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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: S5W-06393

Asked by: Daniel Johnson, MSP for Edinburgh Southern, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 23 January 2017
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 31 January 2017

To ask the Scottish Government, how many Professional Graduate Diploma in Education graduates went on to take up roles in early years and childcare in each of the last 10 years, broken down by the Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation quintile of the location of the role.

Question reference: S5W-06058

Asked by: Daniel Johnson, MSP for Edinburgh Southern, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 11 January 2017
Current Status: Answered by Mark McDonald on 25 January 2017

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the recent report by Reform Scotland on ending nursery age discrimination.

Starting dates for three year olds are defined in legislation. Under these provisions, children who could start school at around 4½ are entitled to an additional year of ELC if parents wish and start school around 5½; children who will be closer to their 5^th birthday can request an additional year at the local authorities discretion and start closer to their 6^th birthday. In addition, local authorities can and do start children earlier than the term after their 3^rd birthday where they have capacity to do so, and this is for them to fund and manage.

Our main priority is to extend the entitlement to eligible two year olds. However, we will consider this report along with all the responses we have received to our ‘Blueprint for 2020’ consultation on the expansion of early learning and childcare in order to inform policy development, planning and implementation for the expansion to 1,140 hours.

Question reference: S5O-00596

Asked by: Daniel Johnson, MSP for Edinburgh Southern, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 18 January 2017
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 25 January 2017

To ask the Scottish Government what action it can take to resolve any legal difficulties regarding NHS boards taking ownership of GP practices.

Following the considerations of the GP Premises Short Life Working Group, an implementation group has been established, which includes representation from NHS boards (including Lothian), BMA and Scottish Government. This group will review and recommend updates, where required, to the legal framework outlined in the Premises Directions. If necessary, changes to the Scottish Government Property Transactions Handbook will also be considered.

Question reference: S5W-06039

Asked by: Daniel Johnson, MSP for Edinburgh Southern, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 11 January 2017
Current Status: Answered by Jamie Hepburn on 24 January 2017

To ask the Scottish Government how many jobs it estimates will be lost due to technological change; what the timeline for any losses will be; which sectors it expects to lose the most jobs, and what its skills strategy is to deal with any changes.

The Scottish Government continue to monitor the emerging evidence base in this area, and its implications for Scotland.

We recognise the need to anticipate future trends and economic or societal changes and to be able to adapt and react to them quickly. Our approach will be informed by the best evidence we collect in Scotland, but also by reflecting other international analysis.

We are aware that technological change, and issues such as automation and digitisation, will have a significant impact over the next few decades, which will create both challenges and opportunities for businesses and sectors across Scotland. This will mean that the demand for skills and occupations will change as businesses and sectors adapt. As highlighted in Scotland’s Labour Market Strategy, and in the subsequent outcomes from the Enterprise and Skills Review, we will take forward the analysis of issues like this in the future and help employers respond to them positively, with the support of the Strategic Labour Market Group.

Question reference: S5F-00810

Asked by: Daniel Johnson, MSP for Edinburgh Southern, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 23 January 2017
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 26 January 2017

To ask the First Minister what the impact would be on redevelopment plans for universities, following its decision to ask the Scottish Funding Council to pay back £50 million.

Question reference: S5W-06100

Asked by: Daniel Johnson, MSP for Edinburgh Southern, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 12 January 2017
Current Status: Answered by Jamie Hepburn on 23 January 2017

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-05135 by Jamie Hepburn on 13 December 2016, what it estimates (a) the cost of the Scottish public sector contribution to the UK Apprenticeship Levy and (b) the net impact on the Scottish Government’s net spending power will be, in each of the next three years.

a) The cost of the Scottish public sector contribution to the Apprenticeship Levy is estimated at £73 million per annum.

b) Given the direct financial impact on public sector employers, in 2017-18, 2018-19 and 2019-20, we estimate that the Scottish Government’s net spending power will be £30m, £21m and £12m million lower in each year respectively than it would have been in the absence of the Levy, £63 million in total over the three year period.

Question reference: S5W-06057

Asked by: Daniel Johnson, MSP for Edinburgh Southern, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 11 January 2017
Current Status: Answered by Derek Mackay on 20 January 2017

To ask the Scottish Government what the impact of reducing local government funding by £327 million would be on funding for schools.

Taking next year’s local government finance settlement plus the other sources of income available through potential increases in council tax and Health and Social Care Integration, the overall increase in spending power to support local authority services, including funding for schools, amounts to £241 million in 2017-18 compared to 2016-17.

