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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: S5O-01365

Asked by: Neil Bibby, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 18 October 2017
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 26 October 2017

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the Sustrans report, Transport Poverty in Scotland.

Question reference: S5O-01272

Asked by: Neil Bibby, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 13 September 2017
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 20 September 2017

To ask the Scottish Government what support it is providing to the Paisley 2021 City of Culture bid.

I was in Paisley yesterday and made clear the Scottish Government is fully supportive of Paisley’s bid to become UK City of Culture 2021 and endorses the aims, ambitions and outcomes which the bid seeks to deliver.

It is an exciting prospect which fits in well with Scottish Government’s ambitions as we recognise the significant contribution Paisley makes to Scotland’s rich cultural life and the local and national boost this would bring.

Scottish Ministers have been consulted on the plans being submitted by Paisley to support the delivery of the bid and the Scottish Government is including its contribution within its spending review plans, as will National Agencies.

Question reference: S5W-11184

Asked by: Neil Bibby, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 11 September 2017
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 20 September 2017

To ask the Scottish Government how much the previous ScotRail franchise exercise cost, and what the cost will be of the next one.

Question reference: S5W-10903

Asked by: Neil Bibby, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 23 August 2017
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 6 September 2017

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-09970 by Shona Robison on 10 August 2017, whether any other dates were agreed for the cabinet secretary to visit the hospital prior to visit on 6 July 2017 that were subsequently changed and, if so, when the initial dates for these were entered in her diary.

As is normal for such engagements, a number of dates were considered and subsequently discounted or agreed based on a combination of Ministerial availability and local operational activity. Contact was first made with NHS Greater Glasgow & Clyde on this engagement in late May and, as previously indicated, the final date was agreed on 29 June; the previously agreed date of 5 July was changed to the next day to accommodate my attendance at a funeral.

Question reference: S5W-09970

Asked by: Neil Bibby, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 28 June 2017
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 10 August 2017

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-09712 by Shona Robison on 26 June 2017, on what date in July 2017 the cabinet secretary will visit the ward, and whether it will confirm the date that this was (a) agreed with the hospital and (b) entered in the cabinet secretary's diary.

Question reference: S5W-09712

Asked by: Neil Bibby, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 15 June 2017
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 26 June 2017

To ask the Scottish Government when the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Wellbeing will visit the children’s ward at the Royal Alexandra Hospital.

Question reference: S5O-01140

Asked by: Neil Bibby, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 14 June 2017
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 21 June 2017

To ask the Scottish Government when it last met NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde and what issues were discussed.

Question reference: S5O-01113

Asked by: Neil Bibby, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 07 June 2017
Current Status: Answered by Mark McDonald on 14 June 2017

To ask the Scottish Government what support it will provide to ensure that private sector and voluntary partners have the capacity required to meet its proposed expansion of early years and childcare services.

The Scottish Government has allocated £30 million of capital funding to local authorities in 2017-18 to invest in infrastructure developments which will expand capacity in the provision of Early Learning and Childcare. The funding letter issued to local authorities in March 2017 highlighted that one of the purposes of this capital funding is to provide capital grants to delivery partners, including third sector and private providers, in particular to support infrastructure developments in Scotland’s most deprived areas.

Question reference: S5W-09337

Asked by: Neil Bibby, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 22 May 2017
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 6 June 2017

To ask the Scottish Government how many HM Inspectorate of Education inspections were carried out in (a) early years establishments, (b) primary schools and (c) secondary schools in each academic year since 2006-07, broken down by local authority; how many reports were published, broken down by the average length of report, and how many reports commented on (i) literacy and (ii) numeracy standards.

