Tavish Scott

19 Mar 2018 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, other than Sumburgh, Kirkwall and Stornoway, which Highlands and Islands Airports Ltd (HIAL)-owned facilities offer free parking, and for which of these the company plans to introduce charges.

Answer · Humza Yousaf: HIAL owned airports where free parking is provided are Barra, Benbecula, Islay, Tiree and Wick John O’Groats. Free parking is available at Campbeltown Airport which is operated but not owned by HIAL. There are no plans for the introduction of parking charges …

19 Mar 2018 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what percentage of passengers using (a) Sumburgh, (b) Lerwick and (c) Stornoway airport access it by (i) car, (ii) public transport and (iii) other modes of transport; what information it has regarding why they choose this method, and what the impact on this usage could be of Highlands a…

Answer · Humza Yousaf: This information is not held.

19 Mar 2018 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether, under Highlands and Islands Airports Ltd (HIAL) proposed parking charges at Sumburgh, Stornoway and Kirkwall airports, people stranded in bad weather on the mainland will have to continue paying parking charges at the airports and, if so, at what rate.

Answer · Humza Yousaf: No. Passengers who can demonstrate that their return was delayed by bad weather will not be charged for any additional car parking charges beyond what they would have paid had they returned at the scheduled time.

15 Mar 2018 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether (a) ministers and (b) special advisers have been interviewed by the Scottish Information Commissioner regarding the assessment phase of the current intervention to assess its Freedom of Information performance.

Answer · Joe FitzPatrick: I have met with the Scottish Information Commissioner and Scottish Government officials are in regular contact with the Commissioner’s office to aid them with the assessment phase of the intervention. The Commissioner has not yet sought to interview Ministers…

15 Mar 2018 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government when the rules for the inbox that is used to manage special advisers' input to Freedom of Information (FoI) requests was (a) written and (b) circulated to users; who (i) wrote them and (ii) was (A) consulted on and (B) advised of its contents, and whether it was approved by (1) ministers…

Answer · Joe FitzPatrick:  I refer the member to the answer to question S5W-15345 on? 10 April 2018. 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/parliamentarybusines…

15 Mar 2018 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government for what reason the rules for the email inbox that is used to manage special advisers' input to Freedom of Information (FoI) requests reportedly states that "Once SpAds have provided final comments on the request keep only the e-mail containing the final comments and the final response l…

Answer · Joe FitzPatrick: It is the responsibility of a lead policy official handling a FOI case to ensure that documents for the public record, including emails, are correctly stored electronically. It is Scottish Government policy that no private office, including the Special Advise…

15 Mar 2018 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the publication of the rules for the email inbox that is used to manage special advisers' input to Freedom of Information requests, what other guidance it has that (a) advises or (b) instructs special advisers to delete information (i) in their (A) notebooks or (B) emails an…

Answer · Joe FitzPatrick: Special Advisers are subject to the same records’ management guidance as other Scottish Government civil servants.

15 Mar 2018 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the emails dated 23 and 30 June 2017 that were published as a result of requests FOI/18/01769 and FOI/17/01247 on 6 February 2018, what changes were made to the draft Freedom of Information responses at the request of the special adviser involved, and whether it will publish…

Answer · John Swinney: The Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002 (FOISA) states that any person who requests information from a Scottish public authority which holds it is entitled to be given that information by the authority, but that this right is subject to certain conditi…

15 Mar 2018 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of whether the rules for the email inbox that is used to manage special advisers' input to Freedom of Information requests and, in particular, the instruction to "delete everything else immediately", has an impact on (a) a requester's entitlement to informatio…

Answer · Joe FitzPatrick: I refer the member to the answer to question S5W-15345 on 10 April 2018. 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/…

15 Mar 2018 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the email of 30 June 2017 that was published as a result of Freedom of Information requests FOI/18/01769 and FOI/17/01247 on 6 February 2018, for what reason the Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Secretary for Education and Skills reportedly asked for four documents to be re…

Answer · John Swinney: The Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002 (FOISA) states that any person who requests information from a Scottish public authority which holds it is entitled to be given that information by the authority, but that this right is subject to certain conditi…

15 Mar 2018 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it has provided the Scottish Information Commissioner with a copy of the rules for the email inbox that is used to manage special advisers' input to Freedom of Information requests and, if so, when.

Answer · Joe FitzPatrick: The Scottish Government provided the Scottish Information Commissioner with the guidance relating to the Special Advisors freedom of information e-mail inbox on 13 March 2018.

15 Mar 2018 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it is possible to retrieve emails that have been deleted in accordance with the rules for the inbox that is used to manage special advisers' input to Freedom of Information requests and, if so, whether it will publish these.

Answer · Joe FitzPatrick: It is the responsibility of a lead policy official handling a FOI case to ensure that documents for the public record, including emails, are correctly stored electronically. It is Scottish Government policy that no private office, including the Special Advise…

15 Mar 2018 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to (a) update and (b) remove the rules for the email inbox that is used to manage special advisers' input to Freedom of Information requests.

Answer · Joe FitzPatrick: There are no plans to update or remove the rules which are in line with good practice and comply fully with FOI legislation.

15 Mar 2018 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on what date it will introduce Road Equivalent Tariff for ferries to (a) Orkney and (b) Shetland.

Answer · Humza Yousaf: The 2016 SNP Manifesto contained a commitment to “take action to reduce fares on ferry services to Orkney and Shetland”. I announced on 22 August 2017 plans to introduce reduced fares within the first half of 2018. My officials have been engaging closely wit…

14 Mar 2018 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many schools have adopted alternative models of teaching under the curriculum for excellence, and what its position is on this figure.

