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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-24622

Asked by: John Mason, MSP for Glasgow Shettleston, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 24 February 2015
Current Status: Answered by Fiona McLeod on 10 March 2015

To ask the Scottish Government how many children attend nursery outside of their council area and which local authorities are experiencing (a) additional and (b) less attendance as a result.

Question reference: S4W-24623

Asked by: John Mason, MSP for Glasgow Shettleston, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 24 February 2015
Current Status: Answered by Fiona McLeod on 10 March 2015

To ask the Scottish Government how many places at private nurseries are funded by Glasgow City Council, and how this compares with the rest of the country.

Question reference: S4W-24413

Asked by: John Mason, MSP for Glasgow Shettleston, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 10 February 2015
Current Status: Answered by Annabelle Ewing on 18 February 2015

To ask the Scottish Government what it has done to improve the employment rate for people from ethnic minorities and whether this has improved in comparison with other groups.

We believe that individuals from different ethnic backgrounds enrich Scotland socially, culturally and economically and recognise the importance of increasing employment rates amongst ethnic minorities.

During the period 2012-15 we will provide over £5.2 million to support organisations working with ethnic minority communities to develop and improve their employability skills and access to employment.

The employment rate for ethnic minorities in Scotland increased by 6.4 percentage points over the year to September 2014, from 56.4 per cent to 62.8 per cent. This is a return to pre-recession levels. Work continues to ensure that we see similar improvements for other groups disadvantaged in the labour market.

Question reference: S4T-00920

Asked by: John Mason, MSP for Glasgow Shettleston, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 02 February 2015
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 3 February 2015

To ask the Scottish Government what impact the recent Celtic versus Rangers match had on police resources.

Question reference: S4W-23992

Asked by: John Mason, MSP for Glasgow Shettleston, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 12 January 2015
Current Status: Answered by Alasdair Allan on 23 January 2015

To ask the Scottish Government whether, in light of paragraph 25 of Conduct of Relationships, Sexual Health and Parenthood Education in Schools, individual teachers will have the final say over which resources they choose to use for such education.

The choice of resources in any part of the curriculum, including relationships, sexual health and parenthood education, is decided in partnership between the teacher, school and local authority. Individual teachers are expected to work within that context and in line with the General Teaching Council for Scotland's Code of Professionalism and Conduct [which includes a requirement that teachers help pupils to understand different views, perspectives and experiences].

In addition, paragraph 28 of the guidance on Conduct of Relationships, Sexual Health and Parenthood Education in Schools makes plain that “no school, or individual teacher, is under a duty to support, promote or endorse one type of relationship over another. Discussions about relationships should acknowledge that same sex couples can now marry as a result of the Marriage and Civil Partnership (Scotland) Act 2014. Teaching should be based on facts and should enable pupils to develop an understanding of how the law applies to different relationships.

Question reference: S4W-23990

Asked by: John Mason, MSP for Glasgow Shettleston, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 12 January 2015
Current Status: Answered by Alasdair Allan on 23 January 2015

To ask the Scottish Government whether, in light of paragraph 27 of Conduct of Relationships, Sexual Health and Parenthood Education in Schools, no teacher will be required to teach aspects of such education to which they fundamentally object.

Paragraph 27 of the Conduct of Relationships, Sexual Health and Parenthood (RSHP) Education in Schools guidance makes plain that “In issuing this guidance it is the Scottish Government’s expectation that if a teacher is asked to teach aspects of RSHP education to which they fundamentally object, they should feel comfortable raising this with the school or local authority. The Scottish Government expects that these matters would be dealt with in an appropriate manner by the local authority, whereby teachers are made aware of the relevant sections from the General Teaching Council for Scotland’s Code of Professionalism and Conduct, in particular part 5 on equality and diversity. Where teachers raise religious or belief concerns about teaching aspects of RSHP education, local authorities may wish to take account of the guidance issued by the Equality and Human Rights Commission on religion or belief in the workplace at:

http://www.equalityhumanrights.com/publication/religion-or-belief-and-workplace-acas. The Scottish Government expects all local authorities to consider objections which teachers have to any aspects of RSHP education. The Scottish Government expects that the teaching of the RSHP programme would continue.”

In addition, paragraph 28 of the guidance then makes plain that “no school, or individual teacher, is under a duty to support, promote or endorse one type of relationship over another. Discussions about relationships should acknowledge that same sex couples can now marry as a result of the Marriage and Civil Partnership (Scotland) Act 2014. Teaching should be based on facts and should enable pupils to develop an understanding of how the law applies to different relationships.”

Question reference: S4W-23991

Asked by: John Mason, MSP for Glasgow Shettleston, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 12 January 2015
Current Status: Answered by Alasdair Allan on 23 January 2015

To ask the Scottish Government whether, in light of paragraph 28 of Conduct of Relationships, Sexual Health and Parenthood Education in Schools, no teacher will be required to promote a particular type of relationship to which they have a deeply held objection.

It is correct that no teacher should promote or oppose a particular kind of relationship. This is a feature of the guidance on Conduct of Relationships, Sexual Health and Parenthood Education in Schools.

In fact, paragraph 28 of the Conduct of Relationships, Sexual Health and Parenthood Education in Schools states that “no school, or individual teacher, is under a duty to support, promote or endorse one type of relationship over another. Discussions about relationships should acknowledge that same sex couples can now marry as a result of the Marriage and Civil Partnership (Scotland) Act 2014. Teaching should be based on facts and should enable pupils to develop an understanding of how the law applies to different relationships.”

Question reference: S4T-00883

Asked by: John Mason, MSP for Glasgow Shettleston, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 05 January 2015
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 6 January 2015

To ask the Scottish Government what contact it has had with the administrators of City Link Limited.

Question reference: S4W-23508

Asked by: John Mason, MSP for Glasgow Shettleston, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 04 December 2014
Current Status: Answered by Aileen Campbell on 17 December 2014

To ask the Scottish Government whether the people appointed named persons under the Children and Young People (Scotland) Act 2014 are in place and, if so, whether it will provide a breakdown by gender.

Question reference: S4W-23495

Asked by: John Mason, MSP for Glasgow Shettleston, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 02 December 2014
Current Status: Answered by Jamie Hepburn on 11 December 2014

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on Glasgow City Council's decision to reduce the budget of the Glasgow Association for Mental Health by 40% and what it can do to ensure that its services can continue.