Tavish Scott

26 Oct 2017 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-11909 by John Swinney on 25 October 2017, whether after seeing the report (a) ministers, (b) special advisers and (c) officials are expecting, prior to the council deciding its final wording, to provide it with (i) feedback, (ii) comments on the fac…

Answer · John Swinney: The report will be drafted by the Scottish Government Secretariat to the International Council of Education Advisers in consultation with, and on behalf of, the Council. Ministers and special advisers will have the opportunity to comment on the report but, as…

26 Oct 2017 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-11902 by John Swinney on 25 October 2017, whether the media was made aware of how to contact individual members of the council, and the contact details of each member, or was it advised that it would have to go through government communications offi…

Answer · John Swinney: Members of the International Council of Education Advisers are routinely and regularly contacted directly by reporters seeking interviews via their professional contact details which are readily available online. Interview requests can also be submitted throu…

26 Oct 2017 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government further to the answer to question S5W-11902 by John Swinney on 25 October 2017, whether it will provide the information that was requested regarding whether any members of the council advised it of their availability for media interview and, if so, which members.

Answer · John Swinney: It is normal practice at ICEA meetings for Council members to agree amongst themselves the nomination of one or more spokespeople to undertake media interviews. Professor Graham Donaldson and Professor Alma Harris made themselves available for interview follo…

26 Oct 2017 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-11906 by John Swinney on 25 October 2017, what is its officials' role has been in producing the statements.

Answer · John Swinney: The role played by Scottish Government communications officials was to work with the members of the International Council of Education Advisers (ICEA) to produce the press releases after the meetings, which published the joint statements written by the ICEA.

19 Oct 2017 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-11608 by Humza Yousaf on 16 October 2017, who the members are of the working group of key stakeholders.

Answer · Humza Yousaf: Details of the membership of the Freight Fares Review working group can be found on the Transport Scotland website, along with information about the review and minutes of all meetings. https://www.transport.gov.scot/public-transport/ferries/freight-fares-re…

9 Oct 2017 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government on what date the final report of the International Council of Education Advisers will be published and what role (a) ministers, (b) special advisers and (c) its officials will have in its drafting and editing.

Answer · John Swinney: The final report of the International Council of Education Advisers will be published at the end of the current 2 year appointment of the Council in 2018. The report will be drafted by the Secretariat in consultation with, and on behalf of, the Council. Minis…

9 Oct 2017 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to reported concerns that the International Council of Education Advisers is being asked to "second-guess" reforms proposed by ministers.

Answer · John Swinney: Scotland is extremely fortunate to have access to the expertise of our International Council of Education Advisers (ICEA), who have extensive experience advising governments on education leadership, school improvement and reform. The Scottish Government welco…

9 Oct 2017 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government on what date it will publish the minutes of the meeting of the International Council of Education Advisers of 21 September 2017.

Answer · John Swinney: We aim to publish the minutes of meetings of the International Council of Education Advisers within one month of the close of each meeting. I will write to the member once the minutes of the most recent meeting have been published online.

9 Oct 2017 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what role it (a) has had and (b) will have in drafting or editing the statements of the International Council of Education Advisers.

Answer · John Swinney: Scottish Government communications officials work with the members of the International Council of Education Advisers (ICEA) to produce their joint statements. The Scottish Government does not edit the statements of the ICEA.

9 Oct 2017 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether there is a range of views among the International Council of Education Advisers regarding (a) the establishment of new regional improvement collaboratives and (b) other Scottish Government proposals and, if so, which members have endorsed each proposal.

Answer · John Swinney: The International Council work together and provide joint advice as a Council. In its recent joint statement, the Council made it clear that it was strongly supportive of the principles underpinning the Scottish Government’s reform agenda, which includes the …

9 Oct 2017 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government which members of the media it informed in advance about the meeting of the International Council of Education Advisers on 21 September 2017.

Answer · John Swinney: The ICEA had a prominent programme of events while in Scotland for its third meeting – including headlining an open Q&A at the Scottish Learning Festival and International Improvement Conference for Education. In addition, media attending the post-FMQ media b…

9 Oct 2017 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it placed restrictions on members of the International Council of Education Advisers who attended the council on 21 September 2017 interacting with the media and if (a) so, (i) for what reason and (ii) whether it will place a copy of guidance it provided to council members about …

Answer · John Swinney: ICEA members are free to interact with the media. They are independent of the Scottish Government and free to speak to media as and when they wish. Media are also able to approach and contact them to request interviews at any time. Decisions about whether to …

9 Oct 2017 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether only members of its communications team were permitted to give media interviews about the meeting of the International Council of Education Advisers on 21 September 2017 and, if so, for what reason.

Answer · John Swinney: Members of the Scottish Government communications team did not give interviews to media about the meeting of the International Council of Education Advisers on 21 September 2017.

9 Oct 2017 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government on what date the initial report of the International Council of Education Advisers was published; who it directly informed about the publication, and when, and what criteria it used to determine who to advise.

