Michael Marra

24 Nov 2021 · Portfolio Question

To ask the Scottish Government what the local authority funding allocations are for the Scottish Attainment Challenge, following the review of the programme.

17 Nov 2021 · Portfolio Question

To ask the Scottish Government how it ensures local authorities are compliant with best practice in building standards.

15 Nov 2021 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many breast cancer oncologists are employed by each NHS board, broken down by (a) full-time equivalent (FTE) and (b) headcount figure.

Answer · Humza Yousaf: This government has seen a 87.7% increase in the consultant oncologist workforce (from 69.5 WTE in September 2006 to 130.6 WTE in June 2021). While information on numbers of oncologists according to specialist cancer fields is not centrally held, the number…

10 Nov 2021 · Portfolio Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on progress with implementing its published COVID-19 recovery plans.

27 Oct 2021 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Government what its plans are for active ventilation in classrooms now that its inspection programme has been completed.

20 Oct 2021 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what criteria are used for the assessment of classroom ventilation, and how many classrooms have failed a ventilation inspection, broken down by local authority area.

Answer · Shirley-Anne Somerville: The precise practical steps that each local authority took to conduct ventilation assessments of learning teaching and play spaces depended on the type/model/brand of CO2 monitors that the local authority used. Local authorities were asked to undertake assess…

20 Oct 2021 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many classroom ventilation inspections were carried out before schools started the October 2021 holidays.

Answer · Shirley-Anne Somerville: By 15 October 2021, 40,768 ventilation inspections were undertaken by local authorities across learning, teaching and play spaces.  

20 Oct 2021 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what steps it can take to ensure any remedial action required, as a result of a classroom failing a ventilation inspection, is carried out, and how progress will be monitored.

Answer · Shirley-Anne Somerville: It is the statutory responsibility of local authorities to manage and maintain the school estate across Scotland. The Scottish Government asked local authorities to detail any ventilation mitigations or remedial action arising throughout the CO2 monitoring ex…

20 Oct 2021 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will publish all data relating to classroom ventilation inspections in 2021.

Answer · Shirley-Anne Somerville: The Scottish Government do not hold the data on individual CO2 assessments, this is held at a local authority level. However, I wrote to the Education, Children and Young People Committee on Friday 29 October 2021 and provided a comprehensive factual update…

20 Oct 2021 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide (a) an update on how much of the £10 million fund made available to local authorities for active ventilation in classrooms has been spent and (b) details of how the funding has been spent, broken down by local authority area. 

Answer · Shirley-Anne Somerville: The Scottish Government confirmed a total of £10m funding allocations to local authorities in its grant letter on 14 October 2021. The funding allocations for all local authorities have been agreed and grant payments will be made in line with standard process…

20 Oct 2021 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Government what plans have been made for the delivery of same-day prescribing under national Medication Assisted Treatment standards in Brechin, Angus.

28 Sep 2021 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government when it will announce the third phase of the Learning Estate Investment Programme.

Answer · Shirley-Anne Somerville: Scottish Government officials are currently finalising options for Phase 3 of the Learning Estate Investment Programme and these will be considered by Scottish Ministers. We expect to make an announcement on the timescales for Phase 3 before the end of this …

24 Sep 2021 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how much was awarded by each local authority from the most recent round of funding from its Green Jobs Fund, also broken down by how many (a) awards were made and (b) jobs are expected to be directly created in each area as a result of the funding allocated.

Answer · Richard Lochhead: As of 12 October 2021, 36 projects have been awarded funding through the Green Jobs Fund (GJF). This amounts to £8,944,969 of funding across 18 different local authority areas. The total number of jobs to be created from this first allocation of funding is ex…

30 Jun 2021 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answers to questions S4W-29691 and S5W-22664 by Angela Constance on 2 March 2016 and by John Swinney on 1 May 2019, whether it will provide the figures for each year since 2018-19.

Answer · Shirley-Anne Somerville: Table 1 provides information on average gross revenue expenditure in Scotland per pre-school registration, and primary and secondary pupil along with information on teaching allocations per college and university place (Average Teaching Grant Funding per FTE …

10 Jun 2021 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to raise awareness of the deadlines for the installation of smoke and heat detectors.

Answer · Shona Robison: We are currently planning for an extensive marketing campaign to take place throughout this year to reinforce how people can effectively reduce the risk of fire in their homes and highlighting the changes coming into force in February 2022. We are continuing…

10 Jun 2021 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether its revised deadlines for the installation of smoke and heat detectors in all homes are on schedule.

Answer · Shona Robison: Fire safety remains our priority and changes to the requirement for fire and carbon monoxide detectors in all homes mean that everyone will benefit from the same level of protection, whether they own their home or rent. The regulations will come into force on…

9 Jun 2021 · Portfolio Question

To ask the Scottish Government what representations it has made to the UK Government regarding the UK’s commitments to international aid.

2 Jun 2021 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had or plans with COSLA regarding fulfilling the Scottish National Party manifesto pledge that “we will increase the school uniform grant to at least £120 in primary school and £150 in secondary school”.

Answer · Shirley-Anne Somerville: I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-00411 on 10 June 2021. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at: Written questions and answers | Scottish Parliame…

2 Jun 2021 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide additional resources to local authorities to help fulfil the Scottish National Party manifesto pledge that “we will increase the school uniform grant to at least £120 in primary school and £150 in secondary school” and, if not, what proportion of the funding requi…

Answer · Shirley-Anne Somerville: I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-00411 on 10 June 2021. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at: Written questions and answers | Scottish Parliame…

2 Jun 2021 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how much it will cost to fulfil the Scottish National Party manifesto pledge that “we will increase the school uniform grant to at least £120 in primary school and £150 in secondary school”.

Answer · Shirley-Anne Somerville: On 26 May the First Minister confirmed that the Scottish Government will increase the school clothing grant. We are fully committed to providing all the necessary funding required to deliver this commitment and are now working with our local authority partner…

14 May 2021 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how phase three of the Scottish Schools for the Future programme will take account of areas of population growth when considering the requirements for local authority schools.

Answer · Shirley-Anne Somerville: As part of the project selection process for the Learning Estate Investment Programme, local authorities put forward their priority school projects for consideration as part of the programme. As agreed with COSLA leaders, the main premise of the programme is…

14 May 2021 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what the timetable is for the (a) application, (b) award and (c) drawdown for phase three of the Scottish Schools for the Future programme.

Answer · Shirley-Anne Somerville: Officials are preparing options for Phase 3 of the Learning Estate Investment Programme which will be considered by Ministers. We hope to make an announcement on the timescale for Phase 3 later this year.

14 May 2021 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government by what date phase three of the Scottish Schools for the Future programme will begin.

Answer · Shirley-Anne Somerville: The £1.8bn Scotland’s Schools for the Future Programme is now complete, and delivered 117 new or refurbished schools across the country. Our current school building scheme - the £2bn Learning Estate Investment Programme - aims to build on the success of the S…

14 May 2021 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether local authorities will be able to retrospectively draw down funding under the phase three timetable of the Scottish Schools for the Future programme.

Answer · Shirley-Anne Somerville: All projects in the Learning Estate Investment Programme have been in the design and development phase when they have been announced as part of the programme. The intention would be that this continues to be the case.

14 May 2021 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether local authorities with urgent priorities to build schools will be able to fund this through their own capital plans once their Scottish Schools for the Future awards are confirmed.

Answer · Shirley-Anne Somerville: All schools within the Learning Estate Investment Programme are funded upfront by local authorities through their own capital plans. Scottish Government support is in the form of revenue funding, through the outcomes-based funding model.