Parliamentary questions
Iain Gray
713 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.
9 Jun 2020 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it would consider including greater mental health awareness and suicide prevention training to the school curriculum in order to ensure that young people are adequately educated and supported in this important area.
Answer · John Swinney: The Scottish Government recognise the need to ensure awareness of suicide and its prevention through schools. Our Programme for Government and Suicide Prevention Action Plan set out the actions we will take, with our partners, to deliver improved services for…
8 Jun 2020 · Portfolio Question
To ask the Scottish Government what support it is offering to the live music festival sector to support the return of such events in 2021.
4 Jun 2020 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to its announcement on 21 May 2020, how it plans to distribute the 25,000 laptops or tablets that have been earmarked for disadvantaged children as part of the first phase of provision to support learning outside school.
Answer · John Swinney: Detailed work is on-going to assess the full extent of digital exclusion amongst children and young people across Scotland. The Scottish Government is currently working closely with local authorities through SOLACE and COSLA to determine who is most in need o…
4 Jun 2020 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has held with Education Scotland regarding providing additional training, development and support for (a) teachers and (b) classroom assistants to support blended learning when schooling resumes.
Answer · John Swinney: The Scottish Government has regular discussions with Education Scotland as well as other stakeholders part of the Covid-19 Education Recover Group regarding support required for teachers and classroom assistants to support blended learning when schooling resu…
4 Jun 2020 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what support it is providing to integrate classroom assistants into the blended learning model when schooling resumes.
Answer · John Swinney: I refer the member to the answer to question S5W-29652 on 15 June 2020. 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…
4 Jun 2020 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to extend the eligibility for the national Learn to Teach Programme.
Answer · John Swinney: The LTT programme is delivered by the University of Dundee and they are currently engaging with all those authorities in Scotland wanting to utilise this programme to address their local primary teacher workforce needs. To date 184 local authority staff have …
3 Jun 2020 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government when estate agents will be allowed to begin advertising, showing and selling houses again as part of the process of easing the COVID-19 process.
Answer · Kevin Stewart: A relaxation of restrictions on home moves is anticipated in phase 2 of the recovery plan, as set out in Scotland’s route map through and out of the crisis, published on 21 May. Restrictions will only be relaxed if the virus remains suppressed and the evidenc…
1 Jun 2020 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what measures will be put in place to support pupils who effectively left school early due to the closure in March 2020 and will not have school support in seeking employment or access to further educational opportunities.
Answer · Jamie Hepburn: We have ensured that school leavers have access to support directly from a Skills Development Scotland (SDS) professional careers advisors and we have taken steps to ensure they will continue to have access to this support during these times. SDS are operati…
21 May 2020 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what post mortem testing for COVID-19 has been carried out on samples from patients who died prior to February 2020 of COVID-19 like symptoms, and what the results were.
Answer · Joe FitzPatrick: Authorised post-mortem examinations are undertaken for deaths in hospitals by NHS Boards, where the cause of death is unknown, to establish the medical cause of death. The Scottish Government does not hold information on post mortem testing of the deceased. …
19 May 2020 · Portfolio Question
To ask the Scottish Government when ministers will decide whether it is safe for schools to reopen on 11 August.
18 May 2020 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how test, trace and isolate will work when an individual's contacts are identified in both Scotland and England if, for example, they live in one country but work in another.
Answer · Jeane Freeman: There are well established communication mechanisms in place between the UK public health agencies to notify one another where a close contact of a case is identified as a resident in another country, in order that follow up investigations can be conducted by…
30 Apr 2020 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the COVID-19 crisis, what discussions it has had since 23 March 2020 with (a) Who Cares? Scotland and (b) other care organisations that support young people living in care, and what additional support it is providing.
Answer · Maree Todd: The Scottish Government are working collaboratively with key partners and stakeholders to consider how to meet the needs of all our children and young people during our response to the COVID-19 pandemic, including those living in different care settings. Sin…
30 Apr 2020 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what work it has carried to implement the recommendations of the Independent Care Review for children and young people in care.
Answer · John Swinney: The Scottish Government remains fully committed to deliver on its pledge to care experienced people in Scotland by accepting and responding to the Care Review conclusions and to put into place the infrastructure to develop and deliver an Action Plan to implem…
30 Apr 2020 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government when it will publish the findings of the Additional Support for Learning Review.
Answer · John Swinney: I refer the member to the answer to question S5W-28480 on 5 May 2020. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/parliamentarybusiness/28…
29 Apr 2020 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether the college sector will receive any funding from Barnett consequentials intended for Higher Education in Scotland, in light of colleges delivering 26% of this.
Answer · Richard Lochhead: Any decision on detailed allocation of such consequentials would only be taken once the exact purpose of the consequentials is known.
