A report provided an analysis of the public finances in Scotland, estimating expenditure, revenue, and net borrowing. Special attention was given to 2004-05, the latest fiscal year for which outturns of expenditure and revenue were available for Scotland. In 2004-05, total expenditure for Scotland was estimated at £47.7 billion, or 9.7 per cent of the United Kingdom total.
Source: Government Expenditure & Revenue in Scotland 2004-2005, Scottish Executive, available from Blackwell's Bookshop (0131 622 8283)
Links: Report | SE press release | BBC report
Date: 2006-Dec
The Scottish Executive published a progress report on its policies to stimulate economic growth; improve and sustain the environment; tackle poverty and disadvantage; and improve community safety. It said that it had delivered on the 'overwhelming majority' of these commitments.
Source: A Partnership for a Better Scotland: Delivering our Commitments, Scottish Executive (web publication only)
Links: Report
Date: 2006-Dec
An audit report examined the work carried out by the Scottish Executive in the first year (2005-06) of a three-year programme to reduce waste, bureaucracy, and duplication in the public sector. There was a need for improvements in the way potential efficiencies were being set up and measured - until this happened it would not be possible to validate reported savings or ensure that efficiency gains were not being achieved at the expense of public service quality.
Source: The Efficient Government Initiative: A progress report, Audit Scotland for Accounts Commission and Auditor General (0131 477 1234)
Links: Report | Audit Scotland press release | SE press release | BBC report
Date: 2006-Dec
A report examined the link between Scottish economic performance and post-devolution growth in public spending. It said that funding increases had been associated with low public sector productivity in recent years, which strongly suggested an adverse impact on overall economic growth. It also highlighted concerns about the sustainability of high levels of public sector funding.
Source: Richard Marsh and Fabian Zuleeg, The Scottish Public Sector: Does Size Matter?, David Hume Institute (0131 667 9609)
Links: Report
Date: 2006-Sep
The Scottish Executive published a draft budget for 2007-08, outlining its spending plans for the year.
Source: Draft Budget 2007-08, Scottish Executive, available from Blackwell's Bookshop (0131 622 8283)
Links: Report
Date: 2006-Sep
A report examined progress by the Scottish Executive against targets set out in the 2002 Spending Review. A total of 135 of the 162 targets - or 83 per cent - had either been met or were on course to be met. Achievements included reforms to the criminal justice system; steps to improve health, particularly implementation of the smoking ban; and improved educational attainment.
Source: Draft Budget 2007-08: Final Report on Spending Review 2002 Targets, Scottish Executive, available from Blackwell's Bookshop (0131 622 8283)
Links: Report | SE press release
Date: 2006-Sep
The sex equality watchdog in Scotland said that little or no progress had been made since 2004 in tackling sex segregation in apprenticeships.
Source: Occupational Segregation in Scotland: Progress report, Equal Opportunities Commission Scotland (0845 601 5904)
Links: Report | EOC press release
Date: 2006-Aug
An article examined whether the social policy focus of the devolved government in Scotland had resulted in an effective integration of employment and poverty-reduction policies.
Source: Gill Scott, 'Active labour market policy and the reduction of poverty in the "new" Scotland', Critical Social Policy, Volume 26 Issue 3
Links: Abstract
Date: 2006-Aug
A report presented an analysis of statistics on the labour market, education, and training in Scotland in 2005. It highlighted differences between local authority areas, deprived areas and others, and urban and rural areas.
Source: Annual Population Survey in Scotland 2005, Scottish Executive (web publication only)
Links: Report
Date: 2006-Jun
The Scottish Executive published an action plan to improve support for those facing barriers to employment. It included locally agreed targets for reducing the number of people dependent on work-related benefits in seven priority areas with the highest number of workless people.
Source: Workforce Plus: An employability framework for Scotland, Scottish Executive, available from Blackwell's Bookshop (0131 622 8283)
Links: Action plan | SE press release | SAMH press release
Date: 2006-Jun
The sex equality watchdog in Scotland said that the skills and talent of minority ethnic women were going to waste in Scotland s labour market.
