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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: S4W-17406

Asked by: Neil Bibby, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 24 September 2013
Current Status: Answered by Aileen Campbell on 3 October 2013

To ask the Scottish Government what guidance it has issued on the needs of pupils in kinship care.

Under the Education (Additional Support for Learning) (Scotland) Act 2009 a child or young person looked after by a local authority (within the meaning of section 17(6) of the Children (Scotland) Act 1995 (c.36), including those in formal kinship care arrangements, is automatically deemed as having additional support needs until they are assessed otherwise.

The Supporting Children’s Learning code of practice explains the duties on education authorities and other agencies to support children's and young people's learning. It provides guidance on the Act’s provisions as well as on the supporting framework of secondary legislation.

The Scottish Government have also published the following guides aimed at improving education and attainment for all Looked After children:

Improving the Education of Looked After Children: A Guide for Local Authorities and Services Providers.

Core Tasks for Designated Managers in Educational and Residential Establishments.

We Can and Must Do Better Training Materials

These Are Our Bairns: A Guide for Community Planning Partnerships on Being a Good Corporate Parent.

Question reference: S4W-17231

Asked by: Neil Bibby, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 17 September 2013
Current Status: Answered by Alasdair Allan on 1 October 2013

To ask the Scottish Government how many pupils have studied advanced higher computing in each year since 2009, broken down by local authority.

The number of learners entered for the advanced higher computing qualification from 2009 broken down by local authority is as follows:

Number of pupils entered in advanced higher computing at publicly funded secondary schools

Local Authority Area	2009	2010	2011	2012	2013
Aberdeen City	9	5	5	7	12
Aberdeenshire	*	9	11	13	18
Angus	8	8	9	8	9
Argyll and Bute	8	*	9	10	6
Clackmannanshire	*	*	0	0	*
Dumfries and Galloway	*	0	*	*	0
Dundee City	23	22	19	13	18
East Ayrshire	*	5	6	*	*
East Dunbartonshire	26	23	11	24	23
East Lothian	*	11	13	5	*
East Renfrewshire	18	15	14	24	*
Edinburgh City	38	39	52	60	37
Eilean Siar	*	*	6	*	6
Falkirk	*	*	9	11	13
Fife	35	37	42	45	42
Glasgow City	13	9	24	15	22
Highland	7	8	6	5	10
Inverclyde	6	*	6	12	8
Midlothian	18	23	15	15	22
Moray	*	*	*	*	*
North Ayrshire	13	8	12	11	13
North Lanarkshire	*	6	*	*	*
Orkney Islands	0	0	0	*	*
Perth and Kinross	24	34	30	39	39
Renfrewshire	*	0	0	0	0
Scottish Borders	9	*	*	0	8
Shetland Islands	0	0	0	0	0
South Ayrshire	37	33	37	28	29
South Lanarkshire	25	24	47	20	35
Stirling	9	7	*	6	0
West Dunbartonshire	9	*	7	*	*
West Lothian	22	25	15	16	11
Grant aided	*	*	*	*	*
All	383	378	418	412	404

Note: *Numbers of less than 5 are supressed for quality and disclosure reasons.

Question reference: S4W-17235

Asked by: Neil Bibby, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 17 September 2013
Current Status: Answered by Alasdair Allan on 1 October 2013

To ask the Scottish Government how much per pupil it allocates to local authorities for advanced highers.

Question reference: S4W-17234

Asked by: Neil Bibby, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 17 September 2013
Current Status: Answered by Alasdair Allan on 1 October 2013

To ask the Scottish Government what the average size is of advanced higher classes, broken down by (a) subject and (b) local authority.

Question reference: S4W-17233

Asked by: Neil Bibby, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 17 September 2013
Current Status: Answered by Alasdair Allan on 1 October 2013

To ask the Scottish Government how it encourages schools to provide advanced higher computing classes.

The number and range of courses on offer is a decision for schools to make in consultation with learners and parents, taking into account the local context and resources available.

