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: S4O-03957

Asked by: Neil Findlay, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 21 January 2015
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 28 January 2015

To ask the Scottish Government what the average college bursary funding is compared with England, Wales and Northern Ireland.

Question reference: S4W-23966

Asked by: Neil Findlay, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 12 January 2015
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 21 January 2015

To ask the Scottish Government how much it has invested in adult learning in each year since 2007.

Adult learning is funded under a number of different portfolios across the Scottish Government. A proportion of local government funding is allocated by each authority for community learning and development who are key providers of community based adult learning. As such community based adult learning, is funded through local authorities and not through Scottish Government directly therefore specific figures are not available. Total portfolio levels are not disaggregated down to adult learning figures. Examples of portfolio funding include workplace adult learning and initiatives to develop the young workforce which were funded through Training, Youth and Women’s Employment.

Education Scotland’s Community Learning and Development Policy and Improvement Team supports the work and outcomes identified in the Strategic Guidance for Community Planning Partnerships: Community Learning and Development and this includes adult learning. Education Scotland has policy responsibility for adult education and this includes Strategic Funding Partnerships with national adult learning organisations who provide adult learning through the third sector. Figures available for the last three years 2012-15 show that Education Scotland has invested £2,133,580 to the development and support of adult learning.

Question reference: S4W-23952

Asked by: Neil Findlay, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 12 January 2015
Current Status: Answered by Roseanna Cunningham on 20 January 2015

To ask the Scottish Government how many modern apprenticeships have been created in each year since 2007, broken down by (a) sector and (b) occupation.

Question reference: S4W-23959

Asked by: Neil Findlay, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 12 January 2015
Current Status: Answered by Roseanna Cunningham on 20 January 2015

To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has for an independent assessment of the outcomes of the modern apprenticeship programme.

Question reference: S4W-23958

Asked by: Neil Findlay, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 12 January 2015
Current Status: Answered by Roseanna Cunningham on 20 January 2015

To ask the Scottish Government how many modern apprentices have remained in employment with the same employer at the end of their apprenticeship.

Question reference: S4W-23964

Asked by: Neil Findlay, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 12 January 2015
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 20 January 2015

To ask the Scottish Government whether an independent assessment has been made of the impact of the small business bonus scheme and, if not, what plans it has to commission such an assessment.

Views on the impact of the small business bonus scheme were expressed in response to the Supporting Business – Promoting Growth Consultation Analysis were analysed and published in September 2013, available at:

www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/2013/09/1530).

The success of the scheme is already indicated in the annual non-domestic rates relief statistics for small business in Scotland, available at:

www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Statistics/Browse/Local-Government-Finance/NDR-Rates-Relief), the latest of which estimate that over 96,000 properties (over two in five rateable properties) are benefiting from the scheme in 2014-15. The scheme's total support for ratepayers is estimated at £166 million this year.

The wider verdict of ratepayers is also clear, with consistent acclaim for the scheme including recognition from the Federation of Small Businesses that it ‘continues to give most Scottish small firms a competitive advantage over counterparts in other parts of the UK’.

Question reference: S4W-23940

Asked by: Neil Findlay, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 12 January 2015
Current Status: Answered by Roseanna Cunningham on 20 January 2015

To ask the Scottish Government in which areas of the economy it has identified skills shortages, and what action it is taking to tackle these.

The UK Employers Skill Survey offers a comprehensive source of information about skill shortages in Scotland. The survey is available to view at:

https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/327492/evidence-report-81-ukces-employer-skills-survey-13-full-report-final.pdf.

Through the development of sectoral Skills Investment Plans (SIP) and Regional Skills Assessments (RSAs) we are working to ensure that Scotland’s skills and education system remains closely aligned with the needs of employers. Whilst the SIPs provide a blueprint for addressing skills supply issues within specific sectors, the RSAs are intended as a resource to inform future investment in skills at a regional level, including the development of College Regional Outcome Agreements.

Question reference: S4W-23963

Asked by: Neil Findlay, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 12 January 2015
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 20 January 2015

To ask the Scottish Government what the criteria are for small businesses seeking support from the small business bonus scheme.

The criteria for eligibility for the Small Business Bonus Scheme are: rateable value of the properties occupied by each ratepayer falling within the thresholds set out in the following table; and that the rateable occupier is not a payday lender.

The table shows the level of relief available under the corresponding rateable value thresholds.

Combined rateable value (RV) of all properties	Small Business Bonus Scheme Relief
Up to £10,000	100% (i.e. no rates payable)
£10,001 to £12,000	50%
£12,001 to £18,000	25%
£18,001 to £35,000	25% on each individual property with a rateable value not exceeding £18,000*

* Allows a ratepayer occupying two or more properties with a cumulative rateable value of under £35,000 to qualify for relief at 25% on individual properties each with rateable value up to £18,000.

Question reference: S4W-23951

Asked by: Neil Findlay, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 12 January 2015
Current Status: Answered by Roseanna Cunningham on 20 January 2015

To ask the Scottish Government how much it has spent on the modern apprenticeship programme in each year since 2007.

Question reference: S4W-23960

Asked by: Neil Findlay, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 12 January 2015
Current Status: Answered by Roseanna Cunningham on 20 January 2015

To ask the Scottish Government how it measures the success and outcomes of the modern apprenticeship programme.