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-34493

Asked by: Bruce Crawford, MSP for Stirling, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 12 January 2021
Current Status: Answered by Paul Wheelhouse on 1 February 2021

To ask the Scottish Government (a) how many and (b) what percentage of (i) households and (ii) business premises have had access to superfast broadband in each year since 2016.

Ofcom has provided the following figures for numbers of properties in Scotland able to access superfast broadband - of 30 Megabits per second (30Mbps) and above - by year.

Unfortunately, the figures provided do not break down between residential and business properties, and only go as far back as 2017:

Year	Properties with superfast coverage (30Mbps+)
2020	2,581,836
2019	2,573,289
2018	2,563,554
2017	2,276,309

However, Ofcom’s Connected Nations annual reports for 2019 and 2020 provide information on coverage percentages across residential and commercial properties in Scotland, as set out in the following table:

Year	Superfast coverage in residential properties (%)	Superfast coverage in commercial properties (%)
2020	94	83
2019	92	83

Prior to 2019, these reports outline coverage percentages by non-SME properties and SME properties:

Year	Superfast coverage in non-SME properties (%)	Superfast coverage in SME properties (%)
2018	92	86
2017	87	78
2016	83	72

More information can be found on Ofcom’s website at https://www.ofcom.org.uk/research-and-data/multi-sector-research/infrastructure-research/connected-nations-2020 .

Question reference: S5W-34494

Asked by: Bruce Crawford, MSP for Stirling, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 12 January 2021
Current Status: Answered by Jeane Freeman on 26 January 2021

To ask the Scottish Government what the total budget for NHS Forth Valley has been in each year since 2007.

I refer the member to the answer to question S5W-27085 on 28 January 2020 which sets out funding for NHS Forth Valley for the years 2006-07 to 2019-20. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.parliament.scot/parliamentarybusiness/28877.aspx .

In 2020-21, additional funding for frontline NHS Boards amounts to £454 million – an increase of 4.2% – with NHS Forth Valley receiving £558.7 million, including £17.3 million increased investment and a share of £461 million to go towards improving patient outcomes.

In addition, £1.1 billion has been allocated to NHS Boards and Integration Authorities in 2020-21 to meet COVID-19 pressures. NHS Forth Valley has received £29.6 million of this funding. Further funding will be made available shortly to ensure that our frontline services continue to have the funding that they require.

The proposed budget 2021-22 position will be set out on 28 January 2021 in the draft Scottish Budget.

Question reference: S5W-34497

Asked by: Bruce Crawford, MSP for Stirling, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 12 January 2021
Current Status: Answered by Maree Todd on 26 January 2021

To ask the Scottish Government how many Baby Boxes have been issued each year in the Stirling Council area.

Registration opened on 15 June 2017, and delivery of Baby Boxes nationwide began on 15 August 2017 for all babies born and resident in Scotland.

We are unable to give the number of Baby Boxes delivered in the Stirling Council area as we only record numbers of Baby Boxes distributed by Health Board. We can provide the number of boxes delivered in Forth Valley Health Board area.

The total number issued in Forth Valley up to 8 January 2021 is 8468 Baby Boxes.

The total breakdown is as follows:

2017(15 August – 31 December)	1132 Baby Boxes
2018	2525 Baby Boxes
2019	2449 Baby Boxes
2020	2311 Baby Boxes
2021(up to 8 January)	51 Baby Boxes

Question reference: S5W-34533

Asked by: Bruce Crawford, MSP for Stirling, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 12 January 2021
Current Status: Answered by Kate Forbes on 25 January 2021

To ask the Scottish Government how much has been spent under the Strategic Framework Business Support Fund.

Question reference: S5W-34528

Asked by: Bruce Crawford, MSP for Stirling, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 12 January 2021
Current Status: Answered by Kate Forbes on 25 January 2021

To ask the Scottish Government how many businesses in the Stirling Council area are exempt from paying non-domestic rates in 2020-21 because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Question reference: S5W-34492

Asked by: Bruce Crawford, MSP for Stirling, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 12 January 2021
Current Status: Answered by Kate Forbes on 25 January 2021

To ask the Scottish Government how many businesses in the Stirling Council area are exempt from non-domestic rates through the Small Business Bonus Scheme.

