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-12214

Asked by: Tavish Scott, MSP for Shetland Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Friday, 27 October 2017
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 6 November 2017

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-11906 by John Swinney on 25 October 2017, what is its officials' role has been in producing the statements.

Question reference: S5W-12215

Asked by: Tavish Scott, MSP for Shetland Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Friday, 27 October 2017
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 6 November 2017

To ask the Scottish Government further to the answer to question S5W-11902 by John Swinney on 25 October 2017, whether it will provide the information that was requested regarding whether any members of the council advised it of their availability for media interview and, if so, which members.

It is normal practice at ICEA meetings for Council members to agree amongst themselves the nomination of one or more spokespeople to undertake media interviews. Professor Graham Donaldson and Professor Alma Harris made themselves available for interview following the ICEA meeting of 21 September 2017, and Dr Avis Glaze was interviewed on 22 September by the Educational Institute of Scotland (EIS) for its journal.

Question reference: S5W-12218

Asked by: Tavish Scott, MSP for Shetland Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Friday, 27 October 2017
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 6 November 2017

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-11909 by John Swinney on 25 October 2017, on what date in 2018 the two-year appointment of the council expires.

Question reference: S5W-12217

Asked by: Tavish Scott, MSP for Shetland Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Friday, 27 October 2017
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 6 November 2017

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-11909 by John Swinney on 25 October 2017, whether after seeing the report (a) ministers, (b) special advisers and (c) officials are expecting, prior to the council deciding its final wording, to provide it with (i) feedback, (ii) comments on the facts contained therein, (iii) comments on the council's analysis and recommendations and (iv) alternative wording.

Question reference: S5W-12219

Asked by: Tavish Scott, MSP for Shetland Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Friday, 27 October 2017
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 6 November 2017

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-11908 by John Swinney on 25 October 2017, whether it considers that the role of the International Council of Education Advisers should or should not include "second-guessing" the reforms proposed by ministers, and what the reasons are for its position on this matter.

Question reference: S5W-11798

Asked by: Tavish Scott, MSP for Shetland Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Wednesday, 04 October 2017
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 31 October 2017

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to reports that Education Scotland (a) is removing public access to inspection reports more than five years old and (b) has deleted inspection data from before April 2008, and on what date ministers were advised of this policy.

a) The public will continue to be able to access these inspection reports by requesting a copy from Education Scotland. Inspection reports more than five years old will no longer be available via Education Scotland’s website.

b) Education Scotland has not deleted all inspection records from before April 2008 - it holds the most recent inspection report for each school which has been inspected. Centrally-held lists of which individual schools were inspected prior to 2008 had been deleted. Education Scotland has now reconstructed these lists using the range of records they retain.

Question reference: S5W-11888

Asked by: Tavish Scott, MSP for Shetland Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Monday, 09 October 2017
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 31 October 2017

To ask the Scottish Government what the total weekly (a) car and (b) passenger capacity of the timetabled CalMac ferry services between (i) Oban, (ii) Mallaig, (iii) Uig and (iv) Ullapool and the Western Isles was in summer (A) 2007 and (B) 2017, and what the capacity will be when the ferry under construction is introduced to services from Uig.

The requested information is provided in the following table. In 2007 there were no services between Mallaig and the Western Isles.

Total Weekly Car and Passengers Capacity on Timetables Services - covers mainland to Western Isles Routes in summer
Year	Port	Passengers	Cars
2007	Oban	9836	1202
	Uig	25704	3780
	Ullapool	28000	2828
2017	Oban	9920	1468
	Mallaig	7084	686
	Uig	28152	4140
	Ullapool	19600	3640
Post New Uig Vessel
	Oban	9920	1468
	Mallaig	7084	686
	Uig	46000	5198
	Ullapool	19600	3640
Total Weekly Car and Passengers Capacity on Timetables Services - covers mainland to Western Isles Routes in summer
2007		63540	7810
2017		64756	9934
Post New Uig Vessel
		82604	10922

Question reference: S5W-11908

Asked by: Tavish Scott, MSP for Shetland Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Monday, 09 October 2017
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 25 October 2017

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to reported concerns that the International Council of Education Advisers is being asked to "second-guess" reforms proposed by ministers.

Scotland is extremely fortunate to have access to the expertise of our International Council of Education Advisers (ICEA), who have extensive experience advising governments on education leadership, school improvement and reform. The Scottish Government welcomes the independent scrutiny by the ICEA of its reform agenda, which helps to ensure that Scottish education is informed by the best international practice.

Question reference: S5W-11907

Asked by: Tavish Scott, MSP for Shetland Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Monday, 09 October 2017
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 25 October 2017

To ask the Scottish Government on what date it will publish the minutes of the meeting of the International Council of Education Advisers of 21 September 2017.

Question reference: S5W-11902

Asked by: Tavish Scott, MSP for Shetland Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Monday, 09 October 2017
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 25 October 2017

To ask the Scottish Government whether it placed restrictions on members of the International Council of Education Advisers who attended the council on 21 September 2017 interacting with the media and if (a) so, (i) for what reason and (ii) whether it will place a copy of guidance it provided to council members about this in the Scottish Parliament information Centre (SPICe) and (b) not, which members of the council (A) it asked about and (B) informed it regarding their availability for interview; which members of the media it informed about advisers' availability, and how many interviews were conducted.

ICEA members are free to interact with the media. They are independent of the Scottish Government and free to speak to media as and when they wish. Media are also able to approach and contact them to request interviews at any time. Decisions about whether to accept interview requests are a matter for individual ICEA members.

It is normal practice at ICEA meetings for council members to agree amongst themselves the nomination of one or more spokespeople to undertake media interviews.

The ICEA had a prominent programme of events while in Scotland for its third meeting – including headlining an open Q&A at the Scottish Learning Festival and International Improvement Conference for Education. Media attending the regular post-FMQ media briefing were informed in advance about the ICEA meeting on
21 September 2017. A reporter for a national daily newspaper was advised of the availability of ICEA members for interview at the International Improvement Conference for Education.

ICEA members conducted interviews with the Scottish Government’s multi-media unit and the EIS newsletter. No other interview requests were received.