Aberdeen City
Academic Years	2008-09	2009-10	2010-11
Early Learning and Childcare centres^1,4	11	16	11
Primary^2,3,4	8	5	3
Secondary^2,3,4	3	2	1
Aberdeenshire
Academic Years	2008-09	2009-10	2010-11
Early Learning and Childcare centres^1,4	18	28	21
Primary^2,3,4	15	21	17
Secondary^2,3,4	4	3	2
Angus
Academic Years	2008-09	2009-10	2010-11
Early Learning and Childcare centres^1,4	13	12	8
Primary^2,3,4	7	5	7
Secondary^2,3,4	1	3	0
Argyll & Bute
Academic Years	2008-09	2009-10	2010-11
Early Learning and Childcare centres^1,4	15	6	5
Primary^2,3,4	7	9	3
Secondary^2,3,4	0	3	1
Clackmannanshire
Academic Years	2008-09	2009-10	2010-11
Early Learning and Childcare centres^1,4	1	2	3
Primary^2,3,4	2	2	2
Secondary^2,3,4	0	1	0
Dumfries & Galloway
Academic Years	2008-09	2009-10	2010-11
Early Learning and Childcare centres^1,4	7	12	10
Primary^2,3,4	10	14	10
Secondary^2,3,4	1	4	1
Dundee
Academic Years	2008-09	2009-10	2010-11
Early Learning and Childcare centres^1,4	5	9	1
Primary^2,3,4	5	3	4
Secondary^2,3,4	0	2	1
East Ayrshire
Academic Years	2008-09	2009-10	2010-11
Early Learning and Childcare centres^1,4	4	7	6
Primary^2,3,4	6	6	6
Secondary^2,3,4	2	2	1
East Dunbartonshire
Academic Years	2008-09	2009-10	2010-11
Early Learning and Childcare centres^1,4	9	5	6
Primary^2,3,4	5	4	3
Secondary^2,3,4	1	2	0
East Lothian
Academic Years	2008-09	2009-10	2010-11
Early Learning and Childcare centres^1,4	5	8	3
Primary^2,3,4	4	5	3
Secondary^2,3,4	1	1	1
East Renfrewshire
Academic Years	2008-09	2009-10	2010-11
Early Learning and Childcare centres^1,4	5	2	6
Primary^2,3,4	4	4	3
Secondary^2,3,4	2	1	1
Edinburgh
Academic Years	2008-09	2009-10	2010-11
Early Learning and Childcare centres^1,4	35	26	20
Primary^2,3,4	10	13	10
Secondary^2,3,4	4	4	3
Eilean Siar
Academic Years	2008-09	2009-10	2010-11
Early Learning and Childcare centres^1,4	7	8	3
Primary^2,3,4	5	6	4
Secondary^2,3,4	1	2	2
Falkirk
Academic Years	2008-09	2009-10	2010-11
Early Learning and Childcare centres^1,4	5	13	6
Primary^2,3,4	5	8	5
Secondary^2,3,4	2	1	1
Fife
Academic Years	2008-09	2009-10	2010-11
Early Learning and Childcare centres^1,4	18	28	13
Primary^2,3,4	15	21	16
Secondary^2,3,4	2	3	1
Glasgow
Academic Years	2008-09	2009-10	2010-11
Early Learning and Childcare centres^1,4	34	15	31
Primary^2,3,4	18	17	14
Secondary^2,3,4	4	5	2
Highland
Academic Years	2008-09	2009-10	2010-11
Early Learning and Childcare centres^1,4	22	30	27
Primary^2,3,4	17	31	17
Secondary^2,3,4	3	6	1
Inverclyde
Academic Years	2008-09	2009-10	2010-11
Early Learning and Childcare centres^1,4	5	3	3
Primary^2,3,4	4	2	1
Secondary^2,3,4	1	2	1
Midlothian
Academic Years	2008-09	2009-10	2010-11
Early Learning and Childcare centres^1,4	4	4	6
Primary^2,3,4	3	5	5
Secondary^2,3,4	2	1	0
Moray
Academic Years	2008-09	2009-10	2010-11
Early Learning and Childcare centres^1,4	11	10	4
Primary^2,3,4	8	7	1
Secondary^2,3,4	2	1	1
North Ayrshire
Academic Years	2008-09	2009-10	2010-11
Early Learning and Childcare centres^1,4	11	12	6
Primary^2,3,4	6	8	5
Secondary^2,3,4	1	1	1
North Lanarkshire
Academic Years	2008-09	2009-10	2010-11
Early Learning and Childcare centres^1,4	13	20	12
Primary^2,3,4	14	19	15
Secondary^2,3,4	3	4	2
Orkney Islands
Academic Years	2008-09	2009-10	2010-11
Early Learning and Childcare centres^1,4	3	3	2
Primary^2,3,4	3	3	2
Secondary^2,3,4	1	0	2
Perth & Kinross
Academic Years	2008-09	2009-10	2010-11
Early Learning and Childcare centres^1,4	9	12	10
Primary^3,4,5	11	11	8
Secondary^3,4,5	2	1	0
Renfrewshire
Academic Years	2008-09	2009-10	2010-11
Early Learning and Childcare centres^1,4	9	4	13
Primary^2,3,4	6	7	6
Secondary^2,3,4	2	1	1
Scottish Borders
Academic Years	2008-09	2009-10	2010-11
Early Learning and Childcare centres^1,4	13	11	9
Primary^2,3,4	7	9	5
Secondary^2,3,4	1	2	1
Shetland Islands
Academic Years	2008-09	2009-10	2010-11
Early Learning and Childcare centres^1,4	5	5	4
Primary^2,3,4	6	5	4
Secondary^2,3,4	2	0	2
South Ayrshire
Academic Years	2008-09	2009-10	2010-11
Early Learning and Childcare centres^1,4	6	6	6
Primary^2,3,4	6	5	5
Secondary^2,3,4	3	0	0
South Lanarkshire
Academic Years	2008-09	2009-10	2010-11
Early Learning and Childcare centres ^1,4	15	16	14
Primary^2,3,4	19	18	11
Secondary^2,3,4	3	3	0
Stirling
Academic Years	2008-09	2009-10	2010-11
Early Learning and Childcare centres^1,4	8	7	4
Primary^2,3,4	7	5	5
Secondary^2,3,4	1	2	1
West Dunbartonshire
Academic Years	2008-09	2009-10	2010-11
Early Learning and Childcare centres^1,4	7	0	4
Primary^2,3,4	5	5	2
Secondary^2,3,4	1	1	0
West Lothian
Academic Years	2008-09	2009-10	2010-11
Early Learning and Childcare centres^1,4	15	4	9
Primary^2,3,4	12	7	7
Secondary^2,3,4	1	1	2

