotland across five areas in Scotland (North Lanarkshire, Borders, Highlands, Fife and Glasgow). Taking the learning from these pilots, Skills Development Scotland plan to move towards full roll-out from January 2013.

Kezia Dugdale (Lothian) (Scottish Labour): To ask the Scottish Government what minimum number of hours of work experience will be required to qualify for a certificate for work readiness. (S4W-08750) Angela Constance: The minimum number of hours of work experience required to qualify for a certificate for work readiness will be 192 hours.

Kezia Dugdale (Lothian) (Scottish Labour): To ask the Scottish Government what consultations it has planned with businesses and other employers in order to produce the certificate for work readiness. (S4W-08751) Angela Constance: Skills Development Scotland has spoken to a range of employers and employer-facing groups through the process of developing the certificate of work readiness. Skills Development Scotland is also in the process of establishing an external stakeholder group, which will have employers involved to steer the development of the certificate as it is rolled out.

Kezia Dugdale (Lothian) (Scottish Labour): To ask the Scottish Government, in producing guidelines on work experience, whether it will consider defining (a) work experience, (b) internship, (c) work and (d) when an employee should be paid. (S4W-08752) Angela Constance: The Scottish Government recognises the important role work experience can play in supporting young people toward and into work. As we note in Action for Jobs – Supporting Young Scots into Work: Scotland’s Youth Employment Strategy, we will investigate existing guidance on work experience with relevant organisations and identify whether there is a need for further resources to be developed.

Kezia Dugdale (Lothian) (Scottish Labour): To ask the Scottish Government whether, in developing its youth employment strategy, it consulted the Department for Work and Pensions on the subject of the Youth Contract. (S4W-08753) Angela Constance: Yes. DWP officials in Scotland discussed and commented on the draft Strategy. This included discussions on the Youth Contract.

Kezia Dugdale (Lothian) (Scottish Labour): To ask the Scottish Government how it will increase the proportion of under-25-year-olds in its workforce and those of its agencies. (S4W-08756) Angela Constance: As part of the all Government, all Scotland approach to tackling youth employment, all Scottish Government Directorates will consider how best they can support the Scottish Government’s commitment to helping young people into employment on an ongoing basis. The Scottish Government will remain in dialogue with its agencies about development of their youth employment plans.

Kezia Dugdale (Lothian) (Scottish Labour): To ask the Scottish Government how much of his budget the Cabinet Secretary for Education and Lifelong Learning will direct toward tackling youth unemployment in 2012-13. (S4W-08757) Kezia Dugdale (Lothian) (Scottish Labour): To ask the Scottish Government how much of her budget the Cabinet Secretary for Culture and External Affairs will direct toward tackling youth unemployment in 2012-13. (S4W-08758) Kezia Dugdale (Lothian) (Scottish Labour): To ask the Scottish Government how much of his budget the Cabinet Secretary for Finance, Employment and Sustainable Growth will direct toward tackling youth unemployment in 2012-13. (S4W-08760) Kezia Dugdale (Lothian) (Scottish Labour): To ask the Scottish Government how much of his budget the Cabinet Secretary for Parliamentary Business and Government Strategy will direct toward tackling youth unemployment in 2012-13. (S4W-08761) Kezia Dugdale (Lothian) (Scottish Labour): To ask the Scottish Government how much of his budget the Cabinet Secretary for Justice will direct toward tackling youth unemployment in 2012-13. (S4W-08762) Kezia Dugdale (Lothian) (Scottish Labour): To ask the Scottish Government how much of his budget the Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs and the Environment will direct toward tackling youth unemployment in 2012-13. (S4W-08763) Kezia Dugdale (Lothian) (Scottish Labour): To ask the Scottish Government how much of his budget the Cabinet Secretary for Infrastructure and Capital Investment will direct toward tackling youth unemployment in 2012-13. (S4W-08764) Angela Constance: As part of the all Government, all Scotland approach to tackling youth employment, all Cabinet Secretaries will consider how best they can each support Scottish Government objectives of helping young people into employment within their areas of responsibility on an ongoing basis.

Kezia Dugdale (Lothian) (Scottish Labour): To ask the Scottish Government when it will announce on which projects the remaining £11 million for youth employment for 2013-14 and 2014-15 will be spent. (S4W-08765) Angela Constance: The £18 million available in 2012-13 now fully committed, and I am currently consulting on the best use of the remainder of the £30 million available over 2013-15, taking account of the impacts of this year’s investment. I continue to take every available opportunity to widen the discussion beyond this additional funding and to consider how our investment across learning, economic development and local government can be aligned with the youth employment agenda.

Kezia Dugdale (Lothian) (Scottish Labour): To ask the Scottish Government how it will target modern apprenticeships (MA) at 16 to 19-year-olds. (S4W-08768) Angela Constance: We recognise a need to prioritise resources within the MA area. Given the continuing challenges within the labour market for young people, we have asked Skills Development Scotland (SDS) to maximise the number of 16 to 24-year-olds moving into employed apprenticeships. We expect SDS to continue to ensure the availability of a significant number of MA opportunities for young people aged 16 to 19, given that supporting post school transitions into the labour market is a priority.

Kezia Dugdale (Lothian) (Scottish Labour): To ask the Scottish Government what support it will offer people in full-time education who (a) are unemployed and (b) have given up looking for work. (S4W-08774) Angela Constance: The Scottish Government invests £2 billion a year in grant funding to improve the future employment prospects of those participating in further and higher education. Whether in school, college or university, individuals can gain access to careers advice and support through Skills Development Scotland. Educational institutions also routinely encourage students to make full use of their own local careers facilities, with a view to aiding employment.

