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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-22159

Asked by: Rona Mackay, MSP for Strathkelvin and Bearsden, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 14 March 2019
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 19 March 2019

To ask the Scottish Government how much it has invested in (a) building and (b) refurbishing schools since 2007, broken down by local authority.

Through the £1.8 billion school building programme, Scotland's Schools for the Future, the Scottish Government has invested the below in (a) building and (b) refurbishing schools across Scotland. A new school project is being delivered in every local authority area in Scotland:

Aberdeen (a) £35.9m (b) £0

Aberdeenshire (a) £69.1m (b) £0

Angus (a) £51m (b) £0

Argyll & Bute (a) £39.6m (b) £5m

City of Edinburgh (a) £63.8m (b) £0

Clackmannanshire (a) £9.6m (b) £800k

Comhairle nan Eilean Siar (a) £4.6m (b) £0

Dumfries & Galloway (a) £16.2m (b) £8.3m

Dundee City (a) £49m (b) £0

East Ayrshire (a) £44.9m (b) £0

East Dunbartonshire (a) £10.2m (b) £0

East Lothian (a) £9.5m (b) £0

East Renfrewshire (a) £32.9m (b) £7m

Falkirk (a) £11.6m (b) £200k

Fife (a) £57.4m (b) £0

Glasgow City (a) £30.4m (b) £0

Highland (a) £50.6m (b) £12.5m

Inverclyde (a) £8.4m (b) £2.1m

Midlothian (a) £50.8m (b) £0

Moray (a) £41.5m (b) £12.9m

North Ayrshire (a) £44.1m (b) £0

North Lanarkshire (a) £55m (b) £0

Orkney Islands (a) £1.4m (b) £0

Perth & Kinross (a) £35m (b) £0

Renfrewshire (a) £15.9m (b) £0

Scottish Borders (a) £39.8m (b) £4m

Shetland Islands (a) £35.9m (b) £1.3m

South Ayrshire (a) £31.4m (b) £18.5m

South Lanarkshire (a) £14.1m (b) £0

Stirling (a) £7.6m (b) £1.9m

West Dunbartonshire (a) £27.6m (b) £9.3m

West Lothian (a) £22.6m (b) £1.3m

Question reference: S5W-21854

Asked by: Rona Mackay, MSP for Strathkelvin and Bearsden, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 27 February 2019
Current Status: Answered by Richard Lochhead on 13 March 2019

To ask the Scottish Government how it is supporting more people into STEM teaching roles.

Question reference: S5W-21409

Asked by: Rona Mackay, MSP for Strathkelvin and Bearsden, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 05 February 2019
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 20 February 2019

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will ask the Treasury to cover the costs incurred by Police Scotland in its Brexit contingency plans.

Any costs related to EU exit should not have a detrimental impact on Scotland’s public finances and should be met in full by the UK Government. The Cabinet Secretary for Finance, Economy and Fair Work and the Cabinet Secretary for Justice wrote to the Chancellor of the Exchequer on 8 February 2019 outlining that any additional costs for policing in Scotland associated with Brexit – in relation to additional police officers and any further resources that may be required - should fall to the UK Government.

Question reference: S5W-21344

Asked by: Rona Mackay, MSP for Strathkelvin and Bearsden, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 31 January 2019
Current Status: Initiated by the Scottish Government. Answered by John Swinney on 31 January 2019

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the review of its procedure for handling complaints about Ministers or former Ministers, and on the First Minister’s self-referral under the Ministerial Code.

The Scottish Government is committed to carrying out a review of the application of its procedure for handling complaints about Ministers or former Ministers. The review will be externally led and will examine the first application of the procedure to ensure that lessons are applied for any future complaints that are brought forward.

However, the Scottish Government does not wish to undertake any activity which may unintentionally prejudice live criminal proceedings, adversely impact the rights of anyone involved in the proceedings or affect the formal criminal process which is now under way. As a result, this review of its procedure for handling complaints about Ministers or former Ministers will not be progressed at this stage.

The First Minister’s self-referral under the Ministerial Code has been discussed with James Hamilton, the Independent Adviser on the Code. Mr Hamilton has concluded that there is a potential risk of prejudice if the First Minister’s self-referral under the Ministerial Code were to proceed at the present time. It has therefore been agreed that the inquiry under the Ministerial Code should also be deferred while criminal investigations are active.

Both the Scottish Government review and consideration under the Ministerial Code will recommence once criminal proceedings are no longer active and the risk of prejudice has been removed.

Question reference: S5O-02823

Asked by: Rona Mackay, MSP for Strathkelvin and Bearsden, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 23 January 2019
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 30 January 2019

To ask the Scottish Government how it will ensure that EU citizens living in Scotland can maintain democratic participation.

Question reference: S5W-20860

Asked by: Rona Mackay, MSP for Strathkelvin and Bearsden, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 09 January 2019
Current Status: Initiated by the Scottish Government. Answered by John Swinney on 10 January 2019

To ask the Scottish Government what the outcome was of Education Scotland’s review of the Yammer service within Glow.

The review was carried out during summer 2018 and the full review document will be published later today on the Glow Connect website at the following link - https://glowconnect.org.uk/yammer-review/

The review concluded that whilst there are clear and demonstrable educational benefits for learner use of Yammer, there are significant challenges with regard to control, moderation and safeguarding. In addition, the new services of Microsoft Teams and Google Classroom have now been incorporated within Glow and provide similar functionality in a more controlled environment.

Yammer is being well used by staff for collaboration on a range of topics; is facilitating professional dialogue; and supports development of and interaction with Professional Learning Communities.

In conclusion, I have decided that Yammer access will not be reinstated for learners but will remain available to staff and that Microsoft Teams and Google Classroom will be promoted as suitable alternatives for pupil collaboration.

Question reference: S5O-02752

Asked by: Rona Mackay, MSP for Strathkelvin and Bearsden, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 19 December 2018
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 10 January 2019

To ask the Scottish Government whether the European Health Insurance Card will still be available for residents in Scotland following a no deal Brexit or during any transition period.

Question reference: S5O-02674

Asked by: Rona Mackay, MSP for Strathkelvin and Bearsden, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 05 December 2018
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 12 December 2018

To ask the Scottish Government what progress it is making with its plan to equip an additional 500,000 people with CPR skills by 2020.

Question reference: S5O-02541

Asked by: Rona Mackay, MSP for Strathkelvin and Bearsden, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 07 November 2018
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 14 November 2018

To ask the Scottish Government how its food tourism action plan will aim to support producers.

Question reference: S5W-19552

Asked by: Rona Mackay, MSP for Strathkelvin and Bearsden, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 23 October 2018
Current Status: Initiated by the Scottish Government. Answered by Ash Denham on 23 October 2018

To ask the Scottish Government when the Independent Review of the Regulation of Legal Services will present its findings.