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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: S4W-26556

Asked by: Liz Smith, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 03 July 2015
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 28 July 2015

Question reference: S4W-26553

Asked by: Liz Smith, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 03 July 2015
Current Status: Answered by Fiona McLeod on 28 July 2015

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had, other than the public consultation on draft statutory guidance for section 96 of the Children and Young People (Scotland) Act 2014, with Police Scotland about the implementation of the named persons policy.

The Scottish Government continues to engage with Police Scotland, particularly through the senior police officer who has been seconded to the Scottish Government. Police Scotland are also represented on the Getting it Right for Every Child (GIRFEC) National Implementation Support Group which meet on a bi-monthly basis to discuss the implementation of the GIRFEC provisions of the Children and Young People (Scotland) Act.

Question reference: S4W-26550

Asked by: Liz Smith, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 03 July 2015
Current Status: Answered by Fiona McLeod on 28 July 2015

To ask the Scottish Government how it will ensure that the implementation of the named persons provisions of the Children and Young People (Scotland) Act 2014 will not contravene the Data Protection Act 1998.

The named person provisions in the Children and Young People (Scotland) Act 2014 do not contravene the Data Protection Act 1998 (DPA). The draft statutory guidance makes clear that information sharing via these provisions should always be appropriate and proportionate, and must adhere to the provisions of the DPA, as well as any other applicable legal requirements such as the European Convention on Human Rights. In addition to the draft statutory guidance, practice support material is being developed in partnership with health, local authority and third sector organisations to support the implementation of the information sharing provisions of the Act

The Scottish Government has liaised with the Information Commissioner’s Office, who clarified their position on information sharing in relation to wellbeing concerns in a letter to stakeholders on 28 March 2013. The letter can be viewed here: http://www.gov.scot/Resource/0041/00418080.pdf

Question reference: S4W-26551

Asked by: Liz Smith, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 03 July 2015
Current Status: Answered by Fiona McLeod on 28 July 2015

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions, other than the public consultation on draft statutory guidance for section 96 of the Children and Young People (Scotland) 2014, it has had with parents' groups about the implementation of the named persons policy.

The Scottish Government engaged extensively with parents’ groups during the committee stages of the Children and Young People Bill and since its passage. When the Scottish Government consulted on the Bill, 72 per cent of the respondents agreed with the proposal to provide a named person for every child and young person in Scotland. The Scottish Government also held a co-production event for parents, children and young people which gave them the opportunity to contribute to the design of materials that will inform people about the implementation of the Getting it Right for Every Child (GIRFEC) provisions of the Act to ensure materials best meet their needs. The National Parent Forum Scotland is a member of the GIRFEC National Implementation Support Group which meets on a bi-monthly basis to support implementation of the GIRFEC provisions of the Act, including the named person.

Question reference: S4W-26552

Asked by: Liz Smith, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 03 July 2015
Current Status: Answered by Fiona McLeod on 28 July 2015

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions, other than the public consultation on draft statutory guidance for section 96 of the Children and Young People (Scotland) 2014, it has had with those who will act as named persons as under the Children and Young People (Scotland) Act 2014.

Getting it Right for Every Child (GIRFEC) is already being implemented in many areas across Scotland, with many practitioners already fulfilling the role of the named person. The Children and Young People (Scotland) Act 2014 (the Act) will help to ensure consistency and sustainability in the delivery of these services for children and families.

The Scottish Government has engaged extensively with partners in health and local authorities on the implementation of the named person provisions of the Act and regularly provides input and support at conferences, local events and planning groups involving head teachers and other local authority officers who will have responsibility for implementing the named person service. These sessions provide an opportunity to engage directly with managers and practitioners to exchange information, answer questions and identify implementation issues. This is a crucial aspect of our approach to developing the guidance and practice support materials, which has been well received by stakeholders.

The Scottish Government has established a Getting it Right for Every Child (GIRFEC) Local Authorities Lead Officer Group, comprised of one representative from each local authority which meets on a bi-monthly basis to discuss implementation of the GIRFEC duties of the Act.

