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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-03498

Asked by: Stuart McMillan, MSP for Greenock and Inverclyde, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 05 October 2016
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 27 October 2016

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with stakeholders regarding the current maximum stake of £100 per spin on fixed-odds betting terminals.

Question reference: S5W-03496

Asked by: Stuart McMillan, MSP for Greenock and Inverclyde, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 05 October 2016
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 27 October 2016

To ask the Scottish Government when it last corresponded with the UK Government regarding the devolution of limited powers over fixed-odds betting terminals and what the outcome was.

The Scottish Government last corresponded with the UK Government prior to the passing of the Scotland Act 2016. The Scottish Government called for the full responsibility for the law on gambling to be devolved to Scotland.

The Scotland Act 2016 however only included a limited power in respect of the number of Fixed Odds Betting Terminals in new betting shops only. This does not include any powers in respect of existing premises, or those found in premises other than betting shops.

The Scottish Government had been intending to consult on this limited power before the end of this year. On 24 October 2016, however, the UK Government announced a review of gaming machines and social responsibility measures. The review covers a number of areas including maximum gaming machines stakes and prizes, allocations of gaming machines in licensed premises, and social responsibility measures to minimise the risk of gambling related harm.

We will consider the outcome of the UK consultation before taking a view on what further use of the limited powers available in Scotland might be proposed.

Question reference: S5W-03499

Asked by: Stuart McMillan, MSP for Greenock and Inverclyde, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 05 October 2016
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 27 October 2016

To ask the Scottish Government how many times police officers have been called to attend incidents at licensed betting shops in each of the last five years and how many (a) had a female lone worker on duty at the time, (b) incidents involved assault on a member of staff, (c) incidents involved assault on a customer, (d) incidents involved damage to a fixed-odds betting terminal and (e) people charged were convicted of the chargeable offence.

Question reference: S5O-00281

Asked by: Stuart McMillan, MSP for Greenock and Inverclyde, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 26 October 2016
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 2 November 2016

To ask the Scottish Government when it last met the Treasury and what matters were discussed.

Question reference: S5W-03414

Asked by: Stuart McMillan, MSP for Greenock and Inverclyde, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 03 October 2016
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 18 October 2016

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will confirm the difference between classroom music lessons and instrumental music tuition in terms of what local authorities can charge for in schools.

It is the duty of every education authority to provide adequate and efficient provision of school education without payment of fees. This covers class music lessons, including when any instrument is taught on a whole class basis, regardless of who is teaching the class. By contrast, an education authority may charge fees for the provision of an extra-curricular activity that it is not obliged to provide as an entitlement. Local authorities around Scotland adopt a wide range of approaches to providing optional extra-curricular instrumental music tuition, some of which involve making charges to help cover the costs involved.

Question reference: S5W-02630

Asked by: Stuart McMillan, MSP for Greenock and Inverclyde, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 13 September 2016
Current Status: Answered by Alasdair Allan on 28 September 2016

To ask the Scottish Government how it is supporting international development organisations to expand their work (a) at home and (b) overseas.

The Scottish Government's International Development Fund (IDF) began in 2005, with a budget of £3 million for Malawi. Now standing at £9 million per annum, the IDF currently supports projects in our seven priority overseas countries of: Malawi, Zambia, Rwanda, Tanzania, Pakistan, Bangladesh and the three poorest states in India. These projects cover a range of themes, including health, education, economic development, renewable energy, civic governance, water and sanitation.

The Scottish Government recognises the important role that networking organisations, at home, in Scotland can make to the effectiveness of the international development sector and that is why we provide funding for the Network of International Development Organisations in Scotland (NIDOS) and the Scotland-Malawi Partnership (SMP). Through that core funding from the IDF, NIDOS’s membership has increased to 119 members and the SMP’s membership has grown to more than 700, including local authorities, universities and colleges, schools, churches, hospitals, businesses, charities, NGOs and community-based organisations all over Scotland.

The Programme for Government 2016-17 confirmed Scotland’s continued commitment to international development and the First Minister’s support of the UN Global Goals through a number of initiatives, including:

An increased £10 million per annum International Development Fund (IDF) from spring 2017, to continue to take action to help tackle poverty and inequalities in relation to the world’s poorest and most vulnerable. This includes funding the Small Grants Programme designed to support smaller NGOs deliver assistance to some of the world’s most vulnerable communities. This will strengthen the third sector in Scotland and create more opportunities for people to get involved in quality development work overseas;

A new £1 million per annum humanitarian aid fund from spring 2017, enabling us to continue to respond to the increasing number of rapidly emerging international humanitarian crises; and

Increasing the Climate Justice Fund to at least £3 million a year for the next five years for international projects where the worst impact of climate change is falling on poor and vulnerable communities. http://www.gov.scot/Publications/2016/09/2860/8

Question reference: S5O-00195

Asked by: Stuart McMillan, MSP for Greenock and Inverclyde, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 21 September 2016
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 28 September 2016

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to ensure that schools have enough teachers.

The Scottish Government remains fully committed to maintaining teacher numbers nationally. We are committed to ensuring we have the right number of teachers, with the right skills, in the right places to educate our young people.

All 32 local authorities accepted the terms of the local government finance settlement for 2016-17, including a commitment to maintain the pupil teacher ratio nationally at a value of 13.7 – the same as in 2015. A funding package of £88 million has been identified to support this commitment, and to ensure that places are provided for all probationers requiring a place on the teacher induction scheme.

The Scottish Government conducts an annual teacher workforce planning exercise, in partnership with other educational stakeholders, which determines the number of teachers that need to be recruited at a national level each year. The teacher workforce planning exercise for 2017-18 will commence in October.2016

Question reference: S5O-00155

Asked by: Stuart McMillan, MSP for Greenock and Inverclyde, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 14 September 2016
Current Status: Answered by Annabelle Ewing on 21 September 2016

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to ensure that people given community payback orders complete the hours they are sentenced to.

Ensuring that people on Community Payback Orders (CPOs) complete the hours that they are sentenced to is the responsibility of the relevant supervising local authority.

The National Outcomes and Standards for Social Work Services in the Criminal Justice System contains guidance on the procedures involved, and the action that the Social Work Case Manager can take in cases of breach. This can include returning the case to court.

Ultimately, anyone who breaches a CPO, and so fails to take up the opportunity that the order presents, can find themselves facing sanctions.

Question reference: S5O-00112

Asked by: Stuart McMillan, MSP for Greenock and Inverclyde, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 31 August 2016
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 8 September 2016

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on the Trussell Trust opening its 50th foodbank in Scotland.

Question reference: S5O-00085

Asked by: Stuart McMillan, MSP for Greenock and Inverclyde, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 22 June 2016
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 30 June 2016

To ask the Scottish Government what measures it is taking to facilitate the growth of marine tourism in Inverclyde.