Parliamentary questions
Jackie Baillie
9,397 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.
15 Jun 2017 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to address economic inactivity.
Answer · Jamie Hepburn: The Scottish Government recognises the importance of supporting those who are economically inactive and who want to work, into sustained employment. Aligned to Scotland’s Labour Market Strategy, a number of actions have been taken or are underway to address l…
1 Jun 2017 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many foreign direct investment projects there have been in Scotland in each year since 2014-15, and what information it has on how this compares with the UK as a whole.
Answer · Keith Brown: I refer the member to the answer to question S5W-09567 on 15 June 2017. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at: http://www.parliament.scot/parliamentarybusiness/2…
1 Jun 2017 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many foreign direct investment projects in Scotland are research-related.
Answer · Keith Brown: The Ernst & Young (EY) Attractiveness Surveys provide estimates of the number of Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) projects and associated planned jobs in Scotland and in the rest of the UK. The following table provides the total number of projects as reporte…
1 Jun 2017 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to reports that the number of jobs created by foreign direct investment has fallen in 2016-17 compared with 2015-16 and 2014-15.
Answer · Keith Brown: I refer the member to the answer to question S5W-09567 on 15 June 2017. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at: http://www.parliament.scot/parliamentarybusiness/2…
1 Jun 2017 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many jobs have been created through foreign direct investment in Scotland in each year since 2014-15, and what information it has on how this compares with the UK as a whole.
Answer · Keith Brown: I refer the member to the answer to question S5W-09567 on 15 June. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at: http://www.parliament.scot/parliamentarybusiness/28877.…
26 May 2017 · Portfolio Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it has confidence in the chairperson of the Scottish Police Authority.
25 May 2017 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking in response to reports that the Royal Alexandria and Vale of Leven hospitals have recorded higher than average mortality statistics over the last four years.
Answer · Shona Robison: Shona Robison: Across Scotland, HSMR have dropped by 8.4% over a 32 month period. The Scottish Patient Safety Programme is helping us significantly reduce hospital mortality and reduce avoidable harm at every stage of care. Hospital Standardised Mortality Ra…
25 May 2017 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to publish separate mortality statistics for the Royal Alexandria and Vale of Leven hospitals.
Answer · Shona Robison: There are no plans to publish separate HSMR data for the Royal Alexandria and Vale of Leven Hospitals. The published data reflects that NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde medical staff are currently rostered to work in both hospitals; and the data is not therefore…
22 May 2017 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what recycling and renewable energy centres are planned, broken down by local authority area.
Answer · Paul Wheelhouse: SEPA advises that the following recycling and renewable energy centres (energy from waste facilities) currently have planning permission: Local Authority Operator / Site Name Capacity (Tonnes) Status East Lothian Viridor / Oxwellmains, Dunbar: 300,000…
22 May 2017 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether the contractors that are employed (a) directly and (b) indirectly in the construction of the Millerhill Recycling and Energy Recovery Centre conform to the National Agreement for the Engineering Construction Industry.
Answer · Paul Wheelhouse: The Scottish Government’s public procurement regulations govern the fair and equal treatment of those bidding for public contracts. Individual public bodies, including local authorities are responsible for their own procurement activity. The Millerhill Recycl…
22 May 2017 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what action it will take to prevent so-called social dumping by contractors engaged in public procurement projects.
Answer · Derek Mackay: The Procurement Reform (Scotland) Act 2014 introduced a sustainable procurement duty, which places sustainable and socially responsible purchasing at the heart of public procurement processes for construction projects valued at £2m or more, where the process …
22 May 2017 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what action it takes to ensure that the terms of the National Agreement for the Engineering Construction Industry apply to all recycling and renewable energy centres.
Answer · Paul Wheelhouse: The Scottish Government shares the vision of the Fair Work Convention that by 2025, people in Scotland will have a world-leading working life where fair work drives success, wellbeing and prosperity for individuals, businesses, organisations and society. We w…
22 May 2017 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what action it takes to ensure that the (a) Fair Work Convention and (b) Procurement Reform (Scotland) Act 2014 applies to all public construction projects.
Answer · Derek Mackay: In answer to part (a) of the question, Scottish Ministers published statutory guidance in October 2015 on Addressing Fair Work Practices, including the Living Wage in Procurement which require that, where appropriate, fair work practices are considered as par…
19 May 2017 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an estimate of the number of (a) fixed-term, (b) zero-hours, (c) guaranteed minimum hours and (d) permanent contracts for staff employed by MITIE on the contract with Network Rail for cleaning and facility management of (i) Glasgow Central and (ii) Edinburgh Waver…
Answer · Humza Yousaf: I refer the member to the answer to question S5W-09364 on 27 June 2017. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at: http://www.parliament.scot/parliamentarybusiness/2…
19 May 2017 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what recent assessment it has made of the terms and conditions of employment in Network Rail’s contract with MITIE for cleaning and facility management of (a) Glasgow Central and (b) Edinburgh Waverley railway station, and whether this contract is compliant with its Fair Work Framework 2…
Answer · Humza Yousaf: I refer the member to the answer to question S5W-09364 on 27 June 2017. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at: http://www.parliament.scot/parliamentarybusiness/2…
19 May 2017 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what its estimate is of the (a) annual and (b) total value of Network Rail’s contract with MITIE for cleaning and facility management of (i) Glasgow Central and (ii) Edinburgh Waverley railway station.
