Parliamentary questions
Beatrice Wishart
693 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.
15 Oct 2020 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what the timescale is for the incorporation of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child into Scots law.
Answer · John Swinney: On 1 September 2020, the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) Incorporation Bill was introduced to the Scottish Parliament. Incorporation of the UNCRC into Scots law will mean that children, young people and their families will experie…
5 Oct 2020 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-31840 by Jeane Freeman on 28 September 2020, whether it has engaged with any third sector organisations in the design of its branded physical and digital face covering exemption card.
Answer · Jeane Freeman: The Scottish Government has engaged with several organisations regarding the creation of a physical and digital government produced face covering exemption card, particularly those from third sector organisations. The exemption card will be branded with the …
5 Oct 2020 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-31842 by Joe Fitzpatrick on 28 September 2020, which third sector organisations it has worked in partnership with on its public health marketing campaign in relation to flu.
Answer · Joe FitzPatrick: The Seasonal Flu Programme has worked this year with the following third sector organisations to help amplify the Scottish Government message to ensure optimal vaccination uptake this year. Ash Scotland SRC – Scottish Refugee Council SDF – Scottish Drug…
5 Oct 2020 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to Appendix 2 of the SQA NQ 2020 Awarding Decision Timeline, whether it will publish the minutes of the meeting of 11 June 2020, which discussed moderation and dialogue.
Answer · John Swinney: The meeting which took place on 11 June involved a verbal update from Scottish Qualifications Authority staff. No notes or minutes were taken from the meeting.
5 Oct 2020 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many (a) applications and (b) awards have been made each month under the Transitional Support Fund.
Answer · Maree Todd: The Transitional Support Fund for day care of children providers was open for applications between 3 September and 9 October 2020. 2,027 applications were made to the Transitional Support Fund over this period. Local authorities are continuing to process gra…
5 Oct 2020 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with (a) colleges and (b) universities regarding the preparations that will be required for exams in the current academic year.
Answer · Richard Lochhead: We are currently working with both the college and university sectors on the best approaches to be taken in the current pandemic situation to ensure students receive the best educational experience and also remain safe.
5 Oct 2020 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what information it (a) requested and (b) received from colleges and universities regarding each institution’s plan to implement blended learning and the breakdown of in person and remote learning ahead of the students’ return to campus, and whether it will place copies of this informati…
Answer · Richard Lochhead: Our revised sectoral guidance for colleges, universities and student accommodation providers sets out the mitigations which should be in place to support blended learning in Phase 3. The guidance is clear that institutions and providers should use risk and …
5 Oct 2020 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-29504 by Richard Lochhead on 5 June 2020, how much of the additional £2.2 million allocated to the Higher Education Discretionary Fund was new money.
Answer · Richard Lochhead: All of the additional £2.2M provided to colleges and universities in April towards their Higher Education Discretionary Funds was 'new money'.
5 Oct 2020 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many applications have been (a) made and (b) granted each month under the Higher Education Discretionary Fund, broken down by institution.
Answer · Richard Lochhead: This information is not available on a monthly basis. Colleges and universities provide annual returns to Student Awards Agency Scotland at the end of October each year which show the overall number of successful and rejected Discretionary Fund applications. …
5 Oct 2020 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will place copies of all reports received from institutions regarding the spend associated with the Higher Education Discretionary Fund regarding extra hardship payments in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre (SPICe).
Answer · Richard Lochhead: The most recent data from the sector showed details of spending across the sector up to 31 July. Student Awards Agency for Scotland (SAAS) are about to undertake an up to date analysis of spend on the Higher Education Discretionary Fund across colleges and u…
5 Oct 2020 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-29504 by Richard Lochhead on 5 June 2020, whether if it will provide an update on the expenditure.
Answer · Richard Lochhead: As of 31 July this year, £1,88M of the additional £2.2M Higher Education (HE) Discretionary Funds issued to colleges and universities in April, had been spent. As of 31 July this year, £215,000 of the advanced first instalment (£11.4M) of the main 2020-21 HE…
30 Sep 2020 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to reports that direct monthly operating costs for childminders have increased by 20% or more and, for 31% of childminders, by 30% or more as a result of the current COVID-19 operating guidance.
Answer · Maree Todd: We welcome the information that the Scottish Childminding Association (SCMA) has shared from their recent survey of childminders, and I discussed the findings during my call with the SCMA on 1 October. The development of support for the childcare sector anno…
30 Sep 2020 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to reports that 46% of childminding settings do not believe they will remain financially viable for more than six months without financial support or an increase in business.
Answer · Maree Todd: This is a time of unprecedented challenge, and there are significant demands and pressures on the government to support businesses and people all across Scotland who are being impacted by the pandemic and the necessary public health response. A range of fina…
30 Sep 2020 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answers to questions S5W-31365 and S5W-31795 by John Swinney on 4 September and 28 September 2020 respectively, what the (a) intended policy or (b) options for intended policies were when it issued the statement that "details will be provided separately before schools ret…
Answer · John Swinney: Our position to date, as outlined in the Strategic Framework for Re-opening Schools published in May, has been for an exam diet to be held next year. However, in these exceptional times the Scottish Qualifications Authority and the Education Recovery Group ha…
30 Sep 2020 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-31793 by John Swinney on 28 September 2020, whether it will place the minutes of all discussions and copies of all correspondence in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre (SPICe), as requested, and what Bib number it has been assigned.
