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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-22264

Asked by: Liz Smith, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 05 August 2014
Current Status: Answered by Alasdair Allan on 15 August 2014

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with the SQA regarding for what reason in session 2013-14 there were 55,000 fewer presentations by pupils for national exam qualifications compared with session 2012-13.

The Scottish Government regularly holds discussions with the SQA on many issues relating to the national qualifications.

It was to be expected that the total number of entries would be lower this year than last. This primarily reflects the changing patterns of learning which are developing as part of Curriculum for Excellence. The flexibility and personalisation offered by the senior phase enables schools to develop, in consultation with parents, curriculum models that allow for deeper attainment and a richer learning experience. This means that many pupils are now taking fewer subjects in S4. It is expected that this trend will continue in future years.

Question reference: S4W-22173

Asked by: Liz Smith, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 21 July 2014
Current Status: Answered by Aileen Campbell on 15 August 2014

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S4W-21946 by Aileen Campbell on 14 July 2014, when it will publish the public information materials.

Question reference: S4W-22119

Asked by: Liz Smith, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 14 July 2014
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 12 August 2014

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with the relevant governing body regarding where an independent Scotland would locate the main national training facility for (a) aquatics, (b) archery, (c) badminton, (d) basketball, (e) boxing, (f) canoeing and kayaking, (g) cycling, (h) equestrian events, (i) fencing, (j) football, (k) golf, (l) gymnastics, (m) handball, (n) hockey, (o) judo, (p) modern pentathlon, (q) rowing, (r) rugby sevens, (s) sailing, (t) shooting, (u) table tennis, (v) taekwondo, (w) tennis, (x) track and field, (y) triathlon, (z) volleyball, (aa) weightlifting and (bb) wrestling.

Scotland already has excellent national training facilities such as the national swimming centre at Stirling, the national judo centre at Ratho and the Sir Chris Hoy velodrome among others. I have asked the chief executive of sportscotland to provide you with detailed information on national training centres.

In addition the Scottish Government has committed £25 million to deliver a National Performance Centre for Sport. All governing bodies were consulted as part of this process and while some such as football and volleyball will make greater use of the centre than others, all governing bodies will be able to benefit from the facilities and services that will be available when the centre becomes operational in 2016.

sportscotland also recently launched a new £20 million national and regional facilities investment which will help address gaps in provision identified through the bidding process for the National Performance Centre for Sport. As the national agency for the development of sport in Scotland, sportscotland is committed to working with sport governing bodies and others to ensure our elite athletes have access to appropriate facilities that will allow them to prepare and compete successfully on the international stage.

Question reference: S4F-02248

Asked by: Liz Smith, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 11 August 2014
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 14 August 2014

To ask the First Minister how many two-year-olds from workless families will receive free childcare at the start of the new school session.

Question reference: S4W-21985

Asked by: Liz Smith, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 27 June 2014
Current Status: Answered by Aileen Campbell on 30 July 2014

To ask the Scottish Government, following the coming into force of the Children and Young People (Scotland) Act 2014, how many hours per month it expects named persons who are teachers to spend fulfilling their obligations as a named person; what additional resources it will provide to schools to provide a named person service, and what opt-outs there will be for professionals who do not wish to act as a named person.

The additional resources for local authorities implementation of named person duties are set out in the financial memorandum, including the additional time associated with the role. This can be found at:

http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/S4_Bills/Children%20and%20Young%20People%20(Scotland)%20Bill/b27s4-introd-en.pdf .

The Cabinet Secretary for Finance, Employment and Sustainable Growth has confirmed that the Scottish Government will fully fund the additional costs of the Act to local authorities.

The Act does not place duties on individuals, but on organisations to ensure that the named person functions are carried out. Arrangements for individuals to ‘opt out’ of the role would be covered by existing arrangements in each of these organisations.

Question reference: S4W-21987

Asked by: Liz Smith, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 27 June 2014
Current Status: Answered by Alex Neil on 25 July 2014

To ask the Scottish Government which (a) NHS boards and (b) local authorities are operating a named person scheme.

Community Planning Partnerships across Scotland are currently implementing a non-statutory version of the named person role on a voluntary basis, with positive results and experiences. Our understanding is that some of the local authorities and NHS boards who have committed to implementing the named person include Highland, Edinburgh, Angus, Stirling and Ayrshire.

The Children and Young People (Scotland) Act 2014, which puts the named person role into statute, received royal assent on 27 March 2014. The named person provisions of the Act are likely to be commenced in August 2016.

Question reference: S4W-21943

Asked by: Liz Smith, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 26 June 2014
Current Status: Answered by Aileen Campbell on 14 July 2014

To ask the Scottish Government what the “outstanding and unresolved issues” are that are referred to in paragraph 15 of the policy note accompanying the Provision of Early Learning and Childcare (Specified Children) (Scotland) Order 2014 [draft] and how many local authorities it expects to experience them.

A joint assessment by the Scottish Government and COSLA has confirmed that every local authority has plans in place to deliver the new provision for eligible 2 year olds in August 2014.

To ensure they are ready to deliver this new provision, local authorities have been making alterations to buildings to make them ready for a higher number of young children, recruiting more suitably trained and experienced staff and negotiating with partner providers and childminders.

However, there remains a risk that practical issues may appear during the initial stages of implementation.

The extra time before the legal duty commences allows local authorities more flexibility to resolve any unforeseen challenges around implementation.

Question reference: S4W-21942

Asked by: Liz Smith, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 26 June 2014
Current Status: Answered by Aileen Campbell on 14 July 2014

To ask the Scottish Government how many of the 3,440 two-year-olds in workless families will be guaranteed a childcare place at the start of August 2014.

Question reference: S4W-21946

Asked by: Liz Smith, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 26 June 2014
Current Status: Answered by Aileen Campbell on 14 July 2014

To ask the Scottish Government how it will inform parents from workless households of the expansion of childcare provision.

Question reference: S4W-21945

Asked by: Liz Smith, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 26 June 2014
Current Status: Answered by Aileen Campbell on 14 July 2014

To ask the Scottish Government what discussion it had with COSLA regarding the Provision of Early Learning and Childcare (Specified Children) (Scotland) Order 2014 [draft] and when the need for a three-month delay in the legal duty was first raised with Scottish Government officials.

There have been ongoing discussions with COSLA on this issue, and assessment of local authorities’ progress towards delivering the funded early learning and childcare entitlement to eligible 2 year olds.

On 19th June 2014, the Scottish Government agreed with COSLA that, in order to enable local authorities to address any unforeseen issues with provision that may arise, and to fully test the implementation of local authority plans, the legal duty in relation to eligible two year olds will now come into force on 31October.

This will protect councils from legal challenge in the event that any adjustments are required to local delivery plans.