Parliamentary questions
Kezia Dugdale
1,684 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.
4 Mar 2014 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what action it plans to take in light of concerns outlined in the Office of Fair Trading report, Universities’ Terms and Conditions, that many universities use academic sanctions in pursuit of debts.
Answer · Michael Russell: The Scottish Government welcomes publication of the report by the Office of Fair Trading, and would expect all higher education institutions in Scotland to consider its findings. We intend to discuss the findings in the report, and implications for the higher…
4 Mar 2014 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it has discussed with any university the issue of students being subject to academic sanctions in pursuit of debts.
Answer · Michael Russell: The issue has not been discussed with individual institutions or Universities Scotland in the recent past. We intend to discuss the findings of the Office of Fair Trading’s report, and implications for the higher education sector, with Universities Scotland a…
4 Mar 2014 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many university students have been subject to academic sanctions in pursuit of debts in each year since 2007.
Answer · Michael Russell: The Scottish Government does not hold this information.
25 Feb 2014 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what SQA language courses are available, broken down by the number studying each subject.
Answer · Alasdair Allan: The Scottish Qualification Authority provides a range of language qualifications to suit the diverse needs of candidates. Courses of study include units, a Languages for Life and Work Award at Scottish Credit and Qualification Framework (SCQF) 3 and 4 and na…
25 Feb 2014 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what new qualifications the SQA is planning to introduce at Scottish Credit and Qualifications Framework level (a) 4, (b) 5, (c) 6 and (d) 7 and has introduced in each year since 2007.
Answer · Alasdair Allan: This is a matter for the Scottish Qualifications Authority. I have asked the Chief Executive to write to you.
25 Feb 2014 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what plans there are to introduce Arabic language courses at Scottish Credit and Qualifications Framework level (a) 4, (b) 5, (c) 6 and (d) 7.
Answer · Alasdair Allan: This is a matter for the Scottish Qualifications Authority. I have asked the Chief Executive to write to you.
25 Feb 2014 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what plans there are to introduce Arabic language courses in the curriculum for excellence.
Answer · Alasdair Allan: It is up to schools and local authorities to decide which language courses to offer their pupils. This will be based on a variety of considerations including the availability of qualified teachers; demand for the language; routes for progression and the avail…
18 Feb 2014 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how it ensures that the childcare element of student support takes account of the different school holiday timetables of the different local authorities in which further education students live.
Answer · Michael Russell: Guidance on Further and Higher Education Childcare Funds is published by the Scottish Funding Council. http://www.sfc.ac.uk/web/FILES/Circulars_SFC082012/FE_HE_Childcare_Discretionary_Funds_Guidance_2012-13.pdf The guidance explains that childcare costs wil…
18 Feb 2014 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it considers that students who are observing picket lines at further education establishments should face a financial penalty in their student support packages for unauthorised absence.
Answer · Michael Russell: The administration of further education student support is one for individual colleges who operate to guidance produced by the Scottish Funding Council. As the member’s question may relate to the recent dispute at Edinburgh College. I understand the Principal…
18 Feb 2014 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what assistance it provides to women with no qualifications who are looking to enter training or education.
Answer · Angela Constance: A wide range of learning opportunities are available for people looking to enter training or education. For example, for women who are seeking to gain employment or improve skills, colleges offer a wide range of provision. In addition, there are opportunities…
18 Feb 2014 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many women have no qualifications.
Answer · Michael Russell: Based on the latest data from the Annual Population Survey, which is the preferred source for detailed labour market information for subsets of the population, there were 188,000 women aged 16-64 in Scotland with no qualifications. Source: Annual Population …
18 Feb 2014 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many women have no qualifications and are economically (a) active and (b) inactive, and how many of them have children under five.
Answer · Angela Constance: The Annual Population Survey (APS) provides the preferred measure for detailed labour market information for subsets of the population in Scotland. The latest data covers the period from October 2012 to September 2013. The number of women who have no qualifi…
18 Feb 2014 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many of the women who entered the labour market in the last 12 months are employed on a (a) full- and (b) part-time basis.
Answer · John Swinney: The most recent data for labour market flows in Scotland comes from the Labour Force Survey (LFS), April to June 2013 dataset which contains data on individuals circumstances 12 months ago. Based on the latest available information, there were: 24,000 women…
18 Feb 2014 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what its timeframe is for meeting its pledge of getting an additional 104,000 women into the labour market.
Answer · John Swinney: As outlined in Scotland’s Future, in the first budget after independence, the Scottish Government will extend eligibility to 600 hours of childcare to nearly half of Scotland’s two year olds. By the end of the first Parliament, vulnerable two years olds and a…
17 Feb 2014 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many college places have been (a) partly- and (b) fully-funded by the Employability Fund and how many of these have not been filled, broken down by (i) institution and (ii) level of qualification.
Answer · Michael Russell: In accounting year 2013-14, colleges have been asked to deliver 7950 places financed by the £18 million allocated by the Scottish Funding Council. Details of the number of these places which have been filled are not yet available. Within the Skills Developme…
17 Feb 2014 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how much of the Employability Fund has been allocated to support places in further education.
