Kezia Dugdale

24 Jun 2014 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how long it expects it will take to (a) process and (b) administer applications to the Access to Education Fund.

Answer · Michael Russell: The Scottish Government and Education Scotland are currently working to develop detailed criteria for eligibility and the application process. This will be published and made available to schools in time for the fund opening at the start of the new term.

24 Jun 2014 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether teachers are expected to complete application forms for the Access to Education Fund on behalf of children and families in need of support and, if so, how they will identify such children and families.

Answer · Michael Russell: The Scottish Government and Education Scotland are currently working to develop detailed criteria for eligibility and the application process. This will be published and made available to schools in time for the fund opening at the start of the new term.

24 Jun 2014 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether there is a standard application form for the Access to Education Fund and, if so, how many (a) pages and (b) questions it has.

Answer · Michael Russell: The Scottish Government and Education Scotland are currently working to develop detailed criteria for eligibility and the application process. This will be published and made available to schools in time for the fund opening at the start of the new term.

24 Jun 2014 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how it will decide how much to award schools from the Access to Education Fund and what it expects the (a) uptake and (b) average award to be.

Answer · Michael Russell: The Scottish Government and Education Scotland are currently working to develop detailed criteria for eligibility and the application process. This will be published and made available to schools in time for the fund opening at the start of the new term.

24 Jun 2014 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether the Access to Education Fund will fund (a) specific trips and programmes for groups of pupils or (b) individual students to participate in trips and programmes.

Answer · Michael Russell: The Scottish Government and Education Scotland are currently working to develop detailed criteria for eligibility and the application process. This will be published and made available to schools in time for the fund opening at the start of the new term.

24 Jun 2014 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how it plans to advertise the Access to Education Fund to schools, and whether information will be disseminated to families via schools.

Answer · Michael Russell: The Scottish Government and Education Scotland are currently working to develop detailed criteria for eligibility and the application process. This will be published and made available to schools in time for the fund opening at the start of the new term.

24 Jun 2014 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide further detail on how schools will access the Access to Education Fund and how it will allocate money to schools.

Answer · Michael Russell: The Scottish Government and Education Scotland are currently working to develop detailed criteria for eligibility and the application process. This will be published and made available to schools in time for the fund opening at the start of the new term.

24 Jun 2014 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to fund (a) parental engagement programmes or (b) participation in existing programmes via the Access to Education Fund and whether programmes must be approved for support related to them and, if so, what the criteria are.

Answer · Michael Russell: The Scottish Government and Education Scotland are currently working to develop detailed criteria for eligibility and the application process. This will be published and made available to schools in time for the fund opening at the start of the new term.

24 Jun 2014 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether parents can apply directly to the Access to Education Fund for help with funding for school uniforms and other school expenses.

Answer · Michael Russell: The Scottish Government and Education Scotland are currently working to develop detailed criteria for eligibility and the application process. This will be published and made available to schools in time for the fund opening at the start of the new term.

24 Jun 2014 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how schools can apply to the Access to Education Fund and what the eligibility criteria are.

Answer · Michael Russell: The Scottish Government and Education Scotland are currently working to develop detailed criteria for eligibility and the application process. This will be published and made available to schools in time for the fund opening at the start of the new term.

23 Jun 2014 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide further detail regarding the "changing demographics in Scotland" affecting spending on education maintenance allowance that are referred to in the "explanation of significant changes from previous year" provided in the Level 4 spreadsheet for the 2014-15 budget.

Answer · Michael Russell: Education maintenance allowance (EMA) is an entitlement in Scotland which means that any person who meets the eligibility criteria will receive EMA support. The explanation in the Level 4 spreadsheet for the 2014-15 budget relates to the revised budget posit…

23 Jun 2014 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether the 6.3% fall in the Level 4 budget figure for education maintenance allowance (EMA) between 2013-14 and 2014-15 reflects the expected reduction in actual spending between the two years or an expectation that actual spending in 2013-14 would be closer to the reported actual spend…

Answer · Michael Russell: The Scottish Government does not expect to reduce actual spending for education maintenance allowance (EMA) in 2014-15. The reduced budget position reflects our anticipated spend for 2014-15 which we consider will be in line with spending from previous years,…

13 Jun 2014 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S4W-20193 by Michael Russell on 1 April 2014, whether the 3,300 additional funded student places announced by the Scottish Funding Council on 24 January 2014 are expected to result in an additional number of eligible students being recruited to Scottish…

Answer · Michael Russell: The funded places announced by the Scottish Funding Council in January are for allocation to students from Scotland and the EU and provide additional places for that group.

13 Jun 2014 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S4W-20193 by Michael Russell on 1 April 2014, whether it expects the Scottish Funding Council's announcement on 24 January 2014 of 3,300 more places to lead to a similar rise in the total number of students receiving tuition fee support from the Student…

Answer · Michael Russell: Should all eligible students apply for tuition fee support from the Student Awards Agency for Scotland, it would be expected that recipient numbers would increase in line with the increase in funded places.

