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-07350

Asked by: Richard Baker, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 21 May 2012
Current Status: Answered by Michael Russell on 30 May 2012

To ask the Scottish Executive what percentage of primary 1 to 3 pupils in (a) Aberdeen and (b) Aberdeenshire primary schools was in a class size of (a) 18 and under, (b) 19 to 25, (c) 26 to 30 and (d) over 30 in each year from 2007-08 to 2011-12.

Data for the respective years in Aberdeen City and Aberdeenshire are shown in the following tables.

(a) Percentage of P1-P3 pupils in Aberdeen City primary schools, by size of class:

	2007	2008	2009	2010	2011
1-18	9	7	8	12	17
19-25	68	71	62	59	55
26-30	24	22	30	29	29
over 30	0	0	1	0	0

Notes:

1. Percentages may not add to 100 due to rounding.

2. The percentage of P1-P3 pupils in classes of 18 or fewer include two-teacher classes with 36 or less. Classes taught by two teachers at all times are treated as two classes of half the size.

(b) Percentage of P1-P3 pupils in Aberdeenshire primary schools, by size of class:

	2007	2008	2009	2010	2011
1-18	16	13	13	13	11
19-25	67	68	64	66	67
26-30	17	18	22	22	22
over 30	0	0	0	0	0

Notes:

1. Percentages may not add to 100 due to rounding.

2. The percentage of P1-P3 pupils in classes of 18 or fewer include two-teacher classes with 36 or less. Classes taught by two teachers at all times are treated as two classes of half the size.

Question reference: S4W-07296

Asked by: Richard Baker, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 17 May 2012
Current Status: Answered by Keith Brown on 30 May 2012

To ask the Scottish Executive what recent discussions it has had with Network Rail on the potential for reopening the railway station at (a) Kintore and (b) Newtonhill.

Transport Scotland officials regularly meet with representatives with Network Rail on the potential re-opening of Kintore station as it forms part of the Aberdeen to Inverness Rail Improvements Project.

In addition, we have regular discussions about the development of the Aberdeen to Central Belt Rail Enhancement Scheme. This project is in the early stages of development, as such, we are unable to consider any station proposals south of Aberdeen, such as Newtonhill at present.

Question reference: S4W-07351

Asked by: Richard Baker, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 21 May 2012
Current Status: Answered by Michael Russell on 25 May 2012

To ask the Scottish Executive how many teachers have been employed in (a) primary and (b) secondary schools in (i) Aberdeen and (ii) Aberdeenshire in each of the last three years.

Question reference: S4W-07198

Asked by: Richard Baker, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 14 May 2012
Current Status: Answered by Keith Brown on 25 May 2012

To ask the Scottish Executive what the estimated cost is of the planned improvements to the Haudagain roundabout.

Question reference: S4W-07200

Asked by: Richard Baker, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 14 May 2012
Current Status: Answered by Keith Brown on 25 May 2012

To ask the Scottish Executive what the estimated cost is of dualling the A90 between Balmedie and Tipperty.

The current estimated cost of the A90 Balmedie to Tipperty scheme is £51-64 million (excluding VAT). However the estimated cost will have to be reviewed and updated as part of the overall package of work to be included in the Aberdeen western peripheral route/Balmedie to Tipperty non profit distributing model form of contract. This review will be undertaken prior to commencement of the procurement process.

Question reference: S4W-07199

Asked by: Richard Baker, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 14 May 2012
Current Status: Answered by Keith Brown on 25 May 2012

To ask the Scottish Executive what funding has been allocated for dualling the A90 between Balmedie and Tipperty.

Question reference: S4W-07197

Asked by: Richard Baker, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 14 May 2012
Current Status: Answered by Keith Brown on 25 May 2012

To ask the Scottish Executive what funding is allocated for improvements to the Haudagain roundabout.

Question reference: S4W-07201

Asked by: Richard Baker, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 14 May 2012
Current Status: Answered by Alasdair Allan on 24 May 2012

To ask the Scottish Executive how many hours of physical education are given to pupils in each (a) primary and (b) secondary school in (i) Aberdeen and (ii) Aberdeenshire.

The latest information available on the amount of physical education provided to pupils in schools was collected in April 2005 and was published in Tables 1 and 2 of the Progress towards the recommendations of the Physical Education Review Group publication. This is published on the Scottish Government website at: http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/2005/11/PEReport2005.

We are currently collecting information on whether schools are meeting the target of two hours of physical education a week in primary and two periods of at least 50 minutes in S1 to S4. This collection does not include details of the exact number of hours provided, only whether the target has been met. Information on Physical Education provision along with other information will be published in the compendium publication Summary Statistics for attainment, leaver destinations and healthy living, No 2: 2012 Edition on 25 June 2012.

The Scottish Government is committed to two hours of PE being provided in primaries and two periods in S1-S4 by 2014.

Question reference: S4W-07120

Asked by: Richard Baker, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 11 May 2012
Current Status: Answered by Michael Russell on 23 May 2012

To ask the Scottish Executive what proportion of pupils has not reached the relevant 5 to 14 attainment levels in (a) Aberdeen and (b) Aberdeenshire in each year since 2003, broken down by (i) age and (ii) subject.

Question reference: S4W-07121

Asked by: Richard Baker, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 11 May 2012
Current Status: Answered by Michael Russell on 23 May 2012

To ask the Scottish Executive what percentage of children has left primary school in (a) Aberdeen and (b) Aberdeenshire with the required level of competency in (i) arithmetic, (ii) reading and (iii) writing in each year since 2003.