Parliamentary questions
Katy Clark
746 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.
27 Jun 2022 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what data it holds on any teacher shortages in each local authority.
Answer · Shirley-Anne Somerville: The Scottish Government does not hold this data. The recruitment and employment of teachers in local authority schools are matters for individual councils, as they have the statutory duty for education expenditure and to deliver education. Councils have the…
27 Jun 2022 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what data it holds on how many applications teaching posts receive on average in each local authority.
Answer · Shirley-Anne Somerville: The Scottish Government does not hold this data. The recruitment and employment of teachers in local authority schools are matters for individual councils, as they have the statutory duty for education expenditure and to deliver education. Councils have the…
21 Jun 2022 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it has a long-term strategy to ensure that all tests for drug driving cases are processed at in-house laboratories.
Answer · Keith Brown: Although responsibility for forensic testing falls within the remit of the Scottish Police Authority (SPA), the Scottish Government continues to work closely with SPA and other partners in the criminal justice system to ensure that testing capacity is resilie…
21 Jun 2022 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, in light of reports that 386 drug driving cases have been abandoned because of delays in processing forensic tests, whether any other crimes have been affected by these capacity issues.
Answer · Keith Brown: The Scottish Government fully supports the enforcement efforts of Police Scotland and the Scottish Police Authority (SPA) in tackling the scourge of drug driving to help make Scotland’s roads safer. However, it is for the Procurator Fiscal’s office to confirm…
21 Jun 2022 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the inclusion of liver disease assessments in NHS Keep Well health checks for people aged 40 and above in deprived areas.
Answer · Humza Yousaf: The delivery of Keep Well health checks are no longer centrally overseen by the Scottish Government. It is up to local NHS Health Boards with their area practices to decide on administering these checks. The Community Links Worker programme has now been rolle…
20 Jun 2022 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the Infrastructure Investment Plan 2021-22 to 2025-26: Programme pipeline update (March 2022), which second-hand vessels have been considered for purchase by CMAL since 1 December 2021.
Answer · Jenny Gilruth: The Scottish Government continue to task Caledonian Maritime Assets Limited (CMAL) to search the second hand tonnage market for appropriate vessels to support and enhance connections on Scotland’s ferries network. CMAL have investigated some 70 vessels since…
20 Jun 2022 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the Infrastructure Investment Plan 2021-22 to 2025-26: Programme pipeline update (March 2022), which was published on 15 June 2022, whether it will provide a breakdown of the increase in the cost of tenders for contracts in the Skye Triangle Infrastructure Programme, and what…
Answer · Jenny Gilruth: The Skye Triangle Infrastructure Programme is estimated to cost around £108million in total for the three port projects: Tarbert (Harris) £23million, Lochmaddy (North Uist) £21million and Uig (Skye) £64million as budgeted following completion of the tender pr…
20 Jun 2022 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the Infrastructure Investment Plan 2021-22 to 2025-26: Programme pipeline update (March 2022), what assessment it has made of the number of full-time equivalent (a) manufacturing, (b) seafarer and (b) port jobs that could be created in Scotland from the (i) CMAL Net Vessel In…
Answer · Jenny Gilruth: The assessments undertaken to inform ferries investments focus on direct infrastructure impacts such as route capacity and connectivity. The benefit realisation process for each project will seek to identify and maximise the positive impact of our investments…
20 Jun 2022 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what the current timelines are for (a) delivering the vessel concept design and (b) the award of the first vessel construction contract in the Small Vessel Replacement Programme.
Answer · Jenny Gilruth: The concept design for the Small Vessel Replacement Programme is set to be completed by the end of 2022 with the Single Procurement Document (Scotland) set to issue at the same time.
20 Jun 2022 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the Infrastructure Investment Plan 2021-22 to 2025-26: Programme pipeline update (March 2022), whether it will provide an update on what commercial discussions Transport Scotland has had with Peel Ports regarding infrastructure work at Ardrossan Harbour.
Answer · Jenny Gilruth: Transport Scotland continues to engage with Peel Ports on the commercial arrangements for the Ardrossan upgrade project. The project moved to the tender preparation stage in April 2022 and it will take a number of months to complete prior to progressing to co…
16 Jun 2022 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether employers that pay less than the Living Wage are counted as positive destinations in its annual school leaver statistics.
Answer · Shirley-Anne Somerville: The dataset on which these statistics is based does not record details of pay or contractual status. The definition of employment used in school leaver destination statistics includes: those who consider themselves to be employed and in receipt of payment fr…
16 Jun 2022 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the publication of its Summary Statistics for Follow-Up Leaver Destinations, whether it will provide a breakdown of the number of 2020-21 school leavers in employment who are in (a) full-time work, (b) part-time work and (c) on zero-hour contracts, broken down by sector.
Answer · Shirley-Anne Somerville: A total of 15,976 (31.5%) 2020-21 school leavers were in employment 9 months after the end of the school year. This included (a) 9,010 recorded as being in full-time employment (17.8% of all school leavers) and (b) 2,564 recorded as being in part-time employm…
14 Jun 2022 · Portfolio Question
To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with COSLA and UNISON following the balloting of thousands of the trade union’s members working in schools and nurseries over pay.
6 Jun 2022 · Topical Question
To ask the Scottish Government, in light of recent reports, whether it will provide further information regarding existing ScotRail contracts with Abellio.
30 May 2022 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it has any plans to make regulations under section 9(8) and (9) of the Human Trafficking and Exploitation (Scotland) Act 2015, including in light of the changes regarding trafficking matters and processes in the Nationality and Borders Act 2022.
Answer · Ash Regan: We are seeking further clarification from the Home Office to fully understand the operational impact of the Nationality and Borders Act. We have no current plans to make regulations under section 9(8) and (9) of the 2015 Act.