13 Jun 2014 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S4W-20193 by Michael Russell on 1 April 2014, what the cost would be to the Student Awards Agency for Scotland (SAAS) for Young Students' Bursary and Independent Students' Bursary for 3,300 students if the students (a) followed the same pattern of distr…

Answer · Michael Russell: We are unable to provide costs based on the undergraduate population of 2013-14 because these statistics are not yet available. The breakdown of student support will be published in October 2014 in the report, Higher Education Student Support in Scotland 2013…

13 Jun 2014 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S4W-20193 by Michael Russell on 1 April 2014, what (a) maximum and (b) minimum amount would be required for tuition fee costs supported by the Student Awards Agency for Scotland for 3,300 students, assuming that all were eligible for tuition fee support.

Answer · Michael Russell: On 24 January 2014 the Scottish Funding Council announced funding for around 3,300 additional places. Should all these places be filled on a full-time basis and assuming that all these students were eligible for tuition fee support and that they all apply to …

4 Jun 2014 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Government how it supports victims of rape in Edinburgh and the Lothians.

13 May 2014 · Portfolio Question

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the report of the UN Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women, which expressed concern at the under-representation of women and girls in so-called STEM apprenticeships in Scotland.

Answer · Angela Constance: This Government notes the concerns and recommendations from the UN Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women. Achieving a more balanced workforce across STEM employment is a challenge for the wider labour market and is not specific to the M…

7 May 2014 · Portfolio Question

To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to address the educational attainment gap between children from different social backgrounds.

28 Apr 2014 · First Minister's Question

To ask the First Minister, following the publication of the Mortonhall Investigation, how the Scottish Government plans to support parents and families affected.

23 Apr 2014 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on nurses and nurse practitioners having uniforms that are distinguishable from each other.

Answer · Alex Neil: The purpose of the NHSScotland national uniform is not intended to distinguish between nurse and nurse practitioners. The aim of the uniform policy is to provide clarity for patients and the public between registered nurses and clinical support staff.

23 Apr 2014 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government which part of the NHS is responsible for decisions on the design of nurses' uniforms. 

Answer · Alex Neil: Following a public consultation in 2008 the design of the NHSScotland national uniform was determined in partnership with NHSScotland boards, professional bodies, trade unions, staff focus groups and the Scottish Government. All boards are required to comply …

8 Apr 2014 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it (a) is discussing or (b) will provide any benefits (i) pecuniary or (ii) in kind as part of its £1.2 million grant to Portfolio Recovery Associates UK.

Answer · John Swinney: The administration of Regional Selective Assistance is an operational matter for Scottish Enterprise. I have asked Scottish Enterprise to directly respond to you on this question.

8 Apr 2014 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether any conditions are attached to its £1.2 million grant to Portfolio Recovery Associates UK.

Answer · John Swinney: The administration of Regional Selective Assistance is an operational matter for Scottish Enterprise. I have asked Scottish Enterprise to directly respond to you on this question.

8 Apr 2014 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide a breakdown of its £1.2 million grant to Portfolio Recovery Associates UK and what it will pay for.

Answer · John Swinney: The administration of Regional Selective Assistance is an operational matter for Scottish Enterprise. I have asked Scottish Enterprise to directly respond to you on this question.

8 Apr 2014 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what companies and organisations the Accountant in Bankruptcy has contracted to administer bankruptcy services on its behalf since 2011.

Answer · John Swinney: On 1 April 2009, following a public procurement exercise, Accountant in Bankruptcy (AiB) appointed six providers to administer personal insolvency cases on her behalf. The six firms were: KPMG Wylie and Bisset LLP Armstrong Watson MMG Archbold (formerly …

8 Apr 2014 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what information it has on whether Portfolio Recovery Associates UK employs any Debt Arrangement Scheme-approved money advisers.

Answer · John Swinney: Portfolio Recovery Associates UK does not employ any approved money advisers for the Debt Arrangement Scheme. Regulation 10 of the Debt Arrangement Scheme (Scotland) Regulations 2011 does not allow persons providing debt collection services, or an employee o…

8 Apr 2014 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many Debt Arrangement Scheme-approved money advisers there are in the (a) public and (b) private sector.

Answer · John Swinney: We do not hold information on the total number of individual money advisers who meet the criteria to become a Debt Arrangement Scheme (DAS) approved money adviser. Currently, 92 organisations are approved to act in the capacity of non-fee charging DAS approv…

8 Apr 2014 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what debt recovery agencies it, or its agencies, contracts; what the value is of each contract, and how much cash each has retrieved in the last year for which information is available.

Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: Morton Fraser and Harper MacLeod are the firms of solicitors who currently provide legal services for debt recovery under the Legal Services Framework Agreement. This framework agreement is available for use by the Scottish Government and its agencies. In the…

8 Apr 2014 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the total personal debt in Scotland; what percentage of that debt is attributed to payday lenders, and whether this represents a rising trend on previous years.

Answer · John Swinney: Consumer credit is reserved to the UK Government and so the Scottish Government does not gather any statistical information in this area. However, The Office of National Statistics (ONS) is the UK's national statistical institute and publishes statistical inf…