Liam McArthur

22 Nov 2011 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive when ministers last met representatives of each of Scotland’s heating oil distribution companies.

Answer · Fergus Ewing: Scottish Government officials have periodically met with heating oil distribution companies to discuss winter fuel resilience issues and ministers have been informed of the planned arrangements. The Minister for Energy, Enterprise and Tourism is scheduled to…

22 Nov 2011 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will provide a breakdown of the buildings in its estate by energy performance certificate rating.

Answer · Fergus Ewing: The Scottish Government has gone beyond the minimum requirements of the Energy Performance of Buildings (Scotland) Regulations 2008 and has produced Energy Performance Certificates for 18 of the larger buildings on its core estate. These 18 buildings represen…

22 Nov 2011 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many people who use (a) liquid petroleum gas and (b) heating oil have been provided with advice under the Energy Assistance Package.

Answer · Keith Brown: The Scottish Government does not hold this information so we requested it from Energy Saving Trust, the Package Administrator. From their management information up to end of March 2011, the following households received advice: (a) 2,922 households with LPG h…

22 Nov 2011 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many and what percentage of buildings occupied by it and its agencies have microgeneration technologies installed.

Answer · Fergus Ewing: Panels for solar water heating are currently installed at three buildings where the Scottish Government is the sole or major occupier. These buildings are: the Ellis Building, Marine Laboratory, Aberdeen; Saughton House, Broomhouse Drive, Edinburgh, and Tw…

22 Nov 2011 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many people who use (a) liquid petroleum gas and (b) heating oil have been provided with energy efficiency measures under the Universal Home Insulation Scheme.

Answer · Alex Neil: This is a matter for local authorities, who are responsible for the design and delivery of Universal Home Insulation Scheme programmes. The information requested is not held centrally.

22 Nov 2011 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how it is targeting support at homes that use liquid petroleum gas or heating oil to help make them more energy efficient and cheaper to heat.

Answer · Alex Neil: The Energy Assistance Package (EAP) is the Scottish Government’s main vehicle to provide support for people in energy inefficient and hard to heat homes. In particular EAP Stage 4 offers innovative technologies such as air source heat pumps as well as traditi…

21 Nov 2011 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it considers that HM Inspectorate of Education should include in its inspections an assessment of the quality of education services available to children and young people who are absent from school because of accident or ill-health.

Answer · Michael Russell: Education Scotland, through HM Inspectors inspect a wide range of provision including schools, pre-school assessment centres, special schools and residential special schools as well as the grant aided special schools. HM Inspectors are looking to consider how…

21 Nov 2011 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will review the information provided to parents by local authorities about the education services available to children and young people who are absent from school because of accident or ill-health.

Answer · Michael Russell: The provision of information to parents about educational services, including when a pupil is unable to attend school due to ill health is the responsibility of education authorities. Therefore this is a matter for education authorities themselves. Education…

21 Nov 2011 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will consider introducing a duty on local authorities to inform parents of the education services available to children and young people who are absent from school because of accident or ill-health.

Answer · Michael Russell: Education authorities are already under a duty to make provisionfor education elsewhere than at a school where a pupil is unable to attend school due to ill health. As part of the delivery of this duty education authorities will require to discuss with famili…

21 Nov 2011 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what its position is on British Council Scotland's (BCS) recent report suggesting that there has been an 80% reduction in the number of foreign language assistants since 2005-06 and whether it has had discussions with BCS regarding this.

Answer · Alasdair Allan: Scottish Ministers welcome the contribution that foreign language assistants (FLAs) make to language learning and teaching in Scottish schools. Scottish Government funds British Council Scotland to run the FLA programme in Scotland and we are working closely …

21 Nov 2011 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it is taking to encourage local authorities to employ foreign language assistants.

Answer · Alasdair Allan: I refer the member to the answer to question S4W-04113 on 30 November 2011. 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/parliamenta…

21 Nov 2011 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how many partnerships it has with universities outside of the UK for the provision of foreign language assistants.

Answer · Alasdair Allan: The Scottish Government does not have any direct partnerships with individual universities outside of the UK for the provision of foreign language assistants. The British Council, under long standing agreements between the UK and other countries, runs the for…

21 Nov 2011 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what support it gives to students at universities in Scotland who hope to become foreign language assistants.

Answer · Alasdair Allan: Scottish Government funds British Council Scotland (BCS) to run the English Language Assistants programme under which nearly 400 Scottish students are placed in 15 countries around the world. BCS works with all of Scotland’s universities and provides on-going…

21 Nov 2011 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what the reduction in foreign language assistants has been since 2005-06 and what impact it considers that this will have on its commitment to increase the take-up of foreign language lessons by children.

Answer · Alasdair Allan: The number of foreign language assistants (FLAs) in Scottish schools fell from 284 in 2005-06 to 59 in 2011-12. Scottish Government is disappointed that 25 local authorities this year are not making use of FLAs, who at £7,911 per assistant per year, offer a v…

2 Nov 2011 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what assessment it has made of the impact of introducing a road equivalent tariff on ferry fares for routes to, from and within Orkney.

