Parliamentary questions
Siobhan McMahon
301 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.
16 Jul 2015 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many additional support for learning teachers there have been in each year since 2007, broken down by local authority.
Answer · Angela Constance: Education authorities and other agencies have duties under the Additional Support for Learning Act 2004 (as amended) to identify, provide for and review the additional support needs of their pupils. It is for education authorities to ensure that they have suf…
17 Jun 2015 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many rehabilitation support workers there have been in each of the last five years, broken down by NHS board area.
Answer · Shona Robison: Information on how many rehabilitation support workers there have been in each of the last five years, broken down by NHS board area, is not centrally held. While the Scottish Government provides the policies, frameworks and resources for high quality health…
17 Jun 2015 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how it is addressing the reported shortage of rehabilitation support workers.
Answer · Shona Robison: Recruitment of staff, including rehabilitation support staff, is a matter for each NHSScotland board as an employer. NHSScotland boards are required to have the correct staff in place to meet the needs of the service and ensure high quality patient care. The …
17 Jun 2015 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what the timescale is for a rehabilitation support worker to be allocated to a service user in order that their physical, emotional, spiritual, intellectual, cultural and social care needs can be met, and whether the timescale has increased over the last five years.
Answer · Shona Robison: There is no national guidance stating a timescale for a rehabilitation support worker to be allocated to a service user in order that their physical, emotional, spiritual, intellectual, cultural and social care needs can be met. The timescale is dependent on …
4 Jun 2015 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether the Minister for Europe and International Development has discussed Qatar's human rights record with the Scottish Human Rights Commission.
Answer · Humza Yousaf: The Minister for Europe and International Development met with the Scottish Human Rights Commission in March 2015 to discuss various human rights issues in both Qatar and UAE, including the issue of migrant workers’ rights.
4 Jun 2015 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body, in light of the decision to proceed with the Scotland v Qatar match on 5 June 2015, whether representatives of the Scottish Human Rights Commission have met Qatar officials to discuss matters relating to Qatar's human rights record and, if so, who attended and when.
Answer · Liam McArthur : The Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body has no responsibility for the activities of the Scottish Human Rights Commission, which is an independent public body. I have however passed the Member’s question to the Commission to respond.
4 Jun 2015 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the decision to proceed with the Scotland v Qatar match on 5 June 2015, whether representatives from Creative Scotland have met Qatar officials to discuss matters relating to Qatar’s human rights record and, if so, who attended and when.
Answer · Humza Yousaf: There has been no contact between Creative Scotland and Qatar officials.
4 Jun 2015 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the decision to proceed with the Scotland v Qatar match on 5 June 2015, what meetings the Minister for Europe and International Development has had with (a) Qatar officials and (b) Scottish Football Association officials to discuss matters relating to Qatar’s human rights re…
Answer · Humza Yousaf: The Scottish Government has taken every opportunity to engage constructively with Qatar on human rights, and to share good practice. Earlier in 2015 I spoke with the Qatar Supreme Committee for Delivery and Legacy to raise Scotland’s concerns around human rig…
28 May 2015 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what proportion of care leavers is undertaking a modern apprenticeship.
Answer · Annabelle Ewing: This is an operational matter for Skills Development Scotland (SDS) and we will ask the Chief Executive to write to you.
28 May 2015 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many care leavers have received support from the Employer Recruitment Incentive.
Answer · Annabelle Ewing: Statistics on the number of young people supported through the targeted Employer Recruitment Incentive are published by Skills Development Scotland, as part of their quarterly statistical official reporting mechanism. The full year statistics 2014-15 are due …
28 May 2015 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many disabled people are undertaking modern apprenticeships, also broken down by disability.
Answer · Annabelle Ewing: This is an operational matter for Skills Development Scotland and we will ask the Chief Executive to write to you.
28 May 2015 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the recommendation by the Commission for Developing Scotland's Young Workforce, whether it will set a target to increase the number (a) disabled people and (b) care leavers undertaking modern apprenticeships.
Answer · Annabelle Ewing: We announced in Parliament on 13 May 2015 that Skills Development Scotland would receive additional funding of £500,000 to support the final development and delivery of a modern apprenticeship equalities action plan which will include specific improvement tar…
28 May 2015 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many people have received support from the expansion of the Employer Recruitment Incentive to include people with additional support needs that it announced on 30 August 2013.
Answer · Annabelle Ewing: Statistics on the number of young people supported through the Targeted Employer Recruitment Incentive are published by Skills Development Scotland, as part of their quarterly statistical official reporting mechanism. The full year statistics 2014-15 are due …
6 May 2015 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, in light of reports that they are facing possible redundancy, what (a) support and (b) employment protection it will provide to the people covered by the tripartite agreements between it, the Wood Group PSN and Angus College who are yet to complete their apprenticeship.
Answer · Roseanna Cunningham: Any Modern Apprentices made redundant from the oil and gas industry in Scotland will be guaranteed support through Partnership Action for Continuing Employment to move into employment with another business, or to continue with their training. As announced in…
29 Apr 2015 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how the remaining consequential funding for people with motor neurone disease will be spent.
