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: S5O-02247

Asked by: Linda Fabiani, MSP for East Kilbride, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 13 June 2018
Current Status: Awaiting answer

To ask the Scottish Government how it is progressing the Distress Brief Intervention pilot.

Question reference: S5O-02218

Asked by: Linda Fabiani, MSP for East Kilbride, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 06 June 2018
Current Status: Awaiting answer

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on the Young Women Lead report on sexual harassment in schools.

Question reference: S5O-02190

Asked by: Linda Fabiani, MSP for East Kilbride, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 30 May 2018
Current Status: Awaiting answer

To ask the Scottish Government when it will report on the consultation on its Review of the Regulation of Legal Services.

Question reference: S5W-16498

Asked by: Linda Fabiani, MSP for East Kilbride, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 08 May 2018
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 21 May 2018

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on collecting national data regarding prejudice-based bullying, instead of collecting this on a local basis.

We recognise that monitoring of bullying incidents is essential and helps organisations identify recurring patterns thereby ensuring early intervention and support. In addition, the data can help identify numeric trends, specific issues around equality and diversity and other relevant data/patterns which may help schools and local authorities to address bullying incidents efficiently.

That is why we believe that collection of data is more appropriate at the local authority and school level.

Question reference: S5W-16501

Asked by: Linda Fabiani, MSP for East Kilbride, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 08 May 2018
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 21 May 2018

To ask the Scottish Government whether instances of (a) racial and (b) sexualised racial assault in schools are recorded centrally.

The Scottish Government does not collect data on instances of racial and sexualised racial assault in schools. The Short Life Working Group on Recording and Monitoring Bullying in Schools will recommend improvements to SEEMiS to enable the recording of incidents of racial bullying at a local level.

If an assault has taken place then schools must record this through their Child Protection procedures and liaise with Police Scotland.

Question reference: S5W-16496

Asked by: Linda Fabiani, MSP for East Kilbride, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 08 May 2018
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 21 May 2018

To ask the Scottish Government how it ensures that prejudice-based bullying is recorded and monitored by education authorities.

Monitoring of bullying incidents is essential and helps organisations identify recurring patterns thereby ensuring early intervention and appropriate support.

Following the publication of ‘Respect for All’ we have been working closely with local authority representatives, teacher and parent organisations and key stakeholder bodies to develop a universal and consistent approach to recording and monitoring incidents of bullying in schools.

The implementation of the universal approach to recording and monitoring will continue to be overseen by the Working Group on Recording and Monitoring of Bullying in Schools to ensure consistency in use and to improve outcomes for children and young people.

Question reference: S5W-16499

Asked by: Linda Fabiani, MSP for East Kilbride, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 08 May 2018
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 21 May 2018

To ask the Scottish Government whether it issues guidance to education authorities regarding using data gathered from local recording and monitoring of prejudice-based bullying to inform policy development and practice.

It is crucial that anti-bullying approaches focus on prevention and early intervention and that at the centre of this is the recognition of children’s rights.

Education Scotland, with local authorities, has a role to play to support the implementation of positive relationship and behaviour approaches and embed children’s rights.

We have issued guidance for local authorities within ‘Respect for All’, which set out the importance of recording and monitoring bullying incidents to ensure that an appropriate response had taken place. Recording of incidents also allowed for the identification of trends or themes emerging and where improvements could be made to support the wellbeing of pupils.

The Short Life Working Group on Recording and Monitoring of Bullying in Schools will also provide further guidance to local authorities and schools later this year in support of the universal approach to recording and monitoring that is being introduced.

respect me is also available to assist education authorities develop appropriate responses to help children and young people within their schools. “respect me ” has at its heart, a rights based approach. This is reinforced through its training programmes with practitioners, emphasising the message that bullying is a breach of children’s rights.

Question reference: S5W-16497

Asked by: Linda Fabiani, MSP for East Kilbride, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 08 May 2018
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 21 May 2018

To ask the Scottish Government how (a) it and (b) education authorities ensure that the collection and analysis of data relating to prejudice-based bullying is robust for each school.

We acknowledge that the existing system for recording and monitoring needs to change. The Short Life Working Group on Recording and Monitoring of Bullying Incidents in Schools was convened in December 2017 to recommend improvements to SEEMiS which will inform the implementation of universal approach to record and monitor incidents in schools.

SEEMiS is the national school management system which allows schools to record incidents of bullying through it’s Bullying and Equalities application.

As part of the introduction of a universal approach the Short Life Working Group are developing an evaluation process to ensure that schools are recording appropriately.

Question reference: S5W-16493

Asked by: Linda Fabiani, MSP for East Kilbride, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 08 May 2018
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 21 May 2018

To ask the Scottish Government what consultation was carried out during the development phase of Respect for All: The National Approach to Anti-bullying for Scotland’s Children and Young People.

The development of ‘Respect for All’ was informed by a number of engagement sessions with children and young people; parents and carers; and, practitioners. Questionnaires were also issued to children and young people, and parents and carers.

In addition, in November 2016, I agreed to pause the publication of ‘Respect of All’ to enable further engagement with the Equality and Human Rights Committee, as part of their investigation into Bullying in Schools.

Question reference: S5W-16490

Asked by: Linda Fabiani, MSP for East Kilbride, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 08 May 2018
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 21 May 2018

To ask the Scottish Government what responsibility education authorities have in training (a) teachers and (b) education administrators regarding (i) prejudiced-based bullying, (ii) sexualised racial assault and (iii) potential hate crimes.

As part of local authorities' role to support the implementation of positive relationship and behaviour approaches there is a need to ensure that all staff have access to high-quality Career–Long Professional Learning to help improve outcomes for children and young people. All teachers must demonstrate the behaviours set out in the Standard for Registration. This requires teachers to consistently implement a school’s positive behaviour policy including:

- implementing strategies for understanding and preventing bullying;

- managing pupil behaviour in and around the school, in a fair, sensitive and informed manner; and

- recognising and taking action when a learner’s behaviour may signify distress and the need for further support.

It also requires that teachers:

- have an understanding of the legal and professional aspects of a teacher’s position of trust in relation to learners and how these affect his/her daily responsibilities;

- have a secure working knowledge and detailed understanding of their contractual, pastoral and legal responsibilities as teachers.

The Professional Standards are managed by the General Teaching Council for Scotland and are currently being reviewed. This review provides an opportunity to consider whether commitments in this area require to be strengthened and the Scottish Government will ensure that GTCS considers this recommendation in taking forward this work.

To support local authorities and schools, the Scottish Government has fully funded respect me , Scotland’s anti-bullying service to provide direct support to build confidence and capacity to address all types of bullying, including prejudice-based bullying effectively. respect me provide specific anti-bullying training for anyone who works with children and young people.

All those working with children and young people should have a clear understanding of what bullying is and the importance of children’s rights and child protection. All people working with children and young people should be very clear on what action to take if they feel that a crime may have been committed. In each and every case a crime is suspected, Police Scotland should be contacted.