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-11794

Asked by: Tavish Scott, MSP for Shetland Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Wednesday, 04 October 2017
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 24 October 2017

To ask the Scottish Government further to the comment in its news release of 22 September 2017, Improving education, that it will only have access to national level data from standardised national assessments, what information will be accessible from local authorities through freedom of information legislation, and whether this will include (a) class- and (b) school-level data and results.

Question reference: S5W-11799

Asked by: Tavish Scott, MSP for Shetland Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Wednesday, 04 October 2017
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 24 October 2017

To ask the Scottish Government what rules govern the length of time that school inspection reports should be (a) available to the public and (b) retained by (i) Education Scotland and (ii) other public bodies.

Question reference: S5W-11796

Asked by: Tavish Scott, MSP for Shetland Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Wednesday, 04 October 2017
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 24 October 2017

To ask the Scottish Government whether local authorities setting time windows in which they expect standardised national assessments to be conducted is consistent with guidance issued by it, and which local authorities are engaging in this practice.

Question reference: S5W-11828

Asked by: Tavish Scott, MSP for Shetland Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Thursday, 05 October 2017
Current Status: Answered by Roseanna Cunningham on 24 October 2017

To ask the Scottish Government whether waste-to-energy incineration in Shetland is classed as recycling.

Question reference: S5W-11795

Asked by: Tavish Scott, MSP for Shetland Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Wednesday, 04 October 2017
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 24 October 2017

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the comment in its news release of 22 September 2017, Improving education, that it will only have access to national level data from standardised national assessments, whether the (a) tender and (b) contract for the provision of the current national tests specified that ministers should be able to access all data and, in light of the announcement, whether it now plans to permanently remove any such entitlement.

Question reference: S5W-11608

Asked by: Tavish Scott, MSP for Shetland Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Thursday, 28 September 2017
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 16 October 2017

To ask the Scottish Government when the outcome of the freight ferries review affecting Orkney and Shetland will be announced, in light of an email from Transport Scotland to a freight company dated 19 September 2017, which states that further information will be provided “later this summer”.

Following a commitment in the Ferries Plan 2013-2022, Transport Scotland, under guidance of a Working Group of key stakeholders, is currently conducting a comprehensive review of ferry freight fares.

The review has proved to be complex and has raised a number of technical points that have to be addressed, and identified some existing anomalies within the current fares structure.

Significant progress has been made, however I need to undertake further exploration with my officials in relation to several specific aspects raised by the review. Accordingly, I am not yet in a position to make a firm announcement at this moment, but hope to do so once these aspects have been fully worked through and conclusions reached.

Question reference: S5W-11829

Asked by: Tavish Scott, MSP for Shetland Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Thursday, 05 October 2017
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 16 October 2017

To ask the Scottish Government when it expects ferry fares to (a) Shetland and (b) Orkney to be reduced.

Question reference: S5W-11269

Asked by: Tavish Scott, MSP for Shetland Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Wednesday, 13 September 2017
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 9 October 2017

To ask the Scottish Government when the Assessment and National Qualifications Group will next meet.

The Education Governance: Next Steps document sets out a commitment to establish a Scottish Education Council. As part of that process, we are reviewing existing governance structures, including the Curriculum for Excellence Management Board, the Curriculum for Excellence Implementation Group and the Assessment and National Qualifications (ANQ) Group.

Regardless of any future changes, we remain committed to reviewing National 4 as a matter of priority. As part of this, officials will meet with members of the Assessment and National Qualifications Group on 25 October to discuss National 4.

Question reference: S5W-11472

Asked by: Tavish Scott, MSP for Shetland Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Thursday, 21 September 2017
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 5 October 2017

To ask the Scottish Government when the support it plans to give island authorities wishing to establish single authority models of delivering local services will become available.

Question reference: S5W-11473

Asked by: Tavish Scott, MSP for Shetland Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Thursday, 21 September 2017
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 2 October 2017

To ask the Scottish Government what support it plans to give island authorities wishing to establish single authority models of delivering local services.

The Scottish Government will consider all specific requests for assistance from the Islands Councils and other partners as they work with stakeholders, including trade unions and communities, to develop proposals for single public authority models of delivering local services. The proposals must clearly show how they will improve people’s lives, create efficiencies and protect local democracy and our NHS.