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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-27016

Asked by: Ross Greer, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Monday, 20 January 2020
Current Status: Answered by Jamie Hepburn on 3 February 2020

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-26884 by Jamie Hepburn on 16 January 2020, what the nature of Scottish Enterprise’s support was to the company, Leonardo, regarding the missile defence system, and whether this was for research and development, production, or sales.

Question reference: S5W-27017

Asked by: Ross Greer, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Monday, 20 January 2020
Current Status: Answered by Jamie Hepburn on 3 February 2020

To ask the Scottish Government whether it considers the term "defensive technology", used in the answer to question S5W-26884 by Jamie Hepburn on 16 January 2020, to have the same definition as "non-military", the term used in the answer to question S5O-03882 by Derek Mackay on 5 December 2019, and, in light of this, whether the missile defence system referred to in the answer to question S5F-02258 by the First Minister on 26 April 2018 is "non-military" technology.

Question reference: S5W-26885

Asked by: Ross Greer, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 08 January 2020
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 16 January 2020

To ask the Scottish Government who will lead the review of co-ordinated support plans for children with additional support needs.

We have committed to review the use of Co-ordinated Support Plans to ensure that children and young people with the most significant additional support needs are receiving the support that they need to reach their full learning potential. Scottish Government officials are leading on this review and are continuing to take forward work with partners to agree the scope of this work.

This work is being undertaken within the wider context of the independently chaired review of implementation of additional support for learning which will be used to inform the review of the use of Co-ordinated Support Plans which is being chaired by Angela Morgan and is expected to report to Scottish Ministers and COSLA in early 2020.

Question reference: S5W-26884

Asked by: Ross Greer, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 08 January 2020
Current Status: Answered by Jamie Hepburn on 16 January 2020

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5O-03882 by Derek Mackay on 5 December 2019, in light of the cabinet secretary's comment that funding to companies involved in the arms trade is focused "toward helping [them] diversify into non-military and civilian applications", whether it considers the missile defence system for the Royal Canadian Air Force, which was referred to by the First Minister in response to question S5F-02258 on 26 April 2018 (Official Report, c. 20) and is in receipt of support through Scottish Enterprise, to be non-military.

Question reference: S5W-26878

Asked by: Ross Greer, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 08 January 2020
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 16 January 2020

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide details of the consultation that it undertook to establish appropriate measures on the poverty-related attainment gap, and for what reason it has not included achievement of fourth level at S3 among the measures.

The Scottish Government consultation on measuring the attainment gap ran from 4 October 2017 until 20 November 2017. 102 responses were received from stakeholders with a range of interests, including 10 local authorities and 38 individuals. Responses to the consultation generally supported the proposed approach.

The consultation proposed a basket of eight key outcome measures on the achievement and attainment of children. These included achievement of third level at S3 on the basis that young people should definitely be achieving at least third level by then. The majority of those who responded to the specific question in the consultation paper agreed that third level was the correct measure to use.

In response to the broader views expressed as part of the consultation, an additional three measures were included to bring the basket of key measures up to eleven, these included two additional health and well-being measures, covering the social, emotional and behavioural development of children and young people, and one on the achievement of one or more SCQF level 4 qualification upon leaving school.

This is the first time we have had a consistent, national approach to measuring the attainment gap and agreed milestones towards closing it. However, the Scottish Government still continues to collect a wide range of data, including achievement of fourth level at S3, which is used to inform the improvement activities set out in the National Improvement Framework and Improvement Plan.

Question reference: S5W-26676

Asked by: Ross Greer, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Monday, 09 December 2019
Current Status: Answered by Kate Forbes on 20 December 2019

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the climate emergency, what steps it is taking to ensure that public authority board meetings are accessible by public transport, and encourage the board members attending to travel using this.

Public Sector Bodies are legally required to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and support Scotland’s adaptation to a changing climate. Scottish Ministers, in turn, are legally required to provide guidance to Public Sector Bodies to help them with this.

It is for each individual public authority Board to consider where they hold their board meetings. The Scottish Government’s On Board Guidance encourages devolved public bodies to ensure that meetings are accessible for their members and to the general public. Where it is practical to do so we would urge members to consider walking, cycling or using public transport to attend meetings.

The recent consultation “The role of Public Sector Bodies in tackling climate change” closed on 4 December and sought views on how information and guidance on tackling and adapting to climate change is provided and shared and how Public Sector Bodies collaborate with each other and the rest of Scotland. Scottish Ministers will consider the findings of this consultation.

Question reference: S5W-26599

Asked by: Ross Greer, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 04 December 2019
Current Status: Answered by Richard Lochhead on 18 December 2019

To ask the Scottish Government, what action it is taking to support doctoral students, and what its position is on introducing doctoral loans similar to those being established in England and Wales.

Students studying at the doctorate level will typically receive their funding from the UK Research Councils; research charities and Higher Education Institutions themselves. Funding is provided primarily through UK Research Councils such as the Medical Research Council (MRC), Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) and Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC), and also through Doctoral Training Centres, rather than by individual PhD awards.

Eligible doctoral level students can also apply to the Student Awards Agency Scotland (SAAS) for the Disabled Students Allowance (DSA). This is a non-income assessed allowance to cover any additional costs or expenses that a student might have while studying, which arise because of their specific disability or additional support need.

In addition, doctoral level students who require additional support can also apply for Discretionary Funds from any Scottish university. These funds are intended to provide assistance, for example with housing or travel costs, for students who experience financial difficulty accessing or remaining in further and higher education.

At the current time, the Scottish Government has no plans to introduce a loans scheme for students who wish to embark on doctoral study.

Question reference: S5O-03918

Asked by: Ross Greer, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 11 December 2019
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 18 December 2019

To ask the Scottish Government whether the review of coordinated support plans for children with additional needs will be conducted as part of or subsequent to the Morgan review of additional support needs.

Question reference: S5O-03882

Asked by: Ross Greer, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 27 November 2019
Current Status: Answered by Derek Mackay on 5 December 2019

To ask the Scottish Government how it ensures that public funding does not support the manufacture of munitions.

The Scottish Government provides support, through our enterprise agencies, to companies operating in the defence sector.

That support is focussed toward helping companies diversify into non-military and civilian applications.

I am assured by our enterprise agencies that the requirements of the application and reporting processes, as well as the account management relationship, provide safeguards to ensure that any funding provided is used only for the specific purpose intended.

Question reference: S5O-03915

Asked by: Ross Greer, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 04 December 2019
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 11 December 2019

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to ensure that young people are properly equipped to protect their workplace rights.