The Scottish Government sees learning in science and technology subjects as important for young people, and for the economy, helping them to develop skills for learning, life and work. We are providing BCS, the Chartered Institute for IT with £200k per annum over two years to support professional learning for secondary school teachers of computing science. The opportunities provided will help ensure learning incorporates new programming languages and current thinking on teaching approaches.

Question reference: S4W-17232

Asked by: Neil Bibby, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 17 September 2013
Current Status: Answered by Alasdair Allan on 1 October 2013

To ask the Scottish Government how many schools have provided advanced higher computing in each year since 2009, broken down by local authority.

The number of centres with students entered for advanced higher computing in each year since 2009, broken down by local authority is as follows:

Number of publicly funded secondary schools with pupils entering advanced higher computing

Local Authority	2009	2010	2011	2012	2013
Aberdeen City	3	2	4	3	6
Aberdeenshire	2	6	6	6	6
Angus	2	4	3	4	5
Argyll and Bute	1	1	1	1	2
Clackmannanshire	1	2	0	0	2
Dumfries and Galloway	2	0	1	1	0
Dundee City	7	5	5	6	7
East Ayrshire	2	3	2	1	1
East Dunbartonshire	5	5	3	6	5
East Lothian	2	5	5	2	4
East Renfrewshire	2	3	4	3	2
Edinburgh City	9	9	11	11	13
Eilean Siar	1	1	1	1	1
Falkirk	1	2	3	2	2
Fife	11	11	11	9	13
Glasgow City	3	5	5	7	4
Highland	5	4	4	3	5
Inverclyde	1	1	1	2	1
Midlothian	4	3	2	4	4
Moray	2	2	1	1	1
North Ayrshire	3	4	3	3	3
North Lanarkshire	1	3	1	2	2
Orkney Islands	0	0	0	2	1
Perth and Kinross	5	6	5	5	5
Renfrewshire	1	0	0	0	0
Scottish Borders	3	2	1	0	3
Shetland Islands	0	0	0	0	0
South Ayrshire	6	6	6	6	6
South Lanarkshire	5	6	8	7	5
Stirling	3	3	3	2	0
West Dunbartonshire	3	1	1	1	2
West Lothian	6	7	6	6	5
Grant aided	1	1	1	1	1
All	103	113	108	108	117

Question reference: S4O-02416

Asked by: Neil Bibby, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 18 September 2013
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 25 September 2013

To ask the Scottish Government what the set-up and running costs would be of a new national, independent broadcaster in the event of Scotland becoming independent.

Question reference: S4O-02335

Asked by: Neil Bibby, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 28 August 2013
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 4 September 2013

To ask the Scottish Government how much it estimates the difference is between the wholesale value of and taxation generated from remaining North Sea oil and gas resources.

Question reference: S4W-15414

Asked by: Neil Bibby, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 31 May 2013
Current Status: Answered by Aileen Campbell on 13 June 2013

To ask the Scottish Government what action it has taken to ensure that no children’s panel members will be suspended due to information regarding them in relation to police checks and protection of vulnerable groups legislation not being transferred to Children's Hearings Scotland.

Relevant Disclosure Scotland information on panel members, and prospective panel members, is communicated by local authority Clerks to the Scottish Government and recorded on individual records on the central database. Responsibility for this database will transfer to Children’s Hearings Scotland in time for 24 June 2013.

No panel member will be suspended because information has not been transferred to Children’s Hearings Scotland.

Question reference: S4W-15411

Asked by: Neil Bibby, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 31 May 2013
Current Status: Answered by Aileen Campbell on 13 June 2013

To ask the Scottish Government what action it has taken to ensure that it collects accurate information on members of children's panels in relation to police checks and protection of vulnerable groups legislation, and whether this information will be transferred to Children’s Hearings Scotland in time for it becoming operational in June 2013.

All appointments and reappointments to Children’s Panels are conditional on the completion of statutory background checks by Disclosure Scotland. Information about these checks is gathered and processed at local level and is then recorded on the central database held by the Scottish Government.

A planned quality assurance review has been conducted on the accuracy of central records and will conclude before implementation on 24 June 2013.

Responsibility for the central database, and associated information supporting the effective administration of the children’s panel, will transfer to Children’s Hearings Scotland in time for 24 June.