Parliamentary questions

Rhona Brankin

707 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.

15 Jan 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what total amount was allocated for additional teachers for early years in each year from 2003 to 2007 and what percentage of the budget for children and young people this represented.

Answer · Adam Ingram: Whilst local government hadflexibility to allocate other resources to this area, the specific amountsallocated to local government for additional teachers from 2003 to 2007 were asfollows (Information on what total amount was allocated for additional teachers…

15 Jan 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what total amount is being allocated for additional support needs in-service training in each year from 2007 to 2011 and what percentage of the budget for children and young people this represents.

Answer · Fiona Hyslop: Whilst local government had flexibilityto allocate other resources to this area, the specific amount allocated to localgovernment for additional support needs in-service training in 2007-08 was £7.2million.For future years, this fundingwill be included…

15 Jan 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what total amount was allocated for additional support needs in-service training in each year from 2003 to 2007 and what percentage of the budget for children and young people this represented.

Answer · Fiona Hyslop: Whilst local government had flexibilityto allocate other resources to this area, the specific amounts allocated to localgovernment for additional support needs in-service training from 2003 to 2007 wereas follows:2003-04:£7.2 million2004-05:£7.…

15 Jan 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what total amount is being allocated for additional support for learning in each year from 2007 to 2011 and what percentage of the budget for children and young people this represents.

Answer · Fiona Hyslop: Whilst local government had flexibilityto allocate other resources to this area, the specific amount allocated to localgovernment for additional support for learning in 2007-08 was £12.5 million.For future years, this fundingwill be included within the…

15 Jan 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what total amount was allocated for additional support for learning in each year from 2003 to 2007 and what percentage of the budget for children and young people this represented.

Answer · Fiona Hyslop: Whilst local government had flexibilityto allocate other resources to this area, the specific amounts allocated to localgovernment for additional support for learning from 2003 to 2007 were as follows:2003-04:£0 million2004-05:£8 million2…

15 Jan 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what total amount was allocated to adoption services in each year from 2003 to 2007 and what percentage of the budget for children and young people this represented.

Answer · Adam Ingram: Funding allocations were notcalculated with specific reference to adoption services within grant aidedexpenditure for these years. Whilst local government had flexibility to allocateother resources to this area, the specific amounts allocated to local governm…

15 Jan 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what total amount was allocated to the Schools Fund in each year from 2003 to 2007 and what percentage of the budget for children and young people this represented.

Answer · Fiona Hyslop: Whilst local government had flexibilityto allocate other resources for work on the school estate, the specific amountsallocated to local government for the Schools Fund from 2003 to 2007 were as follows:2003-04:£36.7 million2004-05:£76.7 million…

15 Jan 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what total amount was allocated to youth work for local delivery in each year from 2003 to 2007 and what percentage of the budget for children and young people this represented.

Answer · Fiona Hyslop: Whilst local government had flexibilityto allocate other resources to this area, the specific amounts allocated to localgovernment for community education, which includes funding for youth work, from2003 to 2007 were as follows:2003-04 £109.107 million…

15 Jan 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what total amount was allocated to the National Fostering and Kinship Care Strategy in each year from 2003 to 2007 and what percentage of the budget for children and young people this represented.

Answer · Fiona Hyslop: The total funding allocated tothe development and implementation of the National Fostering and Kinship Care Strategybetween 2003 and 2007 was:2003-04:£02004-05:£02005-06:£3 million2006-07:£8.03 million.Some spending on child…

15 Jan 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what total amount was allocated to the Early Years and Childcare Workforce Development Fund in each year from 2003 to 2007 and what percentage of the budget for children and young people this represented.

Answer · Adam Ingram: Whilst localgovernment had flexibility to allocate other resources to this area, thespecific amounts allocated to local government for Early Years and ChildcareWorkforce Development from 2003 to 2007 were as follows:2003-04 - £3.6 million2004-05…

15 Jan 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what total amount was allocated to the Teacher Induction Scheme in each year from 2003 to 2007 and what percentage of the budget for children and young people this represented.

Answer · Adam Ingram: £13 million was added to thelocal government finance settlement in 2003-04 in respect of the newly introducedteacher induction scheme. In addition to this ongoing funding the followingamounts have been paid to local authorities. 2003-04- £9.4 million</…

15 Jan 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what total amount was allocated to the Changing Children’s Services Fund in each year from 2003 to 2007 and what percentage of the budget for children and young people this represented.

Answer · Adam Ingram: Whilst local government had flexibilityto allocate other resources to this area, the specific amounts allocated to localgovernment for the Changing Children’s Services Fund from 2003 to 2007 were as follows:2003-04:£49.166 million2004-05:£60.5 m…

15 Jan 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what total amount was allocated to the Educational Attainment of Looked After Children scheme in each year from 2003 and 2007 and what percentage of the budget for children and young people this represented.

Answer · Fiona Hyslop: Whilst local government had flexibilityto allocate other resources to this area, the specific amounts allocated to localgovernment to support pilot initiatives aimed at improving the educational attainmentof looked after children from 2003 to 2007 were as fol…

15 Jan 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what total amount was allocated to the National Priorities Action Fund in each year from 2003 to 2007 and what percentage of the budget for children and young people this represented.

Answer · Adam Ingram: Whilst local government had flexibilityto allocate other resources to this area, the specific amounts allocated to localgovernment from the National Priority Action Fund from 2003 to 2007 were as follows:2003-04:£128.1 million2004-05:£144.8 mill…

15 Jan 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has any further priorities in relation to children and young people, other than those outlined in its concordat with COSLA, and what funding it has identified to deliver these priorities.

