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-22879

Asked by: Sharon Dowey, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 13 November 2023
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 27 November 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether it has any plans to introduce legislation to make changes to the Victim Notification Scheme, in light of the publication of the report of the review of the scheme in May 2023.

The Scottish Government commissioned an independent review of the VNS in Spring 2022 to ensure that the scheme was working well for victims. The review published its report and an easy read summary in May this year. It made 22 recommendations for change of the scheme, including in relation to data, evidence and reporting, the information available and communications.

Since May we have been considering the report in collaboration with a range of stakeholders, including criminal justice agencies and victim support organisations, to inform our formal response to the report.

As part of this work, we have been considering how the review’s recommendations could be delivered. This involves a range of possibilities, including primary or secondary legislation, as well as administrative and operational delivery. Where review recommendations may require primary legislation to deliver, we are carefully considering the options available to us for doing this.

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-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-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-22899

Asked by: Jamie Greene, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 13 November 2023
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 27 November 2023

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the report of the National Dental Inspection Programme 2023, for what reason only 21.9% of P7 pupils received a “detailed inspection”, and whether any target was in place for the (a) number and (b) percentage of P7 pupils that should receive a “detailed inspection”, between November 2022 and June 2023.

Question reference: S6W-22881

Asked by: Ariane Burgess, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Monday, 13 November 2023
Current Status: Answered by Mairi McAllan on 27 November 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the recommendations in the final report, Review of the Human Health and Environmental Impacts of Non-Methane Volatile Organic Compound Emissions from Malt Whisky Maturation in Scotland, in light of the evidence that it provides on impacts on human health and the environment.

Question reference: S6W-22872

Asked by: Meghan Gallacher, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 10 November 2023
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 27 November 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether discussions are underway to make BSL a mandatory part of teacher training.

The content of initial teacher education (ITE) programmes are the responsibility of university providers. All ITE programmes are accredited by the General Teaching Council for Scotland (GTCS) based on the Standard for Provisional Registration. The Professional Standards that both student teachers and registered teachers are expected to meet now specifically recognise Additional Support Needs. The Standards ensure that the needs of all learners are assessed and successfully addressed. This is at the heart of all teachers’ work and is recognised throughout the Standards.

Specifically, the GTCS has produced a professional guide “ Teaching and supporting deaf learners ” in partnership with the Scottish Sensory Centre. The purpose of the guide is to provide support for teachers to reflect on their actions and consider whether they may need further advice or professional learning and complements employer’s policies. Supporting learners and other members of the school community who have a sensory impairment is a key part of a teacher’s role. All teachers should know about the implications for learning of having a sensory impairment and should be aware of what support is available.

Question reference: S6W-22857

Asked by: Meghan Gallacher, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 10 November 2023
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 27 November 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what funding is available for BSL lessons for entire classes in schools in which there is a deaf pupil or pupils.

The Scottish Government is committed to improving the experiences and outcomes for young people with additional support needs, which we have outlined in our Programme for Government 2023-24.

The legislative framework is clear about the responsibilities for the provision of additional support for children and young people. Education authorities are under a statutory duty to identify, provide for, and to review the support that they provide for pupils with additional support needs including those who are deaf or deafblind. In our most recently published figures, spending on additional support for learning by authorities reached a record high of £830m.

Modern Languages is one of the eight core curricular areas within Curriculum for Excellence, and British Sign Language (BSL) is one of the languages that can be provided within a school’s language offer to their pupils. While it is the responsibility of local authorities and schools to choose the specific languages covered within their language curriculum, the Scottish Government is taking a range of steps to promote and support BSL learning.

Since 2013, Scottish Government has provided more than £50 million in funding to local authorities and partners to support the teaching of additional languages in schools.

Question reference: S6W-22867

Asked by: Meghan Gallacher, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 10 November 2023
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 27 November 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what work will be conducted with the General Teaching Council for Scotland to facilitate pathways for BSL users to obtain qualified teacher status.

The Scottish Government and the General Teaching Council for Scotland are supportive of pathways that will allow BSL users to obtain qualified teacher status. We have held discussions with the University of Edinburgh about the programme they are currently developing, which aims to include pathways for both hearing and non-hearing students. This is currently undergoing internal university validation.

Question reference: S6W-22855

Asked by: Meghan Gallacher, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 10 November 2023
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 27 November 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what analysis has been undertaken to support the presumption of mainstream education for deaf pupils.

The Guidance on the presumption to provide education in a mainstream setting , published in 2019, was informed by a wide range of information and evidence taking into account all children and young people with additional support needs, including those pupils who are deaf or deafblind.

The presumption of mainstreaming policy and the guidance which supports it enshrines the right of all children and young people with additional support needs to learn in mainstream schools and early learning and childcare settings.