From April 2017, £120 million will be allocated directly to schools on the basis of the numbers of children and young people in P1-S3 known to be eligible and registered for free school meals. This is on top of the existing £50 million that will continue to provide targeted support for those authorities and schools supporting children and young people in greatest need. These two funding streams, which total £170 million for 2017-18, contribute to our commitment to allocate £750 million during the course of this Parliament through the Attainment Scotland Fund. We will also continue to allocate £88 million to local authorities to maintain the pupil teacher ratio nationally, and to secure places for all probationers who require one on the teacher induction scheme. This is made up of £51 million to maintain the pupil teacher ratio and £37 million to support the teacher induction scheme.

Question reference: S5W-04250

Asked by: Daniel Johnson, MSP for Edinburgh Southern, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 03 November 2016
Current Status: Answered by Mark McDonald on 12 January 2017

To ask the Scottish Government how many students (a) began and (b) completed childcare courses at SVQ level (i) 2 and (ii) 3 in each of the last five years, broken down by institution.

Question reference: S5W-05856

Asked by: Daniel Johnson, MSP for Edinburgh Southern, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 21 December 2016
Current Status: Answered by Derek Mackay on 12 January 2017

To ask the Scottish Government how many commercial properties the large business rates supplement will apply to in 2017-18, broken down by (a) local authority area and (b) business sector.

The Scottish Government's estimate of the numbers of properties liable for the large business supplement for 2017-18, broken down by local authority area and by Assessors’ property classification, is set out in the following tables.

Local authority	Estimated number of properties
Aberdeen City	2,068
Aberdeenshire	937
Angus	281
Argyll & Bute	274
Clackmannanshire	112
Dumfries & Galloway	391
Dundee City	687
East Ayrshire	279
East Dunbartonshire	201
East Lothian	257
East Renfrewshire	131
Edinburgh, City of	3,098
Eilean Siar	89
Falkirk	476
Fife	1,042
Glasgow City	3,390
Highland	1,058
Inverclyde	181
Midlothian	306
Moray	310
North Ayrshire	352
North Lanarkshire	1,055
Orkney Islands	70
Perth & Kinross	537
Renfrewshire	721
Scottish Borders	306
Shetland Islands	108
South Ayrshire	384
South Lanarkshire	1,039
Stirling	408
West Dunbartonshire	265
West Lothian	765
TOTAL	21,578

Class	Estimated number of properties
Advertising	19
Care Facilities	802
Communications	78
Cultural	159
Education and Training	2,077
Garages and Petrol Stations	331
Health and Medical	579
Hotels	938
Industrial Subjects	4,552
Leisure, Entertainment, Caravans etc.	909
Offices	3,421
Other	314
Petrochemical	78
Public Houses	643
Public Service Subjects	1,043
Quarries, Mines, etc.	96
Religious	92
Shops	5,077
Sporting Subjects	32
Statutory Undertaking	338
Total	21,578

Question reference: S5W-05853

Asked by: Daniel Johnson, MSP for Edinburgh Southern, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 21 December 2016
Current Status: Answered by Derek Mackay on 12 January 2017

To ask the Scottish Government how much tax revenue it expects will be generated by the large business rates supplement in 2017-18, broken down by local authority.

The Scottish Government's estimate of non-domestic rates income attributable to the large business supplement for 2017-18 by local authority area is set out in the following table.

Local authority	Estimated income (£ million)
Aberdeen City	11.0
Aberdeenshire	4.4
Angus	1.1
Argyll & Bute	1.5
Clackmannanshire	0.7
Dumfries & Galloway	1.6
Dundee City	3.0
East Ayrshire	1.1
East Dunbartonshire	1.0
East Lothian	1.1
East Renfrewshire	0.5
Edinburgh, City of	16.3
Eilean Siar	0.3
Falkirk	3.0
Fife	7.1
Glasgow City	16.9
Highland	5.4
Inverclyde	0.8
Midlothian	1.3
Moray	1.7
North Ayrshire	1.6
North Lanarkshire	4.5
Orkney Islands	0.3
Perth & Kinross	2.2
Renfrewshire	5.9
Scottish Borders	1.2
Shetland Islands	0.9
South Ayrshire	1.7
South Lanarkshire	19.2
Stirling	1.8
West Dunbartonshire	3.6
West Lothian	3.3
TOTAL	126.0