How much will be spent on “support[ing] a programme of seminars to promote links with the Nordic countries” as noted in the 2013-14 draft b…

The Scottish Government and its predecessors have recognised that the exchange of information and best practice with other countries is an effective tool in improving the delivery of policies. The Scottish Government has been working with the informal think tank Nordic Horizons to promote the discussion of Nordic approaches to policy and how policy makers and practitioners in the Scottish Government might learn from them, to facilitate networking between Scottish Government policy makers and practitioners and their counterparts in the Nordic countries, and enabling invited speakers from the Nordic countries to address Scottish Government policy makers about policy areas of interest to the Scottish Government.
A grant of £6,960 in 2013-14 will contribute to meeting the costs of Nordic Horizons bringing experts and eminent policy formers from the Nordic countries to Scotland to address Scottish policy makers across a range of institutions involved in shaping policy in Scotland, including the Scottish Government, Scottish Parliament, local authorities, academia and civic society. For the Scottish Government, we intend that seminars with Scottish Government officials will result in a workforce better informed about the policies of Nordic countries in order to bring lessons from the Nordic social model into policy making in Scotland. We remain open to learning from the exchange of information and best practice with other countries.