Parliamentary questions
Pauline McNeill
2,367 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.
5 Jul 2016 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what recent discussions it has had with Creative Scotland about supporting young musicians.
Answer · Fiona Hyslop: The Scottish Government has regular discussions with Creative Scotland on a wide range of subjects including developments around the Youth Music Initiative which allows young people to take part in music in and outside of school in all 32 local authorities.
5 Jul 2016 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what information it has on reductions to the provision of free music tuition for children.
Answer · John Swinney: Information on local authority instrumental music tuition charges can be found at the attached links: http://www.gov.scot/Topics/Education/Schools/curriculum/InstrumentalMusic/ImplementationGroup
5 Jul 2016 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has for funding schemes to encourage young musicians.
Answer · Fiona Hyslop: The Scottish Government supports a number of music initiatives for young musicians, across a range of organisations. The Youth Music Initiative (YMI) programme is receiving £10 million of government support in 2016-17. Reporting indicates that this level of …
5 Jul 2016 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government in what areas it provides funding for orchestras.
Answer · Fiona Hyslop: In 2016-17 the Scottish Government is providing grant funding of £3.96 million to the Royal Scottish National Orchestra (RSNO) based in Glasgow and £1.99 million to the Scottish Chamber Orchestra based in Edinburgh, two of the five Scottish Government-funded …
5 Jul 2016 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what the criteria are to qualify for free school meals and when these last changed.
Answer · John Swinney: The criteria to qualify for free school meals is provided for in section 53 of the Education (Scotland) Act 1980. A summary of the criteria can be accessed from the Scottish Government website at http://www.gov.scot/Topics/Education/Schools/HLivi/schoolmeals/…
5 Jul 2016 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide guidance on the eligibility criteria and awarding of clothing grants.
Answer · John Swinney: The Scottish Government will ensure that all local authorities and schools are aware of the eligibility and award criteria for school clothing grants following discussions with COSLA. Guidance will be provided as appropriate.
5 Jul 2016 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many families have qualified for free school meals in each year from 2007.
Answer · John Swinney: Information about the number of families who have qualified for free school meals is not held centrally. However, latest statistics on free school meals were published on 22 June 2016 in the Scottish Government statistics publication - Summary statistics for …
5 Jul 2016 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government which local authorities run the free school meals programme for children in P1 to P3.
Answer · John Swinney: On 5 January 2015, free school meals were extended to primary 1 to 3 children in Scotland to help ensure every child has the best possible start in life and gets every chance to succeed at school. The policy has had a huge take up with latest figures showing …
5 Jul 2016 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to change the criteria to qualify for free school meals and, if so, how.
Answer · John Swinney: The Scottish Government is continuing to consider how eligibility to free school meals will be determined in the context of the UK Government’s programme for welfare reform. As an interim arrangement, the Education (School Lunches) (Scotland) Amendment Regula…
5 Jul 2016 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-00643 by John Swinney on 16 June 2016, when it expects to introduce the clothing grant regulations.
Answer · John Swinney: Scottish Ministers continue to discuss the provision of school clothing grants and appropriate timescales for implementation with COSLA. We intend to achieve this in partnership with COSLA rather than by imposing regulations, in the same way that we have succ…
28 Jun 2016 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on introducing a fee option for owners to put their case before the Homeowner Housing Panel.
Answer · Kevin Stewart: The Scottish Government does not intend to introduce a fee for homeowners to apply to the Homeowner Housing Panel.
28 Jun 2016 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what action it takes to make the fit and proper person test to be a property factor sufficiently robust, and how it monitors the effectiveness of the test.
Answer · Kevin Stewart: The Property Factors (Scotland) Act 2011 requires Scottish Ministers, when determining whether a property factor is fit and proper, to consider whether the factor, or any relevant person connected with the factor: has been convicted of any offence involving…
28 Jun 2016 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how much the Homeowner Housing Panel has cost each year.
Answer · Kevin Stewart: The Homeowner Housing Panel (HoHP) is an independent tribunal established under the Property Factors (Scotland) Act 2011 to deal with disputes between homeowners and property factors. The Act came into force on 1 October 2012. Information on the cost of th…
28 Jun 2016 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how it monitors the effectiveness of property factor enforcement orders, and what action is taken against factors that do not satisfy the conditions of the order.
Answer · Kevin Stewart: The Homeowner Housing Panel (HoHP) is an independent tribunal established under the Property Factors (Scotland) Act 2011 (the Act) to deal with disputes between homeowners and property factors. It is for the HoHP to decide whether to issue a legally-binding p…
28 Jun 2016 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many property factor enforcement orders have been issued each year by the Homeowner Housing Panel, also broken down by the location of the factor.
Answer · Kevin Stewart: The Homeowner Housing Panel (HoHP) is an independent tribunal established under the Property Factors (Scotland) Act 2011 (the Act) to deal with disputes between homeowners and property factors. The Act came into force on 1 October 2012. Information on the …
14 Jun 2016 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5T-00012 by Michael Matheson on 14 June 2016, which Police Scotland ranks can access the information held by the Scottish Recording Centre.
