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: S5W-27052

Asked by: Neil Findlay, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 21 January 2020
Current Status: Answered by Derek Mackay on 29 January 2020

To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to assess alternatives to public private partnerships to finance its future infrastructure projects.

Question reference: S5W-27049

Asked by: Neil Findlay, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 21 January 2020
Current Status: Answered by Derek Mackay on 29 January 2020

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the reported criticism of this model of financing from stakeholders, reports that other European nations no longer favour such an approach and issues such as the delay to the opening of the Royal Hospital for Children and Young People in Edinburgh, for what reason the various forms of public private partnerships continue to be favoured, and what plans it has to end their use.

The constraints and tight limits on Scottish Government capital borrowing under the Fiscal Framework make revenue finance a necessity to build the infrastructure we need. Were broader borrowing powers available to the Scottish Government, as with the comparator sovereign nations identified in the question, we could revisit consideration of the best tools and approaches to deploy.

The Scottish Government are continually seeking ways to deliver the best value for the public purse, which is why we introduced Growth Accelerators, and together with Cosla, a new mechanism to finance new schools. We are always open to engaging with relevant stakeholders on improving investment models that would deliver best value.

Question reference: S5W-26993

Asked by: Neil Findlay, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 16 January 2020
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 28 January 2020

To ask the Scottish Government how many pupils in (a) P1 to P3 and (b) P4 to P7 have been taught in class sizes of (i) fewer than 18, (ii) 19 to 25, (iii) 26 to 30 and (iv) more than 30 pupils in each of the last 10 years.

A) Pupils in P1-P3 by class size and year.

P1-P3 pupils by class size and year
Year	Class size				Total P1-P3 Pupils
Year	1 – 18	19 – 25	26 – 30	>30
2010	35,176	84,619	38,623	249	158,667
2011	32,580	91,620	36,679	757	161,636
2012	31,101	95,898	37,805	473	165,277
2013	22,992	102,849	42,908	736	169,485
2014	22,138	103,968	45,539	470	172,115
2015	20,999	104,426	46,489	658	172,572
2016	21,906	104,517	45,486	807	172,716
2017	20,997	106,023	44,340	625	171,985
2018	20,613	104,453	44,362	350	169,778
2019	20,591	103,326	43,410	224	167,551

B) Pupils in P4-P7 by class size and year.

P4-P7 pupils by class size and year
Year	Class Size				Total P4-P7 Pupils
Year	1 – 18	19 – 25	26 – 30	>30
2010	19,265	91,705	63,765	31,924	206,659
2011	16,007	94,188	63,513	31,085	204,793
2012	17,655	91,076	65,970	30,702	205,403
2013	15,042	92,372	67,334	33,149	207,897
2014	14,982	91,396	69,738	36,981	213,097
2015	13,972	92,208	73,583	38,813	218,576
2016	13,148	92,033	74,940	43,860	223,981
2017	13,366	92,961	76,782	45,218	228,327
2018	13,713	95,373	78,569	42,843	230,498
2019	14,378	96,793	76,788	43,284	231,243

Question reference: S5W-26995

Asked by: Neil Findlay, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 16 January 2020
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 24 January 2020

To ask the Scottish Government how many pupils in (a) S1 to S3 and (b) S4 to S7 have been taught in class sizes of (i) fewer than 18, (ii) 19 to 25, (iii) 26 to 30 and (iv) more than 30 pupils in each of the last 10 years.

Question reference: S5W-26997

Asked by: Neil Findlay, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 16 January 2020
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 24 January 2020

To ask the Scottish Government what the average class size has been in (a) P1 to P3, (b) P4 to P7, (c) S1 to S3 and (d) S4 to S6 in each of the last 10 years.

The Scottish Government does not collect information on class sizes in the secondary sector. Information on average class sizes for P1-P3 and P4-P7 is presented in Table 1.

Table 1 - average class size for P1-P3 pupils and P4-P7 pupils, 2010-2019
Year	P1-P3	P4-P7
2010	23.2	25.9
2011	22.5	25.3
2012	22.6	25.2
2013	23.2	25.5
2014	23.3	25.7
2015	23.3	25.8
2016	23.3	26.0
2017	23.2	26.0
2018	23.2	25.9
2019	23.2	25.9
Data refers to the average class size of pupils in each stage, not the average class size of single stage classes.

Question reference: S5W-26702

Asked by: Neil Findlay, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 10 December 2019
Current Status: Answered by Jeane Freeman on 23 January 2020

To ask the Scottish Government how much funding it has set aside to bring the mesh surgeon, Dr Veronikis, to Scotland.

Question reference: S5W-26679

Asked by: Neil Findlay, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 09 December 2019
Current Status: Answered by Jeane Freeman on 23 January 2020

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on what progress is being made in bringing the mesh surgeon, Dr Veronikis, to Scotland, and whether (a) his visit has received GMC approval and (b) a contract of employment been drawn up.

Question reference: S5W-26831

Asked by: Neil Findlay, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 06 January 2020
Current Status: Answered by Jeane Freeman on 23 January 2020

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will set up a fund to provide financial assistance to women injured or disabled by transvaginal mesh.

Question reference: S5W-26891

Asked by: Neil Findlay, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 08 January 2020
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 22 January 2020

To ask the Scottish Government which organisation is contracted to provide (a) GP and (b) nursing services at HMP Addiewell.

Question reference: S5W-26941

Asked by: Neil Findlay, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 13 January 2020
Current Status: Answered by Derek Mackay on 21 January 2020

To ask the Scottish Government what the associated costs are of recruiting the new Chief Executive of the Scottish National Investment Bank.