Answer · Michael Russell: In 2013-14, the Employability Fund for college provision totals £24 million: £18 million allocated directly to colleges by the Scottish Funding Council and £6m ringfenced for colleges by Skills Development Scotland.
11 Feb 2014 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many prisoners in each year since 2007 (a) with a special educational needs profile or (b) who identified as having problems with reading, writing or communication (i) have had moderate learning difficulties, (ii) have had language and communication support needs, (iii) have been phy…
Answer · Kenny MacAskill: I have asked Colin McConnell, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service, to respond. His response is as follows: ‘I refer the member to the answer to question S4W-19716 on 10 March 2014. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on th…
11 Feb 2014 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many prisoners there are who have a special educational needs profile or have identified as having difficulties with reading, writing or communication and how many (a) have moderate learning difficulties, (b) have language and communication support needs, (c) are physically disabled,…
Answer · Kenny MacAskill: I have asked Colin McConnell, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service, to respond. His response is as follows: ‘The Scottish Prison Service (SPS) does not centrally collate data as to how many prisoners have a special educational needs profile as this…
11 Feb 2014 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to keep records of prisoners who identify as having or have a profile of special educational needs and whether it has discussed this with the Scottish Prison Service.
Answer · Kenny MacAskill: I have asked Colin McConnell, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service, to respond. His response is as follows: ‘We are not familiar with the term “special educational needs profile”, but can advise that following discussions with Scottish Government i…
11 Feb 2014 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether (a) it, (b) any of its agencies or (c) any non-departmental public body keeps records of people (i) entering or (ii) in prison with a special educational needs profile.
Answer · Kenny MacAskill: I have asked Colin McConnell, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service, to respond. His response is as follows: ‘We are not familiar with the term “special educational needs profile” and therefore advise the Scottish Prison Service does not collate dat…
22 Jan 2014 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many crèches are provided for employees in its (a) agencies and (b) non-departmental public bodies; how many children use the facilities, and what (i) terms and conditions and (ii) costs apply.
Answer · John Swinney: The information on crèches in Scottish Government agencies and non-departmental public bodies is not held centrally.
22 Jan 2014 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many crèches it provides for its employees; how many children use the facilities, and what (a) terms and conditions and (b) costs apply.
Answer · John Swinney: The Scottish Government provides access to a workplace nursery at Victoria Quay in Edinburgh. This nursery is run by North Edinburgh Childcare on its behalf. Currently 55 children (from 42 families) are registered in the nursery. To be eligible to enrol in t…
22 Jan 2014 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how the recruitment practices in its (a) agencies and (b) non-departmental public bodies promote employing women who are returning to work following a career break.
Answer · John Swinney: For the Scottish Government and its agencies recruitment practices I refer the member to the answer to question S4W 19317 on 19 February 2014. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for wh…
22 Jan 2014 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many women aged 16 to 24 who are (a) employed and (b) economically inactive have children and how it tailors its support to their needs.
Answer · Angela Constance: The Annual Population Survey (APS) provides the preferred measure for employment rates for small cohorts of the population in Scotland. The latest data covers the period from October 2012 to September 2013. The number of women in Scotland aged 16 to 24 with …
22 Jan 2014 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how its youth employment strategy encourages women to enter the labour market.
Answer · Angela Constance: More women are participating in the labour market than a year ago, with female inactivity down 60,000 over the year. Source: LFS, ONS Oct-Dec 2013 Attendees at the Women’s Employment Summit in September 2012 identified a number of key challenges, including …
22 Jan 2014 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how Scottish Enterprise supports women into the workforce.
Answer · Fergus Ewing: Scottish Enterprise (SE) is committed to equality as an employer and service provider. They work to the Scottish Specific Equality Duties which came in to force in 2012 and in response to these have published a biennial report and strategy which contains thei…
22 Jan 2014 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what (a) schemes and (b) voucher schemes it operates to provide subsidised childcare to its employees, and what the percentage uptake is.
Answer · John Swinney: The Scottish Government provides access to a salary sacrifice childcare voucher scheme for all its eligible employees. This scheme is run and administered by Edenred on its behalf. 12% of employees are currently registered in the scheme.
22 Jan 2014 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what information it has on how many of its female employees have children aged (a) under 5, (b) 5 to 11 and (c) 12 to 16, broken down by directorate.
Answer · John Swinney: The Scottish Government does not hold any information on how many of its female employees have children.
22 Jan 2014 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how its recruitment practices promote employing women who are returning to work following a career break.
Answer · John Swinney: The Scottish Government as an employer is committed to equality of opportunity and has a range of recruitment practices in place, which promote this, not only for women returning from career breaks but for all potential job applicants. In line with the Civil …
22 Jan 2014 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S4W-18938 by John Swinney on 16 January 2014, whether it will provide the information broken down by gender for each (a) directorate, (b) agency and (c) non-departmental public body.
Answer · John Swinney: The following tables show the headcount and full time equivalent staffing numbers of permanent and fixed-term staff, by gender, who were directly employed in each directorate, agency and non-departmental public body at 30 September 2013. The quarterly turnove…