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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: S6W-21887

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 29 September 2023
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 19 October 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether school performance will be taken into account if local authorities do not increase teacher numbers to the levels that it requires, and, if so, how such performance is measured.

Question reference: S6W-21418

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 18 September 2023
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 9 October 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether pupils who have received a free laptop or other digital device will be entitled to a replacement device should theirs break.

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-20954 on 19 September 2023.

We continue to work in partnership with COSLA and local authorities on delivery plans to ensure every school-aged child has access to a digital device by the end of this parliamentary term.

Local authorities are responsible for the management of their own digital assets and will have processes in place to deal with the repair or replacement of devices as required.

All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers .

Question reference: S6W-21419

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 18 September 2023
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 9 October 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what funding is available to local authorities to fulfil its commitment to provide every school pupil with their own laptop or other digital device.

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-15474 on 10 March 2023 .

We continue to work in partnership with COSLA and local authorities to develop delivery plans, including phasing and funding options for this commitment.

Question reference: S6W-21341

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 22 September 2023
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 4 October 2023

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-20774 by Fiona Hyslop on 12 September 2023, whether it will provide the information requested regarding the milestones for the Aberdeen to Central Belt 2026 Enhancement project, as set out on page 11 of the Scotland's Railway July 2022 publication, Enhancements Delivery Plan, as has been done by the previous Minister for Transport, and, if it will not, for what reason there has been a change in approach; whether the target date for "Approval in principle" of August 2023 has been "Achieved", or whether this target has been "Missed"; whether the target date for "Entry into Service" of December 2026 remains "On Schedule"; for what reason it did not provide the information requested in its answer; and if it is not able to provide the information requested, what its position is on whether this represents a (a) loss of control and (b) lack of awareness by the Scottish Government of progress on this route to the north east.

Question reference: S6W-21422

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 18 September 2023
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 4 October 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what procurement guidance has been given to local authorities regarding the purchase of laptops and other digital devices, in light of its commitment to provide every school pupil with their own laptop or other digital device.

Any decisions on device procurement are taken by individual local authorities, to ensure they can be used in line with local digital learning strategies.

To support local authorities, Scottish Procurement provide a range of national procurement frameworks which offer a direct route to market for the purchase of digital devices and other digital products.

Alongside this work, we are developing a digital strategy for education, to ensure that digital provision supports the broader aims of the education system.

Question reference: S6W-21483

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 19 September 2023
Current Status: Answered by Graeme Dey on 3 October 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to take forward the recommendations of the report, Lessons Learned – resetting national collective bargaining in the colleges sector, in particular the recommendation that "full consideration should be given to appointing an Independent, non-voting Chair for the [National Joint Negotiating Committee]".

Question reference: S6W-21484

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 19 September 2023
Current Status: Answered by Graeme Dey on 3 October 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what steps it has taken to encourage partners in the college sector’s collective bargaining process to implement the recommendations of the report, Lessons Learned – resetting national collective bargaining in the colleges sector.

Question reference: S6W-21486

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 19 September 2023
Current Status: Answered by Graeme Dey on 3 October 2023

To ask the Scottish Government, as part of its move towards parity of support for part-time students that it announced in its Programme for Government 2023-24, whether it plans to implement the recommendation contained in the report of the independent review of student financial support in Scotland that “the Scottish Government works in collaboration with other interested parties, to look at how the key principles of this Review should be best implemented for part-time students and those currently receiving Education Maintenance Allowance (EMA)”.

Question reference: S6W-21485

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 19 September 2023
Current Status: Answered by Graeme Dey on 3 October 2023

To ask the Scottish Government which partners in the college sector’s collective bargaining process have yet to provide a formal response to the report, Lessons Learned – resetting national collective bargaining in the colleges sector.

Question reference: S6W-21487

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 19 September 2023
Current Status: Answered by Graeme Dey on 3 October 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on when the next round of the Flexible Workforce Development Fund will be announced.