A report summarized fair employment practice in the Scottish Executive, guidance issued by the Executive on fair employment practice, and examples of fair employment practice in non-departmental public bodies.
Source: Scottish Executive and STUC Memorandum of Understanding: Paper on Fair Employment Practice and Effective Trade Unionism, Scottish Executive, available from Blackwell's Bookshop (0131 622 8283)
Links: Report
Date: 2004-Dec
Estimates of the amount of public money spent in Scotland compared to the amount raised were published. In 2002-03, the total expenditure for Scotland was estimated at 40.9 billion (9.8 per cent of the United Kingdom total). Total receipts in Scotland, excluding North Sea oil revenues, were estimated at 31.6 billion (8.1 per cent of total UK receipts).
Source: Government Expenditure and Revenue in Scotland 2002-2003, Scottish Executive, available from Blackwell's Bookshop (0131 622 8283)
Links: Report | SE press release
Date: 2004-Dec
A report set out in detail how efficiency savings would be achieved by the Scottish Executive - at national and local level - to ensure taxpayers' money was used more productively. It said the plans would deliver at least 745 million a year by 2007-08, compared to previous estimates of 500 million.
Source: Building a Better Scotland, Scottish Executive (0131 556 8400)
Links: Report (pdf) | SE press release
Date: 2004-Nov
A report examined trends in Scottish Executive/Scottish Office expenditure between 1996-97 and 2005-06.
Source: The Scottish Executive's Expenditure: Comparative trends 1996-97 - 2005-06, Scottish Executive (0131 556 8400)
Links: Report
Date: 2004-Oct
A framework set out a revised version of the strategy followed by the Scottish Executive for raising the quality of life of the Scottish people through increasing economic opportunities for all, on a socially and environmentally sustainable basis.
Source: Framework for Economic Development in Scotland, Scottish Executive, TSO (0870 606 5566)
Links: Report | Background paper | SE press release
Date: 2004-Sep
The Scottish Executive presented its spending plans for the three years 2005-06, 2006-07 and 2007-08 to the Scottish Parliament. Investment in capital infrastructure would increase by almost 40 per cent, to more than 3 billion; there would be a 30 per cent increase in spending in further and higher education by 2007-08; the transport budget would increase by an average of 14 per cent per annum; and there would be increased health spending of 8.5 per cent per annum. But local government leaders described the budget as 'very disappointing'.
Source: Building a Better Scotland: Spending proposals 2005-2008 - Enterprise, opportunity, fairness, Scottish Executive, available from Blackwell's (0131 622 8283) | Press release 30 September 2004, Convention of Scottish Local Authorities (0131 474 9200)
Links: Report (pdf) | Report | SE press release | COSLA press release
Date: 2004-Sep
The United Kingdom 2004 Spending Review provided for public spending in Scotland to grow by an average annual rate of 3.5 per cent in real terms over three years. In 2007-08, spending would be 4.2 billion higher than in 2004-05.
Source: Stability, Security and Opportunity for All: Investing for Britain s long-term future - 2004 Spending Review/New public spending plans 2005-2008, Cm 6237, HM Treasury, TSO (0870 600 5522)
Links: Spending Review report (pdf links) | HMT press release | SE press release
Date: 2004-Jul
A paper examined the future development of a skills-based society in Scotland. It said that families were at least as important as, if not more important than, schools in producing human capital.
Source: James Heckman and Dimitriy Masterov, Skill Policies for Scotland, Fraser of Allander Institute/University of Strathclyde (0141 548 3958)
Links: Report (pdf)
Date: 2004-May
A report on modern apprenticeships in Scotland recommended changes to the contracting arrangements with training providers, improved recruitment and induction procedures, and better engagement with employers.
Source: Jim Gallacher, Susan Whittaker, Beth Crossan and Vince Mills, Modern Apprenticeships: Improving completion rates, Scottish Executive, TSO (0870 606 5566)
Links: Report | Findings | SE press release
Date: 2004-Mar
A report identified the extent of partnership working in Scotland between government, employers, trade unions and the voluntary sector, across different policy areas and sectors.
Source: Partnership Working Research Report, Scottish Executive (0131 556 8400)
Links: Report
Date: 2004-Mar
A report described the Scottish Executive's progress against its performance targets, set out in the Draft Budget for 2004-05.Of the 162 targets, the report showed that 13 had been met, 133 were on track to be met, data was not available for 2, and progress was behind schedule in 14.
Source: Annual Evaluation Report: 2005-06, Scottish Executive, TSO (0870 606 5566)
Links: Report
Date: 2004-Mar
A report examined the ways in which public services in Scotland contributed to the growth of living standards; the performance of public services; and how the performance of public services could be improved without continuously increasing the share of public expenditure in gross domestic product. It also highlighted the problem of measuring the benefits from public services.
Source: Nicholas Crafts, High Quality Public Services for Scotland, Fraser of Allander Institute/University of Strathclyde (0141 548 3958)
Links: Report (pdf)
Date: 2004-Mar
Researchers examined the link between the devolution of power and the effectiveness of economic policy development across the four countries of the United Kingdom. They produced a database of institutional strategies and best practice statements for policymakers.
Source: Mark Goodwin, Martin Jones and Rhys Jones, Constitutional Change and Economic Governance: Territories and institutions, Economic and Social Research Council (01793 413000)
Links: Report (pdf) | Summary (pdf)
Date: 2004-Feb
A research report looked at how older people were involved in the planning, delivery, monitoring and evaluation of public services throughout Scotland, and the future involvement of older people in community planning.
Source: Belinda Dewar, Chris Jones and Fiona O May, Involving Older People: Lessons for community planning, Scottish Executive (web publication only)
Date: 2004-Feb