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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.

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Question reference: S5W-14798

Asked by: Richard Lochhead, MSP for Moray, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 22 February 2018
Current Status: Answered by Derek Mackay on 27 February 2018

To ask the Scottish Government what communication it has had with The Moray Council regarding a review of the local government funding formula.

The Leader of The Moray Council, Councillor George Alexander, wrote to me on 24 January regarding the 2018-19 local government finance settlement. In that letter Councillor Alexander explained that he had started a dialogue with you about how on how to improve the Council's financial outlook, including how it could increase it's per capita funding. As you know I have agreed to join you in those discussions with a delegation from The Moray Council and arrangements for that meeting are currently being put in place.

Question reference: S5O-01798

Asked by: Richard Lochhead, MSP for Moray, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 14 February 2018
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 21 February 2018

To ask the Scottish Government to what extent any transition period for Brexit is likely to affect Scotland’s influence on future fisheries negotiations.

Question reference: S5W-13911

Asked by: Richard Lochhead, MSP for Moray, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 17 January 2018
Current Status: Answered by Maree Todd on 26 January 2018

To ask the Scottish Government what criteria are used to determine who the recipients will be for each phase of the roll-out of the increase in childcare provision in Moray, and what decisions are taken by (a) local authorities and (b) ministers in this regard.

The Scottish Government published A Blueprint for 2020: The Expansion of Early Learning and Childcare in Scotland - Expansion Planning Guidance for Local Authorities in March 2017, which includes guidance on the phasing in of entitlement prior to 2020. The guidance states that:

“Local authorities have flexibility to determine the most appropriate way to phase entitlement in their local area as they build capacity. In considering phasing, authorities should evidence consideration of the Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation to ensure that the families and communities who stand to benefit most from the expansion benefit first.”

Question reference: S5O-01729

Asked by: Richard Lochhead, MSP for Moray, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 24 January 2018
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 1 February 2018

To ask the Scottish Government whether it has any plans to ensure that wind farm companies deliver adequate levels of community benefit to provide income streams for local communities.

Question reference: S5W-13805

Asked by: Richard Lochhead, MSP for Moray, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 11 January 2018
Current Status: Answered by Kevin Stewart on 22 January 2018

To ask the Scottish Government what recent discussions it has had with (a) COSLA and (b) local authorities regarding when it is acceptable to use compulsory redundancies.

Question reference: S5W-13761

Asked by: Richard Lochhead, MSP for Moray, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 10 January 2018
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 22 January 2018

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the reported proposal by The Moray Council to reduce its number of school librarians by half as part of its 2018-19 budget.

School libraries play a vital role in developing literacy - including digital and information literacy - supporting attainment, giving access to knowledge and encouraging people of all ages to develop and maintain a love of reading. That is why the Scottish Government is funding the Scottish Library and Information Council to develop a national strategy for school libraries and is investing £1 million over three years through the School Library Improvement Fund. I also launched 'How good is our school library?', a companion guide to the 'How good is our school?' framework. Endorsed by Education Scotland, it aims to support library staff and senior managers to evaluate the specific contributions the library makes to school improvement. It is the responsibility of local authorities to determine the requirements for their school libraries, including the recruitment and deployment of school library staff, taking into account local needs. The Scottish Government believes there should be a strong library service in our Schools.

Question reference: S5W-13769

Asked by: Richard Lochhead, MSP for Moray, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 10 January 2018
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 22 January 2018

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on its work to develop a national strategy for school libraries.

Development of a national strategy for school libraries, due to be launched in Summer 2018, is well underway. This has included a literature review spanning the globe to ensure Scotland's strategy reflects global best practice. This has identified a number of different successful delivery models. A series of school library visits has taken place across Scotland to inform the baseline data to be included in the strategy and to take account of best practice in the Scottish context. A survey will be issued shortly to capture the wide range of governance models which exist for school libraries in Scotland. The Scottish Government looks forward to the announcement of the Chair for the National Strategy for School Libraries Advisory Group in the coming weeks. This is likely to coincide with the announcement of the successful applications in the first round of the School Library Improvement Fund.

Question reference: S5W-13770

Asked by: Richard Lochhead, MSP for Moray, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 10 January 2018
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 22 January 2018

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on every secondary school having a library and full-time qualified librarian, and how it can encourage and promote moves towards this.

We want all our children and young people to succeed in life. High quality education is critical to that aim. Decisions that shape the education of our young people should be made in classrooms, schools and establishments by people working directly with those young people, their parents and communities. We are delivering this vision of empowerment and devolution through our Education Bill. The Scottish Government recognises the valuable contribution school libraries and school librarians make to the life and work of Scotland's schools. We have demonstrated our commitment to school libraries and school librarians through endorsement of 'How good is our school library?', the £1 million investment through the School Library Improvement Fund announced in the Programme for Government, and the development of a National Strategy for School Libraries - a first for the UK. We would encourage local authorities to ensure an effective School library service is in place.

Question reference: S5W-13804

Asked by: Richard Lochhead, MSP for Moray, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 11 January 2018
Current Status: Answered by Fergus Ewing on 18 January 2018

To ask the Scottish Government how the recent announcement by the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs regarding the future of financial support for agriculture might impact on Scotland.

In his recent speech at the Oxford Farm Conference, the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs confirmed what the UK government has already announced, i.e. that they have guaranteed the amount of farming support, in cash terms, will be protected up until the end of the current UK Parliament, and that support for agri-environment agreements entered into before leaving the EU will continue for the length of the agreement. He also confirmed that the UK government anticipates that when the UK formally leaves the EU in March 2019, there will be an agreed transition period of around two years.

He then said that he envisaged the possibility of extending the transition period, during which financial support for agriculture would be broadly similar to the CAP, until 2024. Whilst I would welcome such an extension, and the modicum of certainty that it would bring to businesses as they plan for the future, I am afraid that as yet I have received no funding guarantees beyond the UK government’s existing commitment. Mr Gove also outlined ideas for a future agricultural support framework in England. This only emphasises the importance of maintaining devolved powers in this area, as the challenges faced by those in rural Scotland are different to those faced elsewhere in the UK.

Question reference: S5F-01929

Asked by: Richard Lochhead, MSP for Moray, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 15 January 2018
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 18 January 2018

To ask the First Minister what discussions the Scottish Government has had with the UK Government regarding concerns expressed by the Scotch whisky industry regarding the possible consequences of Brexit for customs arrangements.