Parliamentary questions
Kezia Dugdale
1,684 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.
7 Mar 2012 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the average debt is of a student graduating with a postgraduate qualification in educational psychology.
Answer · Michael Russell: This information is not held centrally.
7 Mar 2012 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the average length of study is for a person seeking a postgraduate qualification in educational psychology.
Answer · Michael Russell: Currently, in Scotland, the course is set as a two Year Master of Science Degree in Educational Psychology. Course eligibility and criteria is set by the British Physiological Society and the qualification is accredited by them.
7 Mar 2012 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many people in each of the last three years have received a full postgraduate grant to study educational psychology at a higher education institution in Scotland.
Answer · Michael Russell : Number of trained students: Year 2008-09 27 2009-10 27 2010-11 22
7 Mar 2012 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it is taking to ensure that people from low-income backgrounds have access to fully funded postgraduate qualifications.
Answer · Michael Russell: Students from low income backgrounds at undergraduate level are able to apply for the highest rate of student support, including non-repayable bursary support. This is paid instead of part of a student loan, thereby reducing the amount of loan students from l…
7 Mar 2012 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has assessed the impact of changes to the funding of educational psychology postgraduate qualifications on the (a) number of applications and (b) social and economic demographics of applicants.
Answer · Michael Russell: The Scottish budget faces real and significant long term cuts and tough decisions have had to be made to prioritise spending. The decision to align the funding of trainee educational psychologists with funding for other post-graduate funding programmes reflec…
6 Mar 2012 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive in light of its post-16 reform statement describing level 4 and 5 modern apprenticeships (MA) as "technical" and "professional" respectively, what description will apply to an MA at level (a) 2 and (b) 3.
Answer · Angela Constance: There are currently no plans to change the name by which modern apprenticeships at SVQ levels 2 and 3 are known. This is a well established name for a training route with which large numbers of employers in Scotland already identify.
6 Mar 2012 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what impact its decision to focus college plans on young people will have on reskilling opportunities for those over 25.
Answer · Michael Russell: I have asked colleges to prioritise young people because this is the best way to give them a strong start in working life and to mitigate the risk and harm of youth unemployment. That said, I fully recognise the importance of addressing the needs of older lea…
6 Mar 2012 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how it is progressing the lifelong learning agenda.
Answer · Michael Russell: The Scottish Government is committed to lifelong learning in its widest sense. The recent Post-16 Education Reform consultation considered how we can improve the learner journey for all. A large number of responses strongly supported the issues of part-time …
6 Mar 2012 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive for what reason the word "skills" is no longer used in any ministerial job title and which minister now has lead responsibility for that area.
Answer · Bruce Crawford: The new title of Minister for Youth Employment encapsulates skills. This minister has lead responsibility for skills which includes the delivery of national training programmes and careers information, advice and guidance services, individual learning account…
5 Mar 2012 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many incidents of workplace racial discrimination have been reported in NHS Scotland in each of the last three years for which information is available, also broken down by NHS board and expressed as a percentage of each board's staff complement, and how many of these reports related …
Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: The Scottish Government does not receive reports, nor does it hold information on what reports are made to NHS boards or Area partnership forums, on the incidence of workplace racial discrimination. The Equal Opportunities PIN Policy sets out boards’ obligat…
5 Mar 2012 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to raise awareness among young people of what constitutes sexual violence and rape.
Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: The Scottish Government is working within the Curriculum for Excellence and with specialist services to ensure that young people understand what sexual violence and rape is, and that it is totally unacceptable. The Health and Wellbeing part of the Curriculum…
23 Feb 2012 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it anticipates Barnett consequentials arising from the £23.7 million Coastal Communities Fund launched on 9 February 2012 by the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government.
Answer · John Swinney: In respect of the £23.7 million Coastal Communities Fund, launched by the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government on 9 February 2012, Scotland’s share for 2012-13 will be £3.9 million. The Coastal Communities Fund will be administered by the B…
23 Feb 2012 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what support it offers to areas such as Portobello to (a) maintain and (b) promote their status as seaside destinations.
Answer · Fergus Ewing: The overarching objective of the Scottish Government is to promote economic growth across the whole of Scotland and for the benefit of all. Over £216 million has been directly invested in Regeneration activity since 2007 to regenerate communities across Scotl…
23 Feb 2012 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how it will encourage coastal communities to apply to the Coastal Communities Fund.
Answer · Richard Lochhead: The Scottish Government are working closely with the Big Fund (the brand that the Big Lottery Fund used to distribute non lottery funds) to ensure that the Coastal Communities Fund is accessible to all Scottish coastal communities. As administrator of the Co…
23 Feb 2012 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S4W-04106 by Angela Constance on 5 December 2011, what its other reasons are for not incorporating the Convention on the Rights of the Child into Scots law; whether it will clarify the relationship between children’s rights, existing human rights and equ…
Answer · Aileen Campbell: The Scottish Government is already accountable to the Scottish Parliament for executive action to ensure the implementation, within devolved competence, of relevant international obligations, including the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child.…
23 Feb 2012 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what measures will be included in the proposed Rights of Children and Young People Bill to give further effect to the Convention on the Rights of the Child in Scotland.