30 May 2022 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it is the case that applications for support from the Bus Partnership Fund must be from partnerships that are working towards Bus Service Improvement Partnership status, as defined by the Transport (Scotland) Act 2019.
Answer · Jenny Gilruth: The Bus Partnership Fund supports the development of permanent bus priority measures to tackle the negative impacts of congestion on bus services. The Fund requires grant-holders to be working towards a Bus Service Improvement Partnership (BSIP), as defined i…
26 May 2022 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what plans there are for Lord Advocate guidelines relating to the new criminal offence of unlawful arrival inserted via section 40 of the Nationality and Borders Act 2022 into section 24 of the Immigration Act 1971.
Answer · Dorothy Bain: Section 40 of the Nationality and Borders Act 2022 amends section 24 of the Immigration Act 1971 to include a new offence of arriving in the United Kingdom without a valid entry clearance. The new offence comes in force on ? 28 June 2022. There are no plans …
26 May 2022 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the passing of the Nationality and Borders Act 2022, whether it plans to review its (a) national strategy on (i) New Scots refugee integration, (ii) human trafficking and exploitation, (iii) ending destitution of migrants and people with no recourse to public funds and (iv) …
Answer · Shona Robison: The Nationality and Borders Act 2022 is a complex piece of legislation. The Scottish Government raised significant concerns about the likely impacts during the passage of the Bill, and the Scottish Parliament voted to withhold consent on two clauses. The Act …
24 May 2022 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government when it (a) last met and (b) will next meet COSLA to discuss progressing the introduction of a national minimum allowance for foster carers.
Answer · Clare Haughey: Scottish Government officials last met with COSLA on 26 May 2022 to discuss progressing the introduction of a national recommended allowance for foster and kinship carers. They are next due to meet at the end of June.
24 May 2022 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what steps it has taken to ensure that the emergency timetable issued by ScotRail in May 2022 meets its minimum service level commitments.
Answer · Jenny Gilruth: ScotRail introduced a temporary timetable on 23 May to provide certainty to train passengers about the availability of ScotRail services, this was in response to train drivers choosing not to work overtime or rest days – as is their right. ScotRail could not,…
24 May 2022 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to ensure that land ownership patterns align with the principles set out in the Scottish Land Rights and Responsibilities statement.
Answer · Mairi McAllan: Scotland’s Land Rights and Responsibilities Statement (LRRS) introduced in 2017 is a ground-breaking example of Scotland’s ambitious land reform journey. We are currently reviewing the LRRS, have recently published an analysis report of the consultation respo…
24 May 2022 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on land value taxation.
Answer · Mairi McAllan: The Scottish Land Commission recently provided advice to the Scottish Government following the conclusion of their review of land and property taxation. It is only right that we take some time to consider the Land Commission’s recommendations in detail, and t…
24 May 2022 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on introducing statutory powers to apply a public interest to all landholdings above an agreed scale.
Answer · Mairi McAllan: We are committed to bringing forward a new Land Reform Bill in this parliamentary session. We will undertake a wide-ranging consultation this year on proposals for the Bill, which will build on our land reform measures to date and will further tackle Scotland…
24 May 2022 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what steps it has taken to build a sovereign wealth fund.
Answer · Kate Forbes: The Scottish Government is not currently working to build a sovereign wealth fund. Under the current constitutional arrangements, the Scottish Government does not have the power to set up a sovereign wealth fund, similar to that of Norway, which is currently …
24 May 2022 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it has met the Norwegian government to discuss the viability of replicating a sovereign wealth fund in Scotland.
Answer · Kate Forbes: A: The Scottish Government has not held any recent meetings with the government of Norway where the viability of replicating a sovereign wealth fund in Scotland was discussed.
24 May 2022 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to ensure that land ownership patterns align with its Community Wealth Building agenda.
Answer · Tom Arthur: Land and property is one of five key pillars of the Community Wealth Building (CWB) approach to economic development. Initially, actions taken will centre on how public sector partners such as local authorities and health boards might use the land and assets …
24 May 2022 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to each of the recommendations in the Community Land Scotland report, Community Wealth Building and a Just Transition to Net Zero, which was published in May 2022.
Answer · Tom Arthur: We welcome Community Land Scotland’s supportive commentary on the strategic Community Wealth Building (CWB) approach to economic development into all aspects of ownership and governance of land in Scotland. CWB has a role to play in ensuring our journey towa…
24 May 2022 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the report from Strutt & Parker, which suggests that, since 2018, there has been a 333% increase in the amount invested in the purchase of estates, what steps it is taking to address rising rural land prices and ameliorate the impact of this on communities.
Answer · Mairi McAllan: Scotland’s natural environment will be critical in our action to tackle climate change and ecological breakdown. We are fortunate to have such potential to sequester carbon and support biodiversity in our natural environment. The public purse cannot fund this…
24 May 2022 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what work has been done to map out land ownership since the publication of the 2019 report, The effects associated with concentrated and large-scale land ownership in Scotland: a research review by the Scottish Land Commission.
Answer · Mairi McAllan: Documenting land ownership in Scotland is a key aim of the Land Register of Scotland which is held and maintained by The Keeper of the Registers of Scotland (ROS) and is accessible online free of charge. Registers of Scotland (RoS) RoS are continually working…
10 May 2022 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will amend the Town and Country Planning (Environmental Impact Assessment) (Scotland) Regulations 2017 to ensure that distillation and maturation developments are subject to environmental impact assessments alongside brewing and malting developments.
Answer · Tom Arthur: The Scottish Government has no current plans to review the Town and Country Planning (Environmental Impact Assessment) (Scotland) Regulations 2017. The fact that a particular type of development is not specifically mentioned does not necessarily mean it fall…