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: S5O-00746

Asked by: George Adam, MSP for Paisley, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 01 March 2017
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 8 March 2017

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to improve attainment in schools.

The Scottish Government has committed £750m during the course of this Parliament through the Attainment Scotland Fund to provide targeted support for children, schools and communities to close the poverty related attainment gap.

In 2017-18 £120m will be allocated directly to Headteachers on the basis of the numbers of pupils in P1-S3 known to be eligible and registered for free school meals, at a rate of £1,200 per pupil. This funding is on top of the existing £50m Attainment Scotland Funding that will continue to provide targeted support to specific Scottish Attainment Challenge authorities and schools in the communities with high levels of deprivation as well as a number of national programmes.

Question reference: S5O-00701

Asked by: George Adam, MSP for Paisley, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 22 February 2017
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 1 March 2017

To ask the Scottish Government how the historic environment can promote culture in towns and cities.

Question reference: S5O-00682

Asked by: George Adam, MSP for Paisley, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 15 February 2017
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 22 February 2017

To ask the Scottish Government how it ensures that the environmental standards in towns and cities help promote Scotland's image.

Question reference: S5W-06340

Asked by: George Adam, MSP for Paisley, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 19 January 2017
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 2 February 2017

To ask the Scottish Government how it is supporting communities and the third sector to develop new ways to overcome disadvantage.

A key theme of our funding for the third sector is to maximise the impact of the sector in reducing inequality, and working with communities to tackle tough social issues at source.

For example, over the next two years the Scottish Government will provide £29 million, including £12 million from the European Social Fund, to provide direct support to help Scotland’s social economy and communities to develop innovative and sustainable solutions to poverty.

Our £20 million Empowering Communities Fund also provides local groups the funding and support they need to address local needs and priorities in our most disadvantaged, fragile and rural communities.

Question reference: S5O-00530

Asked by: George Adam, MSP for Paisley, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 21 December 2016
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 11 January 2017

To ask the Scottish Government how it is promoting culture in towns and cities.

Question reference: S5O-00470

Asked by: George Adam, MSP for Paisley, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 07 December 2016
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 14 December 2016

To ask the Scottish Government what analysis it has made of the impact on the Scottish economy of the UK Government's Brexit strategy.

Question reference: S5O-00351

Asked by: George Adam, MSP for Paisley, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 09 November 2016
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 16 November 2016

To ask the Scottish Government what the implications on the justice system are of leaving the EU.

Question reference: S5O-00170

Asked by: George Adam, MSP for Paisley, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 14 September 2016
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 21 September 2016

To ask the Scottish Government how culture can be used as a means to promote towns and provide a sense of community.

The Scottish Government places great importance on Culture and Heritage as they make an invaluable contribution to our quality of life and wellbeing, bringing real social and economic benefits to people and our communities, towns and villages. Creative Scotland, EventScotland and Historic Environment Scotland promote the rich local culture and traditions of our towns in many different ways.

Question reference: S5O-00118

Asked by: George Adam, MSP for Paisley, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 31 August 2016
Current Status: Answered by Aileen Campbell on 8 September 2016

To ask the Scottish Government how sport can help improve health, education and wellbeing.

There is clear evidence to show the value of sport and physical activity in improving physical and mental health. That is why we are committed to getting more people more active, more often. But we also know that being active improves education outcomes. A recent study by researchers at Strathclyde and Dundee Universities has shown a clear link between increased exercise and improved exam success in English, Maths and Science.

Question reference: S5W-02261

Asked by: George Adam, MSP for Paisley, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 31 August 2016
Current Status: Initiated by the Scottish Government. Answered by Joe FitzPatrick on 1 September 2016

To ask the Scottish Government what changes have been made to parliamentary liaison officer appointments following changes to the Ministerial Code.

The First Minister has made changes to the appointed parliamentary liaison officers (PLOs) following the recent update of the Ministerial code. The revised list of PLOs are set out in the following table. PLOs will assist in developing and maintaining a positive and constructive relationship between the Scottish Parliament and the Scottish Government. PLOs are unpaid, are not members of the government and are not, therefore, bound by collective responsibility.

Parliamentary Liaison Officer	Portfolio
Ben Macpherson MSP Gail Ross MSP	Office of the First Minister
Mairi Evans MSP	Communities, Social Security and Equalities
Ash Denham MSP	Culture, Tourism and External Affairs
Ivan McKee MSP	Economy, Jobs and Fair Work
Jenny Gilruth MSP	Education and Skills
Gillian Martin MSP	Environment, Climate Change and Land Reform
Kate Forbes MSP	Finance and Constitution
Fulton MacGregor MSP	Health and Sport
Tom Arthur MSP	Justice
Emma Harper MSP	Rural Economy and Connectivity