Kezia Dugdale

6 Jun 2012 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether someone undertaking an Individual Learning Account (ILA)-funded course is considered to be in (a) education or (b) training.

Answer · Angela Constance: The Individual Learning Account (ILA) is a funding stream which allows recipients to access a wide range of eligible provision. Individuals are not considered to be in (a) education or (b) training on the opening of an ILA account. They may however be conside…

6 Jun 2012 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether, under the new eligibility criteria, an Individual Learning Account (ILA)-funded course will count as a positive destination for the purposes of youth employment figures.

Answer · Angela Constance: The Individual Learning Account (ILA) is a funding stream which allows recipients to access eligible provision. An ILA in itself will not count as a positive destination for the purposes of youth employment figures. However, individual courses undertaken will…

31 May 2012 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many people with a degree level education received Individual Learning Account (ILA) funding in (a) 2009-10, (b) 2010-11 and (c) 2011-12.

Answer · Angela Constance: The number of people with a degree level education who received ILA funding in each year was: Number of Individuals Year 2009-10 7,594 2010-11 9,614 2011-12 8,233 Please note that completion of this field on the ILA application form is not mandator…

31 May 2012 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many people in (a) secondary, (b) further and (c) higher education received Individual Learning Account (ILA) funding in (i) 2009-10, (ii) 2010-11 and (iii) 2011-12.

Answer · Angela Constance: The current Individual Learning Account application form does not capture whether applicants are undertaking any form of education. The information requested is therefore not available.

31 May 2012 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how much it will spend on the Individual Learning Account (ILA) programme in (a) 2012-13 and (b) 2013-14.

Answer · Angela Constance: The Individual Learning Account (ILA) programme is demand-led. As such, it is the level of demand which will dictate our expenditure on ILAs in current and future years.

31 May 2012 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how much it spent on the Individual Learning Account (ILA) programme in (a) 2009-10, (b) 2010-11 and (c) 2011-12.

Answer · Angela Constance: The amount spent on the ILA programme in each year was: Year Spend 2009-10 £9,871,000 2010-11 £11,776,000 2011-12 £10,267,000

31 May 2012 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many people will receive Individual Learning Account (ILA) funding in (a) 2012-13 and (b) 2013-14.

Answer · Angela Constance: The Individual Learning Account (ILA) programme is demand-led. As such, it is the level of demand which will dictate how many people receive ILA funding in current and future years.

31 May 2012 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many people received Individual Learning Account (ILA) funding in (a) 2009-10, (b) 2010-11 and (c) 2011-12.

Answer · Angela Constance: The number of individuals receiving ILA funding in each year was: Number of Individuals Year 2009-10 43,908 2010-11 57,881 2011-12 54,082

31 May 2012 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether there will be changes to the Individual Learning Account (ILA) programme to increase the level of annual funding per person.

Answer · Angela Constance: The Individual Learning Account programme provides up to £200 per year towards the cost of learning for eligible individuals. We have no plans to change the level of annual funding per person.

31 May 2012 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether the changes to the eligibility for the Individual Learning Account (ILA) programme will result in changes to its funding.

Answer · Angela Constance: The proposed changes to the Individual Learning Account (ILA) programme will refine the eligibility criteria to focus on low paid, low skilled and unemployed individuals. Individuals meeting the eligibility criteria are entitled to an ILA. This will not chang…

31 May 2012 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it plans to review the role of alcohol and drug partnerships.

Answer · Michael Matheson: The Scottish Government has no plans at present to review the role of alcohol and drug partnerships.

31 May 2012 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S4W-03795 by Michael Matheson on 15 November 2011, whether the revised arrangements for alcohol and drug partnerships are now in place.

Answer · Michael Matheson: There was a requirement for ADPs to be established by October 2010. ADPs are responsible for developing local strategies for tackling the problematic use of alcohol and drugs that are based on: a robust assessment of needs in their area; a transparent, evide…

31 May 2012 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what its position is on current accountability structures of drug and alcohol partnerships.

Answer · Michael Matheson: I refer the member to the answer to question S4W-07653 on 15 June 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…

31 May 2012 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive when the chairs of alcohol and drug partnerships last met (a) ministers and (b) officials and what was discussed.

Answer · Michael Matheson: On 31 January 2012, Roseanna Cunningham MSP met with the Chairs of Aberdeen City, Dundee, East Ayrshire, East Renfrewshire, and Inverclyde to discuss the issues and challenges facing ADPs following the publication of drug prevalence figures. Officials last m…

31 May 2012 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what impact the Social Care (Self-directed Support) (Scotland) Bill will have on the (a) operation and (b) role of alcohol and drug partnerships.