Kezia Dugdale (Lothian) (Scottish Labour): To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to publish the equality impact assessment for its youth employment strategy. (S4W-08776) Angela Constance: The Scottish Government is in discussions with a number of equalities organisations and once these are finalised we shall publish the equalities impact assessment.

Kezia Dugdale (Lothian) (Scottish Labour): To ask the Scottish Government when it will hold the national youth employment event referred to in its youth employment strategy. (S4W-08777) Angela Constance: Officials are consulting with appropriate stakeholders to identify a suitable date for this event, likely to be in late October.

Kezia Dugdale (Lothian) (Scottish Labour): To ask the Scottish Government what youth organisations and other stakeholders will be invited to the national youth employment event referred to in its youth employment strategy. (S4W-08778) Angela Constance: We will seek to invite a wide range of appropriate stakeholders.

Kezia Dugdale (Lothian) (Scottish Labour): To ask the Scottish Government how it will focus its training places and modern apprenticeships on young people aged 16 to 19. (S4W-08779) Angela Constance: Given the continuing challenges within the labour market for young people, it is important that we continue to maximise the number of 16 to 24-year-olds moving into employed apprenticeships. All approved modern apprenticeship frameworks in Scotland are funded for this group, with higher contribution rates for apprentices aged 16 to 19. Skills Development Scotland will continue to prioritise the majority of modern apprenticeship places to the 16 to 19-year-old cohort, get Ready for Work places to 16 to 18-year-olds, and Training for Work places to those aged 18 and above.

Christina McKelvie (Hamilton, Larkhall and Stonehouse) (Scottish National Party): To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to promote the Youth Jobs Fund in South Lanarkshire and similar local wage subsidy programmes to unemployed young people. (S4W-08810) Angela Constance: The Scottish Government is supportive of all local authority schemes which assist young people in Scotland. This year South Lanarkshire will benefit from additional Opportunities for All funding. This £1.457 million investment will provide further youth employment and training opportunities for 16 to 24-year- olds. South Lanarkshire have decided to invest a significant proportion of this funding to add capacity to their Youth Jobs Fund, allowing an extra 150 young people to participate in the programme.

Christina McKelvie (Hamilton, Larkhall and Stonehouse) (Scottish National Party): To ask the Scottish Government whether there are plans to roll out Project Search across the country. (S4W-08811) Angela Constance: Project Search is currently being developed in nine sites across eight local authority areas in Scotland. It is for partners in local authority areas to decide if they wish to adopt the Project Search model.

Tavish Scott (Shetland Islands) (Scottish Liberal Democrats): To ask the Scottish Government what guidance it has issued to local authorities on school reform since the Commission on the Delivery of Rural Education was established. (S4W-08825) Michael Russell: The Commission on the Delivery of Rural Education was established on 7 July 2011. Since that date the Scottish Government has issued no formal guidance to local authorities on school reform.

Transport Scotland Margaret McCulloch (Central Scotland) (Scottish Labour): To ask the Scottish Government whether the electrification of the East Kilbride line will be (a) initiated and (b) completed in Control Period 5. (S4W-08636) Alex Neil: Electrification of the strategic rail network is to be delivered in phases starting with Edinburgh Glasgow Improvement Programme (EGIP). East Kilbride was identified in the Strategic Transport Projects Review as a line which may be included in later phases of electrification. Our High Level Output Specification for control period 5 (2014-19) asks Network Rail to plan for the electrification of 100 single track kilometres per annum commencing from the completion of EGIP. This will include proposals for delivery beyond control period 5 and the electrification of East Kilbride will be considered in that programme.

Margaret McCulloch (Central Scotland) (Scottish Labour): To ask the Scottish Government whether the proposed electrification of the East Kilbride line will include the dualling of track between East Kilbride and Busby. (S4W-08637) Alex Neil: There are no plans to double the track between Busby and East Kilbride. However, Busby Junction is planned to be redoubled in 2013.

Margaret McCulloch (Central Scotland) (Scottish Labour): To ask the Scottish Government what reductions in journey times between Glasgow and East Kilbride would be achieved through electrification. (S4W-08638) Alex Neil: Journey time improvements of up to 10 minutes would be anticipated were the line to be electrified.

Margaret McCulloch (Central Scotland) (Scottish Labour): To ask the Scottish Government what progress it is making toward electrification of the Glasgow suburban railway network. (S4W-08639) Alex Neil: A large proportion of the suburban network is already electrified covering routes between Glasgow and Ayrshire, Glasgow and Edinburgh via Airdrie/Bathgate and via Carstairs, North and South Clyde, parts of Strathclyde South, parts of Lanarkshire and the West Coast Main Line south from Glasgow. On 11 July 2012, Network Rail and ScotRail confirmed a £12 million joint investment to electrify the 8 km stretch of line between Glasgow Central and Paisley Canal by December 2012. The first phase of the Edinburgh Glasgow Improvement Programme (EGIP) will include approximately 160 single track km of electrification across the Edinburgh - Glasgow via Falkirk High and the Cumbernauld lines, part of which are on the Glasgow suburban railway network. Our High Level Output Specification for control period 5 (2014-19) asks Network Rail to plan for the electrification of 100 single track kilometres per annum commencing from the completion of EGIP.

The following questions received holding answers: S4W-08615 S4W-08640 S4W-08641 S4W-08642