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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: S5W-29925

Asked by: Liz Smith, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 15 June 2020
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 1 July 2020

To ask the Scottish Government how many former, trained teachers responded to the call from the General Teaching Council for Scotland to assist with school learning during the COVID-19 pandemic, and, of those, how many had (a) primary and (b) secondary school experience.

The General Teaching Council for Scotland (GTCS) contacted individuals whose GTCS registration has recently lapsed, including recently retired teachers to ensure records were up to date to facilitate any contact with employers to establish their willingness and availability to return to teaching, should this be required based on local need. There has been no formal call as yet.

We are currently working with local authorities to establish what additional staff are needed. Once we know that, we will work with local authorities to meet that demand.

Question reference: S5F-04140

Asked by: Liz Smith, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 18 May 2020
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 20 May 2020

To ask the First Minister what action the Scottish Government is taking to ensure that all answers to written parliamentary questions about COVID-19 are being processed as quickly as possible.

Question reference: S5W-27388

Asked by: Liz Smith, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 11 February 2020
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 28 February 2020

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the announcement in the UK Government Spending Round of an additional £700 million to provide support for children and young people with special educational needs, what Barnett consequentials it expects to receive for special educational needs, and how much of this funding will be allocated to spending on additional support needs in schools in its Budget for 2020-21.

The Minister for Public Finance set out the Scottish Government’s spending plans for 2020-21 in the Scottish Budget on 6 February, which included an additional £15 million in the coming year to further improve the experiences of children and young people with additional support needs. This investment will further enhance capacity in education authorities and schools to respond effectively to the individual needs of children and young people.

Barnett consequentials accrue to the Scottish Government as a whole and it is for Scottish Ministers to decide how they should be allocated.

Question reference: S5O-04131

Asked by: Liz Smith, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 12 February 2020
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 19 February 2020

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the introduction of transdermal alcohol monitoring tags.

Question reference: S5W-27014

Asked by: Liz Smith, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 20 January 2020
Current Status: Answered by Kate Forbes on 3 February 2020

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will pass on Barnett consequentials to research in Scotland arising from increased UK Government investment in research and innovation in England.

The Scottish Government does not in general ring-fence Barnett consequentials for specific purposes which arise from UK Government spending decisions. Instead Scottish Ministers allocate all funding received from the UK Government in line with our priorities for Scotland.

The Scottish Government has passed £11.6 million of Barnett consequentials for research onto Scottish universities in 2018-19. Any further funding will be considered in the context of other budget priorities.

Question reference: S5W-27015

Asked by: Liz Smith, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 20 January 2020
Current Status: Answered by Ivan McKee on 3 February 2020

To ask the Scottish Government what action it will take to help meet the UK-wide target of 2.4% of GDP being invested in research and development.

Over the last year of available data, Scotland’s GERD as a share of GDP has increased 0.1 percentage points, which is five times the growth of the UK as a whole which is 0.02 percentage points. If this trend continues, Scotland will exceed the UK 2027 target of increasing investment in R&D to 2.4% of GDP.

In terms of business R&D funding, we have made available an additional £15m per year between financial years 2018/19 and 2020/21. In addition, the Scottish Government has organised cross-sectoral engagements with the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) to highlight our science, research and innovation landscape and activities. These have informed the on-going development of the BEIS UK roadmap.

Question reference: S5O-04103

Asked by: Liz Smith, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 29 January 2020
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 6 February 2020

To ask the Scottish Government when the Agriculture and Climate Change Strategic Group will next meet.

Question reference: S5O-04078

Asked by: Liz Smith, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 22 January 2020
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 30 January 2020

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to reported comments by Transport Scotland officials that the volume of traffic on the Queensferry Crossing is beyond what the bridge was designed for.

Question reference: S5O-04034

Asked by: Liz Smith, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 15 January 2020
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 22 January 2020

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to Historic Environment Scotland’s decision to delist Auchterarder Castle from scheduled monument protection.

Question reference: S5O-03989

Asked by: Liz Smith, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 08 January 2020
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 15 January 2020

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to address the problems farmers encounter with the inclusion of FAME in red diesel.