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: S5W-25058

Asked by: Iain Gray, MSP for East Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 02 September 2019
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 12 September 2019

To ask the Scottish Government how it plans to consult on new guidance for schools with regard to their obligations under the Equality Act 2010; when it will do so, and how this will be tested with parents.

Guidance for schools on their obligations under the Equality Act has been in place since 1 April 2014, and remains in place. The guidance on the Act was published by the Commission for Equality and Human Rights and is available from https://www.equalityhumanrights.com/en/publication-
download/technical-guidance-schools-scotland .

More recently, the Commission for Equality and Human Rights has sought views on draft guidance Trans pupils: guidance for schools in Scotland on the Equality Act 2010.

The member will be aware that in June 2019 the Scottish Government committed to updating the guidance on Supporting Transgender Pupils In Schools which was produced by LGBT Youth Scotland. That work will be taken forward with a group of key stakeholders including those who deliver education in Scotland, established women's and children's organisations and LGBT organisations. We will engage with a wider group of stakeholders, including those representing parents as part of the development of the updated guidance. This work will be completed by the end of this year.

Question reference: S5O-03558

Asked by: Iain Gray, MSP for East Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 11 September 2019
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 19 September 2019

To ask the Scottish Government what progress has been made with the planned improvements to the Sheriffhall roundabout on the A720.

Question reference: S5W-24829

Asked by: Iain Gray, MSP for East Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 20 August 2019
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 6 September 2019

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-23577 by John Swinney on 13 June 2019, what specific financial investment has been made to date to ensure that "every school in Scotland has access to a home school link worker by the end of 2019", and whether explicit funding has been or will be made available for this purpose, outwith the Scottish Attainment Fund.

Official statistics gathered through the ‘school support staff’ categories of the Annual Teacher Census and data provided by local authorities through a targeted questionnaire on home-school link provision run in late 2018/early 2019 indicate a significant increase in the numbers of home-school link worker staff employed in Scotland since 2017.

Further analysis of local authority feedback captured in local authority questionnaire responses shows that the Scottish Government's £750m Attainment Scotland Fund has played a significant role in achieving this increase in staff numbers.

Given the progress that has been made through use of the £750m Attainment Scotland Fund, the Scottish Government has no plans to provide additional funding to increase home-school link worker access. The Scottish Government will continue to assess the impact of Scottish Attainment Challenge funding in our future planning for the development of home-school link worker and other similar roles.

The Scottish Government will continue to work with the established ‘National Working Group on Home-School Link Workers’ to highlight best practice examples of services and models of provision and provide advice to schools and local authorities to increase access to home-school link support to all schools in Scotland.

The Scottish Government has also committed to continue to support the Attainment Scotland Fund beyond the end of this Parliamentary term; an early commitment on this Government’s top priority, to enable schools and local authorities to make plans.

Question reference: S5O-03501

Asked by: Iain Gray, MSP for East Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 04 September 2019
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 11 September 2019

To ask the Scottish Government how it will ensure the restoration of the throughcare service for people leaving prison.

Question reference: S5W-25059

Asked by: Iain Gray, MSP for East Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 02 September 2019
Current Status: Answer expected on 17 September 2019

To ask the Scottish Government whether in any case its funding conditions under the Equality Act 2010 exclude women’s groups that use single-sex exceptions.

Question reference: S5W-24549

Asked by: Iain Gray, MSP for East Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 01 August 2019
Current Status: Answered by Maree Todd on 29 August 2019

To ask the Scottish Government (a) how many and (b) what proportion of looked-after children achieved three or more qualifications at SCQF (i) 5 and (ii) 6 in the most recent educational outcomes statistics.

Of 999 looked after school leavers in 2017-18 in the most recent educational outcomes statistics,

(i) 184 (18.4%) achieved three or more qualifications at SCQF 5 or better

(ii) 42 (4.2%) achieved three or more qualifications at SCQF 6 or better

Data for 2018-19 is not currently available, the next Education Outcomes for Looked after Children publication using 2018-19 data will be published in June 2020.

Question reference: S5W-23861

Asked by: Iain Gray, MSP for East Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 18 June 2019
Current Status: Answered by Maree Todd on 16 July 2019

To ask the Scottish Government how many looked-after young school leavers went on to higher education in (a) 2017-18 and (b) 2018-19, and what proportion did so at university.

Of a total 999 looked after school leavers in 2017-18, 47 were in higher education 3 months after leaving school. This includes 22 looked after for the full year and 25 looked after for part of the year. Information on the proportion in higher education at university is not available.

Data for 2018-19 is not currently available, the next Education Outcomes for Looked after Children publication using 2018-19 data will be published in June 2020.

Question reference: S5W-23727

Asked by: Iain Gray, MSP for East Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 11 June 2019
Current Status: Answered by Kevin Stewart on 25 June 2019

To ask the Scottish Government what national policy guidelines there are regarding the provision of key worker housing for social care workers, including for older people's services.

Question reference: S5W-23726

Asked by: Iain Gray, MSP for East Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 11 June 2019
Current Status: Answered by Kevin Stewart on 25 June 2019

To ask the Scottish Government what national policy guidelines there are regarding key worker housing for older people.

Local authorities as the statutory housing authority for their area are responsible for assessing housing need and demand based on the findings from their Housing Need and Demand Assessment and setting out how the requirement for housing will be met thought their Local Housing Strategy (LHS) and Strategic Housing Investment Plans (SHIP). Where evidence suggests that there is requirement for action to provide suitable housing for key workers such as those employed in health or care sectors, education of broader service provision, the Scottish Government would expect the LHS and SHIP to reflect this.

Question reference: S5O-03437

Asked by: Iain Gray, MSP for East Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 19 June 2019
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 26 June 2019

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with the third sector regarding the impact on it of the findings of the report, Handing Back Contracts, and its ability to contract a range of public services from local authorities.