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-02776

Asked by: Iain Gray, MSP for East Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 15 September 2016
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 27 September 2016

To ask the Scottish Government what level of funding will be provided to the (a) Play, Talk, Read and (b) Read, Write, Count campaigns in (i) real and (ii) cash terms in each year of the current parliamentary session.

£700,000 has been allocated to the Play, Talk, Read campaign in the current financial year in cash terms (£689,655.17 in real terms). £1.5 million has been allocated to Read, Write, Count in the current financial year in cash terms (£1,477,832.51 in real terms). Real terms figures are in 2015-16 prices and are calculated using the HM Treasury GDP deflator series. Funding for future years has not yet been decided.

Question reference: S5W-02748

Asked by: Iain Gray, MSP for East Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 14 September 2016
Current Status: Answered by Roseanna Cunningham on 27 September 2016

To ask the Scottish Government how many non-licensed weirs there are on the River Tyne in East Lothian; what action the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) is taking to ensure that that these become licensed in accordance with the Water Environment (Controlled Activities) (Scotland) Regulations 2011; when it expects this task to be completed, and what information it has regarding other man-made obstructions on the river.

SEPA is aware of six unlicensed weirs on the River Tyne catchment in East Lothian. These redundant weirs were once used to supply water to mills; the industry associated with them has long since gone and current ownership of them is unclear. SEPA is currently undertaking investigations to establish ownership of the weirs. Once ownership has been established, action will be taken to ensure that the weirs are properly authorised in accordance with the Water Environment (Controlled Activities) (Scotland) Regulations 2011 and that fish passage is provided. These redundant weirs on the River Tyne have been prioritised for action by 2021.

The Knowes weir is one of those scheduled for improvement by 2021.

There are also three weirs on the River Tyne that are properly authorised under the Water Environment (Controlled Activities) (Scotland) Regulations 2011. Of these, only Sandy Mills weir is considered impassable to fish. SEPA will be working with the owner of that weir to ensure fish passage is provided.

Question reference: S5W-02749

Asked by: Iain Gray, MSP for East Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 14 September 2016
Current Status: Answered by Roseanna Cunningham on 27 September 2016

To ask the Scottish Government what action the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) is taking to address the reported problem with the passage of fish at the Knowes Weir on the River Tyne in East Lothian.

Question reference: S5W-02779

Asked by: Iain Gray, MSP for East Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 15 September 2016
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 27 September 2016

To ask the Scottish Government to which schools the Read, Write, Count campaign will be extended from April 2017.

Question reference: S5W-02763

Asked by: Iain Gray, MSP for East Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 20 September 2016
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 27 September 2016

To ask the Scottish Government how much it will cost to operate the International Education Advisory Panel; whether it will publish the minutes of the panel's inaugural meeting, and on what future dates it is scheduled to meet.

The costs associated with each meeting of the International Council of Education Advisers, together with the minutes of the meeting will be published on the Scottish Government website at the following address: http://www.gov.scot/Topics/Education/Schools/govscot

Members of the International Council of Education Advisers (ICEA) are appointed on a voluntary and personal basis. They do not receive any direct remuneration related to this role. All reasonable expenses incurred by members in the course of attending the ICEA are met by the Scottish Government. These include air travel, meal allowances and accommodation.

The ICEA will meet again in February and September 2017, with dates to be confirmed.

Question reference: S5F-00304

Asked by: Iain Gray, MSP for East Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 26 September 2016
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 29 September 2016

To ask the First Minister what the Scottish Government's response is to calls by those working with abuse survivors for an urgent investigation into the direction of the National Strategy for Survivors of Childhood Abuse.

Question reference: S5W-02766

Asked by: Iain Gray, MSP for East Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 14 September 2016
Current Status: Answered by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 26 September 2016

To ask the Scottish Government who will lead the review of student support in Scotland, what the terms of reference will be, and when it will (a) start and (b) report.

Question reference: S5W-02774

Asked by: Iain Gray, MSP for East Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 15 September 2016
Current Status: Answered by Jamie Hepburn on 26 September 2016

To ask the Scottish Government what level of funding will be provided to the Developing the Young Workforce programme in (a) real and (b) cash terms in each year of the current parliamentary session.

Developing the Young Workforce, Scotland’s Youth Employment Strategy, published in December 2014, included a commitment to a two year early implementation budget to allow partners to build capacity and test out new approaches in the development phase of the programme. That budget came to an end, as planned, in financial year 2015-16.

The Scottish Government continues to fund DYW implementation through a range of core budgets including those of Skills Development Scotland and Scottish Funding Council. This is in line with Sir Ian Wood’s Commission’s view which advised funding Developing the Young Workforce activity from mainstream budgets. As with all budgets, these will be set in the context of the draft Scottish budget for 2017-18.

Question reference: S5W-02768

Asked by: Iain Gray, MSP for East Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 14 September 2016
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 26 September 2016

To ask the Scottish Government what level of funding it will provide for the introduction of standardised assessments for (a) primary and (b) secondary schools in (i) real and (ii) cash terms in each year of the current parliamentary session.

Question reference: S5O-00157

Asked by: Iain Gray, MSP for East Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 14 September 2016
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 21 September 2016

To ask the Scottish Government when the Cabinet Secretary for Justice last met the chief constable to discuss Police Scotland staffing and resources in East Lothian.