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-04451

Current Status: Withdrawn

Question reference: S5W-29076

Asked by: Bruce Crawford, MSP for Stirling, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Friday, 15 May 2020
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 20 May 2020

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it is having with the UK Government regarding the announcement by British Airways to reduce a number of its Scotland-based CityFlyer pilot jobs.

There have been no discussions with the UK Government about the announcement by British Airways to reduce a number of its Scottish based CityFlyer pilots jobs.

We are monitoring developments and stand ready to assist any Scottish based staff affected. We will provide support through our initiative for responding to redundancy situations, Partnership Action for Continuing Employment, PACE. Through providing skills development and employability support, PACE aims to minimise the time individuals affected by redundancy are out of work.

We are working with Scotland’s airports to re-establish connectivity to support business and the inbound tourism market, focusing first on the most important routes serving key markets.

Question reference: S5W-28875

Asked by: Bruce Crawford, MSP for Stirling, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 05 May 2020
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 15 May 2020

To ask the Scottish Government what advice it is offering to cyclists regarding (a) safely accessing roads and pavements and (b) complying with the law and social distancing guidelines during the COVID-19 outbreak.

The primary source of guidance to all road users in Scotland, including cyclists, remains the Highway Code. This sets out all legal obligations for cyclists, as well as advice on safe practices. The Code encourages cyclists to be considerate of other users and to clearly indicate their intentions to other road users. There are now additional challenges as a result of physical distancing measures to help prevent the spread of the COVID-19 outbreak, and we therefore encourage all road users to be extra vigilant during these times.

Road Safety Scotland (RSS) is encouraging all road users to help reduce the strain on the emergency services during the coronavirus pandemic by taking extra care when making essential journeys. These messages are posted regularly on RSS and Transport Scotland social media channels.

Scottish Ministers have also provided additional guidance regarding physical distancing on the Scottish Government website and Transport Scotland delivery partners have been active on social media and other channels amplifying those messages. The guidance can be accessed at the following location: https://www.gov.scot/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-staying-at-home-and-away-from-others/

Question reference: S5W-28876

Asked by: Bruce Crawford, MSP for Stirling, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 05 May 2020
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 15 May 2020

To ask the Scottish Government whether all road traffic legislation relating to cyclists’ access to roads and pavements remains fully in place during the COVID-19 outbreak.

Question reference: S5W-28873

Asked by: Bruce Crawford, MSP for Stirling, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 05 May 2020
Current Status: Initiated by the Scottish Government. Answered by John Swinney on 5 May 2020

To ask the Scottish Government when it will publish further details on Scotland’s approach to reviewing the COVID-19 restrictions currently in place.

We have today published Coronavirus (COVID-19): Framework for Decision Making: Further Information which sets out further detail of the next steps we propose to take in combatting the virus including any varying of the current restrictions, when it is safe to do so. This is a further contribution to discussion, scrutiny and understanding of our approach within Scotland, in the rest of the UK, and beyond, including discussion as part of the Four Nations process within the UK, and with delivery partners, stakeholders and the public in Scotland, as we plan our approach. Alongside this, we have today launched an online platform to provide a forum for people to engage directly with the discussion around Scotland’s next steps by submitting responses, as well as rating and commenting on responses submitted by others.

Question reference: S5F-04049

Asked by: Bruce Crawford, MSP for Stirling, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 09 March 2020
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 12 March 2020

To ask the First Minister what the Scottish Government’s response is to the UK Budget.

Question reference: S5W-27086

Asked by: Bruce Crawford, MSP for Stirling, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 22 January 2020
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 4 February 2020

To ask the Scottish Government how many pupils in the Stirling Council area have achieved passes at (a) Higher and (b) Advanced Higher level in each year since 2007.

The following table shows the proportion of Stirling school leavers who achieved 1 pass or more at (a) SCQF level 6 or better and at (b) SCQF level 7 (Advanced Higher level). These figures are published in table A 2.2 of Summary Statistics for attainment and Initial school leavers destinations ( https://www2.gov.scot/Topics/Statistics/Browse/School-Education/Publications/Pub-SS-AIL ).

Table: Percentage of school leavers by total qualifications achieved, Stirling, 2009/10 to 2017-18

Year	1+ pass or more at SCQF Level 6 or better	1 pass or more at SCQF Level 7 or better
2009-10	60.4	25.2
2010-11	59.8	20.9
2011-12	63.6	20.6
2012-13	64.4	23.0
2013-14	65.2	22.8
2014-15	66.6	22.4
2015-16	69.6	22.3
2016-17	66.6	25.2
2017-18	70.4	27.2

Notes:

1. These statistics are based on SQA National Qualifications. SCQF Level 6 includes Highers and Skills for Work Highers whilst SCQF Level 7 includes Advanced Highers.

2. The data is available on a consistent basis from 2009-10 to 2017-18. Figures for 2018-19 will be published on 25th February 2020.

3. Attainment of grades A-C is counted as a pass. In these statistics if a pupil attains a D at a certain level this is counted as being equivalent to attainment at the level below. For example, if a pupil attains a D at SCQF Level 7 in a certain subject this would be counted as attaining at SCQF Level 6 for that subject and not at SCQF Level 7.

The Scottish Qualifications Authority also publish attainment information by Education Authority (https://www.sqa.org.uk/sqa/63001.html ). Their Attainment Statistics (August) 2018 Education Authority publication provides information on the number of Higher and Advanced Higher passes in Stirling in 2018 and covers all attainment, not just that by school pupils.

Question reference: S5W-27087

Asked by: Bruce Crawford, MSP for Stirling, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 22 January 2020
Current Status: Answered by Kate Forbes on 3 February 2020

To ask the Scottish Government how many businesses in the Stirling Council area (a) are exempt from paying and (b) receive a discount for non-domestic rates.

Question reference: S5W-27085

Asked by: Bruce Crawford, MSP for Stirling, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 22 January 2020
Current Status: Answered by Jeane Freeman on 28 January 2020

To ask the Scottish Government how much funding NHS Forth Valley has received in each year since 2007.

Additional funding for frontline NHS Boards amounts to £430 million – an increase of 4.2% – with NHS Forth Valley seeing £15.3 million increased investment and a share of £392 million to go towards improving patient outcomes. This takes the Board’s overall funding to £527 million in 2019-20.

The following table sets out the funding NHS Forth Valley has received in each financial year since 2007, as reported by Scottish Government within the annually published Scottish Budget.

Financial Year	£m
2006-07	338.6
2007-08	363.0
2008-09	375.5
2009-10	383.9
2010-11	393.8
2011-12	402.8
2012-13	418.2
2013-14	434.2
2014-15	449.6
2015-16	461.5
2016-17	485.2
2017-18	496.6
2018-19	506.8
2019-20	527.0

The proposed budget 2020-21 position will be set out on 6 February 2020 in the draft.

Question reference: S5W-26929

Asked by: Bruce Crawford, MSP for Stirling, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Friday, 10 January 2020
Current Status: Answered by Jamie Hepburn on 22 January 2020

To ask the Scottish Government how many modern apprenticeship places there have been in the Stirling constituency in each year since 2015.

Local Authority	2015-16	2016-17	2017-18	2018-19
Stirling	411	436	410	436