Answer · John Swinney: The Scottish Government does not hold this information on a school-by-school basis. However, there are a range of emerging and innovative models to support delivery of the curriculum. Curriculum for Excellence gives schools the flexibility to offer different…

14 Mar 2018 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to reports that specialist teacher numbers have fallen by 16% in five years, in light of the number of pupils with additional support needs rising by 55% since 2012.

Answer · John Swinney: The Additional Support for Learning Act requires education authorities to identify, provide for and to review the additional support needs of their pupils. In order to meet these requirements it is for education authorities to ensure that appropriate resource…

14 Mar 2018 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to reports that parents are paying for counselling to help pupils cope with exam stress.

Answer · John Swinney: The well being of school pupils is vitally important, and we recognise the impact that anxiety about school work can have on children. That is why health and wellbeing is a key priority of the Curriculum for Excellence. Opportunities should be available thro…

14 Mar 2018 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what counselling support it offers to pupils who are undertaking exams.

Answer · John Swinney: Opportunities should be available through the school year for every young person to have regular conversations about their learning and progress. Good practice would include discussing any stress a young person may be feeling as they prepare for examinations,…

12 Mar 2018 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether there are benefits for parents of sending their children to partnership nurseries and, if so, what these are.

Answer · Maree Todd: As we set out in our 2017-18 Action Plan, our approach is fundamentally provider neutral – prioritising the settings that are best placed to deliver quality outcomes for children and supporting our ambition to close the attainment gap, regardless of whether t…

12 Mar 2018 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the number of parents removing their children from one nursery and placing them in another in order to receive their entitlement to funded early learning and childcare.

Answer · Maree Todd: We do not hold this information. Local authorities are responsible for fulfilling the duty to provide early learning and childcare. Local authorities are also required to consult representative populations of parents and carers on how funded early learning a…

12 Mar 2018 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on local authorities extending current partnership nursery contracts, instead of retendering, in order to create more time to prepare for the expansion of funded early learning and childcare, and what assessment it has made of the impact of the expansion on prospecti…

Answer · Maree Todd: It is for local authorities to determine, on the advice of their own legal and procurement teams, the local process for contracting with providers in the private and third sectors to deliver funded early learning and childcare entitlement hours. However, we …

12 Mar 2018 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of current parent demand for partnership nursery places; what the reasons are for this demand, and whether it is being met by supply.

Answer · Maree Todd: As set out in my answer to S5W-15212 on 26 March 2018, we do not hold this information. Local authorities have duties in relation to the provision of funded early learning and childcare, including understanding how it is used in their local area and family pr…

12 Mar 2018 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what percentage of families it estimates are currently not taking up their entitlement to funded early learning and childcare.

Answer · Maree Todd: Our National Statistics, produced by professionally independent statistical staff, indicate that take up of the entitlement to funded early learning and childcare for 3 and 4 year olds was almost universal (99%) at the time of the early learning and childcare…

12 Mar 2018 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what advice it provides to parents who sent their children to private nurseries with the expectation that they would be applying for partnership status where the local authority did not open up the tendering process as expected.

Answer · Maree Todd: Local authorities have a duty to provide early learning and childcare to all eligible children within their area. Parents can contact their local authority to find out where their child can access the funded hours. There may be a number of reasons why it is n…

12 Mar 2018 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how it assists nurseries in gaining partnership status.

Answer · Maree Todd: As I set out in my answer S5W-15210 on 26 March 2018 it is for local authorities to determine, on the advice of their own legal and procurement teams, the local process for contracting with providers in the private and third sectors to deliver funded early le…

12 Mar 2018 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many additional partnership nurseries it estimates will be required to deliver the expansion of funded early learning and childcare, and what progress it is making in achieving this.

Answer · Maree Todd: Our approach to delivering the expanded entitlement from 2020 is ‘provider neutral’, and under our new Funding Follows the Child approach any provider, regardless of sector (public, private, third sector or childminder), who meets the new National Standard wi…

6 Mar 2018 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government which third sector organisations no longer provide services under the Fair Start Scotland scheme, and in light of these organisations leaving it, whether it will provide an update on the future of the initiative.

Answer · Jamie Hepburn: No subcontractors have ended their involvement in the Fair Start Scotland Programme. Fair Start Scotland remains on course to be delivered to the timetable set.

6 Mar 2018 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the commitment in September 2017 for them to be paid in February 2018, when rural uplift payments will be made by Skills Development Scotland to academic partners in Western Isles, Orkney and Shetland.

Answer · Jamie Hepburn: Skills Development Scotland has been working to ensure that Providers need now only make one, rather than multiple claims, and Providers were notified of this new process on 12 March 2018. A payment will be made within a few days of a successful claim submiss…

6 Mar 2018 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how much Skills Development Scotland spent on Aquaculture MAs in (a) 2016-17 and (b) 2017-18, and how much it estimates it will spend in 2018-19, broken down by (i) number of MAs funded and (ii) partner provider college or other institution offering the course.

Answer · Jamie Hepburn:   The following figures represent the number of Modern Apprentices for whom a payment was made in 2016-17 to the provider and the total costs to each provider. This does not necessarily represent all apprentices as claims may not have been made for all appre…

2 Mar 2018 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on the availability of emergency interdicts for women who need protection from an abusing partner.

Answer · Michael Matheson: The Scottish Government's understanding is that subject to a caveat being lodged by the other party, a hearing before a sheriff on an application for an interim interdict can normally take place on the same day as the application is made to the court. If the …