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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: S4O-03606

Asked by: Liz Smith, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 22 October 2014
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 29 October 2014

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will investigate tax breaks for sports clubs.

Question reference: S4O-03533

Asked by: Liz Smith, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 17 September 2014
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 25 September 2014

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to reduce rail journey times between Perth and other Scottish cities.

Question reference: S4W-22291

Asked by: Liz Smith, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 07 August 2014
Current Status: Answered by Michael Russell on 19 August 2014

To ask the Scottish Government whether it considers that the uptake of the Scottish Baccalaureate is low and, if so, what it is doing to increase uptake.

As a qualification designed to meet the needs of some of our most able learners in S6, the Scottish Baccalaureate was never intended to be a high uptake award. The number of pupils taking the Scottish Baccalaureate has shown an overall increase since its introduction in 2010, though the entry numbers decreased from 191 in 2013 to 176 in 2014.

The Scottish Qualifications Authority is continuing to work with schools, colleges and local authorities to promote the enhanced skills which the Scottish Baccalaureate develops. Education Scotland also has plans to promote the qualification at the next Scottish Learning Festival.

Question reference: S4W-22172

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 18 August 2014

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S4W-21945 by Aileen Campbell on 14 July 2014, whether it will provide the information that was requested and confirm when the need for a three-month delay in the legal duty was first raised with Scottish Government officials.

Question reference: S4W-22171

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 18 August 2014

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S4W-21840 by Aileen Campbell on 10 July 2014, whether it will provide the information that was requested and confirm how many two-year-olds from workless households will be eligible to receive free childcare provision from August 2014.

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-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-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.