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-03338

Asked by: Siobhan McMahon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 12 October 2011
Current Status: Answered by Michael Russell on 25 October 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive what percentage of (a) P3, (b) P5, (c) P7 and (d) S2 pupils has met expected attainment levels in mathematics in each of the last five years, broken down by (i) local authority and (ii) Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation.

Results from the 2008 Scottish Survey of Achievement, which covered mathematics, are available on the government website using the following link http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/2009/04/02133043/0.

The publication includes analysis using the Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation. Nineteen local authority chose to increase the number of their pupils involved in order to receive local authority analysis, and these data are also included on the website.

Information is not available for the other years.

Question reference: S4W-03336

Asked by: Siobhan McMahon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 12 October 2011
Current Status: Answered by Michael Russell on 25 October 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive what percentage of (a) P3, (b) P5, (c) P7 and (d) S2 pupils has met expected attainment levels of writing in each of the last five years broken down by (i) local authority and (ii) Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation.

Results from the 2009 Scottish Survey of Achievement, which covered writing, are available on the government website using the following link http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/2010/02/22135127/0.

The publication includes analysis using the Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation. No local authority data are available.

Information is not available for the other years.

The Scottish Survey of Literacy and Numeracy will report on writing at P4, P7 and S2 following the 2012 survey.

Question reference: S4W-03340

Asked by: Siobhan McMahon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 12 October 2011
Current Status: Answered by Michael Russell on 25 October 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive what percentage of (a) P3, (b) P5, (c) P7 and (d) S2 pupils has met expected attainment levels in numeracy in each of the last five years, broken down by (i) local authority and (ii) Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation.

Results from the 2008 Scottish Survey of Achievement, which covered mathematics, including numeracy, are available on the government website using the following link http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/2009/04/02133043/0.

Information is not available for the other years.

The Scottish Survey of Literacy and Numeracy will report on numeracy at P4, P7 and S2, in February 2012.

Question reference: S4W-03334

Asked by: Siobhan McMahon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 12 October 2011
Current Status: Answered by Michael Russell on 25 October 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive what percentage of (a) P3, (b) P5, (c) P7 and (d) S2 pupils has met expected attainment levels in reading in each of the last five years, broken down by (i) local authority and (ii) Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation.

Results from the 2009 Scottish Survey of Achievement, which covered reading, are available on the government website using the following link http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/2010/02/22135127/0.

The publication includes analysis using the Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation. No local authority data are available.

Information is not available for the other years.

The Scottish Survey of Literacy and Numeracy will report on reading at P4, P7 and S2 following the 2012 survey.

Question reference: S4W-02242

Asked by: Siobhan McMahon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 16 August 2011
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 23 September 2011

Total Scottish Government expenditure on hospitality for the financial year 2008-09 (April 2008 to March 2009) was £1,186,757 and for the financial year 2009-10 (April 2009 to March 2010) was £1,174,119. Due to changes in the internal structure of the Scottish Government it is not possible to provide a breakdown of these amounts on a comparable basis to the following figures.

Therefore expenditure on hospitality by Director General is shown for the financial year 2010-11 (April 2010 to March 2011) and is set out in the following table. This table includes all expenditure recorded on the Scottish Government accounting system as hospitality.

	Financial Year
	2010-11
	£
Director General Enterprise and Environment	234,274
Director General Finance	15,580
Director General Governance and Communities	327,109
Director General Health and Social Care	83,624
Director General Learning and Justice	105,214
Total	765,801

All expenditure detailed in the table is incurred in accordance with internal guidance on the provision of hospitality and includes the costs of ministerial events with external stakeholders. The guidance outlines the circumstances and range of official hospitality that justifies funding, subject to the appropriate authorisation being granted by the approving officer; this may extend to including the cost of a venue selected for a conference. Hospitality may include:

hospitality for official visitors, including civil servants from other Government Departments and visitors from overseas;
light refreshments for meetings;
working lunches within and outwith the normal workplace, and
special occasions.

Question reference: S4W-02354

Asked by: Siobhan McMahon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 25 August 2011
Current Status: Answered by Alasdair Allan on 21 September 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive what the drop-out rate is for each apprenticeship scheme.

Question reference: S4W-02355

Asked by: Siobhan McMahon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 25 August 2011
Current Status: Answered by Alasdair Allan on 21 September 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive which apprenticeship schemes classify participants as being employed by the organisation delivering the scheme.

Question reference: S4W-02353

Asked by: Siobhan McMahon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 25 August 2011
Current Status: Answered by Alasdair Allan on 21 September 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive what qualifications are awarded on completion of each apprenticeship scheme.

Certification is the responsibility of the relevant Sector Skills Council. However, as a minimum apprentices will achieve an SVQ at the appropriate level for their role, between SVQ levels 2-5. They will also achieve core skills, again at varying levels appropriate to their role. On completion, the apprentice will be awarded an appropriate modern apprenticeship certificate issued by the relevant Sector Skills Council.

Question reference: S4W-02356

Asked by: Siobhan McMahon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 25 August 2011
Current Status: Answered by Alasdair Allan on 21 September 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive which apprenticeship schemes are delivered by (a) charitable and (b) commercial organisations.

Question reference: S4W-02352

Asked by: Siobhan McMahon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 25 August 2011
Current Status: Answered by Alasdair Allan on 21 September 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive what the average duration is of an apprenticeship in each scheme.