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-22369

Asked by: Iain Gray, MSP for East Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 26 March 2019
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 17 April 2019

To ask the Scottish Government for what reason it no longer publishes data on the number of children who are looked after by the local authority as reported by schools.

Statistics collected from the annual school pupil census on children looked after by the local authority are no longer published due to concerns over the quality of the data. Definitive statistics on the number of children looked after by the local authority are published in Children's social work statistics, available on the Scottish Government website here: https://www2.gov.scot/Topics/Statistics/Browse/Children/PubChildrenSocialWork

Question reference: S5W-22313

Asked by: Iain Gray, MSP for East Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 21 March 2019
Current Status: Answered by Richard Lochhead on 4 April 2019

To ask the Scottish Government what the timetable is for introducing a guaranteed minimum income linked to the Real Living Wage for students in (a) further and (b) higher education.

As set out in the recent debate (S5M-16407), Ministers outlined in June 2018 their response to the Independent Review of Student Support and ambition to deliver upon the recommendation to provide a minimum income guarantee for all students.

We have taken the first steps in delivering this by increasing the care-experienced bursary for Further and Higher Education students to £8,100 per year from 2018-19.

I intend to write to the Education and Skills Committee in the coming weeks to set out in detail the progress this Government has made so far in delivering upon the Review’s recommendations that we committed to progress.

Question reference: S5W-22267

Asked by: Iain Gray, MSP for East Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 19 March 2019
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 27 March 2019

To ask the Scottish Government how it will ensure that budget allocations for additional support needs will ensure that high quality education and support is available for children with vision impairments and their families, in light of the reported 128% increase in the number of pupils with vision impairment between 2010 and 2018 as indicated in its pupil census published on 12 March 2019.

Local Government Financial Statistics for 2017-18 showed that local authorities spent £5.22 billion on education in Scotland. This has gone up from £5.07 billion in 2016-17 - a 1.0% increase in real terms (3.0% in cash terms). Of that, £628 million was on additional support for learning – increasing from £610 million in 2016-17 – a 0.9% increase in real terms (2.9% in cash terms).

The Additional Support for Learning Act places duties on education authorities to identify, provide for and review the additional support needs of their pupils, including those with a visual impairment and includes the employment and provision of appropriate resources, including teaching and support staff, to meet children’s needs.

In addition the Scottish Government provides over £500,000 to voluntary sector organisations to support children and young people with sensory impairment and this includes £150,000 per year to the Scottish Sensory Centre to support training to increase the capacity of staff in schools so they can provide effective support to pupils with a sensory impairment.

Question reference: S5O-03074

Asked by: Iain Gray, MSP for East Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 20 March 2019
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 28 March 2019

To ask the Scottish Government how it plans to monitor the number of young people in precarious, temporary and zero-hours work.

Question reference: S5W-21815

Asked by: Iain Gray, MSP for East Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 25 February 2019
Current Status: Answered by Kevin Stewart on 5 March 2019

To ask the Scottish Government what action it will take in light of reports that the UK Government is reviewing the participation of Persimmon Homes in its help-to-buy scheme following allegations of reported poor standards and hidden charges.

All home builders participating in the Help to Buy (Scotland) schemes are required to enter into a contract with Scottish Ministers, known as a participation agreement. This contains the terms and conditions which must be met in relation to their participation in the scheme. The participation of all registered builders is kept under regular review by ensuring the terms and conditions of the participation agreement are adhered to.

Question reference: S5O-02925

Asked by: Iain Gray, MSP for East Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 20 February 2019
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 27 February 2019

To ask the Scottish Government how it will ensure that social security claimants have access to representation at tribunals.

Question reference: S5O-02864

Current Status: Withdrawn

Question reference: S5W-21218

Asked by: Iain Gray, MSP for East Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 23 January 2019
Current Status: Answered by Kevin Stewart on 30 January 2019

To ask the Scottish Government when it will provide updated housing allocation policy guidance for local authorities.

Question reference: S5W-21103

Asked by: Iain Gray, MSP for East Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 18 January 2019
Current Status: Answered by Kevin Stewart on 29 January 2019

To ask the Scottish Government when it will announce its decision regarding the planning application by Inchcape for an electrical substation at Cockenzie.

Question reference: S5W-20759

Asked by: Iain Gray, MSP for East Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 20 December 2018
Current Status: Answered by Jamie Hepburn on 15 January 2019

To ask the Scottish Government for what reason Individual Training Accounts are no longer available, and whether it plans to re-introduce these.