Chamber and committees

Questions and answers

Parliamentary questions can be asked by any MSP to the Scottish Government or the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body. The questions provide a means for MSPs to get factual and statistical information.

Written questions must be answered within 10 working days (20 working days during recess)
Other questions such as Topical, Portfolio, General and First Minister's Question Times are taken in the Chamber

Urgent Questions aren't included in the Question and Answers search. There is a SPICe fact sheet listing Urgent and emergency questions.

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Question reference: S6W-17095

Asked by: Alex Rowley, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 25 April 2023
Current Status: Answered by Graeme Dey on 10 May 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what the average real terms spending, based on current prices, was for a Scotland-domiciled student attending a Scottish further education college, in each year since 2007.

Table 1 below provides the gross teaching funding allocations per Full-Time Equivalent (FTE) place in college in cash and real terms (2022-23 prices), since 2007-08. Please note that data between the periods of 2007-08 to 2012-13 and 2013-14 to 2022-23 are not directly comparable due to a change in methodology of how FTEs in college were calculated.

Table 1: Gross teaching funding per College Place (FTE), cash and real terms (2022-23 prices), 2007-08 to 2022-23
Year	Cash terms	Real terms (2022-23 prices)
2007-08	£4,046	£5,621
2008-09	£4,219	£5,658
2009-10	£4,293	£5,681
2010-11	£4,289	£5,583
2011-12	£4,138	£5,292
2012-13	£4,012	£5,043
Break in series
2013-14	£4,043	£4,979
2014-15	£4,029	£4,908
2015-16	£4,024	£4,863
2016-17	£4,092	£4,846
2017-18	£4,196	£4,887
2018-19	£4,539	£5,194
2019-20	£4,665	£5,203
2020-21	£4,878	£5,120
2021-22	£4,952	£5,233
2022-23	£5,054	£5,054

Source: Scottish Government analysis of Scottish Funding Council (SFC) and HM Treasury deflator series (March 2023) data.

Notes:

1. Gross teaching funding per college place in each year is derived by taking gross funding over the total number of FTE places.

2. Gross teaching funding includes core and European Social Fund (ESF) funding and an external fees element consisting of Student Award Agency Scotland (SAAS), Skills Development Scotland (SDS), employers’ and students paying their own tuition fees for SFC funded programmes

3. In AY 2015-16 SFC moved college funding to a credits based system, rather than WSUMS. It is assumed that 15 credits = 1 FTE.

Question reference: S6W-17475

Asked by: Donald Cameron, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 25 April 2023
Current Status: Answered by Emma Roddick on 10 May 2023

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-17078 by Emma Roddick on 20 April 2023, when it plans to publish its Disability Equality strategy.

The Scottish Government continues to work closely with the steering group, made up of Disabled People’s Organisations, to co-design the new Disability Equality strategy. The group met several times in 2022 and are focused on developing responses to the challenges and obstacles disabled people face.

The group last met in April 2023 and a further meeting is planned for June 2023. It is anticipated that the strategy will be published on the conclusion of the co-design process.

Our current focus with the Disabled People’s Organisations is the development of an Immediate Priorities Plan that will respond to the negative impact of the cost of living crisis on disabled people. This plan will be published in the Summer. A publication date for the Disability Equality Strategy will be determined following the work on the Immediate Priorities Plan.

Question reference: S6W-17452

Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 25 April 2023
Current Status: Answered by Maree Todd on 10 May 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to review any policies in relation to placing young people in adult mental health services.

The Scottish Government has no plans to review policies in relation to placing young people in adult mental health wards.

NHS Boards use the Admission to Adult Mental Health Wards for under 18's Guidelines which were published in 2020, alongside discussions with the young person and their family, to make the most appropriate decision regarding the treatment and support that a young person requires.

The guidelines make clear that we expect children and young people who require inpatient care to be looked after in age-appropriate facilities. There may be occasions when it isn’t possible for a young person to be admitted to a specialist child and adolescent bed – for example, a crisis admission out of hours where there are concerns for the young person’s safety, or the young person and their family have a preference for an admission to a local adult ward. On occasions where young people are placed within an adult ward this will be monitored and reviewed regularly to ensure that the young person is receiving the most appropriate treatment and care.

Question reference: S6W-17470

Asked by: Claire Baker, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 28 April 2023
Current Status: Answered by Tom Arthur on 10 May 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what progress is being made towards meeting its Programme for Government 2021-22 commitment to increase the number of employee-owned businesses to 500 by 2030, and what funding is being provided to increase this number.

The latest census on employee owned businesses was undertaken in March 2022. At that time there were 146 Scottish-registered employee-owned businesses and worker co-operatives and 49 non-Scottish registered employee-owned businesses.

Co-Operative Development Scotland, funded through Scottish Enterprise, continues to work to raise awareness of the value of co-operative and employee ownership models and provides specialist advice and support to businesses making the transition to employee ownership.

Question reference: S6W-17471

Asked by: Claire Baker, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 28 April 2023
Current Status: Answered by Tom Arthur on 10 May 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether its Programme for Government 2021-22 commitment to increase the number of employee-owned businesses to 500 by 2030 relates to businesses operating in Scotland, or businesses based in Scotland.

Research has shown that employee-owned businesses and other inclusive ownership models are fairer, more inclusive places to work and as a result enjoy greater financial and social resilience.

The Scottish Government’s commitment to increase the number of employee owned businesses seeks to widen the benefits of employee ownership to as many businesses and as many employee-owners as possible across Scotland. For this reason the number relates to businesses operating in and based in Scotland.

Question reference: S6T-01368

Asked by: Russell Findlay, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 09 May 2023
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 9 May 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is regarding reports that a new contract has been awarded by the Scottish Police Authority, valued at around £663,000, for the provision of additional forensic testing in relation to suspected cases of spiking.

Question reference: S6T-01364

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 09 May 2023
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 9 May 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to avoid industrial action by junior doctors, in light of the decision in favour of action by almost 97% of BMA Scotland members who voted.

Question reference: S6F-02109

Asked by: Gillian Mackay, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 09 May 2023
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 11 May 2023

To ask the First Minister whether the Scottish Government will consider a full ban on disposable vaping products on health and environmental grounds.

Question reference: S6F-02098

Asked by: Fiona Hyslop, MSP for Linlithgow, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 09 May 2023
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 11 May 2023

To ask the First Minister what the Scottish Government's position is on the view of the Children and Young People’s Commissioner Scotland that NHS Lothian should review its Children’s Rights Impact Assessment of the decision to end the Youth Navigator programme, which operates at St John's Hospital.

Question reference: S6F-02100

Asked by: Pam Gosal, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 09 May 2023
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 11 May 2023

To ask the First Minister what action the Scottish Government is taking to support colleges and universities in Scotland.