There has also been extensive direct engagement with front line health visitors and family nurses by Scottish Government officials attending local and national meetings to discuss the Bill and now the implementation of the Act. Local engagement has taken place in a number of health boards across Scotland: Ayrshire and Arran; Dumfries and Galloway; Fife; Greater Glasgow and Clyde; Highland; Lothian; Tayside; and Western Isles. Officials have also supported local professional representatives and managers to engage with health visitors and family nurses by providing materials to support engagement. Feedback to Scottish Government has been through the Health GIRFEC Managers group.

Other organisations that the Scottish Government has discussed the implementation of the named person service with include The Royal College of Nursing and Midwifery, NHS Education for Scotland, The Educational Institute of Scotland, The Scottish Secondary Teachers Association, Education Scotland, The Association of Directors of Education in Scotland.

Question reference: S4W-25679

Asked by: Liz Smith, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 21 May 2015
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 16 June 2015

To ask the Scottish Government how many public sector (a) jobs and (b) bodies have been relocated to Perth in each year since 1999.

The Scottish Government does not hold, centrally, information on the relocation of public sector jobs or bodies.

The following information on the number of public sector employees in the Perth and Kinross local authority area is, however, available:

	2009	2010	2011	2012	2013
Perth and Kinross	12,600	13,300	12,400	12,300	12,800

Source: Business Register and Employment Survey (BRES), Office for National Statistics

Notes:

1. Figures rounded to the nearest hundred

2. BRES does not include employment within HM Forces

3. Figures prior to 2009 are not available

There are a number of public bodies with a presence in the Perth area including the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service, Scottish Government Rural Payments and Inspections Directorate, Scottish Natural Heritage, VisitScotland, the Scottish Prison Service and Scottish Water.

Question reference: S4W-25740

Asked by: Liz Smith, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 26 May 2015
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 9 June 2015

To ask the Scottish Government what the average time has been to process summary criminal cases in each month since May 1999, broken down by court.

<>The average time to process summary criminal cases in each month since April 2006, broken down by court is given in table ‘average time to process summary criminal cases 2006-07 to 2014-15.xlsx’ and is taken from the Criminal Justice Board Management Information System. A copy of this table has been placed in the Scottish Parliament’s Information Centre (Bib no: 56939).

Please note: this information was not available for May 1999 to March 2006.

Question reference: S4F-02861

Asked by: Liz Smith, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 08 June 2015
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 11 June 2015

To ask the First Minister whether the Scottish Government met its 2011 pledge that there would be no compulsory redundancies in colleges throughout the college merger process.

Question reference: S4W-25741

Asked by: Liz Smith, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 26 May 2015
Current Status: Answered by Derek Mackay on 4 June 2015

To ask the Scottish Government what progress is being made with installing a pedestrian bridge over the A9 at Gleneagles.

An assessment of a range of options to improve access for pedestrians and cyclists crossing the A9 at Gleneagles Station has been undertaken by Transport Scotland. This included the option of the installation of a footbridge. The assessment has recommended a £100,000 package of improvement measures including the provision of innovative pedestrian activated signs to warn road users of crossing activity ahead but does not substantiate the need for a footbridge. The package of improvement measures recommended also includes improvements to the layout of the pavement on the north side of the A9 and the closure of the existing crossing point at Auchterarder junction. These measures will be delivered during the financial year 2015-16.

Transport Scotland will continue to monitor road safety on the A9, including at Gleneagles, and through this approach will identify the need for any further road safety investigations or improvements.

Question reference: S4O-04423

Asked by: Liz Smith, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 27 May 2015
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 4 June 2015

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will review business rates relief for local newspapers.

We keep all our business rate reliefs under regular and active review to ensure we maintain the most competitive business tax environment available anywhere in the UK.

The package of rates relief available to businesses in Scotland, worth an estimated £618 million in 2015-16, includes our Small Business Bonus Scheme which alone removes or reduces the rates for over 96,000 (two in every five) properties and provides much welcomed support to small firms, such as some local newspapers.