29 Apr 2020 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what assurances it can provide that the Scottish Funding Council will take a flexible approach regarding financing for colleges in relation to the sector’s activity and its 116,000 FTE target.
Answer · Richard Lochhead: Work around the financial impact of Covid-19 on colleges continues to be progressed as a priority and at pace by the Scottish Government and the Scottish Funding Council. We are working closely with our colleges and other stakeholders through the Further and …
29 Apr 2020 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what financial guarantees it will provide to colleges, in light of the sector expecting to lose approximately £40 million in the current academic year and between £70 and £80 million in the next academic year as a result of COVID-19.
Answer · Richard Lochhead: Work around the financial impact of Covid-19 on colleges continues to be progressed as a priority and at pace by the Scottish Government and the Scottish Funding Council. We are working closely with our colleges and other stakeholders through the Further and …
29 Apr 2020 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what assurances it can provide that colleges will not be financially penalised through Skills Development Scotland if they are not able to meet all of their outcome targets on apprentices and the Flexible Workforce Development Fund.
Answer · Jamie Hepburn: Skills Development Scotland has been regularly updating training and learning providers and recently issued guidance to all training providers, including Colleges and Colleges Scotland. This guidance outlined Skills Development Scotland’s focus on four key ar…
29 Apr 2020 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether Barnett consequentials from the UK Department for Education’s investment in colleges will be passed onto colleges in Scotland.
Answer · Richard Lochhead: No consequentials deriving from DfE investment in colleges in response to Covid-19 have yet been received.
20 Apr 2020 · Topical Question
To ask the Scottish Government, in light of press reports of consideration being given to partially reopening schools in mid-May, what plans it has to do so in Scotland.
4 Mar 2020 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with universities about the impact of the coronavirus, COVID-19, on them, and what assessment it has made of any (a) financial and (b) international student recruitment impacts on the universities.
Answer · Richard Lochhead: Scottish Government officials have met with representatives of Universities Scotland and Colleges Scotland to brief them on intelligence relating to COVID-19. It has been agreed with those organisations that the Scottish Funding Council will be the primary c…
4 Mar 2020 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what financial support it will offer to universities in the event of a fall in international students enrolling in the 2020-21 cohort.
Answer · Richard Lochhead: Scotland and Scottish universities continue to be an attractive study destination for international students from across the world. We welcome them and value the positive contribution they make to our student and local communities, our society and our economy…
25 Feb 2020 · Portfolio Question
To ask the Scottish Government for what reason East Lothian Council's provisional revenue allocation per head is the fourth lowest in Scotland.
24 Feb 2020 · Topical Question
To ask the Scottish Government how the recently published analysis of SQA exam attainment will influence the remit of its review of secondary education.
24 Jan 2020 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what consideration it will give to how patients with blue badges using disabled parking spaces at the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh can be recompensed for parking charges.
Answer · Jeane Freeman: The Scottish Government's preferred option would be that free car parking should be available to everyone who parks in a NHS facility and this policy was introduced in 2008 and has since saved patients, visitors and staff over £39 million. The exceptions to t…
20 Jan 2020 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to relaunch the Scottish Land Fund beyond March 2021.
Answer · Roseanna Cunningham: In Programme for Government 2019-20, the Scottish Government committed to provide £10 million to the Scottish Land Fund each year until 2021. No decisions have yet been made about the future of the Scottish Land Fund beyond that point.
20 Jan 2020 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what level of funds remain in the Scottish Land Fund.
Answer · Roseanna Cunningham: To date in 2019-20, over £9.2 million has been already been committed, against a budget of £10 million. Given the number of applications and level of funding requests due to come before the Committee by the end of the financial year, no underspend is anticipa…
20 Jan 2020 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the finding in the Audit Scotland report, Finances of Scottish universities, that public funding does not cover the costs of university (a) teaching and (b) research.
Answer · Richard Lochhead: Scottish Universities are autonomous institutions with the ability to generate their own income. We acknowledge the findings of the Audit Scotland report, specifically the financial pressures facing the sector and the contribution that public funding makes to…
20 Jan 2020 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the finding in the Audit Scotland report, Finances of Scottish universities, that more than half are in deficit.
Answer · Richard Lochhead: One of Scotland's universities key strengths is that they remain autonomous with the responsibility for their own operational decisions and the costs associated with them. However, we continue to work with the Scottish Funding Council and the higher educatio…
7 Jan 2020 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what impact ending Abellio's ScotRail franchise in 2022 will have on the planned new services between Dunbar and Edinburgh via East Linton.
Answer · Michael Matheson: Timetable development work is ongoing and will continue as an industry process regardless of whoever operates services beyond the expiry of the ScotRail Franchise at the time of the introduction of services to Dunbar/East Linton. An industry working group (E…