Seòmar agus comataidhean

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

Criathragan Hide all filters

Displaying 1022 questions Show Answers

Order by |

Question reference: S6W-30644

Asked by: Pam Duncan-Glancy, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 11 October 2024
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 7 November 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what (a) criteria were used and (b) supporting information or evidence was requested from each local authority in order to access its school meal debt fund.

Local authorities were asked to consider whether they wished financial support to cancel school meal debt while adhering to guidance produced by COSLA on the issue. Local authorities are expected to use any grant for the purpose of clearing school meal debt and that in accepting the offer of funding, local authorities will agree to adhere to the COSLA Good Practice Principles for School Meal Debt Management in their management of school meal debt going forward. The COSLA Good Practice Principles are available through the following web link: Good-Practice-Principles-for-School-Meal-Debt-Management.pdf (cosla.gov.uk)

Local authorities were asked that any bid included details of the amount of school meal debt accrued as of 31 March 2024, as well as the amount that they were seeking to write off. This could include any debt that the local authority has cleared prior to that point.

Question reference: S6W-30642

Asked by: Pam Duncan-Glancy, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 11 October 2024
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 7 November 2024

To ask the Scottish Government how much funding in total has been received by local authorities through its school meal debt fund.

Question reference: S6W-30605

Asked by: Pam Duncan-Glancy, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 10 October 2024
Current Status: Answered by Graeme Dey on 7 November 2024

To ask the Scottish Government when the Student Mental Health and Wellbeing Working Group last met, and when it plans to next meet.

The Student Mental Health and Wellbeing Working Group’s remit was to inform the development of a Student Mental Health Action Plan as set out in our 21-22 Programme for Government. The Action Plan was published in September 2024.

We are considering how best to support delivery of the Action Plan, including oversight and support.

We will shortly be engaging with the higher and further education sectors and health and other public and third sector organisations to update them on next steps and request their support and participation going forward.

Question reference: S6W-30643

Asked by: Pam Duncan-Glancy, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 11 October 2024
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 7 November 2024

To ask the Scottish Government which local authorities applied to its school meal debt fund, and how much funding each received.

Question reference: S6W-30532

Asked by: Pam Duncan-Glancy, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 09 October 2024
Current Status: Answered by Graeme Dey on 5 November 2024

To ask the Scottish Government whether it has examined the reasons for the steady decrease in the funds held for colleges in arm's-length foundations over the last decade, from £99 million in 2014 when they were first established to an estimated £9 million by the end of 2024.

Question reference: S6W-30506

Asked by: Pam Duncan-Glancy, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 08 October 2024
Current Status: Answered by Natalie Don-Innes on 29 October 2024

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-29823 by Natalie Don-Innes on 25 September 2024, when it will publish the National Transitions to Adulthood Strategy.

Allowing sufficient time to support the meaningful engagement and participation of those the Strategy will affect, including robust analysis of their views, and ensuring that it can be published alongside a range of accessible formats to meet the needs of those it aims to support has remained of central importance to the Scottish Government throughout the Strategy’s development.

This was reiterated during a recent meeting of the External Strategic Working Group who reviewed the aim of publishing the Strategy by the end of 2024 and concluded that publication in Spring 2025 presents a more favourable timeline to achieving this.

Question reference: S6W-30268

Asked by: Pam Duncan-Glancy, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 30 September 2024
Current Status: Answered by Graeme Dey on 28 October 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what the (a) short- and (b) long-term aims are of its Post-school Education and Skills Reform Programme Board.

Post School Education and Skills Reform is a 10-year transformation programme which will help us to achieve the ambitions set out in the Purpose and Principles for Post-School Education, Research and Skills.

Early priorities include:

leading a new, national approach to skills planning and working with partners to strengthen regional approaches;
reforming the education and skills funding system so it is easier to navigate and is responsive to learners and to skills priorities, initially by introducing a Bill to simplify the post-school funding body landscape;
continuing to work closely with partners to improve careers support;
apprenticeships reform to reduce the complexity, make the system more transparent and maximise the value of investment to learners and the economy; and
building up an understanding of the post-school qualifications landscape alongside defining the oversight role for the new qualifications body.

The Programme Board provides the necessary governance and assurance to support successful delivery of the aims of the Post School Education and Skills Reform Programme.

Question reference: S6W-30049

Asked by: Pam Duncan-Glancy, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 20 September 2024
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 4 October 2024

To ask the Scottish Government when the National Qualifications Group last met, and what was discussed.

Question reference: S6O-03829

Asked by: Pam Duncan-Glancy, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 02 October 2024
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 10 October 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether young people have the opportunity to study subjects that they are interested in.

Question reference: S6W-29931

Asked by: Pam Duncan-Glancy, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 17 September 2024
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 1 October 2024

To ask the Scottish Government when the Assisted Support for Learning Project Board last met, and what was discussed.

The Additional Support for Learning (ASL) Project Board last met on the 12 September 2024. The Project Board discussed the upcoming publication of the ASL Progress Report and updated Action Plan. This included discussions on how the relevant outcomes from the Education, Children and Young People Committee Inquiry on ASL, would be reflected.

The minutes of every Project Board meeting are published on the groups dedicated Scottish Government web page. A more detailed view on discussions held at the last meeting will be published soon.

The Scottish Government continue to work at pace, working closely with local government partners through the Additional Support for Learning Project Board to improve the experience of children and young people with additional support needs at school, implementing the recommendations of the 2020 review of additional support for learning.