Reading Time: 3 minutes In recent years, the Scottish Government has received substantial sums from the UK Government known as ‘Financial Transactions’ (FTs). To date, the Scottish Government has
Budget 2018-19 – final allocations to local authorities
Reading Time: 4 minutes At the beginning of February I shared an update to the local government finance settlement at Stage 1 of the Budget Bill 2018-19. The figures
Scottish Lobbying Register goes live on Monday 12 March
Reading Time: 3 minutes Lobbying has a long and controversial history. For some, lobbying is synonymous with corruption, impropriety and an imbalance of power between big business interests and
The Scottish Government’s Affordable Housing Supply Target
Reading Time: 3 minutes Increasing the supply of affordable housing is a key policy aim of the Scottish Government. The term “affordable housing” is not well defined but in
Devolved disability benefits: how might entitlement be assessed?
Reading Time: 4 minutes Control over some disability benefits (including personal independence payment (PIP), disability living allowance (DLA) and industrial injuries benefits, amongst others) will soon be devolved to
Gross Value Added (GVA) and Scotland’s sectors
Reading Time: 3 minutes What is GVA? Gross Value Added (GVA) is a key indicator of the state of the whole economy, an important performance measure, and helps inform
Guest blog – Migration in post-Brexit Scotland
Reading Time: 4 minutes Dr Paulina Trevena introduces a SPICe and University of Glasgow research project ‘Attracting and retaining migrants in post-Brexit Scotland: is a social integration strategy the
Budget Bill Stage 3 – the final parliamentary hurdle
Reading Time: 3 minutes The Budget for financial year 2018-19 passed its final parliamentary hurdles on Tuesday and Wednesday of this week. The ‘Rate Resolution’ debate and vote on
Dredging in Marine Protected Areas (MPAs)
Reading Time: 4 minutes A recent report by BBC Scotland highlighted evidence of alleged illegal scallop dredging (uncovered by divers from Open Seas) in the Firth of Lorn; part
SPICe FAQ – MSPs and FOI
Reading Time: 2 minutes We are regularly asked if Members of The Scottish Parliament (MSPs) and their staff can be required to release information under Freedom of Information (FOI)