G8 Summit
Alex Neil (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what methodology and detailed research formed the basis of the statement by the First Minister that the G8 summit will
bring £500 million of benefit to Scotland.
(S2W-17795)
Allan Wilson: The statement made was based on consideration of evidence from the 2004 G8 summit held at Sea Island, Georgia and our conviction that Scotland will benefit by at least as much, given the great efforts made by Scottish business supported by the Scottish Executive, the enterprise networks, local government and others to ensure that we maximise the immediate and longer-term economic and business opportunities arising from the summit.
The Executive has commissioned a study to estimate the direct and indirect benefits of the summit, the results of which will be published later this year.
I suppose that at the time it seemed a nice round figure, even if there was no apparent justification to support it. Never mind, I have every confidence that Ministers' "conviction" is a sound basis on which to construct an estimate of economic benefits.
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