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: S6W-22892

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 13 November 2023
Current Status: Answered by Richard Lochhead on 29 November 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether work has begun on its Innovation Funding Review, in light of its National Innovation Strategy stating that this will be completed by the end of 2023.

Yes, work on the Innovation Funding review, announced in the National Innovation Strategy, is already underway with our enterprise agencies. We are working with stakeholders to announce a consolidated innovation investment programme for 2024-2025.

It is our ambition that through renewing our approach to innovation investment and support, that over the next ten years we become a world leader in our priority areas, that we create jobs and opportunities throughout the country, contributing to our vision of making Scotland one of the most innovative small nations in the world.

Question reference: S6W-22919

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 14 November 2023
Current Status: Answered by Graeme Dey on 28 November 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on when the next round of the Flexible Workforce Development Fund will be announced.

Question reference: S6F-02577

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 27 November 2023
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 30 November 2023

To ask the First Minister when the Scottish Government will publish the results of the A96 Corridor Review.

Question reference: S6W-22884

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 13 November 2023
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 27 November 2023

To ask the Scottish Government which bodies have been contacted or consulted regarding the development of a national digital academy.

Scottish Government are currently developing options for a National Digital Academy.

Initial conversations have been held within the National e-Learning Offer Working Group (which includes representatives from the RICs, EIS, e-Sgoil, WestOS and Education Scotland). In addition, a Discovery process has been undertaken with all 32 local authorities regarding the future of Glow – the National Learning and Teaching Platform which will inform considerations. Further engagement with these parties and others (including direct user research with teachers and learners where required) will take place during the development of the options.

Question reference: S6W-22891

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 13 November 2023
Current Status: Answered by Graeme Dey on 27 November 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether Scotland’s universities will receive the full £5.8 million in regional innovation funding, as announced by the UK Government on 3 October 2023 as Scotland’s share of the UK-wide funding for the initiative, which universities in England are receiving directly via Research England.

The Scottish Government recognises the vital role that universities play in supporting innovation and contributing to economic and societal challenges, as we recently recognised in our National Innovation Strategy.

Following the UK Government’s announcement on a new UK Regional Innovation Fund (RIF), the Scottish Government has been engaging with the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology to understand implications for Scotland. The Scottish Government plans to provide an update shortly.

Question reference: S6W-22888

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 13 November 2023
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 27 November 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether it (a) has carried out and (b) is undertaking any progress reports on the development of a national digital academy, and, if so, where they are published.

Question reference: S6W-22885

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 13 November 2023
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 27 November 2023

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-22502 by Jenny Gilruth on 8 November 2023, whether it will provide the information requested regarding what the total cost has been to date of its development of a national digital academy, and for what reason it did not provide this information in its answer.

Further to the response to question S6W-22502 on 8 November 2023, I would clarify that there have been no costs incurred to date on the development of a National Digital Academy.

As set out, Scottish Government are currently developing options for a National Digital Academy. Once developed, these will include an estimate of future potential costs.

All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers

Question reference: S6W-22887

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 13 November 2023
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 27 November 2023

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-22202 by Jenny Gilruth on 8 November 2023, whether it will provide the information requested regarding how much of the £13 million allocated in its Budget 2023-24 has been allocated to date; which local authorities have received funding; what proportion of the allocated funding each local authority received, and whether there is any remaining funding to allocate; for what reason it did not provide this information in its answer, and, if it has not allocated any of the £13 million to date, whether it will confirm that.

Question reference: S6W-22889

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 13 November 2023
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 27 November 2023

To ask the Scottish Government how many civil servants are currently working on the development of a national digital academy.

Question reference: S6W-22886

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 13 November 2023
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 27 November 2023

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-22203 by Jenny Gilruth on 8 November 2023, whether it will provide the information requested regarding how much of the £140 million to support the roll-out of digital devices in the Capital Spending Review has been allocated to date; for what reason it did not provide this information in its answer, and, if it has not allocated any of the £140 million to date, whether it will confirm that.