Answer · John Swinney: The initial report of the International Council of Education Advisers was published on the Scottish Government website on 25 July 2017. A national daily newspaper was informed about the publication immediately it went online, as it had submitted a number of m…

9 Oct 2017 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what the total weekly (a) car and (b) passenger capacity of the timetabled CalMac ferry services between (i) Oban, (ii) Mallaig, (iii) Uig and (iv) Ullapool and the Western Isles was in summer (A) 2007 and (B) 2017, and what the capacity will be when the ferry under construction is intro…

Answer · Humza Yousaf: The requested information is provided in the following table. In 2007 there were no services between Mallaig and the Western Isles.  Total Weekly Car and Passengers Capacity on Timetables Services - covers mainland to Western Isles Routes in summer …

5 Oct 2017 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government when it expects ferry fares to (a) Shetland and (b) Orkney to be reduced.

Answer · Humza Yousaf: I announced on 22 August 2017 during my visit to the Northern Isles that a scheme to significantly reduce fares on Northern Isles ferry services will be rolled out in the first half of 2018. Further details on timing will be made available in due course.

5 Oct 2017 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether waste-to-energy incineration in Shetland is classed as recycling.

Answer · Roseanna Cunningham: Waste to energy incineration is not classed as recycling.

3 Oct 2017 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the comment in its news release of 22 September 2017, Improving education, that it will only have access to national level data from standardised national assessments, whether the (a) tender and (b) contract for the provision of the current national tests specified that minis…

Answer · John Swinney: We are currently considering the terms of the Scottish National Standardised Assessment contract in relation to the provision of assessment data.

3 Oct 2017 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government at what point it considers school inspection reports become outdated and what its position is on whether such reports should no longer be (a) available to the public and (b) retained by (i) Education Scotland and (ii) other public bodies.

Answer · John Swinney: Education Scotland publishes school inspection reports on its website. The reports will remain on the website for a period of five years. (a) However, should a member of the public wish to request the report after that point, they can do so by contacting Edu…

3 Oct 2017 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what rules govern the length of time that school inspection reports should be (a) available to the public and (b) retained by (i) Education Scotland and (ii) other public bodies.

Answer · John Swinney: The Public Records (Scotland) Act 2011 sets out the legal requirements for public bodies for records management which includes Education Scotland’s records management plan.

3 Oct 2017 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to reports that Education Scotland (a) is removing public access to inspection reports more than five years old and (b) has deleted inspection data from before April 2008, and on what date ministers were advised of this policy.

Answer · John Swinney: a) The public will continue to be able to access these inspection reports by requesting a copy from Education Scotland. Inspection reports more than five years old will no longer be available via Education Scotland’s website. b) Education Scotland has not de…

3 Oct 2017 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it is aware of any local authorities that are planning to conduct their old testing regimes in addition to standardised national assessments and, if so, which.

Answer · John Swinney: The Scottish Government expects the Scottish National Standardised Assessments to replace other similar assessments used in local authorities. The Scottish Government does not hold information on local authority assessment plans.

3 Oct 2017 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether local authorities setting time windows in which they expect standardised national assessments to be conducted is consistent with guidance issued by it, and which local authorities are engaging in this practice.

Answer · John Swinney: There is no set day or period of time during which the Scottish National Standardised Assessments must be taken. Teachers, in consultation with schools and local authorities, will decide the most appropriate time during the school year for children to take t…

3 Oct 2017 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government further to the comment in its news release of 22 September 2017, Improving education, that it will only have access to national level data from standardised national assessments, what information will be accessible from local authorities through freedom of information legislation, and wh…

Answer · John Swinney: It is for individual local authorities to consider how to respond to the requests they receive under the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act.

3 Oct 2017 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many places have been available on (a) undergraduate and (b) postgraduate teacher training courses in each year since 2007, broken down by institution, and how many were taken up.

Answer · John Swinney: The following table shows how many places have been made available each year for undergraduate and postgraduate teacher education courses by Scottish Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) from 2007-08 to 2017-18. Places made available - Intake Targets for Und…

3 Oct 2017 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what representations it has made to the UK Government regarding establishing a Tier 4 visa pilot programme similar to that being trialled at universities in England, and what analysis it has carried of this trial.

Answer · Alasdair Allan: The Scottish Government is concerned that the UK Government’s Tier 4 pilot was introduced without any prior consultation in Scotland and that Scottish institutions were not included. Scotland’s Higher Education institutions, and key stakeholder Universities S…

28 Sep 2017 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government when the outcome of the freight ferries review affecting Orkney and Shetland will be announced, in light of an email from Transport Scotland to a freight company dated 19 September 2017, which states that further information will be provided “later this summer”.

Answer · Humza Yousaf: Following a commitment in the Ferries Plan 2013-2022, Transport Scotland, under guidance of a Working Group of key stakeholders, is currently conducting a comprehensive review of ferry freight fares. The review has proved to be complex and has raised a numb…

27 Sep 2017 · Portfolio Question

To ask the Scottish Government how much of the reported £1.3 million that NHS Shetland is to pay in locum costs in 2017-18 will be used to cover GP vacancies.

21 Sep 2017 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what support it plans to give island authorities wishing to establish single authority models of delivering local services.

Answer · Shona Robison: The Scottish Government will consider all specific requests for assistance from the Islands Councils and other partners as they work with stakeholders, including trade unions and communities, to develop proposals for single public authority models of deliveri…

21 Sep 2017 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government when the support it plans to give island authorities wishing to establish single authority models of delivering local services will become available.

Answer · Shona Robison: The Scottish Government understands the Islands Councils will be working with partners and stakeholders to develop detailed proposals for single public authority models of delivering local services. We will provide assistance on specific issues where it is ag…