Answer · Jamie Hepburn: The First Minister announced on 7 January 2015 that an additional £2.5 million will be invested in specialist nursing and care from 2015-16. The announcement also included the commitment that all existing NHS motor neurone disease clinical nurse specialists w…
29 Apr 2015 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many specialist motor neurone disease nurses there were in (a) 2011, (b) 2012, (c) 2013 and (d) 2014 and have been to date in 2015.
Answer · Jamie Hepburn: Workforce information on how many specialist motor neurone disease nurses there were in (a) 2011, (b) 2012, (c) 2013 and (d) 2014 and have been to date in 2015 is not held centrally. National Services Scotland, Information Services Division (ISD) does not cap…
29 Apr 2015 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many NHS specialist motor neurone disease nurses have been funded from the £700,000 allocated for nursing and support for people with motor neurone disease.
Answer · Jamie Hepburn: The funding of £700,000 will allow all existing NHS motor neurone disease specialist nurses to be paid from the public purse from 1 April 2015 and to double their number. Funding to NHS boards to achieve this will be allocated in the near future.
29 Apr 2015 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether the £700,000 announced for nursing care and support for people with motor neurone disease has been fully allocated.
Answer · Jamie Hepburn: The funding of £700,000 announced on 7 January 2015 for nursing care and support for people with motor neurone disease was earmarked to fund all NHS motor neurone disease specialist nurses from the public purse from 1 April 2015 and to double their number. Th…
21 Apr 2015 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what assistance it gives to local authorities to recruit and retain teachers in (a) maths, (b) home economics and (c) sciences and whether local authorities will be penalised if teachers numbers are not maintained due to vacant and supply posts remaining unfilled.
Answer · Angela Constance: Local authorities have a statutory duty to employ adequate numbers of teachers in the schools under their management, and the recruitment and retention of teachers are matters for local authorities. We are working with universities, local authorities and othe…
21 Apr 2015 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how much Falkirk Council will receive from the remaining funds in the Attainment Scotland Fund in 2015-16 and whether this will include any additional funding from the initial £20 million allocation.
Answer · Angela Constance: The Attainment Scotland Fund will invest £100 million over four years to tackle the attainment gap and reduce inequalities in education outcomes, including £20 million during 2015-16. The fund is targeted at schools in local authorities with the biggest conce…
21 Apr 2015 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it considers that the move from a national target to an individual council target for teacher numbers penalises councils that have maintained teacher numbers relative to their demographic/pupil roll movement.
Answer · Angela Constance: The Scottish Government's preference would have been to reach a Scotland wide agreement on teacher numbers for 2015-16 as in previous years. COSLA's failure to commit to such an agreement left us with no alternative but to secure commitments from individual l…
29 Jan 2015 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it takes into account the number of young people not in education, employment or training in a local authority area when allocating funding from the Youth Employment Scotland Fund.
Answer · Annabelle Ewing: On behalf of community planning partnerships, local authorities apply to the Scottish Government for funding for Youth Employment Scotland Fund places. Applications are based on local need among young people and employer demand, the funding awarded reflects t…
26 Jan 2015 · Portfolio Question
To ask the Scottish Government what progress is being made on preventing youth homelessness.
20 Jan 2015 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what the employment rate for women was between October 2013 and September 2014, broken down by level of qualification.
Answer · Annabelle Ewing: The Annual Population Survey provides the preferred measure for detailed labour market information for subsets of the population in Scotland. The following table provides the employment rates for women by level of qualification between October 2013 and Septe…
13 Jan 2015 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how much financial assistance it provided to each grant-aided special school in each of the last three years.
Answer · Alasdair Allan: The Scottish Government has provided the following financial assistance (in the form of a grant) to each of the grant-aided special schools in each of the last three years: 2014-15 School Revenue Grant Capital Grant Capability Scotland: Corseford £1,207…
10 Dec 2014 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many consultants Scottish Water employed in (a) 2011-12, (b) 2012-13 and (c) 2013-14 and has employed in 2014-15 and at what cost in each year.
Answer · Keith Brown: Scottish Water purchases consultancy services through framework contracts. The level of expenditure is reported for the last four years through the Scottish Water website in line with the Public Sector Reform Act. This information can be found by clicking on …
24 Nov 2014 · Portfolio Question
To ask the Scottish Government what measures it is taking to combat bullying in schools.
20 Nov 2014 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how much funding it has provided to Playwrights’ Studio, Scotland in each of the last three years.
Answer · Fiona Hyslop: The Scottish Government has provided no funding to Playwrights’ Studio, Scotland over the last three years. Scottish Government funding for the arts is routed through Creative Scotland, Scotland’s public body that supports the arts, screen and creative indus…
11 Nov 2014 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what advice and guidance it provides to (a) Scottish Natural Heritage, (b) Marine Scotland and (c) local authorities regarding the obligations set out in the the Conservation (Natural Habitats, &c.) Regulations 1994 (as amended in Scotland), particularly in relation to the protection of …
Answer · Aileen McLeod: Scottish Planning Policy (SPP) sets out national planning policies reflecting Scottish Ministers' priorities for operation of the planning system and for the development and use of land including the natural environment. More specifically, SPP supports the re…
10 Nov 2014 · General Question
To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to reform the private rented sector.