Answer · Humza Yousaf: Network Rail is responsible for managing the delivery of its business, including the deployment of its staff, their terms and conditions and how it contracts for services, and this MITIE contract was procured by Network Rail HQ in Milton Keynes as part of a l…
8 May 2017 · Portfolio Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether the transfer of UK Government staff to the new social security agency and the Cabinet Office statement of practice are on the agenda for the next meeting of the Ministerial Working Group on Welfare.
Answer · Angela Constance: The agenda for the next meeting of the Joint Ministerial Working Group on Welfare is still to be agreed.
25 Apr 2017 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many private sector companies have signed up as accredited living wage employers, and how many employees this covers.
Answer · Keith Brown: The Scottish Government does not hold this information. However, according to the Scottish Living Wage Accreditation Initiative, there are 469 Scotland headquartered accredited Living Wage employers in the Private Sector. They estimate that these organisatio…
25 Apr 2017 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many companies have signed up to the Scottish Business Pledge, and how many employees this covers.
Answer · Paul Wheelhouse: The information requested is already in the public domain in the table entitled Business Pledge – Statistical Overview – February 2017, a copy of which has been placed in the Scottish Parliament’s Reference Centre (Bib number 57653). This material is updated …
25 Apr 2017 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what the median gross weekly pay for full-time workers has been in each year since 1999, broken down by gender and expressed in real terms, and how this compares with the rest of the UK.
Answer · Jamie Hepburn: Earning data for Scotland is published by Office for National Statistics in Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings 2016 https://www.ons.gov.uk/employmentandlabourmarket/peopleinwork/earningsandworkinghours/bulletins/annualsurveyofhoursandearnings/2016provisional…
25 Apr 2017 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what the value of male earnings has been in each of the last 10 years, expressed in real terms, and how this compares with the rest of the UK.
Answer · Jamie Hepburn: I refer the member to the answer to question S5W-08985 on 10 May 2017. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.parliament.scot/parliamentarybusiness/288…
25 Apr 2017 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether the reported reduction in the gender pay gap is primarily due to a reduction in male earnings rather than an increase in female earnings.
Answer · Jamie Hepburn: The gender pay gap for Scotland and earnings by gender are published by the Scottish Government at http://www.gov.scot/Topics/Statistics/Browse/Labour-Market/Earnings Between 2015 and 2016, the gender pay gap in Scotland, based on median full-time hourly e…
25 Apr 2017 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what the size of the public sector is relative to the private sector, and how this compares with the rest of the UK.
Answer · Jamie Hepburn: Table 1 shows the number and proportions of all in employment, employed in the private and public sectors for the UK and countries: Table 1: Public and private sector employment (headcount), UK and countries, Q4 2016 Region Public Sector Employment Public…
18 Apr 2017 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government when it will set out its position on employment tribunals in light of the publication of the responses to its consultation.
Answer · Annabelle Ewing: The Scottish Government is continuing to consider, and to discuss with key stakeholders, the matters raised in the consultation responses. However, the Scottish Government is not in a position to issue a final response to its consultation as the drafting of t…
18 Apr 2017 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government when the powers and responsibilities for employment tribunals will be transferred.
Answer · Keith Brown: I have written to UK Government Ministers seeking clarification on timing and to date have not received proposals outlining when responsibility for the management and operation of the employment tribunal will transfer. In the meantime discussions between the…
18 Apr 2017 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of (a) insecure, (b) poorly-paid and (c) other forms of precarious work in the labour market.
Answer · Jamie Hepburn: The Scottish Government uses various official data sources to assess these issues The use of reported Zero Hours Contracts in Scotland’s labour market is lower than in the UK as whole. (Scotland 2.2%, UK2.8%). The ONS publish information on Zero hours con…
18 Apr 2017 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what recent assessment it has made of economic inactivity.
Answer · Jamie Hepburn: Data from the ONS’ Labour Force Survey for the most recent quarter (December to February 2017) shows that the economic inactivity rate was 23.0 per cent. The most recent data available on reason for inactivity from the ONS’ Labour Force Survey indicates that…
18 Apr 2017 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on what progress it is making with the abolition of fees for access to employment tribunals.
Answer · Keith Brown: The Scottish Government will abolish fees for employment tribunals once it is clear how the transfer of powers and responsibilities will work. In line with commitments in both the Labour Market Strategy and the 2016 Programme for Government, we have establis…
18 Apr 2017 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether the 2021 census will include additional questions on employment to help inform its policy planning.
Answer · Fiona Hyslop: Responsibility for Scotland’s Census lies with the Registrar General for Scotland and National Records of Scotland (NRS). Their report of the 2021 Census Topic Consultation (published August 2016) provides information about the feedback they received and outl…
18 Apr 2017 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, in light of gender pay reporting regulations brought forward by the UK Government, what plans it has to review the public sector equality duty.
Answer · Angela Constance: The UK Government’s Public Sector Gender Pay Gap Reporting Regulations came into force on 31 March 2017. The Regulations allow public authorities 12 months to publish their gender pay gap information. Until public authorities have undertaken this process and …