S6W-26584

Asked by: Johnson, Daniel (Scottish Labour - Edinburgh Southern)

Question

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-22036 by Neil Gray on 19 October 2023, what action it has taken in relation to its commitment to improve its collection and reporting of data on how women are supported by Scotland’s business support systems and how its actions are closing the gender gap and widening participation in entrepreneurship.

Answered by McAllan, Màiri - Cabinet Secretary for Transport, Net Zero and Just Transition

The Business Support Partnership (BSP) is a commitment from Scottish Government, Scotland’s Enterprise and Skills Agencies, Business Gateway, and Local Government to develop a streamlined, efficient, and effective business support system that drives collaboration at a local, regional, and national level. Partners are committed to including the voice of businesses and communities and delivering inclusive and fair support that is underpinned by shared research, aligned customer surveying and data.

In its Strategic Delivery Plan 2023-2026, the BSP sets out its goal to ensure that the business support system in Scotland is inclusive, accessible and responsive, and that it recognises underrepresented groups, targets priority areas and supports socio-economic growth in response to data and the views of customers.

This is a long term undertaking, but one that is central to closing the gap in entrepreneurial participation. Better collection and reporting of data will provide us with essential information, which will allow us to prioritise and target support to under-represented and under-supported groups and to measure our progress.

Alongside this work we continue to develop our response to the broader recommendations of the Pathways report with emphasis on the establishment of Pre-Start support, with the Pathways Pre-Start Fund awarding £1.3m in partner led programmes aimed at widening entrepreneurial participation in 2023-24.

Dec. 14 2023

Found: crisis in the short-term, and also those that will make the biggest contribution to sustainable and inclusive

Mentions:
1: Forbes, Kate (SNP - Skye, Lochaber and Badenoch) absolutely essential that we think of the economy in a different way if we really want a sustainable and inclusive - Speech Link
2: Maguire, Ruth (SNP - Cunninghame South) sector meets the vision of the national strategy for economic transformation by harnessing innovation, entrepreneurship - Speech Link
3: Harper, Emma (SNP - South Scotland) That includes tackling social inequalities, fostering community empowerment and inclusive growth, working - Speech Link

Mentions:
1: Gilruth, Jenny (SNP - Mid Fife and Glenrothes) forms an important part of our knowledge exchange and innovation ecosystem by enhancing innovation and entrepreneurship - Speech Link
2: Gilruth, Jenny (SNP - Mid Fife and Glenrothes) The draft guidance was influenced by the work of the LGBTI inclusive education working group and a wide - Speech Link
3: Greer, Ross (Green - West Scotland) That is to the credit of young people in groups such as the Scottish Youth Parliament and the Time for Inclusive - Speech Link
4: Gilruth, Jenny (SNP - Mid Fife and Glenrothes) mark its achievement of becoming the first school in Scotland to successfully and fully implement LGBT-inclusive - Speech Link