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-11789

Asked by: Jamie Greene, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 03 October 2017
Current Status: Answered by Keith Brown on 1 November 2017

To ask the Scottish Government by what date it plans to have the new 35km of cycle track completed to connect the A9 route to the wider national cycle network to encourage more cycling on the North Coast 500 route.

35 km of new cycle track will be included as part of the A9 Dualling Programme, which is scheduled to be completed by 2025. The first section of new dualled carriageway between Kincraig and Dalraddy became fully operational from 30 September. As part of this scheme a surfaced 7.5km path, suitable for cyclists, is being constructed to the west of the new carriageway, which could potentially enable connection to the National Cycle Network.

Question reference: S5W-11790

Asked by: Jamie Greene, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 03 October 2017
Current Status: Answered by Aileen Campbell on 1 November 2017

To ask the Scottish Government how many (a) adults and (b) children were diagnosed as obese in 2016.

Most recent figures from the Scottish Health Survey (2016) indicate that 65% of adults were overweight, including (29%) who were obese. For children, around (29%) were at risk of being overweight including (14%) who were at risk of obesity. We aim to continuously improve the data and evidence on obesity. Our recently published consultation document 'A Healthier Future - Action and Ambitions on Diet, Activity and Healthy Weight' therefore sets out our current approach and invites views on further action.

Question reference: S5W-11802

Asked by: Jamie Greene, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 04 October 2017
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 25 October 2017

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the Scottish Health Survey findings that (a) the average body mass index (BMI) is at its highest level since 2003 and (b) two-thirds of people are overweight or obese.

Improving weight and diet is a top priority for this government as we made clear in the Programme for Government. We will shortly publish and consult on our new Diet and Obesity Strategy which will be brought forward this year. In developing that strategy we look forward to hearing stakeholder views on what further action can be taken, within the powers of this Government, to impact on moving and supporting Scotland's population towards better and healthier lifestyle choices.

Question reference: S5W-11780

Asked by: Jamie Greene, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 03 October 2017
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 25 October 2017

To ask the Scottish Government what the average number of schools not inspected has been in each local authority area in each of the last 10 years.

The figures provided are the numbers of schools not inspected in each local authority in each of the last 10 years, based on the Scottish Government list of schools as at September of the relevant inspection year, broken down by local authority for publicly funded and independent schools separately.

The following figures have been calculated only on the basis of inspections carried out in a single academic year. The figures are not cumulative.

Publicly Funded Schools¹ Not Inspected, Academic Years 2007-08 to 2016-17²

	2007-08	2008-09	2009-10	2010-11	2011-12	2012-13	2013-14	2014-15	2015-16	2016-17
Aberdeen City	68	58	62	63	64	63	62	61	62	64
Aberdeenshire	159	153	148	154	164	162	157	166	163	165
Angus	56	55	55	54	57	57	57	58	59	57
Argyll & Bute	88	87	83	91	84	85	86	86	88	84
Clackmannanshire	24	23	23	23	22	25	22	22	22	22
Dumfries & Galloway	110	111	104	108	112	110	110	113	111	109
Dundee City	48	42	43	43	41	44	43	44	44	43
East Ayrshire	59	52	53	54	59	58	54	55	55	53
East Dunbartonshire	45	45	44	45	45	47	45	46	47	44
East Lothian	37	37	35	38	39	39	36	41	40	39
East Renfrewshire	29	26	27	28	30	30	30	28	28	29
Edinburgh City of	119	114	108	109	115	115	117	116	119	118
Eilean Siar	37	33	32	32	32	28	25	25	24	23
Falkirk	56	54	53	56	57	57	60	58	59	57
Fife	158	158	150	152	156	159	158	154	151	150
Glasgow City	219	217	206	200	191	187	191	189	186	182
Highland	186	196	180	197	202	198	192	201	200	196
Inverclyde	33	30	31	31	29	29	26	26	26	26
Midlothian	35	34	32	33	37	33	37	37	37	37
Moray	48	44	46	52	49	49	49	52	51	50
North Ayrshire	56	60	55	60	62	63	63	57	59	59
North Lanarkshire	146	144	139	140	145	149	152	151	147	148
Orkney Islands	19	20	20	19	21	20	20	22	20	21
Perth & Kinross	75	72	72	74	74	73	76	76	75	76
Renfrewshire	56	56	57	56	59	61	60	59	62	60
Scottish Borders	68	68	64	69	66	70	65	71	71	70
Shetland Islands	29	27	28	28	31	32	29	31	29	27
South Ayrshire	49	46	50	47	47	47	48	49	49	47
South Lanarkshire	135	129	129	139	138	143	142	140	140	140
Stirling	47	44	45	45	48	46	45	46	49	47
West Dunbartonshire	37	36	36	40	38	40	38	41	39	38
West Lothian	67	68	75	74	78	77	76	79	80	78

¹ Includes Local Authority funded and grant maintained primary, secondary, all-through and special schools

