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: S4W-17993

Asked by: Ken Macintosh, MSP for Eastwood, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 30 October 2013
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 5 November 2013

To ask the Scottish Government what the repayment cost would be of borrowing the £296 million set out in the 2014-15 draft budget from the National Loans Fund in 2015-16 over (a) 10 and (b) 25 years.

Question reference: S4F-01658

Asked by: Ken Macintosh, MSP for Eastwood, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 04 November 2013
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 7 November 2013

To ask the First Minister, in light of the recent report by the Educational Institute of Scotland, what action the Scottish Government is taking to address the use of zero-hours contracts in the higher education sector.

Question reference: S4W-17405

Asked by: Ken Macintosh, MSP for Eastwood, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 24 September 2013
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 9 October 2013

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S4W-17142 by John Swinney on 23 September 2013, what direction it gives to Scottish Enterprise regarding the granting of regional selective assistance.

Scottish Enterprise is fully accountable for Regional Selective Assistance (RSA). RSA Guidelines have been in place, with regular updates, since the scheme was introduced in the 1980’s. These guidelines were originally developed in consultation with operating Government Departments in England and Wales. In 2009 responsibility for RSA Appraisal in Scotland was transferred to Scottish Enterprise to enable the integration of RSA with other financial support and advice that SE provides to achieve the objectives of its business plan.

The grant is discretionary and each project is assessed against scheme criteria. Approval is in line with SE approval processes and delegated authorities (which varies with the level of support being offered).

Question reference: S4W-17404

Asked by: Ken Macintosh, MSP for Eastwood, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 24 September 2013
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 9 October 2013

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S4W-17141 by John Swinney on 23 September 2013, in what ways it monitors the use of regional selective assistance grants to ensure that “regional selective assistance will not be granted to companies that espouse the use of zero-hours contracts” (Official Report, c. 22755).

Scottish Enterprise is fully accountable for regional selective assistance (RSA). To claim an instalment of grant under the terms of an RSA offer, a business has to complete a grant claim form to confirm that project investment and permanent job creation/safeguarding targets have been achieved in respect of the instalment being claimed. This claim form has to be signed by an executive director or the company secretary. Depending on the size of the grant, some or all of the grant instalments have to be certified by an accountant independent of the company (qualified under the Companies Act to undertake audit work). The independent accountant confirms either the interim progress or final outcome of the project in terms of capital investment and full time permanent jobs created and/or safeguarded by the project. Grant will only be paid after the provision of all required documentation in respect of the grant claim and overall progress with the RSA project can be seen to be satisfactory and in compliance with the offer of grant.

Question reference: S4O-02491

Asked by: Ken Macintosh, MSP for Eastwood, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 02 October 2013
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 9 October 2013

To ask the Scottish Government how it monitors companies in receipt of government grants to ensure that they do not use so-called zero-hours contracts.

The Scottish Government is responsible for a wide range of grants either directly or through our agencies and partners. My officials are currently looking at how these are monitored and will report back to me in due course. The Scottish Government does not directly use so called zero hour contracts, nor do our primary providers of temporary employees and last week we confirmed in our proposals for procurement reform that we are looking into how these contracts are used. Employment law is currently reserved to the UK Government. We await with interest the UK Government’s response to its forthcoming consultation.

Question reference: S4W-17403

Asked by: Ken Macintosh, MSP for Eastwood, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 24 September 2013
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 7 October 2013

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S4W-17141 by John Swinney on 23 September 2013, whether this response is consistent with the statement by Fergus Ewing on 11 September 2013 that “regional selective assistance is not paid for zero-hours contracts” (Official Report, c. 22330).

Question reference: S4W-17026

Asked by: Ken Macintosh, MSP for Eastwood, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 09 September 2013
Current Status: Answered by Alex Neil on 24 September 2013

To ask the Scottish Government what support it provides for children with communication difficulties.

Support for children with communication difficulties is provided through the provision of Speech and Language Therapy (SLT) services by local NHS boards and through the duties of education authorities and other agencies under the Additional Support for Learning Act 2004 to identify, provide for and review the additional support needs of their pupils.

The SLT input required is based on a comprehensive assessment and joint goal setting with the child and family.

Question reference: S4W-17066

Asked by: Ken Macintosh, MSP for Eastwood, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 10 September 2013
Current Status: Answered by Alex Neil on 24 September 2013

To ask the Scottish Government how many NHS managers are being offered an improved pay deal in autumn 2013.

Question reference: S4W-17035

Asked by: Ken Macintosh, MSP for Eastwood, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 09 September 2013
Current Status: Answered by Michael Russell on 24 September 2013

To ask the Scottish Government what support it provides for students aged 16 to 24 with (a) cancer and (b) serious and complex long-term health conditions other than cancer to (i) access and (ii) maintain further and higher education opportunities.

The Scottish Government is determined to support all students, and in particular, those who are battling serious and complex long-term health conditions including cancer.

In general, access to further and higher education in Scotland is a competitive process where applicants need to be able to demonstrate that they have the potential to benefit from the opportunities that are on offer. In that context, there is a need to give due consideration to circumstances that may have affected a student’s attainment. Universities and colleges will make allowances when deciding admissions if prior performance has been impeded due to illness or a long-term health condition. Beyond that, and in terms of support once a student has been accepted, please refer to the response to S4W-17036 on 24 September 2013.

All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at:

http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/parliamentarybusiness/28877.aspx.

Question reference: S4W-17036

Asked by: Ken Macintosh, MSP for Eastwood, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 09 September 2013
Current Status: Answered by Michael Russell on 24 September 2013

To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has for future support for students aged 16 to 24 with (a) cancer and (b) serious and complex long-term health conditions other than cancer in further and higher education.

The Scottish Government is determined to support all students, and in particular, those who are battling serious and complex long-term health conditions including cancer.

From 2013-14, all students are eligible to apply for a maintenance support package worth up to £7250 if they are studying a course of higher education (HE) and to receive help from the Scottish Government’s £97 million investment in bursary funds if they are studying a course of further education (FE).

Further help is available related to the nature of any serious and complex long-term health condition and the additional study costs that arise. This is provided across HE and FE in the form of one or more of the Disabled Students Allowance, the Disabled Students Premium, Extended Learning Support and funding for Dominant Programme Group 18. Beyond that, and as set out in Partnership Matters, colleges and universities work with health and social services to agree support packages where the responsibility for meeting all the needs of a student with an underlying medical condition is shared.

The Student Awards Agency for Scotland can extend the number of years whereby a student qualifies for support if study is interrupted due to an underlying medical condition. Universities and colleges will also review their expectations around course progression where such a condition prevents a student from fully engaging with their studies, and will also consider what impact any such condition might have had on attainment leading up to application.