Parliamentary questions
Claire Baker
1,724 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.
2 Dec 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many people have received council tax discounts in 2010 for the installation of energy efficiency or micro-generation measures broken down by local authority
Answer · John Swinney: The information requested is not held centrally.</p>
2 Dec 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many local authorities offer council tax discounts for the installation of energy efficiency or microgeneration measures
Answer · John Swinney: The Climate Change (Scotland) Act 2009 places a duty on individual local authorities to introduce a discount scheme for council tax for those who make their homes more energy efficient. The Scottish Government has no formal role in overseeing the introduction…
23 Nov 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the estimated cost of cancelled operations has been to the NHS in each year since 2007, broken down by NHS board.
Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: The information is not available centrally.</p>
11 Nov 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive when it expects to publish the findings of its review of Educational Maintenance Allowance.
Answer · Keith Brown: The Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Sustainable Growth announced in the draft budget statement on 17 November 2010 plans to continue the Education Maintenance Allowance scheme, consistent with the Scottish Government''s commitment to support the least well …
11 Nov 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many people are in receipt of Educational Maintenance Allowance in 2010-11, broken down by Scottish Parliament (a) constituency and (b) region.
Answer · Keith Brown: Information on the number of students on the Education Maintenance Allowance (EMA) scheme in the 2009-10 academic year will be published by the Scottish Government on 15 December 2010. Figures for the EMA scheme in 2010-11 will not be available until 2011.</b…
8 Nov 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what financial support it has provided since May 2007 to support research and development.
Answer · Michael Russell: The Scottish Government supports Research and Development (R&D) across the government, business and higher education sectors, using a number of mechanisms to promote excellence in research, its development and dissemination.</p> <p >Data on R&D fund…
8 Nov 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what action it has taken since May 2007 to help colleges develop their role in the (a) economy and (b) community.
Answer · Keith Brown: Ministers recognise the substantial expertise of colleges themselves in delivering the activity which best supports the development of the economy and communities. The Scottish Government has supported this activity through measures such as the provision of f…
8 Nov 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what it has done to support efforts to attract more international students to higher and further education institutions.
Answer · Michael Russell: The Scottish Government has funded a number of initiatives to highlight the international excellence of Scottish education and to attract international students. These include scholarship programmes, media campaigns and institutional partnerships.</p> <p >Fu…
8 Nov 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what progress has been made in expanding school-college partnerships for 14 to 16-year-olds.
Answer · Keith Brown: School College Partnerships are in place across all thirty two local authorities, with the majority of colleges having arrangements with more than one local authority.</p> <p >School college enrolments for the 14 to 16 year old age bracket, over the last thr…
3 Aug 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what percentage of graduates from each Scottish university has found employment in Scotland as a first destination in each year since 2007.
Answer · Michael Russell: This information is produced by the Higher Education Statistics Agency and is available for year 2007-08, but has not yet been published for year 2008-09.</p> <p >Qualifiers from HE courses at Scottish Higher Education Institutions in Employment in Scotland …
3 Aug 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the drop-out rate has been in each college in each year since 2007.
Answer · Keith Brown: The Scottish Funding Council has overall responsibility for the performance of colleges, one element of which is the retention of students. I have asked the chief executive of the funding council to write to the member </p>
3 Aug 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the drop-out rate has been in each higher education institution in each year since 2007.
Answer · Michael Russell: Non-continuation rates are calculated by the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) for full-time first degree entrants. These are shown for each Scottish Higher Education Institution for academic years 2007-08 and 2008-09, the most recent years available.…
3 Aug 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many full-time equivalent university places it has funded for 2010-11.
Answer · Michael Russell: We have funded a total of 129,733.1 full-time equivalent under-graduate and post-graduate university places for 2010-11.</p>
3 Aug 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many Scottish students have attended (a) college and (b) university in the last two years, broken down by (i) local authority area, (ii) parliamentary constituency and (iii) parliamentary region of domicile.
Answer · Keith Brown: The following table contains figures for Scottish domiciles studying at Scottish colleges and Scottish domiciles studying at higher education institutions (HEIs) in the UK. Data are not available on Scottish students studying at colleges outwith Scotland or H…
3 Aug 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many students have entered each Scottish university in each year from 2008-9, broken down by domicile of student
Answer · Michael Russell: This information is produced by the Higher Education Statistics Agency and is available for year 2008-09, but has not yet been published for year 2009-10.</p> <p >Entrants to Scottish Higher Education Institutions by Domicile - 2008-09</p> <table border=1 …
3 Aug 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many additional full-time equivalent (a) college and (b) university places were funded by the £20 million announced for education and lifelong learning by the Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Sustainable Growth in the budget (Official Report c. 23368).