Answer · Michael Matheson: This is an operational matter for the Police Service of Scotland.
14 Jun 2016 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5T-00012 by Michael Matheson on 14 June 2016, whether the (a) Cabinet, (b) Cabinet Secretary for Justice and (c) Cabinet's resilience sub-committee receives reports from the Scottish Recording Centre and, if so, how often.
Answer · Michael Matheson: The Scottish Government receives reports on occasion in connection with the warrants that are authorised by the Scottish Ministers under the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000.
14 Jun 2016 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5T-00012 by Michael Matheson on 14 June 2016, whether (a) ministers and (b) officials were made aware that the Scottish Recording Centre received metadata from the GCHQ programme, Milkwhite, and, if so, when.
Answer · Michael Matheson: The data-sharing arrangements entered into by the Police Service of Scotland and its partners, is an operational matter for the parties concerned.
14 Jun 2016 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5T-00012 by Michael Matheson on 14 June 2016, what the (a) role and (b) remit is of the Scottish Recording Centre; whether it will provide a breakdown of the nature of its work; how many staff it employs, and how many offices it has, broken down by loc…
Answer · Michael Matheson: This is an operational matter for the Police Service of Scotland.
14 Jun 2016 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5T-00012 by Michael Matheson on 14 June 2016, what access restrictions are in place on the data held by the Scottish Recording Centre.
Answer · Michael Matheson: This is an operational matter for the Police Service of Scotland.
9 Jun 2016 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how much can be awarded in school clothing grants, and what the average award is (a) nationally and (b) broken down by local authority.
Answer · John Swinney: The Education (Scotland) Act introduced a provision to allow Scottish Ministers to make regulations to require local authorities to pay a minimum amount of school clothing grants to families or young people. The detail of the amount of grant and the eligibili…
9 Jun 2016 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what the criteria are to be eligible for a school clothing grant.
Answer · John Swinney: The Education (Scotland) Act introduced a provision to allow Scottish Ministers to make regulations to require local authorities to pay a minimum amount of school clothing grants to families or young people. The detail of the amount of grant and the eligibili…
8 Jun 2016 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how it will ensure parity for travellers on the west coast main line with the four hour journey time on east coast services.
Answer · Humza Yousaf: The Inter City West Coast re-franchising consultation is underway and the Scottish Government will be making representations to the Department for Transport conveying clear aspirations for cross-border rail services: faster journey times between Scotland and …
8 Jun 2016 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what recent discussions it has had with train companies regarding upgrades for the west coast main line.
Answer · Humza Yousaf: As part of numerous industry forums, both current (Rutherglen junction) and planned (Carstairs junction) enhancements to the west coast main line are regularly discussed with operators. Indeed, the working group and board of the Scotland route study, at whic…
8 Jun 2016 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on the timetable change adding 22 minutes to the published timetable on west coast main line rail services.
Answer · Humza Yousaf: The Scottish Government’s aspiration for Inter City West Coast cross-border rail services is clear: safe, fast, frequent, reliable, punctual services connecting Scotland to London and intermediate locations with on board facilities and fares that attract pass…
24 Feb 2011 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the £200 million budgeted in 2011-12 for the Scottish Futures Trust for the estate redevelopment for the City of Glasgow College will pay for.
Answer · Angela Constance: Our 2011-12 Budget makes clear that the capital value of the modernisation of the Glasgow College Estate is estimated at around £200 million. This is subject to the conclusion of a robust and affordable business case for the City of Glasgow College project, a…
24 Feb 2011 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether the Scottish Futures Trust or the Scottish Funding Council will be the lead agency in delivering the estate redevelopment for the City of Glasgow College.
Answer · Angela Constance: While City of Glasgow College is the owner of its estates development project, the College will be supported by both the Scottish Funding Council and by the Scottish Futures Trust, as the bodies delivering the pipeline of NPD infrastructure projects in the co…
24 Feb 2011 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what role the Scottish Futures Trust will have in delivering the estate redevelopment for the City of Glasgow College.
Answer · Angela Constance: Our 2011-12 Budget proposed a pipeline of infrastructure projects for delivery through the non-profit distribution model. The pipeline includes investment in the modernisation of the college estate in Glasgow city centre. The Scottish Futures Trust will deliv…
24 Feb 2011 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what action it will take in relation to a business case for the City of Glasgow College’s estate redevelopment if it is submitted before the dissolution of the Parliament.
Answer · Angela Constance: Our 2011-12 Budget makes clear that the Scottish Government will deliver through the non-profit distributing model, modernisation of the Glasgow college estate, subject to the conclusion of a robust and affordable business case. Consideration of the business …
10 Feb 2011 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what discussion it has had with paediatric consultants regarding Glasgow’s new children’s hospital.
Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: The design for the new children''s hospital has been in development since June 2006, and at every stage there has been involvement and communication between the project team for the new children''s hospital and all staff at the Royal Hospital for Sick Childre…