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-03857

Asked by: Tavish Scott, MSP for Shetland Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Tuesday, 18 October 2016
Current Status: Answered by Mark McDonald on 3 November 2016

To ask the Scottish Government when it expects to publish (a) the findings of and (b) a response to its consultation, A Blueprint for 2020: Expansion of Early Learning and Childcare in Scotland.

Question reference: S5W-03845

Asked by: Tavish Scott, MSP for Shetland Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Tuesday, 18 October 2016
Current Status: Answered by Mark McDonald on 3 November 2016

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide updates on the work of the (a) Early Learning and Childcare Strategic Evidence Group, (b) Early Learning and Childcare Strategic Forum and (c) Early Learning and Out of School Care Workforce and Quality Group since each was established.

Early Learning and Childcare Strategic Forum

The Early Leaning and Childcare Strategic Forum is chaired by me and has met three times since its inception. It's remit is to help develop the strategy for a high quality and flexible early learning and childcare sector – independent with out of school care - that is affordable and accessible for all. It is scheduled to next meet on 17 November.

Workforce and Quality Group

The Workforce and Quality group was established in January 2016 to consider a range of issues around ensuring quality of early learning and childcare. The group was formerly the Core Reference Group for Professor Siraj’s independent review of early learning and out of school care workforce, and since January 2016, has discussed and provided advice on issues arising from the recommendations of the review, including the training and qualifications of the workforce and the challenges around expanding the workforce significantly to deliver the 1140 hours expansion from 2020.

Strategic Evidence Group

The Strategic Evidence Group has completed a mapping of the current evidence landscape to identify current evidence, research and gaps; inform future monitoring and evaluation; and, to commission further research. It has also had input to or oversight of a number of specific projects such as the Financial Review; 2 year olds research; and the ELC Census Development Advisory Group; as well as research undertaken by member organisations.

Question reference: S5W-03858

Asked by: Tavish Scott, MSP for Shetland Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Tuesday, 18 October 2016
Current Status: Answered by Mark McDonald on 3 November 2016

To ask the Scottish Government how it will determine that its good-design guidance for early learning and childcare settings that is referred to in its consultation, A Blueprint for 2020: Expansion of Early Learning and Childcare in Scotland, meets its commitment for it to be “leading".

Question reference: S5W-03885

Asked by: Tavish Scott, MSP for Shetland Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Tuesday, 18 October 2016
Current Status: Answered by Mark McDonald on 3 November 2016

To ask the Scottish Government, further to reported comments by the First Minister on 15 October 2016, and in light of its proposed changes to early learning and childcare, whether it will provide details on the opt-out scheme for parents.

Question reference: S5W-03886

Asked by: Tavish Scott, MSP for Shetland Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Tuesday, 18 October 2016
Current Status: Answered by Mark McDonald on 3 November 2016

To ask the Scottish Government, further to reported comments by the First Minister on 15 October 2016, what assessment it has carried out of the (a) workforce, (b) infrastructure and (c) funding requirements prior to implementing changes to the delivery of early learning and childcare.

Question reference: S5W-03884

Asked by: Tavish Scott, MSP for Shetland Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Tuesday, 18 October 2016
Current Status: Answered by Mark McDonald on 3 November 2016

To ask the Scottish Government, further to reported comments by the First Minister on 15 October 2016, and in light of its proposed changes to early learning and childcare, what it defines as “purchasing a suitable place directly”, and how it will inform parents of this option.

Question reference: S5W-03854

Asked by: Tavish Scott, MSP for Shetland Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Tuesday, 18 October 2016
Current Status: Answered by Mark McDonald on 3 November 2016

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the publication of its consultation, A Blueprint for 2020: Expansion of Early Learning and Childcare in Scotland, what good-design guidance for early learning and childcare from around the world will it use to assess whether its own guidance in 2017 meets its commitment for it to be “leading".

Developing the new good design guidance will involve looking at leading practice in Scotland and further afield. It is too early to say which specific countries will be looked at in developing the guidance, although this is likely to encompass countries both within and beyond Europe. Direct input from both the Care Inspectorate, based on latest inspection evidence, and the Scottish Futures Trust, based on their experiences of overseeing development of the ‘Scotland’s Schools of the Future’ programme, will ensure that the guidance developed is of high quality.

Question reference: S5W-03856

Asked by: Tavish Scott, MSP for Shetland Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Tuesday, 18 October 2016
Current Status: Answered by Mark McDonald on 3 November 2016

To ask the Scottish Government when the next financial review of early learning and childcare will be published.

Question reference: S5W-04062

Asked by: Tavish Scott, MSP for Shetland Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Wednesday, 26 October 2016
Current Status: Answered by Kevin Stewart on 3 November 2016

To ask the Scottish Government whether the Highland Self Build Loan Fund will be expanded to Shetland.

Question reference: S5W-04012

Asked by: Tavish Scott, MSP for Shetland Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Tuesday, 25 October 2016
Current Status: Answered by Mark McDonald on 3 November 2016

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide details of its plans to distribute baby boxes on a pilot basis.

In order to test the Baby Box, its contents and the logistics around registration and delivery, we are running two pilots starting in January 2017.

The pilots will take place in Clackmannanshire and Orkney. These areas have been chosen for their geographical location and the diversity of their populations.

The first 200 babies born across both areas will receive a Baby Box, which will also allow us to gather feedback from parents on the contents of the Box, and how they have used it.