Parliamentary questions
Kezia Dugdale
1,684 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.
10 Sep 2012 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S4O-01014 by Nicola Sturgeon on 17 May 2012 (Official Report, c. 9129), whether further progress has been made regarding the availability of transcatheter aortic valve implantation.
Answer · Alex Neil: TAVI has been available to Scottish patients since 2008 on a case-by-case basis, with patients who are considered suitable being referred by their local health board to an appropriate provider outwith Scotland. It was announced on 11 September 2012 that a Sco…
4 Sep 2012 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it has assessed the impact of the increase in the number of pay day loans on its debt advice services.
Answer · John Swinney: The Scottish Government has assessed the impact of the economic downturn and the impact on its advice service. The Scottish Government and the Money Advice Service have granted funding to go towards a programme managed by the Scottish Legal Aid Board to help …
4 Sep 2012 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many hours of careers guidance has been provided in schools in each of the last three years.
Answer · Angela Constance: This information is not held centrally.
4 Sep 2012 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many careers advisers were employed to work in schools in each of the last three years for which information is available.
Answer · Angela Constance: This information is not held centrally.
4 Sep 2012 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether careers guidance will be available for school pupils in 2013-14 and, if so, what pupils will have to do to access it.
Answer · Angela Constance: Career Guidance, provided by Skills Development Scotland, will be available to all S4/5/6 pupils in Scotland who require support to help them make well informed career decisions.
4 Sep 2012 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what careers guidance will be offered to school pupils in 2012-13 and how many pupils will use these services.
Answer · Angela Constance: Every young person will receive career guidance, which will focus on understanding the skills required to succeed in a modern labour market and an explanation of the tools provided by Skills Development Scotland to support the development of career management…
4 Sep 2012 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how school pupils will be grouped for the purposes of targeting careers guidance in 2013-14.
Answer · Angela Constance: All school pupils will be offered the support and tools they need to make the best possible career choices. Young people who need additional support to make a successful career choice will be offered concentrated coaching to support them towards and into work…
4 Sep 2012 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many young people will be assigned a (a) red, (b) amber and (c) green code under Skills Development Scotland's new career guidance system.
Answer · Angela Constance: There are no expectations for how many young people should be assigned each status. This is about identifying the changing needs of specific young people and responding appropriately to those needs. Young people are not assigned a permanent status, rather …
4 Sep 2012 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on the use of a traffic light system to categorize young people accessing careers guidance.
Answer · Angela Constance: Skills Development Scotland (SDS) has developed its needs assessment model in line with the Risk Matrix process used by a number of local authorities across Scotland to plan service delivery. This enables SDS to provide more targeted, intensive support to you…
26 Jul 2012 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it has made representations to the UK Government regarding repealing the ban on HIV home-testing kits.
Answer · Michael Matheson: The sale, supply or advertising of HIV home-testing kits is currently regulated by the HIV Testing Kits and Services Regulations 1992. This legislation is reserved to UK Government. There have been a number of developments in the field of HIV home-testing kit…
25 Jul 2012 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government when it will provide a substantive answer to question S4W-04757, which received a holding response from Angela Constance on 18 January 2012.
Answer · Angela Constance: A substantive answer to question S4W-04757 was provided on 19 January 2012.
24 Jul 2012 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it considers that the living wage should be adjusted annually in line with inflation.
Answer · John Swinney: Yes.
24 Jul 2012 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S4W-05741 by John Swinney on 5 March 2012, whether it plans to remain a living-wage employer for the remainder of the current parliamentary session.
Answer · John Swinney: Yes.
17 Jul 2012 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how it will focus its training places and modern apprenticeships on young people aged 16 to 19.
Answer · Angela Constance: Given the continuing challenges within the labour market for young people, it is important that we continue to maximise the number of 16 to 24-year-olds moving into employed apprenticeships. All approved modern apprenticeship frameworks in Scotland are funded…
17 Jul 2012 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what youth organisations and other stakeholders will be invited to the national youth employment event referred to in its youth employment strategy.
Answer · Angela Constance: We will seek to invite a wide range of appropriate stakeholders.
17 Jul 2012 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government when it will hold the national youth employment event referred to in its youth employment strategy.
Answer · Angela Constance: Officials are consulting with appropriate stakeholders to identify a suitable date for this event, likely to be in late October.
17 Jul 2012 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to publish the equality impact assessment for its youth employment strategy.
