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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: S6W-13180

Asked by: Graham Simpson, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 13 December 2022
Current Status: Answered by Keith Brown on 21 December 2022

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will consider recognising emergency workers who have been killed in the line of duty through the St Andrew's Award for exceptional acts of bravery.

Question reference: S6W-12957

Asked by: Graham Simpson, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 08 December 2022
Current Status: Answered by Jamie Hepburn on 20 December 2022

To ask the Scottish Government, in relation to the recommendation in the 2016 report, Good College Governance, what plans it has to review how best to ensure appropriate direct observation of college board meetings, and what new approaches any such review could consider.

In his 2019 letter to the Education and Skills Committee, the Minister for Further Education, Higher Education and Science proposed to undertake the introducing of the ability for the SFC to attend the board meetings of assigned colleges.

Given the recent resumption of work around the Good College Governance Task Group’s recommendations, following a pause due to the pandemic, the Scottish Government has no immediate plans to implement direct observation of college board meetings. However, Scottish Government officials will work with the SFC, Colleges Scotland, regional strategic boards, trade unions, student associations, and the College Development network through the Good Governance Steering Group to implement changes to college governance in the best possible way.

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-12954 on 20 December 2022. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.parliament.scot/parliamentarybusiness/28877.aspx' .

Question reference: S6W-12954

Asked by: Graham Simpson, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 08 December 2022
Current Status: Answered by Jamie Hepburn on 20 December 2022

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-12775 by Jamie Hepburn on 1 December 2022, when an announcement will be made about the additional recommendations agreed by the college good governance task group.

In 2016, the then Education Secretary’s Good Governance Task Group reported back on the lessons learned at Glasgow Clyde, North Glasgow and Coatbridge Colleges. The Task Group made a series of recommendations to improve governance in Scotland’s colleges.

As a result of the Covid-19 pandemic, work on taking forward recommendations made by the Good Governance Task Group was put on hold. The Scottish Government has restarted the work around the Task Group’s recommendations and is currently consulting on proposals to introduce trade union nominees onto College Boards. This work will sit within a wider package of transformation and change within the tertiary education and skills sector, as the Scottish Government progresses recommendations from the SFC Review of Coherence and Sustainability 2021.

The Scottish Government works with stakeholders through the Good Governance Steering Group, where work around governance reforms in the college sector is discussed; at present work to implement the recommendation of adding trade unions nominees on boards is underway, along with work to refresh the Ministerial Guidance. No decision has yet been taken on the timeframe for implementing other recommendations made by the Good Governance Task Group.

Question reference: S6W-12956

Asked by: Graham Simpson, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 08 December 2022
Current Status: Answered by Jamie Hepburn on 20 December 2022

To ask the Scottish Government, in relation to the recommendation in the 2016 report, Good College Governance, what plans it has to develop a national governance portal, and when any such plans will be published.

At present, the Scottish Government has no immediate plans to develop a national governance portal, however, Scottish Government officials will work with the SFC, Colleges Scotland, regional strategic boards, trade unions, student associations, and the College Development network through the Good Governance Steering Group to implement changes to college governance in the best possible way.

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-12954 on 20 December. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.parliament.scot/parliamentarybusiness/28877.aspx' .

Question reference: S6W-12955

Asked by: Graham Simpson, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 08 December 2022
Current Status: Answered by Jamie Hepburn on 20 December 2022

To ask the Scottish Government, in relation to the 2016 report, Good College Governance, what consideration it has given to the recommendation that appointing bodies should provide comprehensive information for prospective college board members.

Question reference: S6W-12958

Asked by: Graham Simpson, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 08 December 2022
Current Status: Answered by Jamie Hepburn on 20 December 2022

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-12775 by Jamie Hepburn on 1 December 2022, what plans it has to consult on a range of measures to remove college board members who are not governing effectively, and when any such consultation will be published.

Question reference: S6O-01737

Asked by: Graham Simpson, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 14 December 2022
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 22 December 2022

To ask the Scottish Government how it ensures good governance in Scotland's colleges.

Question reference: S6W-12594

Asked by: Graham Simpson, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 24 November 2022
Current Status: Answered by Mairi McAllan on 9 December 2022

To ask the Scottish Government when it will publish an ancient woodland register.

Question reference: S6W-12593

Asked by: Graham Simpson, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 24 November 2022
Current Status: Answered by Mairi McAllan on 9 December 2022

To ask the Scottish Government whether work is underway to deliver on its commitment to produce an ancient woodland register.

Question reference: S6W-12596

Asked by: Graham Simpson, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 24 November 2022
Current Status: Answered by Tom Arthur on 8 December 2022

To ask the Scottish Government how many times the Scottish Ministers have used their powers to make tree preservation orders in each year since 2011.

Both Scottish Ministers and the planning authority have a duty to ensure, whenever appropriate, that in granting permission for any development adequate provision is made for the preservation or planting of trees. In addition, a planning authority or the Scottish Ministers may make a Tree Preservation Order (TPO) if it appears to them to be expedient to do so and where relevant statutory tests are met.

The general principle under which the planning system operates in Scotland is that decisions should be taken at the most local administrative level unless there are compelling reasons for taking them at a higher level.

In line with this approach, Scottish Ministers will only use their powers with regards to tree preservation orders (TPOs) in exceptional circumstances where national issues of importance are raised. As such, we have no record of any TPOs made by Scottish Ministers since 2011.

More detail about tree preservation orders is available in Circular 1/2011: Tree Preservation Orders at http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/2011/01/28152314/0 .