Answer · Aileen Campbell: The Scottish Government seeks to reflect the principles of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child wherever possible in the development of national policy and legislation. We believe that the proposed children’s legislation, along with wider …
23 Feb 2012 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how the proposed Rights of Children and Young People Bill will take account of the impact of reserved policy matters on the lives and welfare of children and young people.
Answer · Aileen Campbell: The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) is an international obligation of the UK and has been ratified by the UK Government. Under the current constitutional settlement, the Scottish Parliament cannot legislate on those matters that a…
23 Feb 2012 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive when it will publish a response to its consultation on the proposed Rights of Children and Young People Bill and whether it plans to amend any of the elements already proposed.
Answer · Aileen Campbell: We are currently giving careful consideration to the 123 consultation responses received and the issues arising from these. The Scottish Government’s response to the consultation will be published in spring 2012 and this will detail whether any legislative pr…
23 Feb 2012 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what assessments of risks and ramifications were made before deciding to remove Transport Scotland officials from the management board of the Edinburgh trams project in 2007.
Answer · Keith Brown: Delivery of the project is and always has been the responsibility of the City of Edinburgh Council as the promoter, authorised undertaker and operator in terms of the Tram Acts.
23 Feb 2012 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether the decision to remove Transport Scotland officials from the management board of the Edinburgh trams project in 2007 has been reviewed and, if so, by whom.
Answer · Keith Brown: No review was undertaken. The Cabinet Secretary for Infrastructure and Capital Investment Alex Neil announced on 14 September 2011 that the Scottish Government will help oversee the final delivery of the Edinburgh Tram Project. A team of experienced project …
23 Feb 2012 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it received representations from the City of Edinburgh Council on the council's position regarding the decision to remove Transport Scotland officials from the management board of the Edinburgh trams project in 2007.
Answer · Keith Brown: No representations from the City of Edinburgh Council were received regarding the decision to remove Transport Scotland officials from the management board of the Edinburgh Trams project in 2007.
23 Feb 2012 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive for what reason Transport Scotland officials were removed from the management board of the Edinburgh trams project in 2007.
Answer · Keith Brown: Scottish Ministers recognised that the effective project management required clear lines of responsibility in the management and governance of the tram project and the need to distinguish City of Edinburgh Council’s role as project owner and TIE Ltd’s respons…
23 Feb 2012 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive who (a) proposed and (b) authorised the decision to remove Transport Scotland officials from the management board of the Edinburgh trams project in 2007.
Answer · Keith Brown: I refer the member to the answer to question S4W-05883 on 6 March 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/parliamentarybu…
23 Feb 2012 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive when it was (a) suggested and (b) decided to remove Transport Scotland officials from the management board of the Edinburgh trams project in 2007.
Answer · Keith Brown: Transport Scotland, with the agreement of ministers stepped down from the Edinburgh trams project board following the July 2007 meeting.
22 Feb 2012 · General Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to defend and extend the rights of private sector tenants in Edinburgh.
22 Feb 2012 · Portfolio Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the Cabinet Secretary for Culture and External Affairs is doing to support employment opportunities for young people in the culture and arts sector.
22 Feb 2012 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what its position is on young people being placed on unpaid work placements and the impact of this on long-term youth unemployment in Scotland.
Answer · Angela Constance: The Scottish Government believes that meaningful high-quality work experience which equips young people with the skills and experience to enter the labour market is one of a range of interventions that can help increase youth employment levels. In order to ma…
22 Feb 2012 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what role unpaid work placements will play in its youth employment strategy.
Answer · Angela Constance: Meaningful, high-quality work experience is very important for young people. What young people lack – generally as a result of their age - is direct and tangible real-life work experience. The United Kingdom Government need to be vigilant about possible disp…
22 Feb 2012 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what its position is on the so-called workfare programme that has been introduced by the UK Government and its impact on unemployment in Scotland.
Answer · Angela Constance: DWP’s Mandatory Work Activity programme is reserved and a matter entirely for the UK Government. There is no published evidence on outcomes from the scheme so it is impossible to determine the impact this programme in isolation will make on long-term unemploy…
21 Feb 2012 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will provide details of the (a) dates, (b) locations and (c) attendees of all meetings between the Minister for Housing and Transport and the Regional Networks of Registered Tenants Organisations in the last year.
Answer · Keith Brown: On the 22 August 2011, I gave the keynote address at the fourth annual event for regional network committee members. The event was held in Atlantic Quay, Glasgow and I met many of the 60 tenant representatives who attended it. On 29 November 2011, I met the n…