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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: S6W-27281

Asked by: Craig Hoy, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 03 May 2024
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 20 May 2024

To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to revise any guidance on political activity in schools during a General Election period.

The Scottish Government has no plans to issue guidance on political activity in schools during a General Election period. This is a matter for local authorities who have the statutory responsibility for the delivery of education.

It is important that our pupils understand the democratic process in Scotland, the UK and further afield. Learning and teaching should be conducted in a non-partisan and non-party political basis. Local authorities have a role in ensuring their schools can engage confidently with election issues and that balance and impartiality are respected.

Question reference: S6O-03391

Asked by: Craig Hoy, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 01 May 2024
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 8 May 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what Forestry and Land Scotland is doing to deliver economic benefit from the land that it manages, including through supporting mountain bike tourism.

Question reference: S6W-26557

Asked by: Craig Hoy, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 04 April 2024
Current Status: Answered by Graeme Dey on 1 May 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what estimate it has made, based on any data that it has received from HMRC, of the total value of the contribution made by Scottish employers to the UK apprenticeship levy.

As announced by HM Treasury on 14 November 2016, the Scottish Government's population-based settlement from the UK Government's Apprenticeship Levy was £221 million in 2017/18, £230 million in 2018/19 and £239 million in 2019/20. This funding was allocated as part of the block grant.

Since 2020-21 the Scottish Government has not received a specific allocation of Apprenticeship Levy revenue. Scotland receives a Barnett Formula share of funding via the block grant in the usual way.

Scottish Government exploratory analysis of HMRC data suggests that the amounts contributed by Scottish employers in 2020-21 and 2021-22 were similar to those published by HMRC for earlier years, in the region of £220 million to £240 million.

Question reference: S6W-26904

Asked by: Craig Hoy, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 18 April 2024
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 29 April 2024

To ask the Scottish Government whether it is reviewing the performance of the Young Persons’ (Under 22s) Free Bus Travel scheme.

Since the Under 22s Scheme launched in January 2022, over 130 million free bus journeys have been made by over 700,000 cardholders across Scotland. This landmark policy is already helping young people and families with children cut costs for everyday and leisure travel, while at the same time helping to protect our climate. Scotland-wide free bus travel schemes for Young People and for Older and Disabled people provide access to free bus travel to a larger percentage of the population than schemes elsewhere in the UK.

In line with other travel/transport schemes, Transport Scotland are conducting process, impact and outcome evaluations of the Young Persons’ Free Bus Travel scheme.

A baseline study to establish travel behaviour and seek to understand the attitudes and perceptions of young people towards travel was undertaken prior to implementation of the scheme. This report was published on the Transport Scotland website on 24 June 2022. Following this, a Year One Evaluation of the scheme was conducted between April and August 2023 and the report was published on the Transport Scotland website on 14 December 2023.

The next stage of the evaluation of the scheme is planned for 2025, three years after opening, and will focus on longer-term impacts of the scheme and whether any behaviour change has been sustained.

Question reference: S6W-26558

Asked by: Craig Hoy, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 28 March 2024
Current Status: Answered by Graeme Dey on 25 April 2024

To ask the Scottish Government how much total funding is made available to colleges to deliver apprenticeships.

In 2022-23 Skills Development Scotland provided Colleges with funding of £11,927,213 for the delivery of Modern Apprenticeships.

In addition, Colleges utilise credits to support the delivery of Modern Apprenticeships. Any credits used by colleges must comply with the Credit Guidance issued by the Scottish Funding Council.

In 2022-23 the Scottish Funding Council and Skills Development Scotland provided Colleges £10,501,763 for the delivery of Foundation Apprenticeships.

Question reference: S6W-26559

Asked by: Craig Hoy, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 28 March 2024
Current Status: Answered by Graeme Dey on 25 April 2024

To ask the Scottish Government how much total funding is made available to independent learning providers to deliver apprenticeships.

Question reference: S6W-26560

Asked by: Craig Hoy, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 28 March 2024
Current Status: Answered by Graeme Dey on 25 April 2024

To ask the Scottish Government when it next plans to review the amount paid, per apprentice, to (a) colleges and (b) independent learning providers to deliver apprenticeships.

Question reference: S6O-03361

Asked by: Craig Hoy, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 24 April 2024
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 1 May 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what due diligence is conducted by Home Energy Scotland when selecting recommended suppliers to install energy efficiency improvements that are supported by Scottish Government funding.

Question reference: S6F-03010

Asked by: Craig Hoy, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 15 April 2024
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 18 April 2024

To ask the First Minister what the Scottish Government’s response is to reports of significant financial pressures within NHS Lothian and NHS Borders.

Question reference: S6W-25834

Asked by: Craig Hoy, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 26 February 2024
Current Status: Answered by Jackson Carlaw (on behalf of the SPCB) on 5 March 2024

To ask the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body whether it has provided an office-holder resettlement grant to the former Cabinet Secretary for NHS Recovery, Health and Social Care, following his resignation; whether it has been informed of any intention to decline or return such a grant, and, if this is not the case, (a) whether such a grant will be provided in instalments or by lump-sum payment and (b) when any such payment(s) is/are due.

The SPCB is required under the Scottish Parliamentary Pensions Act 2009, Schedule 2, to pay an Office Holder resettlement grant to an individual who –

(a) stops being the holder of a pensionable office, and

(b) is not appointed as the holder of a pensionable office during the following 90 days.

Under the Act, there is no provision to withhold or refuse the payment. Payment of the resettlement grant is made as a one-off lump sum payment on the next available pay day after the 90 days have lapsed.