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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.

Find out more about parliamentary questions

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Question reference: S5W-31365

Asked by: Beatrice Wishart, MSP for Shetland Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Monday, 24 August 2020
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 4 September 2020

To ask the Scottish Government whether it planned to use a similar system of moderation for the 2020-21 exams before it announced that “details will be provided separately before schools return on 11 August, regarding the approach for the assessment of national qualifications for the 2020-21 session”.

Question reference: S5W-31362

Asked by: Beatrice Wishart, MSP for Shetland Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Monday, 24 August 2020
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 4 September 2020

To ask the Scottish Government what information regarding moderated exam results was shared with (a) the Education Recovery Group and (b) other stakeholders ahead of the initial release of the results.

Question reference: S5W-31364

Asked by: Beatrice Wishart, MSP for Shetland Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Monday, 24 August 2020
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 4 September 2020

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions and/or correspondence it had with the SQA after it was informed about the outcome of the moderated exam results, and whether it will place details of this in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre (SPICe).

Question reference: S5W-31359

Asked by: Beatrice Wishart, MSP for Shetland Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Monday, 24 August 2020
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 4 September 2020

To ask the Scottish Government when the revised plans for the 2020-21 exam season will be (a) confirmed and (b) announced by the Education Recovery Group.

Question reference: S5W-31360

Asked by: Beatrice Wishart, MSP for Shetland Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Monday, 24 August 2020
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 4 September 2020

To ask the Scottish Government what information it received about the tolerable range that was employed by the SQA ahead of the exam results moderation.

Question reference: S5W-31361

Asked by: Beatrice Wishart, MSP for Shetland Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Monday, 24 August 2020
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 4 September 2020

To ask the Scottish Government what information it received regarding proposals to moderate exam results ahead of the proposed results being shared on 30 July 2020, and whether it will place copies of this in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre (SPICe).

I was briefed on the alternative certification model when the Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA) published their outline approach, and I received a verbal briefing on 30 July on the detail of the process.

Professor Mark Priestley is already looking at the events leading up the SQA awards on 4 August. The review will be provided with correspondence between the SQA and myself. Professor Priestley will provide a report on his findings in September.

Question reference: S5W-31363

Asked by: Beatrice Wishart, MSP for Shetland Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Monday, 24 August 2020
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 4 September 2020

To ask the Scottish Government on what date it was made aware of the difference in exam moderation rates in different areas of affluence, and whether it will place a copy of the notification in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre (SPICe).

Question reference: S5O-04565

Asked by: Beatrice Wishart, MSP for Shetland Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Wednesday, 02 September 2020
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 9 September 2020

To ask the Scottish Government what recent engagement it has had with the fishing industry in relation to wind farm developments.

Question reference: S5W-31078

Asked by: Beatrice Wishart, MSP for Shetland Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Tuesday, 04 August 2020
Current Status: Answered by Fergus Ewing on 1 September 2020

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-30814 by Fergus Ewing on 27 July 2020, whether it will provide more information regarding the "robust yet proportionate measures" that have been taken "to maintain and enhance...marine compliance capabilities".

Despite the very significant uncertainty that Brexit creates, the Scottish Government has taken a range of measures to protect our marine assets. This has not only included the deployment of an additional inshore patrol craft, with plans for a second craft and increased aerial capabilities before the end of the year, but also the procurement of advanced detection and imaging assets. In addition, annual vessel refit and servicing programmes have been amended to ensure the availability of assets and the end of the transition period.

All of this will significantly enhance monitoring and surveillance of the Scottish zone and help to deter illegal activity.

Question reference: S5W-31291

Asked by: Beatrice Wishart, MSP for Shetland Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Tuesday, 18 August 2020
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 26 August 2020

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-30515 by John Swinney on 20 July 2020, how many of the 25,000 laptops and tablets have been allocated to each local authority, and how the allocation was calculated.

A breakdown of the allocation of these devices by local authority is shown in the following table. All local authorities were asked whether they wished to use their funding allocation to obtain Chromebooks from this central pool of devices. 18 chose to do so, reflecting the fact that these local authorities have a preference for Chromebook devices as part of their digital learning programmes, and the devices were allocated proportionately based on the volume requested. Local authorities are free to make decisions about the equipment and connectivity required to meet local demand, and the remainder of local authorities are making local arrangements to use their funding allocations to purchase devices on other platforms.

Local Authority	Number of devices
Aberdeen City	1447
Aberdeenshire	2725
Angus	1111
Argyll & Bute	800
Clackmannanshire	674
East Ayrshire	1366
East Dunbartonshire	815
East Lothian	407
East Renfrewshire	590
Fife	4139
Glasgow City	300
Highland	3248
Midlothian	1235
North Ayrshire	750
South Ayrshire	1200
South Lanarkshire	1792
Stirling	1528
West Dunbartonshire	358