The Scottish Government has considered the inquiries in a number of other jurisdictions. While a number of these have awarded compensation only Ireland has awarded interim payments.

The Scottish Government committed to scoping a survivor support service in its response to the Scottish Human Rights InterAction on 27 October 2014. The Cabinet Secretary for Education and Lifelong Learning recently announced funding of £13.5 million over the next five years to develop this service. Survivors continue to be at the centre of our development of this service which we aim to have in place by October 2015.

In 2009 Dumfries and Galloway awarded ex gratia payments of £20,000 each to survivors abused at Merkland school. While the Scottish Government is aware of other local authorities who negotiated payments with individual survivors, details of these payments are not available.

The Scottish Government has announced funding of £13.5 million to develop a dedicated support service for survivors of in care abuse. We are working with survivors to determine the detail of how this service will operate.

It will be for the Inquiry to decide how to fulfil its terms of reference and what recommendations it will make.

Analysis published by the Centre for Economics and Business Research in March 2014 estimated that in 2011 around 336,000 jobs in Scotland were associated with exports to the EU. Estimates on the number of jobs in Scotland dependent on exports are not currently available.

Analysis published by the Centre for Economics and Business Research in March 2014 estimated that in 2011 around 336,000 jobs in Scotland were associated with exports to the EU.

Foreign direct investment (FDI) to Scotland from other European Union member states is also an important way in which jobs in Scotland are linked to the EU single market. Scotland has been ranked in the top two UK regions outside of London for FDI in each year since 2006 (Source – Ernst and Young Scotland Attractiveness Surveys).

The Scottish Government’s capital borrowing plans were outlined on 9 October 2014 in the Scottish Draft Budget 2015-16.

The Scottish Government firmly believes that exiting the EU would have a deeply damaging impact on Scotland’s economy.

Membership provides a range of economic benefits including: access to the world’s largest single market, with over 500 million potential customers; the range of trade deals secured by the EU, and a major source of international investment in Scottish jobs and companies. Europe is a vital market for Scottish businesses, accounting for 46% of Scotland’s international exports, worth £12.9 billion to our economy.

Analysis published by the Centre for Economics and Business Research in March 2014 estimated that in 2011 around 336,000 jobs in Scotland were associated with exports to the EU.

Such jobs and economic activity in Scotland would be at risk if the UK left the EU.

The Scottish Government has published analysis on the economic, social and cultural benefits of EU membership for Scotland (March 2015). The publication can be found via the following link: http://www.gov.scot/Resource/0047/00473833.pdf

The Scottish Government announced in the Draft Budget 2015-16 that it would be seeking to borrow up to £304 million in 2015-16 in some combination of a) the National Loans Fund b) from banks on commercial terms and c) through issuing bonds. We will continue to evaluate these borrowing options and will in due course take a decision on which method or methods to use based on the prevailing economic conditions and once the fiscal framework and changes to the Scottish Government’s borrowing powers arising from the Smith Commission recommendations are agreed with HM Treasury.

The Scottish Government will make a statement on the 2014-15 provisional outturn on 18 June 2015.