- Asked by: Liz Smith, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
-
Date lodged: Thursday, 30 April 2015
-
Current Status:
Answered by Angela Constance on 12 May 2015
To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on the finding of the 2014 Scottish Survey of Literacy and Numeracy suggesting that literacy standards among schoolchildren have fallen and, in light of this, for what reason its Standing Literacy Commission has previously claimed that such standards have improved.
Answer
Tackling inequality is at the heart of this government's agenda so that every child can succeed in school and gain the skills they need for life. Literacy and numeracy are vital skills in this regard. The most recent findings from the Scottish Survey of Literacy and Numeracy (SSLN) found that most Scottish pupils are doing well, but the Scottish Government has already acknowledged that the results are not as good as they should be.
The independent Standing Literacy Commission considered a wider range of qualitative and quantitative data and evidence - prior to publication of the SSLN 2014 results - and concluded that many of the key indicators of literacy development in early years, school and adult literacy are moving in the right direction. The commission stated clearly that there is still progress to be made, especially in closing the gap in attainment between the most and least disadvantaged young people. They also made 13 recommendations to improve literacy levels in Scotland, across all sectors, which we are studying carefully and intend to respond to in due course.
- Asked by: Liz Smith, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
-
Date lodged: Monday, 11 May 2015
-
Current Status:
Taken in the Chamber on 14 May 2015
To ask the First Minister what the Scottish Government's response is to the concerns raised by the charity, Clan Childlaw, regarding the data-sharing aspect of the named person legislation.
Answer
Taken in the Chamber on 14 May 2015
- Asked by: Liz Smith, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
-
Date lodged: Tuesday, 28 April 2015
-
Current Status:
Answered by Roseanna Cunningham on 8 May 2015
To ask the Scottish Government what it is doing to increase the number of disabled people enrolled in modern apprenticeships.
Answer
In December 2014 the Scottish Government published Developing the Young Workforce: Scotland's Youth Employment Strategy - Implementing the Recommendations of the Commission for Developing Scotland's Young Workforce. You can view the document via the following link: http://www.gov.scot/Resource/0046/00466386.pdf . ‘Section 5: Equality’ on page 29 details steps the Scottish Government is taking to tackle inequality for our young people.
With specific regard to the Modern Apprenticeship (MA) programme, our national skills body, Skills Development Scotland (SDS), published their Equality and Diversity Mainstreaming Report 2015-17 in April 2015. The report can be accessed via the following link
http://www.skillsdevelopmentscotland.co.uk/media/1344738/equality_and_diversity_mainstreaming_report.pdf . Section 5.2 (pages 20 - 28) updates SDS' 2013-15 action plan; details future actions; and notes performance measures towards improved participation in the MA programme by those from BME communities and disabled people and improved gender balance in occupational participation across MA frameworks.
- Asked by: Liz Smith, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
-
Date lodged: Wednesday, 15 April 2015
-
Current Status:
Taken in the Chamber on 22 April 2015
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will seek an extension to the deadline for the registration of single application forms for rural payments and services.
Answer
Taken in the Chamber on 22 April 2015
- Asked by: Liz Smith, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
-
Date lodged: Thursday, 12 March 2015
-
Current Status:
Answered by Angela Constance on 25 March 2015
To ask the Scottish Government what the projected number is of (a) primary and (b) secondary headteachers who will hold the new professional masters qualification by (i) 2019-20, (ii) 2020-21 and (iii) 2021-22.
Answer
These figures are not currently available. The Scottish Government is currently working with the Scottish College for Educational Leadership and the Association of Directors of Education in Scotland to estimate the number of teachers that will need to be trained between now and the requirement coming into force in 2018-19. It is the responsibility of local authorities to ensure they employ suitably qualified staff to lead schools.
- Asked by: Liz Smith, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
-
Date lodged: Thursday, 12 March 2015
-
Current Status:
Answered by Angela Constance on 25 March 2015
To ask the Scottish Government whether headteachers in post prior to the introduction of the professional masters qualification in 2018-19 will be required to undertake the new qualification if they wish to move to another headship.
Answer
No, current headteachers have already demonstrated that they have met the Standard for Headship either as a result of having successfully completed the Scottish Qualification for Headship, the Flexible Route to Headship or that otherwise the local authority is satisfied that they have demonstrated through appointment procedures the qualities and experience described in the standard.
In the longer term existing headteachers may wish to consider undertaking parts of the new qualification as part of their professional learning.
- Asked by: Liz Smith, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
-
Date lodged: Wednesday, 11 March 2015
-
Current Status:
Answered by Michael Matheson on 25 March 2015
To ask the Scottish Government how many arrests have been made by the British Transport Police in Scotland (a) on trains and (b) at train stations, and how many incidents the force has responded to, in each year since 1999.
Answer
This is a reserved matter.
As you are aware, powers for the policing of the railway industry will transfer over to Scotland through recommendations put forward by the Smith Commission.
The Scottish Government has set out its intent to integrate the British Transport Police in Scotland within Police Scotland and is taking forward discussions with the British Transport Police, the British Transport Police Authority, the British Transport Police Association and all relevant stakeholders in relation to this.
- Asked by: Liz Smith, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
-
Date lodged: Wednesday, 11 March 2015
-
Current Status:
Answered by Michael Matheson on 24 March 2015
To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on reports that there have been a high number of accidents at the Ryze trampoline park in Dalkeith; what discussions it had had with Midlothian Council about this issue, and what information it has about whether investigations are (a) taking place or (b) are planned.
Answer
It is the responsibility of Midlothian Council as the licensing authority to determine whether any licences are required by particular business and to deal with any infraction of licensing laws or conditions.
We understand that the council have been working with the operators to resolve any licensing and health and safety issues and the trampoline park will be reopening shortly.
- Asked by: Liz Smith, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
-
Date lodged: Wednesday, 11 March 2015
-
Current Status:
Answered by Jamie Hepburn on 24 March 2015
To ask the Scottish Government what guidance it provides to local authorities regarding the granting of indoor sports entertainment licences and the inspection of establishments that have these.
Answer
Local authorities operate with well-established licencing principles regarding the issuing or inspecting of indoor sports entertainment licences.
The Health and Safety Executive offers guidance on the operation of leisure activities.
- Asked by: Liz Smith, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
-
Date lodged: Thursday, 12 March 2015
-
Current Status:
Answered by Fiona McLeod on 20 March 2015
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer question S4W-24689 by Fiona McLeod on 11 March 2015, whether it will provide details of the "publicly available information" and the funding model agreed with COSLA, and how it used this information to calculate the £880 million figure.
Answer
The publicly available information relates to the Local Financial Return 2013-14 expenditure release of 24 February 2015 which sets out the baseline annual revenue spend by local government of £320 million on the 475 hours policy, i.e. prior to commencement of the Act’s provisions on early learning and childcare. The additional costs associated with the early learning and childcare provisions in the Act were set out in the original and supplementary financial memoranda, for both the stage 1 and stage 2 early learning and childcare provisions, to the financial year 2019-20.
This model was then adapted to scale up to 1,140 hours per year – 30 hours per week for 38 weeks – to give a total of £881 million total annual revenue spend.