Answer · John Swinney: The meeting which took place in July involved a verbal update from Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA) staff. No notes or minutes were taken from the meeting. A presentation given by the SQA at this meeting has been released as part of an FOI enquiry and …
30 Sep 2020 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answers to questions S5W-31360 and S5W-31797 by John Swinney on 4 September and 28 September 2020 respectively, whether it will answer the question that was asked regarding what information it received about the tolerable range that was employed by the SQA, also referred …
Answer · John Swinney: The Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA) is an independent body and the detail of the moderation process was an operational decision for them. I confirm that I was informed of the 2020 awarding approach to moderation on 30 July 2020. The presentation repor…
30 Sep 2020 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-31794 by John Swinney on 28 September 2020, what legislative changes or other alterations to permissions would have been required to have shared information relating to the moderation outcome with the Education Recovery Group in advance of the publi…
Answer · John Swinney: The Pre-release Access to Official Statistics (Scotland) Order 2008 sets out the rules and principles governing pre-release access to Official Statistics in Scotland. SQA 2020 Attainment statistics were not published as Official Statistics, however, SQA follo…
30 Sep 2020 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-31796 by John Swinney on 29 September 2020, whether it will place in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre (SPICe) all the documentation it shared with Professor Priestley, and whether this included all the correspondence it had with the SQA.
Answer · John Swinney: Professor Priestley’s review of the National Qualifications Experience 2020 was published on 7 October: https://www.gov.scot/publications/rapid-review-national-qualifications-experience-2020/ . The Scottish Government response was published on the same day:…
30 Sep 2020 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether its commitment to introduce legislation in the current parliamentary session to entitle all children access to funded early learning and childcare in a deferred year means that all parents will have this entitlement from (a) March 2021, (b) August 2021 or (c) another date before …
Answer · Maree Todd: As I set out to the Scottish Parliament on 2 October 2019, we are taking forward this change to early learning and childcare provision in partnership with education authorities, who hold the statutory duty to ensure provision of funded early learning and chil…
30 Sep 2020 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the extent that entitling all children to funded early learning and childcare (ELC) in a deferred year will have on the roll-out of the full delivery of the statutory entitlement to 1,140 hours of funded ELC; whether it will provide a breakdown of the resou…
Answer · Maree Todd: Our work with education authorities is still underway to assess the resource implications of increasing funded early learning and childcare (ELC) eligibility for children in a deferred year. The Scottish Government remains absolutely committed to the deliver…
30 Sep 2020 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether its commitment to introduce legislation in the current parliamentary session to entitle all children access to funded early learning and childcare in a deferred year is contingent on the full delivery of the statutory entitlement to 1,140 hours, or whether it will introduce the d…
Answer · Maree Todd: We are working with local authorities to agree an appropriate date for the implementation of this commitment. I will update Parliament on that agreement when it has been reached. Once the amended duty is in force, it will provide that deferred children who t…
28 Sep 2020 · Topical Question
To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking in response to reports that over 900 childminding settings are still to reopen, and the recent Scottish Childminding Association survey that suggests that the sector is "on the edge of financial viability".
16 Sep 2020 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to promote the flu vaccine to people living with lung disease during the 2020-21 flu vaccination programme.
Answer · Joe FitzPatrick: The Scottish Government have developed our public health marketing campaign for this flu season, which is firmly based on research and insight on effective messaging in light of Covid-19. This extensive campaign will also involve close partnership work with p…
16 Sep 2020 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many people have been diagnosed with a lung condition during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Answer · Jeane Freeman: Data on the number of people diagnosed with a lung condition during the COVID-19 pandemic is not yet available.
16 Sep 2020 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-31185 by Jeane Freeman on 26 August 2020, whether it will provide an update on the consideration it is giving to introducing an official exemption card for people who are exempt from wearing a face covering.
Answer · Jeane Freeman: As was previously stated in response to question S5W-31185, this is an important issue which we have been carefully considering and as such we are currently developing a Scottish Government branded physical and digital face covering exemption card, which shou…
14 Sep 2020 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what progress has been made in signing a contract for the North Lot of the R100 superfast broadband programme.
Answer · Paul Wheelhouse: We are focused on finalising the R100 North Lot contract award with BT as soon as possible, thus enabling us to progress delivery of access to superfast broadband to people, businesses and communities in some of the most remote parts of Scotland. We anticipa…
11 Sep 2020 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on when section (a) 8 and (b) 14 of the Islands (Scotland) Act 2018 will come into force.
Answer · Paul Wheelhouse: Sections 8 and 14 of the Act are two of the provisions relating to Island Community Impact Assessments. Section 9 of the Act, which needs to be brought into force at the same time as sections 8 and 14, requires an affirmative Scottish Statutory Instrument set…
11 Sep 2020 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-31362 by John Swinney on 4 September 2020, for what reason information about moderated exam results was not shared with the Education Recovery Group, in light of its role being specific to the current pandemic.
Answer · John Swinney: Along with a very limited number of officials, I am granted pre-release access to the SQA results each year to allow the opportunity to prepare for the results announcement. Members of the Coronavirus Education Recovery Group, apart from the Deputy First Mini…
11 Sep 2020 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-31361 by John Swinney on 4 September 2020, whether it will place in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre (SPICe) any correspondence it had with the SQA that has been shared with, but not included in, the review to be published by Professor Pri…
Answer · John Swinney: The Scottish Government has engaged fully with the review being conducted by Professor Priestley. Professor Priestley is due to report his findings by the end of the month. We will make arrangements for publication soon after that. All material released under…
11 Sep 2020 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether the Cabinet Secretary for Education and Skills will report to the Parliament once a decision has been made about plans for the 2020-21 exam season with details of the plans and the decision-making process.
Answer · John Swinney: I made clear to Parliament on 22 September that details of the proposed approach to the 2021 examination diet will be announced before the October recess.