Source: Moving on Up? Visible minority ethnic women at work, Equal Opportunities Commission Scotland (0845 601 5904)
Links: Report | EOC press release
Date: 2006-Jun
The Scottish Executive announced an independent review (led by Professor Lorne Crerar) which would look at how improvements could be made in inspection, regulation, audit, and complaints handling for public services in Scotland.
Source: Press release 7 June 2006, Scottish Executive (0131 556 8400)
Links: SE press release
Date: 2006-Jun
The Scottish Executive began consultation on proposals to improve public services in Scotland. Public services needed to be more responsive and effective, and faced a number of long-term challenges.
Source: Transforming Public Services: The next phase of reform, Scottish Executive, available from Blackwell's Bookshop (0131 622 8283)
Links: Consultation document | Summary | SE press release
Date: 2006-Jun
The Scottish Executive began consultation on proposals for taking forward shared services across the public sector in Scotland, such as shared business support functions and common business processes. It said that shared services could not only release significant efficiency savings for investment in front line services, but also drive up service quality and consistency.
Source: A Shared Approach to Building a Better Scotland, Scottish Executive, available from Blackwell's Bookshop (0131 622 8283)
Links: Consultation document | SE press release
Date: 2006-May
A report by a committee of MSPs said that the opportunity offered by devolution to improve public sector leadership had not been acted on effectively by the Scottish Executive.
Source: Supporting New Initiatives and Leadership Development, 1st Report 2006, SP Paper 562, Scottish Parliament Audit Committee, available from Blackwell's Bookshop (0131 622 8283)
Links: Report | SP press release
Date: 2006-May
A report examined a workplace learning scheme in Scotland. It said that the benefits arose from the unique position of unions in accessing and engaging ?hard to reach? learners in the context of a high-trust relationship with members.
Source: Patricia Findlay, Robert Stewart, Eli Dutton and Chris Warhurst, Evaluation of the Scottish Union Learning Fund (SULF) (2000-2005), Scottish Executive (web publication only)
Date: 2006-May
A report examined what the evidence showed about how effective Scotland?s public sector had been in deploying the record levels of spending it had received since devolution. It said that there was a need to examine ways of funding and improving public services.
Source: Jo Armstrong, Raising the Return: Scotland's public assets, Scottish Council Foundation (0131 225 4709)
Date: 2006-May
A report analyzed the findings of the Scottish Executive s consultation exercise on arrangements to secure best value in public services. Respondents were largely content with the existing formulation of the duty of best value.
Source: R. Loveridge, Best Value in Public Services: Analysis of responses to the consultation on arrangements to secure best value in public services September-December 2005, Scottish Executive (web publication only)
Links: Report
Date: 2006-Mar
A report made recommendations aimed at improving public procurement in Scotland.
Source: John McClelland, Review of Public Procurement in Scotland, Scottish Executive, available from Blackwell's Bookshop (0131 622 8283)
Links: Report | SE press release
Date: 2006-Mar
A report examined employability initiatives that had been funded in disadvantaged communities in Scotland through the Better Neighbourhood Services Fund. Even though the 5 pathfinders (out of 12) with employability themes had not all reached the end of their initial BNSF allocation, positive impacts were already evident.
Source: Liz Shiel, Ian Clark and Francesca Richards, Employability Initiatives in the Better Neighbourhood Services Fund, Scottish Executive (web publication only)
Links: Report
Date: 2006-Feb
A report by a committee of MPs said that more needed to be done in Scotland by the United Kingdom government to publicize both the rates of the national minimum wage and the penalties that existed for non-compliance.
Source: Enforcement of the National Minimum Wage in Scotland, Sixth Report (Session 2008-09), HC 380, House of Commons Scottish Affairs Select Committee, TSO (0870 600 5522)
Links: Report | SNP press release
Date: 2006-Jan