Liz Smith

26 Feb 2015 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how it calculated the predicted cost of £880 million for 30 hours of funded weekly nursery care by 2020.

Answer · Fiona McLeod: The estimated annual revenue cost of £880 million in 2019-20 is based on publicly available information identifying current spend, and on the funding model agreed with COSLA for the current expansion of early learning and childcare to 600 hours.

19 Feb 2015 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it considers that Shetland Island Council's decision not to (a) produce a consultation report or (b) impose a five year moratorium, following its decision not to proceed with proposed closures of the junior secondary schools on Whalsay and Yell, is in accordance with the Children…

Answer · Alasdair Allan: We fully expect local authorities to comply with the Schools (Consultation) (Scotland) Act 2010 (as amended by the Children and Young People (Scotland) Act 2014), including the requirements regarding publishing a consultation report and observing a five year …

19 Feb 2015 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to introduce average speed cameras on the (a) A92 and (b) A85.

Answer · Derek Mackay: Average speed cameras have a proven track record in improving road safety and have been deployed successfully in many countries. We currently have no plans to install an average speed camera system on the A92 or the A85, but we will continue to promote eviden…

17 Feb 2015 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many incidents there have been of pupils being injured at school in each year since 1999, broken down by local authority.

Answer · Angela Constance: The Scottish Government does not collect or hold this information centrally. The health, safety and wellbeing of all pupils whilst at school is of paramount importance to the Scottish Government, however it is the statutory responsibility of individual local…

17 Feb 2015 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government who the members will be of its expert group to review the guidance on assessing and reporting on the condition of the school estate, and when it will meet.

Answer · Angela Constance: The working group is comprised of representatives from: The Convention of Scottish Local Authorities The Association of Directors of Education in Scotland Scottish Futures Trust NHS Scotland (Estates) Education Scotland Architecture and Design Scotland …

16 Feb 2015 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether parents will have a legal right to withdraw their children from the provisions of the Children and Young People (Scotland) Act 2014 in relation to named persons.

Answer · Fiona McLeod: There will be no legal obligation for families to engage with the named person if they choose not to, but we hope that because the named person will already be someone the family knows and trusts, that they will want to seek their advice and support if they n…

16 Feb 2015 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether (a) health visitors and (b) teachers will have a legal right to opt out of being designated named persons under the Children and Young People (Scotland) Act 2014.

Answer · Fiona McLeod: Health boards, local authorities and other specified organisations have a duty to implement and deliver the Getting it right for every child provisions in the Children and Young Person (Scotland) Act 2014, including the identification of named persons. They …

16 Feb 2015 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Government what provisions there are for parents to access the medical records of their children.

9 Feb 2015 · Portfolio Question

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with Tesco regarding recent closure announcements.

5 Feb 2015 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what support sportscotland provides toward the development of indoor bowling.

Answer · Jamie Hepburn: I have asked sportscotland to respond directly to you.

2 Feb 2015 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what representations it has made to Tesco in light of reports that the recently announced job reductions in its retail stores were proportionally higher in Scotland than in the rest of the UK.

Answer · John Swinney: The Leader of Fife Council, David Ross and I wrote a joint letter to David Lewis, Tesco Chief Executive on 30 January 2015 following the announcement to close four Tesco stores in Scotland including a superstore in Kirkcaldy with 189 employees. This letter ex…

26 Jan 2015 · First Minister's Question

To ask the First Minister what discussions the Scottish Government has had with NHS boards regarding the reported reduction in funding for mental health research.

23 Jan 2015 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how much it has spent on art works in each year since 1999, broken down by directorate.

Answer · John Swinney: The Scottish Government has not purchased any art works since 1999 for display on its estate.

21 Jan 2015 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many organisations have had more than one individual require disclosure under the Protection of Vulnerable Groups Scheme in each year.

Answer · Fiona McLeod: Protection of Vulnerable Groups (PVG) disclosure requests are made by individuals. These requests are often made in connection with recruitment into paid or unpaid work for an organisation. The number of organisations involved in more than one disclosure requ…

21 Jan 2015 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many people have required disclosure under the Protection of Vulnerable Groups scheme in each year.

Answer · Fiona McLeod: The Protecting Vulnerable Groups (PVG) scheme came into force on 28 February 2011. The following table gives the number of PVG disclosures requested in each calendar year since its establishment. Year PVG disclosures requested (Rounded to the nearest 10) 2…

19 Jan 2015 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government when ministers were first made aware that the amended projection for the cost of the new V&A building in Dundee would be £80.1 million and what discussion they have had with Dundee City Council officials on the matter.

