Questions and answers

Question reference: S4W-24156

Asked by: Mary Scanlon, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 23 January 2015
Current Status: Answered by Aileen McLeod on 3 February 2015

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S4W-23636 by Aileen McLeod on 8 January 2015, whether it considers that the Scottish Environment Protection Agency's conclusions are consistent with Scottish Natural Heritage's recent finding that the "status quo" has resulted in a 50% drop in the freshwater pearl mussel population due to water quality and low river levels, and what the reasons are for its position on this matter.

The Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) report published in 2014 identified a number of potential impacts on the freshwater pearl mussel population, water quality and low flows being amongst these.

As stated in the report, there is ongoing work between the Scottish Environment Protection Agency and SNH to determine whether the current ecological status standards for the River Spey Special Area of Conservation and other sites designated under the Birds Directive and the Habitats Directive adequately support conservation objectives.

This work includes looking for evidence in monitoring data of any deterioration in environmental quality. So far this work suggests that water quality in the Spey has in fact improved from an already high base over the last 10 years, following investment by Scottish Water.

Question reference: S4W-23916

Asked by: Mary Scanlon, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 08 January 2015
Current Status: Answered by Roseanna Cunningham on 22 January 2015

To ask the Scottish Government how many people under 25 have not been in education, employment or training in each year since 2007.

The Annual Population Survey provides the preferred measure for not in education, employment or training (NEET) for the population in Scotland. The latest headline NEET estimates are published annually by the Scottish Government and cover the period from January to December 2013.

The following table provides the number of people not in education, employment or training for 16-24 year olds in Scotland from 2007 to 2013.

Levels of 16-24 year olds not in education, employment or training, Scotland, 2007-2013

Year	NEET level
2007	84,000
2008	88,000
2009	98,000
2010	104,000
2011	95,000
2012	90,000
2013	93,000

Source: Annual Population Survey, January to December 2013, Office for National Statistics.

Notes:

1. Figures rounded to the nearest thousand.

Question reference: S4O-03942

Asked by: Mary Scanlon, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 21 January 2015
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 28 January 2015

To ask the Scottish Government how it supports college students to complete their studies.

Question reference: S4W-23918

Asked by: Mary Scanlon, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 08 January 2015
Current Status: Answered by Roseanna Cunningham on 20 January 2015

To ask the Scottish Government what it is doing to expand modern apprenticeship training in colleges.

Skills Development Scotland allocates modern apprenticeship (MA) places through an annual contracting process with registered training providers, including colleges. Allocations are determined by analysis of bids received, providers’ previous performance, expected demand with a view to ensuring a fair sectoral and geographic spread of apprenticeships.

The college sector in Scotland has been directly contracted to provide approximately 10% of MA places for this financial year and also act as a sub-contractor to providers for those MA frameworks that require formal underpinning knowledge or off the job training.

In its Outcome Agreement guidance to colleges for 2014-15, the Scottish Funding Council highlighted the potential for colleges to make a greater contribution to the development and delivery of high quality MAs. In this context, MAs form a key part of the overall measurement of colleges’ performance. Continuing improvement of quality and flexibility around delivery are key to colleges wishing to increase activity in this area.

Question reference: S4W-23917

Asked by: Mary Scanlon, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 08 January 2015
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 19 January 2015

To ask the Scottish Government for what reason vocational activity in (a) schools and (b) colleges has fallen from 45,580 in 2010-11 to 26,330 in 2012-13.

The data to which the member refers relates to the Scottish Funding Council’s (SFC) analysis of further education awards for year 2012-13 (source: SFC Infact database, January 2015).

From 2010-11, the Scottish Government asked the SFC to refocus college funding and activity on 16-19 year olds and those in the Opportunities for All group. This meant fewer school pupils attending college as part of their broad general education and school-college activity targeted at senior phase pupils.

This approach is consistent with the recommendations from the Commission for Developing Scotland’s Young Workforce. Our implementation plan for taking forward the commission’s recommendations is predicated on a continued focus on employability within Scottish education for all young people, with a renewed emphasis on developing skills for work, as well as for life and learning. This will ensure all young people can access high quality work-related opportunities, including vocational qualifications in the senior phase.

Colleges – the principal providers of vocational education – have a central part to play. The Scottish Funding Council’s College Outcome Agreement Guidance, published in August 2014, highlighted their particular role in relation to senior phase vocational pathways. Local authorities also play an important part in ensuring young people in their schools have access to a full range of work-related learning. To this end, the Scottish Government agreed with the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities a £6.5 million package this year to develop vocational and employment pathways open to all young people.

Question reference: S4W-23738

Asked by: Mary Scanlon, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 18 December 2014
Current Status: Answered by Richard Lochhead on 15 January 2015

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether agricultural tenants who established their tenancies prior to the commencement of the Agricultural Holdings (Scotland) Act 2003 with no written lease or agreed terms of tenancy should have their tenancies reviewed.

Question reference: S4W-23736

Asked by: Mary Scanlon, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 18 December 2014
Current Status: Answered by Richard Lochhead on 15 January 2015

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether agricultural tenants who established their tenancies prior to the commencement of the Agricultural Holdings (Scotland) Act 2003 with no written lease or agreed terms of tenancy should be (a) entitled to compensation to vacate a holding and (b) allowed to pass the tenancies on to future generations.

Agricultural tenancies established prior to 2003 are already supported by the Agricultural Holdings (Scotland) Act 1991; this Act includes a range of provisions such as compensation at waygo and succession.

The details of each agricultural lease are a private matter between each party, however where there is no written lease we would strongly suggest that the tenant and landlord work in partnership to develop one.

Question reference: S4W-23765

Asked by: Mary Scanlon, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 19 December 2014
Current Status: Answered by Jamie Hepburn on 14 January 2015

To ask the Scottish Government what is being done to support female prisoners with borderline personality disorder.

Question reference: S4W-23762

Asked by: Mary Scanlon, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 19 December 2014
Current Status: Answered by Jamie Hepburn on 14 January 2015

To ask the Scottish Government what progress it has made in relation to its mental health strategy commitment "to more effectively link the work on alcohol and depression and other common mental health problems to improve identification and treatment".

We are aware that people can use alcohol as a means of coping when they are depressed or in distress. Discussions are ongoing with specialist services, the Royal College of General Practitioners and primary care partners as to the most appropriate way to tackle this issue.

These discussions have highlighted the need to develop robust methods of collecting and reporting data which can demonstrate that people are being asked about both alcohol and common mental health problems, and that they are being responded to appropriately.

Different methods of collecting this data are being developed and piloted by partners, including the University of Stirling who are currently conducting a feasibility study into improving the assessment of patients with long term conditions and co-morbid mental health needs. This project is expected to conclude in early 2015.

Question reference: S4W-23763

Asked by: Mary Scanlon, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 19 December 2014
Current Status: Answered by Jamie Hepburn on 14 January 2015

To ask the Scottish Government whether it has now developed outcome measures related to older people’s mental health.

Work to develop outcome measures for older people’s mental health will be completed this year.

The work has been embedded in the ‘Active and Healthy Ageing Action Plan for Multi-Morbidity for Scotland 2014-16’, and is informed by engagement with the range of stakeholders, including Age Scotland and The Alliance. Work is being taken forward with stakeholders using personal outcomes methodology to establish a set of indicators aligned with the Public Bodies (Joint Working) (Scotland) Act 2014.

Chamber and committees