Answer · Michael Matheson: The Social Care (Self-directed Support) (Scotland) Bill places duties on local authorities around how care and support is planned and arranged following assessments under the Social Work (Scotland) Act 1968 and the relevant sections of the Children’s (Scotlan…

31 May 2012 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how alcohol and drug partnerships report to it on their duties to build capacity in their areas and what national evaluation is made of that information.

Answer · Michael Matheson: The Scottish Government does not require ADPs to report to it on capacity building in their areas, as ADPs are accountable to local community planning partnerships. The provision of prevention activity, recovery focussed treatment and support services is for…

31 May 2012 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive (a) how many and (b) which alcohol and drug partnerships produced an underspend in 2011-12 and what happened to the money.

Answer · Michael Matheson: This information is currently not held centrally. The ADP Planning and Reporting Guidance for 2012-15 asks Alcohol and Drug Partnerships to highlight any underspends and proposals for future use of such money in their ADP Reports, which will be shared with…

31 May 2012 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many alcohol and drug partnerships reserve a place in their membership structures for a councillor.

Answer · Michael Matheson: I refer the member to the answer to question S4W-07646 on 15 June 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…

31 May 2012 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it considers that there are benefits to having elected members involved in alcohol and drug partnerships.

Answer · Michael Matheson: Membership of alcohol and drug partnerships (ADPs) is for local areas to determine. The number of ADPs who reserve a place in their membership structures for a councillor is not held centrally. On 20 April 2009, a new joint Framework for Alcohol and Drug Pa…

31 May 2012 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many people aged between 18 and 24 who have been unemployed for 12 months or more have a (a) degree or (b) further education qualification, broken down by local authority area and also expressed as a percentage of long-term youth unemployment in that area.

Answer · Angela Constance: Unemployment levels for 16 to 24 year olds in Scotland are published by the Office for National Statistics on a monthly basis from the Labour Force Survey, covering rolling quarters. The latest monthly figures were published on 16 May covering the period Janu…

31 May 2012 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive for what reason no Community Jobs Scotland opportunities have been advertised since 30 March 2012.

Answer · Angela Constance: The first phase of Community Jobs Scotland (CJS) was a one year pilot scheme aimed at helping long-term unemployed young people aged 16 to 24 into employment. Funding straddled financial years 2011-12 and 2013-14 and young people were recruited until 30 March…

28 May 2012 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will receive Barnett consequentials arising from the UK Government's announced £82 million in available support for young entrepreneurs in England and, if so, how it will allocate it.

Answer · John Swinney: The £10 million pilot study for the fund will apply to England only and is being funded from within current Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) baselines. Thereafter, depending on the success of the pilot, the rest of the £82 million will be …

24 May 2012 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how much the (a) development, (b) staff time, (c) web development, (d) publications and (e) materials for Scottish Enterprise's Yes to Growth campaign cost.

Answer · Fergus Ewing: This is an operational matter for Scottish Enterprise. I will ask its Chief Executive to reply to you.

24 May 2012 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether any staff employed by its constitutional affairs and referendum unit at any time since 2008 have undertaken a secondment with or moved to the employment of a Scottish Government agency or quango and, if so, what grade of staff and what body.

Answer · John Swinney: Civil servants are employed by the Scottish Government rather than particular units. Since 2008, no staff have moved from the units which co-ordinate policy on constitutional policy and the referendum on constitutional change to posts in Scottish Government a…

24 May 2012 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what (a) ministers, (b) special advisers or (c) other officials were involved in the development of Scottish Enterprise's Yes to Growth campaign.

Answer · John Swinney: No Scottish Government ministers, special advisers or officials were involved in the development of Scottish Enterprise’s Yes to Growth campaign. As with other such campaigns, once it was fully developed and ready to implement, Scottish Enterprise provided of…

24 May 2012 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what companies were involved in the development of the Scottish Enterprise Yes to Growth campaign and what other Scottish Government contracts they hold.

Answer · John Swinney: Three companies were involved in the development of Scottish Enterprise’s Yes to Growth campaign. The companies were: The Union Advertising Agency Limited; Dog Digital Limited, and Carat. All three companies are included on lists of suppliers under Scotti…

24 May 2012 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many little books of yes Scottish Enterprise has produced and how they will be distributed.

Answer · Fergus Ewing: This is an operational matter for Scottish Enterprise. I will ask its Chief Executive to reply to you.

24 May 2012 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how long the Yes to Growth campaign will run and what the end date will be.

Answer · Fergus Ewing: This is an operational matter for Scottish Enterprise. I will ask its Chief Executive to reply to you.

23 May 2012 · Portfolio Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to review planning law in relation to the siting of mobile telephone masts.

22 May 2012 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether (a) MSPs, (b) MPs and (c) councillors have been invited to regional action forums on youth employment in their respective areas.

Answer · Angela Constance: Constituency MSPs and Council Leaders for the areas covered by the regional action forums are invited. Where there is scope to include more, invitations will be extended to regional MSPs and other councillors.