Question reference: S5W-34499

Asked by: Bruce Crawford, MSP for Stirling, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 12 January 2021
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 22 January 2021

To ask the Scottish Government how much funding has been provided in the Stirling Council area each year from the (a) Attainment Challenge and (b) Pupil Equity Fund, also broken down by how many schools received support.

The Scottish Government has provided funding in the Stirling Council area through three of the workstreams in the Scottish Attainment Challenge. They are the Schools Programme, the Care Experienced Children and Young People Fund and Pupil Equity Funding.

In 2015-16, one school was supported through the Schools Programme. They were allocated £45,600 and spent £39,251.

In 2016-17, two schools were supported through the Schools Programme. They were allocated a combined total of £166,581 and spent £118,916.

In 2017-18, two schools were supported through the Schools Programme. They were allocated a combined total of £180,268 and spent £174,025. A total of 47 schools were supported through Pupil Equity Funding, which was introduced in 2017/18. They were allocated £1,424,400 and spent £862,949 with £561,451 carried over.

In 2018-19, two schools were supported through the Schools Programme. They were allocated a combined total of £181,816 and spent £176,639. A total of 47 schools were supported through Pupil Equity Funding. They were allocated £1,483,440 and spent £1,696,356.26 with £348,535 carried over. Stirling Council was allocated £142,400 and spent £93,392 through the Care Experienced Children and Young People Fund, which was introduced in 2018/19.

In 2019-20, two schools were supported through the Schools Programme. They were allocated a combined total of £181,816 and spent £173,535.50. Through Pupil Equity Funding a total of £1,504,800 was allocated. Spend details and the number of schools supported is not yet available. Stirling Council was allocated £201,600 and spent £201,600 through the Care Experienced Children and Young People Fund.

In 2020-21, two schools are being supported through the Schools Programme. They were allocated a combined total of £181,803. Through Pupil Equity Funding a total of £1,417,866 was allocated to 47 schools. Stirling Council was allocated £218,400 through the Care Experienced Children and Young People Fund. Spend detail is not yet available.

Overall, a total of £7,330,390 has been allocated to Stirling Council and schools in Stirling with 47 schools supported by this funding. The following table illustrates year by year allocations and spending.

	Schools Programme	PEF	CECYP Fund [1]	TOTAL ALLOCATION	TOTAL SPEND	SCHOOLS SUPPORTED
15-16 Allocation	£45,600	-	-	£45,600		1
15-16 Spend	£32,251	-	-		£32,251
16-17 Allocation	£166,581	-	-	£166,581		2
16-17 Spend	£118,916	-	-		£118,916
17-18 Allocation	£180,268	£1,424,000	-	£1,604,268		47
17-18 Spend	£174,025	£862,949	-		£1,036,974
18-19 Allocation	£181,816	£1,483,440	£142,400	£1,807,656		47
18-19 Spend	£176,639	£1,696,356.26	£93,392		£1,966,387
19-20 Allocation	£181,816	£1,504,800	£201,600	£1,888,216		47
19-20 Spend	£173,535.50	TBC	£201,600		£375,135.50 [2]
20-21 Allocation	£181,803	£1,417,866	£218,400	£1,818,069		47
20-21 Spend	TBC	TBC	TBC		TBC
			TOTAL	£7,330,390.00	£3,529,863.76	47 [3]

[1] The CECYP fund is allocated over the academic year as opposed to financial year

[2] 19/20 PEF spend is still to be confirmed

[3] The two schools in the Schools Programme also receive funding through PEF

Question reference: S5O-04960

Asked by: Bruce Crawford, MSP for Stirling, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 20 January 2021
Current Status: Awaiting answer

To ask the Scottish Government what consideration it is giving to providing further support to painters and decorators and food production and distribution businesses in light of the COVID-19 restrictions.

Question reference: S5W-34490

Asked by: Bruce Crawford, MSP for Stirling, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 12 January 2021
Current Status: Answered by Jamie Hepburn on 20 January 2021

To ask the Scottish Government how many modern apprenticeship places there have been in the Stirling Council area in each year since 2015.

Question reference: S5W-34666

Current Status: Withdrawn

Stirling Local Authority Area	2014-15	2015-16	2016-17	2017-18	2018-19	2019-20	2020-21 As at Q2
Number of MA starts	406	411	436	410	436	430	81