Answer · Angela Constance: The Scottish Government is in discussions with a number of equalities organisations and once these are finalised we shall publish the equalities impact assessment.
17 Jul 2012 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what it will do to avoid entry level jobs that could be filled by non-graduates being taken by graduates.
Answer · Michael Russell: We are engaged with representatives from the higher education sector to support the excellent work being carried out with employers from all of Scotland’s key industries to improve opportunities for graduates and explore solutions to the issue of underemploym…
17 Jul 2012 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what support it will offer people in full-time education who (a) are unemployed and (b) have given up looking for work.
Answer · Angela Constance: The Scottish Government invests £2 billion a year in grant funding to improve the future employment prospects of those participating in further and higher education. Whether in school, college or university, individuals can gain access to careers advice and …
16 Jul 2012 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many activity agreements each local authority will provide in the next three years.
Answer · Angela Constance: Activity agreements are offered on the basis of an assessment of a young person’s needs. Local partnerships engage with all young people to ensure they continue to participate in learning upon leaving school. This includes considering whether activity agreeme…
16 Jul 2012 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how it will target modern apprenticeships at 16 to 19-year-olds.
Answer · Angela Constance: We recognise a need to prioritise resources within the MA area. Given the continuing challenges within the labour market for young people, we have asked Skills Development Scotland (SDS) to maximise the number of 16 to 24-year-olds moving into employed appren…
16 Jul 2012 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how much of the £25 million for youth employment from European structural funding has been allocated and to which projects.
Answer · John Swinney: No decision on the mechanism for the distribution of funding has yet been taken. All key stakeholders including Community Planning Partnerships are involved in on going discussions concerning what activities should be funded, and how best they can be delivere…
16 Jul 2012 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government when it will announce on which projects the £25 million for youth employment from European structural funding will be spent.
Answer · John Swinney: I refer the member to the answer to question S4W-08767 on 3 August 2012. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/parliamentarybus…
16 Jul 2012 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government when it will announce on which projects the remaining £11 million for youth employment for 2013-14 and 2014-15 will be spent.
Answer · Angela Constance: The £18 million available in 2012-13 now fully committed, and I am currently consulting on the best use of the remainder of the £30 million available over 2013-15, taking account of the impacts of this year’s investment. I continue to take every available op…
16 Jul 2012 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how much of his budget the Cabinet Secretary for Infrastructure and Capital Investment will direct toward tackling youth unemployment in 2012-13.
Answer · Angela Constance: As part of the all Government, all Scotland approach to tackling youth employment, all Cabinet Secretaries will consider how best they can each support Scottish Government objectives of helping young people into employment within their areas of responsibility…
16 Jul 2012 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how much of his budget the Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs and the Environment will direct toward tackling youth unemployment in 2012-13.
Answer · Angela Constance: As part of the all Government, all Scotland approach to tackling youth employment, all Cabinet Secretaries will consider how best they can each support Scottish Government objectives of helping young people into employment within their areas of responsibility…
16 Jul 2012 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how much of his budget the Cabinet Secretary for Justice will direct toward tackling youth unemployment in 2012-13.
Answer · Angela Constance: As part of the all Government, all Scotland approach to tackling youth employment, all Cabinet Secretaries will consider how best they can each support Scottish Government objectives of helping young people into employment within their areas of responsibility…
16 Jul 2012 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how much of his budget the Cabinet Secretary for Parliamentary Business and Government Strategy will direct toward tackling youth unemployment in 2012-13.
Answer · Angela Constance: As part of the all government, all Scotland approach to tackling youth employment, all Cabinet Secretaries will consider how best they can each support Scottish Government objectives of helping young people into employment within their areas of responsibility…
16 Jul 2012 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how much of his budget the Cabinet Secretary for Finance, Employment and Sustainable Growth will direct toward tackling youth unemployment in 2012-13.
Answer · Angela Constance: As part of the all Government, all Scotland approach to tackling youth employment, all Cabinet Secretaries will consider how best they can each support Scottish Government objectives of helping young people into employment within their areas of responsibility…
16 Jul 2012 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how much of her budget the Cabinet Secretary for Health, Wellbeing and Cities Strategy will direct toward tackling youth unemployment in 2012-13.
Answer · Angela Constance: As part of the all Government, all Scotland approach to tackling youth employment, all Cabinet Secretaries will consider how best they can each support Scottish Government objectives of helping young people into employment within their areas of responsibility…