- Asked by: Alex Cole-Hamilton, MSP for Edinburgh Western, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Monday, 01 October 2018
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Current Status:
Answered by Clare Haughey on 22 October 2018
To ask the Scottish Government which integration joint boards are recruiting additional mental health workers to meet Action 15 of the paper, Mental Health Strategy: 2017-2027 - 1st Progress Report.
Answer
We have been working with the Chief Officers of Integration Joint Boards on the development of this commitment. This includes obtaining further detailed workforce plans to provide information on workforce allocation, location of workforce for 2018-19 and details on the trajectory toward the 800 total by 2021-22. From these plans, 30 out of 31 Integrated Joint Boards have now begun the process of recruiting additional mental health workers under this commitment.
- Asked by: Alex Cole-Hamilton, MSP for Edinburgh Western, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Monday, 24 September 2018
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Current Status:
Answered by Richard Lochhead on 19 October 2018
To ask the Scottish Government how many students have enrolled in (a) PGDE and (b) other qualifying courses in business education in each year since 2013.
Answer
The following table shows the number of students enrolled (full person equivalent) in either (a) a PGDE or (b) an undergraduate degree programme who have allocated Business Studies as their chosen subject, since academic year 2012/13.
Student enrolments in Education with Business Studies in Scotland
| Undergraduate degree | PGDE | Total |
2012-13 | 20 | 15 | 35 |
2013-14 | 20 | 20 | 35 |
2014-15 | 20 | 30 | 50 |
2015-16 | 15 | 55 | 70 |
2016-17 | 20 | 65 | 85 |
Source: HESA Student data, SG analysis.
Numbers are full person equivalent and are rounded to the nearest 5.
Numbers may not sum exactly due to rounding.
- Asked by: Alex Cole-Hamilton, MSP for Edinburgh Western, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Monday, 01 October 2018
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Current Status:
Answered by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 17 October 2018
To ask the Scottish Government whether claimants under the new social security arrangements will be supplied with a copy of the audio recording of their assessment, and have the right to ensure that Social Security Scotland's copy is destroyed.
Answer
The details surrounding audio recording as part of the assessment process will be developed as part of forthcoming service design work, with input from people with lived experience of disability assistance assessments. Policies related to audio recordings will be designed in line with the relevant data protection legislation.
- Asked by: Alex Cole-Hamilton, MSP for Edinburgh Western, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Friday, 28 September 2018
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Current Status:
Answered by Joe FitzPatrick on 17 October 2018
To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to review or amend the regulations governing where funerals can be conducted.
Answer
I refer the member to the answer to S5W-19124 on 17 October 2018. 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 .
- Asked by: Alex Cole-Hamilton, MSP for Edinburgh Western, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Friday, 28 September 2018
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Current Status:
Answered by Joe FitzPatrick on 17 October 2018
To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to review or amend the regulations governing the storage and preparation of human remains prior to funeral.
Answer
Other than Health & Safety Executive guidance there are currently no regulations which govern the storage and preparation of deceased persons prior to a funeral taking place or where funerals may be conducted.
The Scottish Government, in extensive consultation with relevant stakeholders, is currently drafting a statutory Funeral Director Code of Practice. Provision for such a document is set out within the Burial and Cremation (Scotland) Act 2016.
This code will set out the standards and practices in relation to care of the deceased which funeral director businesses must adhere to. The code will include measures for the appropriate storage and preparation of the deceased before a funeral.
The content of this code will be publicly consulted upon later this year.
- Asked by: Alex Cole-Hamilton, MSP for Edinburgh Western, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Monday, 24 September 2018
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Current Status:
Answered by John Swinney on 15 October 2018
To ask the Scottish Government (a) how many and (b) what percentage of state secondary schools are entering pupils at (i) National 5, (ii) Higher and (iii) Advanced Higher Accounting level in 2018-19, and how this compares with the equivalent exam in each of the last 10 years.
Answer
The Scottish Government does not hold the information on the number of state secondary school pupils entered for National Qualifications for 2018-19. Data on the number of pupils entered for Accountancy at National 5, Higher and Advance Higher for the last 10 years was provided in response to S5W–18830 on 15 October 2018. Data on 2018-19 entries is not yet available. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at www.parliament.scot/parliamentarybusiness/28877.aspx.
- Asked by: Alex Cole-Hamilton, MSP for Edinburgh Western, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Monday, 24 September 2018
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Current Status:
Answered by John Swinney on 15 October 2018
To ask the Scottish Government how many (a) business management and (b) accounting teachers there have been (i) in Lothian and (ii) nationally in each of last five years.
Answer
Statistics on the number of teachers buy main subject taught are published in Table 3.9 of the teacher census supplementary tables, available on the Scottish Government here:
https://www.gov.scot/Topics/Statistics/Browse/School-Education/teachcenssuppdata/TeaSup2017
These tables show the number of teachers with a main subject of Business Studies. Statistics on the number of accounting teachers are not collected.
- Asked by: Alex Cole-Hamilton, MSP for Edinburgh Western, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Monday, 24 September 2018
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Current Status:
Answered by John Swinney on 15 October 2018
To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to OECD figures that record teacher pay in Scotland falling by over 5% in real terms over the last 12 years.
Answer
Teachers’ pay in Scotland is a matter for the Scottish Negotiating Committee for Teachers. The Scottish Government was the first government in the UK to commit to lift the 1% public sector pay cap and this was reflected in the 2017-18 pay deal for teachers. The Scottish Government remains very happy to continue discussions with Trade Unions in securing a negotiated outcome for a 2018-19 pay deal.
It is encouraging that the OECD figures show that the average salaries of pre-primary and primary teachers in Scotland are now above the OECD average, and worth noting that Scotland is one of seven OECD countries where teachers receive the same salary irrespective of the level of education taught.
- Asked by: Alex Cole-Hamilton, MSP for Edinburgh Western, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Monday, 24 September 2018
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Current Status:
Answered by John Swinney on 15 October 2018
To ask the Scottish Government for what reason there is no provision to study for a business education degree in Edinburgh.
Answer
I refer the member to the answer to question S5W-18827 on 15 October 2018. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at www.parliament.scot/parliamentarybusiness/28877.aspx.
- Asked by: Alex Cole-Hamilton, MSP for Edinburgh Western, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Monday, 24 September 2018
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Current Status:
Answered by John Swinney on 15 October 2018
To ask the Scottish Government for what reason only five universities offer undergraduate or postgraduate education courses specialising in business, and what impact it considers this has on the (a) number of business management and accountancy teachers and (b) availability of courses available for pupils to study business management and accountancy courses at National 5, Higher and Advanced Higher level.
Answer
What is offered in way of undergraduate and postgraduate education courses is a matter for universities, given they operate as autonomous bodies. It is not practicable for each Initial Teacher Education university to offer teaching programmes in all subjects.
For the 2018-19 academic year, 83 places have been allocated to Professional Graduate Diploma in Education (PGDE) programmes in Business Education. These are available at the Universities of Aberdeen, Glasgow, Highlands and Islands and Strathclyde. The University of Stirling also offers a combined undergraduate degree in Business Education and teaching.
As the national awarding body, the SQA offers a range of national qualifications including Accounting and Business Management. The precise number and range of qualifications on offer for pupils will be a decision for schools to take in consultation with learners and parents.