1 Nov 2011 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what it is doing to ensure a successful transition to a replacement system for Glow.

Answer · Michael Russell: The Scottish Government and Education Scotland are working together on the next generation of Glow. A programme has been established and this is being informed by ongoing engagement with the education community.

1 Nov 2011 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what representations it has received from teachers' organisations concerning the proposed replacement of Glow.

Answer · Michael Russell: The Scottish Government has not received specific representations from teachers’ organisations, however the education community including individual teachers, representative groups and teaching unions have been kept informed of the planned approach to the del…

1 Nov 2011 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what its contingency plan is if the data from Glow is not fully migrated to another system when the contract with RM comes to an end.

Answer · Michael Russell: The programme structure to manage the migration from the existing to a new solution takes into account the need for contingency planning. The contract for the current Glow includes a schedule that deals specifically with termination of the contract and migrat…

1 Nov 2011 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive how long it would take to migrate the data from Glow to a replacement system.

Answer · Michael Russell: The exact solution and functionality of the next generation of Glow, to be in place for September 2012, is currently being finalised. This will inform the content migration strategy and the related timescales.

1 Nov 2011 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what research it is undertaking into the procurement of a new IT system to replace Glow.

Answer · Michael Russell: The Scottish Government has engaged widely to ensure that development of the next generation of Glow produces the best possible outcomes for Scotland’s learners. This has included extensive engagement with the industry, representative bodies and learning comm…

12 Oct 2011 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, in light of written assurances by the Minister for Environment and Climate Change to the Convener of the Rural Affairs and Environment Committee during the passage of the Wildlife and Natural Environment (Scotland) Bill, what work is in hand to establish a system of acquiring data on the…

Answer · Stewart Stevenson: My officials are considering the provisions of such a reporting system and will be holding discussions with key stakeholders shortly.

4 Oct 2011 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive for which meetings of the EU Agriculture and Fisheries Council the Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs and the Environment has submitted a formal request to speak since May 2010.

Answer · Richard Lochhead: I refer the member to the answer to question S4W-03162, on 31 October 2011. 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/parliamenta…

4 Oct 2011 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive for which EU Council meetings Scottish Government ministers have submitted formal requests to speak since May 2010.

Answer · Fiona Hyslop: Scottish ministers write to UK Government counterparts ahead of EU Council meetings to seek their agreement to attend. This is in line with the terms of the Concordat on the Co-ordination of EU Policy regarding the attendance of the devolved administrations a…

30 Sep 2011 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has made representations to the UK Government calling for more restrictive UK-wide legislation on animal testing and, if so, whether it will provide details of these representations.

Answer · Richard Lochhead: The Scottish Government is in regular contact with the UK Government on a wide range of issues, including the legislation on animal testing.

15 Sep 2011 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the response to question S4O-00164 by Michael Russell on 15 September 2011 (Official Report, c. 1807), what representations it has received from the (a) Institute of Physics in Scotland, (b) Institution of Chemical Engineers, (c) Institution of Civil Engineers, (d) Institution…

Answer · Michael Russell: We are aware that the Institute of Physics has expressed some concerns about the impact of new curriculum structures on the numbers of pupils studying physics and other sciences in the senior phase of schooling. The Science and Engineering Education Advisory…

15 Sep 2011 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S4O-00164 by Michael Russell on 15 September 2011 (Official Report, c. 1807), what discussions it has had with representatives of the science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) community regarding the effect that the Curriculum for Excellenc…

Answer · Michael Russell: I refer the member to the answer to question S4W-02799 on 29 September 2011. 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/Apps2/MAQA…

15 Sep 2011 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S4O-00164 by Michael Russell on 15 September 2011 (Official Report, c. 1807), what assessment it has made of whether the Curriculum for Excellence may reduce the number of pupils pursuing science, technology, engineering and mathematics subjects in later…

Answer · Michael Russell: The study of science and maths in the later years of secondary is currently in a strong position, making up four of the top five subjects at Higher, and the top three Advanced Highers taken in the 2010-11 session. Under Curriculum for Excellence schools will …

15 Sep 2011 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S4O-00164 by Michael Russell on 15 September 2011, what steps it will take to address concerns that the Curriculum for Excellence may reduce the number of pupils pursuing science, technology, engineering and mathematics subjects in later years of seconda…

Answer · Michael Russell: I refer the member to the answer to question S4W-02801 on 29 September 2011. 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/Apps2/MAQA…

14 Sep 2011 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive whether the target of 15 hours per week of free nursery school provision remains and, if so, whether it plans to make it a statutory responsibility.

Answer · Angela Constance: There is a statutory requirement to provide 475 hours (12.5 per week) of free nursery school provision. The Scottish Government is, however, committed to the continued expansion of early learning and childcare provision, focussing initially on those from dep…

14 Sep 2011 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Executive what representations it has received regarding increasing flexibility in the hours for which free nursery school provision can be claimed.

Answer · Angela Constance: I have recently met with several third sector organisations with an interest in the availability of flexible, accessible, affordable childcare provision. This particular issue of increasing flexibility in the hours for which free pre-school provision can be c…