Answer · Fiona Hyslop: Dundee City Council kept the Scottish Government informed, within the bounds of commercial confidentiality, of the contract negotiations. As part of this, in April 2014, the council informed the Scottish Government that the initial estimate of the price would…

19 Jan 2015 · Portfolio Question

To ask the Scottish Government what progress the SQA has made on the development of the Scottish Baccalaureate qualification.

Answer · Alasdair Allan: The Scottish Baccalaureate is fully developed and was first made available to centres on 1 August 2009 in the disciplines of science and languages. The range of Scottish Baccalaureate disciplines was expanded on 1 August 2012 to include expressive arts and so…

12 Jan 2015 · First Minister's Question

To ask the First Minister what discussions the Scottish Government has had with the UK Government in light of the recent terrorist attacks in France.  

6 Jan 2015 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what new facilities and opportunities have been created in each local authority area under its new youth arts strategy.

Answer · Fiona Hyslop: Time to Shine – Scotland’s Youth Arts Strategy, sets out a vision and key recommendations to enable Scotland's children and young people to flourish and achieve, in and through the arts and creativity, centred around the themes of participation, progression a…

18 Dec 2014 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to review the provision of inpatient services for young people with autism and other learning disabilities.

Answer · Jamie Hepburn: We made a commitment in the Mental Health Strategy for Scotland: 2012-2015 to work with clinicians in Scotland to identify good models of Learning Disability Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (LD CAMHS) service delivery in use in different areas of …

15 Dec 2014 · Portfolio Question

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the flooding infrastructure in Perth and Kinross.

9 Dec 2014 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how much the film and television production industry has contributed to the Scottish economy in each year since 1999.

Answer · Fiona Hyslop: I refer the member to the answer to question S4W-23595 on 20 January 2015. 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/parliamentar…

9 Dec 2014 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many jobs have been linked to the film and television production sector in Scotland in each year since 1999.

Answer · Fiona Hyslop: The Scottish Government does not hold information centrally on how many jobs have been linked to the film and television production sector, or how much it has contributed to the economy each since 1999 as the statistics have breaks in the series due to change…

9 Dec 2014 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many loans it has provided from its £2 million loan fund to assist the film and television production sector.

Answer · Fiona Hyslop: The £2 million loan for studio development remains available and has not yet been utilised.

8 Dec 2014 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government which sections of trunk roads have had their speed limits reduced in each year since 1999.

Answer · Derek Mackay: The introduction or varying of speed limits on the trunk road network is made through the promotion of Traffic Regulation Orders. Made trunk road orders from 2007, can be found on the Office of the Queen’s Printers for Scotland website at http://www.legislati…

8 Dec 2014 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of Transport Scotland’s recent review of the speed limits on the A85.

Answer · Derek Mackay: Following completion of the Speed Limit Review on the trunk road network, including the A85, Scottish Ministers are satisfied that a number of recommendations are being implemented to improve road safety. These recommendations can be accessed on Transport Sco…

5 Dec 2014 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the announcement that the UK Government will fund income-contingent loans of up to £10,000 for postgraduate students on taught masters courses from 2016-17, whether it will match per capita funding for postgraduate students in Scotland.

Answer · Angela Constance: Prior to the UK Government’s announcement in the Autumn Statement 2014, the Scottish Government announced the formation of a working group to review support for taught postgraduate education in Scotland. The group, to be chaired by Professor Bryan MacGregor, …

1 Dec 2014 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how much out-of-authority care placements supported or funded by the Scottish Government have cost in each of the last five years for which information is available, broken down by type of placement.

Answer · Jamie Hepburn: Scottish local authorities have a duty under Section 12 of the Social Work (Scotland) Act 1968 to provide social care services within their area, as they may consider suitable and adequate. Placements by local authorities for care outside their area would be …

1 Dec 2014 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how much out-of-authority (a) foster care, (b) residential care, (c) residential school, (d) secure care placements, (e) placements for people with complex learning difficulties and (f) other specialist placements have cost each local authority in each of the last five years for which i…

Answer · Aileen Campbell: Costs incurred by local authorities for the out of authority placements listed in the question are not held centrally by the Scottish Government but can be obtained from each individual local authority. However the Children’s Social Work Statistics 2012-13 r…

19 Nov 2014 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many leisure facilities have been closed by each local authority in each year since 1999.

Answer · Jamie Hepburn: The Scottish Government does not hold this information. It is a matter for local authorities as they have a statutory responsibility to determine the provision of facilities based on local need. As the national agency for sport, sportscotland takes part in s…