² Based on SG list of schools as at September of the relevant inspection year

Independent Schools¹ Not Inspected, Academic years 2007-08 to 2016-17

	2007-08	2008-09	2009-10	2010-11	2011-12	2012-13	2013-14	2014-15	2015-16	2016-17
Aberdeen City	11	9	10	7	8	8	9	7	7	8
Aberdeenshire	3	3	2	3	2	5	5	6	3	3
Angus	1	1	-	1	1	1	-	1	1	1
Argyll & Bute	1	1	1	2	2	2	2	1	1	1
Clackmannanshire	2	2	2	1	2	2	2	1	2	2
Dumfries & Galloway	6	5	6	5	4	5	4	3	4	4
Dundee City	1	2	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1
East Ayrshire	-	2	2	2	1	1	2	3	2	2
East Dunbartonshire	N/A	N/A	N/A	1	1	-	1	1	1	-
East Lothian	2	3	3	4	4	4	4	3	4	4
East Renfrewshire	1	1	-	1	1	1	1	1	1	1
Edinburgh City of	18	17	18	15	16	18	19	17	17	20
Eilean Siar	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1
Falkirk	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1
Fife	7	7	5	5	5	6	4	4	5	3
Glasgow City	10	8	10	10	9	9	9	10	11	12
Highland	1	1	1	1	N/A	N/A	1	1	1	1
Inverclyde	2	2	2	1	2	2	2	2	2	2
Midlothian	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A
Moray	2	2	2	3	3	3	3	3	3	2
North Ayrshire	1	2	2	3	4	2	3	3	2	2
North Lanarkshire	2	1	2	2	2	1	1	2	2	2
Orkney Islands	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A
Perth & Kinross	10	7	8	8	9	8	10	10	8	8
Renfrewshire	5	7	6	5	3	4	4	2	4	3
Scottish Borders	1	1	-	1	1	1	1	1	1	1
Shetland Islands	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A
South Ayrshire	1	1	1	-	1	1	1	1	1	1
South Lanarkshire	1	2	2	2	2	2	2	2	2	2
Stirling	4	3	3	4	5	3	3	4	4	3
West Dunbartonshire	1	1	1	1	-	1	1	1	N/A	N/A
West Lothian	1	1	-	1	1	1	1	1	-	1

¹ Includes Independent primary, secondary, all-through and special schools

² Based on SG list of schools as at September of the relevant inspection year

Question reference: S5W-11786

Asked by: Jamie Greene, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 03 October 2017
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 25 October 2017

To ask the Scottish Government what the average salary was for nurses and midwives in 2015-16.

It is not possible to provide an average for these staff groups as pay for all staff in the Agenda for Change system is dependent on individual job descriptions which are then matched to the appropriate pay band. However, the largest nursing group are paid on the Band 5 range, and most staff on Band 5 are at the top of that range which in 2015-16 was £28,462. Similarly, the largest group of midwives match to Band 6, with most staff in that Band at the top of the range also. In 2015-16 this was £35,225. Most staff in these groups will also receive enhancements on their salary for unsocial hours or on-call work, raising their overall take home pay.

Question reference: S5W-11788

Asked by: Jamie Greene, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 03 October 2017
Current Status: Answered by Kevin Stewart on 25 October 2017

To ask the Scottish Government what information it has on how many people currently rent a private property in Edinburgh, and what percentage this is of the total number of people living in the city.

Scottish Government analysis of Scottish Household Survey data shows that there were an estimated 120,000* people living in a privately rented property in the Edinburgh local authority area in 2016, a figure which includes both adults and children. This equates to an estimated 23 per cent of the total Edinburgh population estimate of 507,170.

The number of private rented households in the Edinburgh local authority area in 2016 was estimated to be 60,000*, which equates to 26 per cent of the 232,885 households in the area.

* The Scottish Household Survey is a sample survey and therefore the results provided are subject to a margin of error and should be considered to be approximate estimates and not exact values. Figures have been rounded to the nearest ten thousand to reflect this. At a 95% confidence level, the number of people in the private rented sector in Edinburgh in 2016 is estimated to be between 100,000 and 130,000, and the number of households is estimated to be between 50,000 and 70,000.

Question reference: S5W-11785

Asked by: Jamie Greene, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 03 October 2017
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 24 October 2017

To ask the Scottish Government how many student teachers there have been in each year since 2011.

The following table shows the number of entrants each year on teacher education courses at Scottish Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) from 2011-12 to 2015-16. 2015-16 data is the latest data available from the Higher Education Statistics Authority (HESA). 2016-17 data will be published in January 2018.

Entrants on teacher education courses at Scottish HEIs, UK and EU domiciled

Academic Year	Entrants
2011-12	2,370
2012-13	2,550
2013-14	3,020
2014-15	3,075
2015-16	3,320

Source: HESA, SG analysis

Figures have been rounded to the nearest 5. Totals based on unrounded numbers

Using HESA variable TQSSEC and CTITLE

Question reference: S5W-11783

Asked by: Jamie Greene, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 03 October 2017
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 24 October 2017

To ask the Scottish Government how many postgraduates are training to be secondary school teachers; how many graduated in STEM subjects, and how this compares with 2016-17.

Question reference: S5W-11782

Asked by: Jamie Greene, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 03 October 2017
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 24 October 2017

To ask the Scottish Government how many children in Edinburgh were affected by school closures in 2016-17 because of concerns regarding building standards, and what the total number of school days lost was.

Question reference: S5W-11787

Asked by: Jamie Greene, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 03 October 2017
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 19 October 2017

To ask the Scottish Government how many train services were affected by "leaves on the line" in 2016.

ScotRail’s performance information does not capture the train services affected by 'leaves on the line’ as low rail adhesion can be experienced on many services during the autumn and early winter months, for a variety of reasons including contamination of rail head surfaces with leaf litter. This is why ScotRail is investing £2.6 million this year in clearing the track and managing rail adhesion.