Committee
Enterprise and Culture Committee, 28 Jun 2005
28 Jun 2005 · S2 · Enterprise and Culture Committee
Item of business
Business Growth Inquiry
Iain Duff:
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It is right to say that the Scottish Council for Development and Industry has never been against just third-party rights of appeal, although we do not think that they are helpful. The parallel Executive consultation on modernising the system is equally important. To summarise, we took planning advice from experts and concluded that the system as it stands is a barrier to development. Without any changes in legislation, the system has turned itself—almost while nobody was looking—into a barrier to development rather than a supporter of sustainable economic development.As Alan Wilson said, we must first ensure that local structure plans are up to date and that they are relevant to the economies and areas that they are designed to help to structure. We must also ensure that local debates and other debates are up front early in the process so that all the ins and outs of matters, such as who objects to what, are taken into account. Developments must be viewed as being good for the economy and must not damage the local environment. All the competing views should be considered early so that they can be thrashed out. People can then move forward with the best consensus that can be achieved to develop local plans that are—I hope—based on a national plan. The Executive and others should form such a plan using top-down and bottom-up approaches that meet in the middle so that there is a proper structure and hierarchy of plans that allow as much consensus as possible in every area. Most people should be able to agree with the plans and should understand why decisions have been taken on the issues that have been thrashed out.There should be transparency and early discussions and we should ensure that the resultant plans are kept up to date. The process will be on-going. In some instances, structure plans are several decades out of date and have no relevance to the local economies, so resources must be made available to keep them up to date and to ensure that everybody is aware of what they are trying to achieve.
In the same item of business
The Convener:
SNP
We will take evidence from three panels of witnesses. Our first witnesses are Alan Wilson, the chief executive of the Scottish Council for Development and In...
Alan Wilson (Scottish Council for Development and Industry):
Thank you for the invitation to the committee. I apologise for producing a written submission that is 21 pages long—I did not notice until afterwards that it...
Christine May:
Lab
I have several questions so I will try to confine myself to asking some of them and hope that other committee members ask the rest. I am particularly interes...
Alan Wilson:
It should be borne in mind that there was a business poundage rate freeze in 2003. We estimate that that cost about £35 million. At that time, we asked for a...
Christine May:
Lab
Thank you. I thought that you might say that, so my next question puts the point back to you. If, for example, that money was to come from the current budget...
Alan Wilson:
That is a leading question.
Christine May:
Lab
Yes.
Alan Wilson:
Should I say that we should suddenly slice £100 million off Scottish Enterprise's budget? Jillian Moffat is behind me and she is already kicking me. I would ...
Christine May:
Lab
Thank you. I will leave that one sticking to the wall. However, the money would have to come from somewhere and you have suggested that it should be from som...
Iain Duff (Scottish Council for Development and Industry):
The issues that have been raised with us most recently seem to be in the environmental sphere, such as water regulation. Our members have recently talked to ...
Alan Wilson:
If I may, I will add a little to that. The member asked about specific industries. We have had dialogue with the whisky sector, which is particularly concern...
Christine May:
Lab
Thank you. I have a comment and a quick question, which I hope will lead to a quick answer. My comment is that you will shortly receive a call for evidence f...
Iain Duff:
The model could be extended to other areas. From the young engineers' point of view, SCDI has been driving the model through for many years—since the 1980s. ...
Christine May:
Lab
Thank you. Perhaps the SCDI could write to us with evidence on the progression of young people from young engineer clubs into engineering disciplines. It wou...
The Convener:
SNP
That would be helpful.
Murdo Fraser (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con):
Con
I have an observation to make on business rates before I launch into my questioning. Our new Minister for Enterprise and Lifelong Learning is on record as sa...
Alan Wilson:
The point that we are making is that there are an awful lot of schemes and initiatives that keep an awful lot of people busy in implementing and administerin...
Iain Duff:
The anecdotal evidence from companies is mixed. Some of them get an incredibly good service from particular initiatives; but others, as we say in our submiss...
Murdo Fraser:
Con
What is your view on the effectiveness of the business gateway, as opposed to Scottish Enterprise as a whole? For many small and medium-sized companies, the ...
Iain Duff:
We do not deal with it every day of the week, but reports suggest that the gateway is useful. Alan Wilson spoke about streamlining and a one-stop shop is the...
Murdo Fraser:
Con
I want to ask Alan Wilson one final question. A moment ago, you seemed to suggest that you were in favour of slimming down the LECs and centralising things a...
Alan Wilson:
I was referring only to administration—just the back-up services. What we require is more work at the coalface.
Murdo Fraser:
Con
Are you generally happy with the structure of Scottish Enterprise and with the devolving of responsibilities to local areas?
Alan Wilson:
In recent times, Scottish Enterprise has gone in the right direction in the devolving of responsibilities. I am not sure that I would like to go further than...
Susan Deacon (Edinburgh East and Musselburgh) (Lab):
Lab
I would like to ask three questions. The first is broadly on education. I would like you to address a couple of points that were not really addressed in your...
Alan Wilson:
The determined to succeed initiative has an £86 million budget over three years or perhaps longer. Teachers and practitioners to whom I have spoken say that ...
Iain Duff:
Well, I am involved in the business school at the University of Strathclyde. Business schools should have an increasing role in training Scottish managers. T...
Susan Deacon:
Lab
That is helpful.I have two more questions on potentially big subjects, so I am simply looking for an indication of your thoughts. My first question is on pla...
Alan Wilson:
I will comment first—Iain Duff can then comment and elaborate on what I have said. We are looking for more automaticity in the system. I have been told that ...
Iain Duff:
It is right to say that the Scottish Council for Development and Industry has never been against just third-party rights of appeal, although we do not think ...