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-27330

Asked by: Margaret McDougall, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 04 September 2015
Current Status: Answered by Fergus Ewing on 16 September 2015

To ask the Scottish Government what preparations it has made to reduce the impact of the closure of Longannet power station.

Since Scottish Power announced on 23 March 2015 the likelihood that Longannet would close in March 2016, the Scottish Government has been working closely with Fife Council and other public agencies to consider the impact of closure and secure the best possible outcome for those affected. As part of that process I co-chaired two meetings of relevant organisations with Councillor David Ross, Leader of Fife Council, on 20 May and 25 June.

When the decision to close Longannet was announced on 18 August 2015, the Scottish Government established a Longannet Taskforce to support the workers, businesses and communities impacted by Scottish Power’s decision. The taskforce, which I co-chair with Councillor Ross met for the first time on 24 August 2015 and brought together key partners to co-ordinate the development of a joint, multi-agency plan to mitigate the economic impacts of Longannet’s closure. The taskforce will develop an economic recovery plan to:

Help ensure individuals employed at the site are supported, maximising each individual’s opportunity to secure alternative employment;

Support the communities impacted by the closure;

Mitigate the effects on the supply chain;

Produce a masterplan for the long term future of the site, maximising the employment potential of the site; and

Consider the economic infrastructure of the local area, to identify how to create sustainable employment in the longer term.

The next meeting of the Longannet Taskforce is scheduled for 29 September 2015.

Question reference: S4O-04578

Asked by: Margaret McDougall, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 09 September 2015
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 16 September 2015

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will publish the business cases that were prepared in advance of the establishment of Police Scotland and the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service.

Question reference: S4O-04468

Asked by: Margaret McDougall, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 10 June 2015
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 17 June 2015

To ask the Scottish Government what recent discussions it has had with the UK Government regarding securing the future of Glasgow Prestwick Airport.

Question reference: S4W-25351

Asked by: Margaret McDougall, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 23 April 2015
Current Status: Answered by Richard Lochhead on 8 May 2015

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with port authorities regarding improvements to plug-in points at ports so that potatoes can be stored in Scotland for export rather than be transported to England.

Question reference: S4O-04324

Asked by: Margaret McDougall, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 06 May 2015
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 14 May 2015

To ask the Scottish Government what progress it is making in setting up the public consultation on fracking.

Question reference: S4W-25165

Asked by: Margaret McDougall, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 20 April 2015
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 5 May 2015

To ask the Scottish Government what it is doing to ensure that college students are receiving sufficient financial support.

In the current academic year we are investing a record £104 million in further education student support meaning that students can receive bursaries of up to £93.03 per week. College bursaries rose in line with inflation in 2014-15 and will do so again in 2015-16. Unlike the UK Government, we have also retained the Education Maintenance Allowance.

For those students studying higher education courses at college (HNC/HND), a minimum income guarantee of £7,500 is available for those with a household income of less than £17,000. All students, irrespective of circumstances, are eligible for a student loan of £4,750.

Each college also operates a discretionary fund. These funds are intended to provide assistance for students in financial difficulties in order for them to access and/or continue their studies.

Question reference: S4W-25163

Asked by: Margaret McDougall, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 20 April 2015
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 5 May 2015

To ask the Scottish Government whether it considers it appropriate to advise colleges to use depreciation funds to cover shortfalls in student support funds and what it is doing to assist colleges that do not have such funds available.

Question reference: S4W-25162

Asked by: Margaret McDougall, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 20 April 2015
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 5 May 2015

To ask the Scottish Government what it is doing to address the reported £7 million shortfall in student support funding.

With the Scottish Funding Council (SFC), we have agreed with colleges that the estimated shortfall in further education (FE) student support will be met in 2014-15 through the redirection of funds previously earmarked for depreciation.

We are working closely with the SFC, Colleges Scotland and the sector to develop a way forward for 2015-16 which will ensure that students are supported. This work will build on the SFC’s recent review of FE student support.

In the first instance, SFC will ensure that student support allocations for 2015-16 are more closely aligned to actual need based on the results of last year’s redistribution exercise.

Question reference: S4W-25164

Asked by: Margaret McDougall, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 20 April 2015
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 5 May 2015

To ask the Scottish Government what the total budget for further education student support funding has been (a) across Scotland and (b) for Ayrshire College in each year since 2007.

Since 2006-07, the total further education (FE) student support budget has increased by 29% in real terms, and the corresponding increase in Ayrshire is 47%.

	Total FE Student Support(£m)	Ayrshire College* FE Student Support(£m)
2006-07	67.3	5.7
2007-08	69.6	5.8
2008-09	72.3	6.0
2009-10	78.9	6.6
2010-11	83.8	8.5
2011-12	95.5	8.5
2012-13	95.5	8.8
2013-14	102.8	9.2
2014-15	104.01	9.3
2015-16 (planned)	105.3	10.2

Source: Scottish Funding Council

*Figures for Ayrshire College include the transfer of student support funds for the Kilwinning campus of the former James Watt College.

Question reference: S4O-04241

Asked by: Margaret McDougall, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 15 April 2015
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 23 April 2015

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to reports that Ayrshire College is facing a shortfall in student support funding.