Parliamentary questions
Jenny Marra
379 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.
27 Jun 2011 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what criteria will be used to award money from the proposed Scottish futures fund to projects intended to deliver effective early intervention in a child’s life.
Answer · Angela Constance: The Scottish Government is clear that high quality early years experiences are crucial to improving life chances for Scotland’s children. We are currently considering how best to take forward the Scottish Futures Fund in the context of the Spending Review, a…
27 Jun 2011 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what progress has been made on expanding nursery education in each year since 2007.
Answer · Angela Constance: Since August 2007, as part of the Concordat agreement between Scottish Government and COSLA, the minimum entitlement to pre-school education for all three and four year olds changed from 412.5 hours to 475 hours per annum. Local authorities have the flexibil…
27 Jun 2011 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what progress has been made in developing a caring for carers employers’ kitemark and when it will be introduced.
Answer · Michael Matheson: The Caring for Carer Employers’ Kite-mark is an important Manifesto Commitment requiring a great deal of development work with employer bodies, the National Carers Organisations and other interests. Officials are working up a scoping paper for discussion with…
27 Jun 2011 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive when a task force will be in place to coordinate policy across the Scottish Government to ensure that early years spending is prioritised.
Answer · Angela Constance: Spending across Government is currently being scrutinised as part of the forthcoming Spending Review. I am currently considering how to take forward the Early Years taskforce in that context and will provide further information in due course.
27 Jun 2011 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive when it will introduce legislation to place a duty on NHS boards, local authorities and other agencies to work together to place children at the centre of their delivery of services.
Answer · Angela Constance: The Cabinet Secretary for Education and Lifelong Learning made a commitment to introduce legislation during this session of Parliament at the Education Debate on 16 June. The content and timing of the legislation is yet to be confirmed and pre-legislative con…
27 Jun 2011 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what assistance is offered to families who need help with parenting.
Answer · Angela Constance: Assistance can be offered at a local level to families who need help with parenting through education programmes such as Triple P, Incredible Years or Mellow Parenting which promote positive parenting skills or more targeted care and support around particular…
27 Jun 2011 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive when it will develop a national risk assessment toolkit for professionals working in child protection.
Answer · Angela Constance: Work on the national risk assessment toolkit is currently progressing. A draft version of the toolkit will be ready for pilot-testing in August 2011 and the final version is expected to be ready for dissemination in April 2012.
27 Jun 2011 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what stakeholders it will consult in developing a national parenting strategy.
Answer · Angela Constance: We will undertake intensive engagement in the coming months with statutory and non statutory organisations across Scotland providing support to families.
27 Jun 2011 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive when a national parenting strategy will be published.
Answer · Angela Constance: In the coming months we intend to undertake intensive engagement with parents, carers and a diverse range of agencies providing support to families. This will inform the national parenting strategy, to be published subsequent to this engagement activity, to e…
27 Jun 2011 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive when it will introduce legislation to create an obligation for local authorities, NHS boards and the Scottish Government to deliver early years services.
Answer · Angela Constance: The Cabinet Secretary for Education & Lifelong Learning made a commitment to introduce legislation during this session of Parliament at the Education Debate on 16 June. The content and timing of the legislation is yet to be confirmed and pre-legislative consu…
27 Jun 2011 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many (a) new and (b) refurbished children and family centres will open in the next five years.
Answer · Angela Constance: I refer the member to the answer to question S4W-01345 on 28 July 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/parliamentarybusi…
27 Jun 2011 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive when it will revise the child protection guidance for health officials to bring it in line with the new national child protection guidance.
Answer · Angela Constance: Work by officials to update Child Protection Guidance for Health Professionals (The Pink Book) is underway and is expected to be completed in early 2012.
27 Jun 2011 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive when it will develop a national competency framework to set out a common set of skills and standards for child protection professionals.
Answer · Angela Constance: The draft national competency framework is expected to be ready for public consultation in 2012; following the completion of the detailed scoping for the development of the framework.
27 Jun 2011 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what progress has been made on developing new guidance for professionals working in child protection regarding disabled children.
Answer · Angela Constance: Work on developing guidance and materials to support professionals working in child protection where disability is a significant issue within a family will begin in autumn 2011. It is anticipated that the outputs of this work will be available for consultatio…
27 Jun 2011 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what help is offered to families to assist in accessing high quality childcare.
Answer · Angela Constance: In Scotland, local authorities take the lead, in conjunction with their local partners, in planning and supporting childcare in their local areas. The Scottish Government funds the following website for Childcare Information Services around Scotland www.scot…
27 Jun 2011 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive when it will review the Children (Scotland) Act 1995 and what provisions will be reviewed.
Answer · Angela Constance: The Cabinet Secretary for Education and Lifelong Learning made a commitment to review this legislation during this session of Parliament at the Education Debate on 16 June. The timing of the legislation is yet to be confirmed, but the intent will be to review…
27 Jun 2011 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive when it will publish new guidance for professionals working in child protection regarding disabled children.
Answer · Angela Constance: Work on developing guidance and materials to support professionals working in child protection where disability is a significant issue within a family will begin in autumn 2011. It is anticipated that the outputs of this work will be available for consultatio…
27 Jun 2011 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive when the first of a new generation of children and family centres will open.
Answer · Angela Constance: The Scottish Government is clear that support for families is a crucial factor in improving life chances for Scotland’s children. I am currently considering how best to take forward our commitment to a new generation of family centres in the context of the s…
27 Jun 2011 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what projects will be included in the proposed Scottish futures fund to deliver effective early intervention in a child’s life.
Answer · Angela Constance: We are currently developing the Scottish Futures Funds in the context of the Spending review, and will make further information available in due course. The Scottish Government is clear that high quality early years experiences are crucial to improving life c…