1. ELC includes Local authority & grant-aided Primary School nursery classes, All Through Nursery Classes and Early Learning and Childcare centres (no Independent

2. Local Authority & Grant Aided schools only (no Independents or Guernsey)

3. Primary and Secondary figures include All through schools

4. All figures include short model inspections resulting in QI evaluations and 'try out' inspections not resulting in QI evaluations

2. The number of HM Inspectorate of Education reports published, broken down by the average length of report

Inspection reporting has reflected changes to inspection approaches over the period.

2008-09 and 2010-11

Early learning and childcare centres –11 pages - 978 publications
Primary and secondary schools - approximately 10 pages – 914 publications

Scotland - number of inspection reports published by sector

Academic Years	2008-9 - 2010-11
Early Learning and Childcare centres^1,4	978
Primary^2,3,4	759
Secondary^2,3,4	155

1. ELC includes Local authority & grant-aided Primary School nursery classes, All Through Nursery Classes and Early Learning and Childcare centres (no Independents)

2. Local Authority & Grant Aided schools only (no Independents or Guernsey)

3. Primary and Secondary figures include All through schools

4. All figures include short model inspections resulting in QI evaluations and 'try out' inspections not resulting in QI evaluations

These figures are based on a sample of reports.

3. The number of HM Inspectorate of Education reports published which comment on (i) literacy and (ii) numeracy standards.

Subsequently there has been a change to the terminology used between 2008 and 2011:

All reports for Early learning and childcare settings, Primary and Secondary schools contained information about children’s progress in literacy
In primary this may have been referred to as English Language
All reports for Early learning and childcare settings, Primary and Secondary schools contained information about children’s progress in numeracy
In primary this would have been referred to as Mathematics

Question reference: S5W-09336

Asked by: Neil Bibby, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 22 May 2017
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 1 June 2017

To ask the Scottish Government how many (a) inspectors and (b) other staff have been employed by HM Inspectorate of Education in each calendar year since 2006.

The following table provides the calendar year information, broken down as requested up until HM Inspectorate if Education ceased to exist and merged with Learning and Teaching Scotland to create Education Scotland in July 2011.

	Inspectors	All other staff	Total
2006	87	125	212
2007	79	128	207
2008	81	117	198
2009	83	131	214
2010	87	131	218
2011	87	121	208