Answer · Michael Russell: We have been working with the Scottish Funding Council and the Students Award Agency for Scotland to determine how best to allocate this funding. The number of higher education places being funded by the Scottish Funding Council in both the college and univer…
16 Jul 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many pre-registration student nurse and midwifery intake training places there are for each higher education institution in 2010-11, also broken down by (a) adult nursing, (b) mental health nursing, (c) learning disability nursing, (d) children’s nursing and (e) midwifery.
Answer · Shona Robison: The number of pre-registration student nurse and midwifery intake training places for 2010-11 is detailed below:</p> <table border=1 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=0 > <thead> <tr > <td width=83 > <p align=center >2010-11</p> </td> <td width=86 …
21 Jun 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many schools in Fife have offered pupils two hours of physical education per week in each year since 2007, also expressed as a percentage of the total schools in the region.
Answer · Michael Russell: The Scottish Government has not routinely collected detailed statistics on the provision of PE in schools either before or since the one-off compilation of statistics in 2005.</p>
21 Jun 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many people have waited longer than one month for their results after seeing a cancer specialist in each NHS board in each year since 2007.
Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: The information requested is not held centrally. The Scottish Government has a target of 62 days from referral to treatment for those patients who have symptoms related to a cancer. This necessitates quick access to a cancer specialist, diagnostic tests and r…
21 Jun 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many people aged 16 to 18 were classed as not in employment, education or training in each year since 2007, broken down by (a) year and (b) local authority area.
Answer · Keith Brown: Young people aged 16 to 19 and not in employment, education or training (NEET), are known as the More Choices and More Chances (MCMC) group. In line with this definition, data is presented for people aged 16 to 19 and not people aged 16 to 18 as requested.</p…
15 Jun 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how much colleges have received in More Choices, More Chances funding in the last four years, including allocations for 2010-11, broken down by (a) year and (b) college.
Answer · Keith Brown: This year we are providing almost £600 million in resource funding for colleges, a record level of support and evidence of this administration''s continued commitment to our further education sector.</b></p> <p >In his strategic letter of guidance to the Sc…
15 Jun 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what support it makes available to colleges once discretionary and childcare funds are fully used following in-year redistribution.
Answer · Michael Russell: Colleges are required to live within their means, however we do endeavour to help meet additional demands by redistributing surpluses where possible. In 2009-10 we redistributed £686,728.40 of higher education discretionary funds and £11,943,839 of further ed…
10 Jun 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive when a tenancy deposit scheme is to be introduced.
Answer · Alex Neil: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-34354 on 18 June 2010. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament''s website, the search facility for which can be found at <a href="www.scottish.parliament.uk/Apps2/Business…
10 Jun 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it plans to consult the Parliament on plans for a tenancy deposit scheme.
Answer · Alex Neil: Regulations governing approval of tenancy deposit schemes in Scotland will be introduced by means of a Scottish Statutory Instrument (SSI). The regulations will be subject to affirmative procedure and Parliament will require to give its approval before it can…
10 Jun 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive when it will bring forward detailed plans for a tenancy deposit scheme.
Answer · Alex Neil: We are working with a group of key stakeholders to finalise the regulations for tenancy deposit schemes in Scotland. The regulations will set out the conditions that a scheme must meet before it can be approved by Scottish ministers. Our objective is to intro…
10 Jun 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it plans to consult the Parliament on options for reform to the childcare support system for students.
Answer · Michael Russell: Scottish Government officials, in conjunction with stakeholders, are currently considering a number of options as part of the review of funding arrangements for childcare in further and higher education. We will continue to consult with relevant stakeholders …
10 Jun 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what options it is considering in its review of childcare support for students.
Answer · Michael Russell: A number of options are currently being considered as part of the review of childcare funding arrangements in further and higher education. These options are being considered in conjunction with key stakeholders<i>.</i></p>
10 Jun 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive when it plans to bring forward the results of its review of childcare support for students.
Answer · Michael Russell: A number of options are currently being considered following extensive consultation with key stakeholders. It is expected that the results of the review will be published later this summer.</p>
17 May 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S3W-32260 by Michael Russell on 18 March 2010, what appropriate Scottish solutions have been suggested in its discussions with students, student leaders, university principals, unions and the entire stakeholder community on the future of university fundi…
Answer · Michael Russell: At this early stage, the discussions have been exploratory in nature and therefore no definitive solutions have been suggested thus far. I remain open to positive suggestions and would encourage all parties and the wider community to come forward with such he…
17 May 2010 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether a graduate contribution will be considered in its debate on the future of university funding.
Answer · Michael Russell: I refer the member to the answer to question S3W-32261 on 17 March 2010. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament''s website, the search facility for which can be found at <a href="http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/Apps2/…