Answer · Fiona Hyslop: The Scottish Government’s aimsfor children and young people are outlined in and underpinned by the national outcomesand spending proposals set out in the Scottish Budget: Spending Review 2007. The same set of national outcomes form the basis of theagreement b…

15 Jan 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether the outcomes listed in its concordat with COSLA represent all its key priorities in relation to children and young people for the 2007-11 parliamentary session.

Answer · Fiona Hyslop: The national outcomes containedin the Scottish Budget: Spending Review 2007 outline what the Scottish Government, working with ourpartners, aim to deliver for children and young people. These outcomes underpinthe concordat which the Scottish Government agreed…

15 Jan 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what percentage of the budget is being allocated for spending on children in each year from 2007 to 2011.

Answer · Fiona Hyslop: The national outcomes and spendingproposals set out in the ScottishBudget: Spending Review 2007 underline the Scottish Government’s commitment to children and young people. This document alsocontains more detailed expenditure plans for portfolios. Almost all …

15 Jan 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what percentage of the budget was allocated for spending on children in each year from 2003 to 2007.

Answer · Fiona Hyslop: The Scottish Government’s consolidatedresource accounts are laid before Parliament annually and detail expenditure onthe government’s stated aims for each financial year, including spend on childrenand young people. Some spending on childrenand young people w…

9 Jan 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how much funding each local authority has received each year from Determined to Succeed since the inception of the programme.

Answer · Maureen Watt : The information requested isas follows:<table border=1 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=3> <thead> <tr> <td width=147 valign=top> Local Authority </td> <td width=86 valign=top> 2003-04 </td> <td width=79 valign=top> <…

9 Jan 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many schools in each local authority area deliver the xlerate with xl programme through the Prince’s Trust.

Answer · Maureen Watt: Our information from thePrinces Trust Scotland is that, in 2007-08, the number of schoolsdelivering Xlerate with xl clubs in each local authority is as follows:<table border=1 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=3> <thead> <tr> <td valign=top> Local Author…

9 Jan 2008 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what proportion of its budget it proposes to spend on children

Answer · Adam Ingram: The national outcomes and spendingproposals set out in the Scottish Budget: Spending Review 2007 underline the Scottish Government’s commitment to childrenand young people. This document also contains more detailed expenditure plans, forportfolios. Almost…

19 Dec 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive when it will publish its response to the Class Sizes, Staffing and Resources Working Group Report.

Answer · Fiona Hyslop: The report was commissionedby the previous Scottish Executive and developed under terms of referencedetermined by them at the time. The recommendations of the group focussed onfuture research. These will be taken into account when considering the need forfurt…

19 Dec 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether HM Inspectorate of Education has found that local authority pre-school centres without a teacher perform better than partner centres without a teacher.

Answer · Adam Ingram: This information is set out inHM Inspectorate of Education (HMIE) report The Key Role of Staff in Providing Quality Pre-School Education(2007). The report is available from thepublications section of their website <a href="http://www.hmie.gov.uk/">http://www.…

19 Dec 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether recommendations from HM Inspectorate of Education to ministers on the proposed closure of Glentrool and Lochearnhead primary schools were followed.

Answer · Maureen Watt: I refer the member to the answerto question S3W-5512 on 7 November 2007. All answers to written parliamentaryquestions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility forwhich can be found at <ahref="http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.…

19 Dec 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether HM Inspectorate of Education inspectors have found a correlation between class sizes and pupil attainment.

Answer · Maureen Watt: Variations in class sizes inScottish schools have been limited in range by national agreements on maximum classsizes. In that context, HMIE have not routinely collected evidence about class sizewhen evaluating attainment.

19 Dec 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it accepts the findings of the final report of the Class Sizes, Staffing and Resources Working Group that to reduce class sizes to 20 in primary 1 to primary 3 would require an additional 4,000 teachers at the following costs: (a) training costs of £84 million, (b) probation year …

Answer · Adam Ingram: The estimate referred to wasfirst prepared in 2005 and reflects the situation at that time in the light of theassumptions made. The report was commissioned by the previous Scottish Executiveand developed under terms of reference determined by them at that tim…

19 Dec 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how it will target increasing the educational attainment of pupils in areas of multiple deprivation.

Answer · Maureen Watt: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-7215 on 12 December 2007. All answers to written parliamentaryquestions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for whichcan be found at <a href="http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/…

19 Dec 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how it intends to monitor the impact of a reduction of class sizes to 18 in primary 1 to primary 3.

Answer · Adam Ingram: There will be an agreementwith every local authority that signs up to the concordat. We will receiveannual reports on the progress that is being made from each local authority.The school census will also collect annual data on class sizes throughoutScotland.<…

19 Dec 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how much it costs to train a primary school teacher.

Answer · Maureen Watt: Primary school teachers gaina teaching qualification by completing either a one year Post GraduateCertificate of Education course or a four year Bachelor of Education degree. Atcurrent prices, these courses would cost £6,640 or £26,250 respectively.The…

19 Dec 2007 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what figure has been allowed for in the local government settlement to reduce class sizes to 18 in primary 1 to primary 3.

Answer · Adam Ingram: Local government willreceive £34.8 billion over three years in overall financial support, anincrease of £1.4 billion. Moreover provided local authorities sign a singleoutcome agreement ring-fenced funding streams will be reduced and councils willbe able to re…