Parliamentary questions
Neil Findlay
2,296 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.
9 Jan 2015 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has for an independent assessment of the outcomes of the modern apprenticeship programme.
Answer · Roseanna Cunningham: In our 2014-15 letter of guidance, the Scottish Government asked Skills Development Scotland (SDS) to consider how it measures the long-term outcomes of the modern apprenticeship (MA) programme, in line with the recommendations from the recent Audit Scotland …
9 Jan 2015 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many modern apprentices have remained in employment with the same employer at the end of their apprenticeship.
Answer · Roseanna Cunningham: This is an operational matter for Skills Development Scotland (SDS). I will ask the Chief Executive of SDS to write to you with the information you have requested.
9 Jan 2015 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many modern apprentices are paid the basic apprentice rate.
Answer · Roseanna Cunningham: The UK Apprenticeship pay survey 2014 (https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/387319/bis-14-1281-apprenticeship-pay-survey-2014.pdf) was published on 18 December 2014. The survey showed that for level 2 and 3 apprentices i…
9 Jan 2015 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what rates of pay apply for modern apprentices and whether it considers them sufficient to live on.
Answer · Roseanna Cunningham: Employment law, including National Minimum Wage (NMW) legislation, remains a matter reserved to the UK Government. In 2010 the UK Government introduced the apprentice rate of the NMW. The Low Pay Commission (LPC) consult each year on NMW levels, including th…
9 Jan 2015 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what the employer contribution is to the modern apprenticeship scheme.
Answer · Roseanna Cunningham: Funding from government for modern apprenticeships represents a contribution towards the cost of training the apprentice, with the employer retaining liability for the apprentice’s wage as well as any balance of training costs. The contribution rates vary, d…
9 Jan 2015 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what the cost to it is of each modern apprenticeship placement, broken down by sector.
Answer · Roseanna Cunningham: Funding from the Scottish Government for modern apprenticeships (MAs) represents a contribution towards the cost of training the apprentice. Skills Development Scotland (SDS) publish a table of contributions which indicates the cost of MAs, broken down by th…
9 Jan 2015 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many modern apprenticeships have been created in each year since 2007, broken down by (a) sector and (b) occupation.
Answer · Roseanna Cunningham: This is an operational matter for Skills Development Scotland (SDS). I will ask the Chief Executive of SDS to write to you with the information you have requested.
9 Jan 2015 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how much it has spent on the modern apprenticeship programme in each year since 2007.
Answer · Roseanna Cunningham: This is an operational matter for Skills Development Scotland (SDS). I will ask the Chief Executive of SDS to write to you with the information you have requested.
9 Jan 2015 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what support it has provided to social enterprises in each year since 2007.
Answer · Alex Neil: The Scottish Government published its Enterprising Third Sector Action Plan in 2008, which continues to provide the context for a holistic programme of support for social enterprises. Since 2007 the Scottish Government has provided significant support and inv…
9 Jan 2015 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many new social enterprises have been created in each year since 2007.
Answer · Alex Neil: I refer the member to the answer to question S4W-23948 on 26 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 Jan 2015 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many people are employed in the social enterprise sector and how many have been employed in the sector in each year since 2007.
Answer · Alex Neil: Information about the number of people employed in the social enterprise sector and the number of new social enterprises created is not held centrally. This is partly because there is no universally accepted definition of social enterprise. However, there ha…
9 Jan 2015 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many (a) cooperative and (b) employee-owned businesses there are; how many have been established in each year since 2007, and what (i) financial and (ii) other support it provides to them.
Answer · Fergus Ewing: There are 663 co-operatives in Scotland of which 73 are employee owned/ worker co-operatives Co-operative Development Scotland (CDS) has supported the establishment of: Co-operatives Employee Owned 2006-08 27 2008-09 15 2009-10 16 2 2010-11 …
9 Jan 2015 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government in which areas of the economy it has identified skills shortages, and what action it is taking to tackle these.
Answer · Roseanna Cunningham: The UK Employers Skill Survey offers a comprehensive source of information about skill shortages in Scotland. The survey is available to view at: https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/327492/evidence-report-81-ukces-employ…
9 Jan 2015 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many people applied for a college course in (a) 2011-12, (b) 2012-13 and (c) 2013-14 and how many were offered a place, broken down by course.
Answer · Angela Constance: Data on college applications and offers are not held centrally.
9 Jan 2015 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many people have not been in education, employment or training in each year since 2007, broken down by age.
Answer · Roseanna Cunningham: The Annual Population Survey provides the preferred measure for not in education, employment or training (NEET) for the population in Scotland. The latest headline NEET estimates are published annually by the Scottish Government and cover the period from Janu…
15 Dec 2014 · General Question
To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on the use of payments to consultants for recruiting patients for medical trials.
Answer · Shona Robison: The Scottish Government supports the position of the General Medical Council that clinicians should not let their judgement about a research project be influenced, or be seen to be influenced, at any stage, by financial, personal political or other external i…
9 Dec 2014 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what support it provides to NHS boards that have a budget deficit.
Answer · Shona Robison: All NHS boards have a statutory requirement to deliver a balanced financial outturn and have an agreed financial plan with the Scottish Government to deliver this. Where an NHS board is experiencing financial challenges the Scottish Government has a well est…
9 Dec 2014 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what the financial position is of each NHS board.
Answer · Shona Robison: For the current financial year, 2014-15; the latest figures submitted by all NHS boards is to the end of October 2014. Of the 22 health boards, 21 are currently projecting financial balance for 2014-15, with NHS Orkney currently forecasting a year end deficit…
9 Dec 2014 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what recent discussions it has had with NHS Lothian regarding the closure of hospitals.
Answer · Shona Robison: NHS Lothian has not discussed the closure of hospitals with the Scottish Government. The Scottish Government met with NHS Lothian on 2 October 2014 to carry out the board’s mid-year review. This included discussion on the NHS Lothian Draft Strategic Plan 201…
9 Dec 2014 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what recent discussions it has had with NHS Lothian regarding PFI contracts.
Answer · Shona Robison: Scottish Government officials liaise regularly with NHS Lothian on a range of financial and performance issues and any issues relating to PFI contracts can be raised and discussed through this route. Officials also attend the NHS Scotland PPP Joint Board and…
9 Dec 2014 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what recent requests it has received from NHS Lothian for additional funding and what its position is on granting this.
Answer · Shona Robison: Officials from The Scottish Government Health and Social Care Directorate met with the Director of Finance and the Deputy Director of Finance from NHS Lothian on 18 November 2014. The focus was on NHS Lothian delivering a balanced outturn for 2014-15, with ea…
8 Dec 2014 · General Question
To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of how local government services impact on various social groups.
1 Dec 2014 · First Minister's Question
To ask the First Minister what response the Scottish Government has received to its representations to the UK Government regarding the implications of the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership for health services in Scotland.
24 Nov 2014 · Portfolio Question
To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to encourage people to attend further education courses.
20 Nov 2014 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many of the seafarers employed on the ferry services chartered from Seatruck are Scottish.
Answer · Derek Mackay: I refer the member to the answer to question S4W-23327 on 3 December 2014. 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…
20 Nov 2014 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what the total value is of the contract for each ferry service chartered from Seatruck, also broken down by how much has been spent on each to date.
Answer · Derek Mackay: The cost of chartering vessels from Seatruck on the Northern Isles and Clyde and Hebrides networks is commercially confidential.
20 Nov 2014 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what the average rate of pay is for ratings employed on ferries chartered from Seatruck on the (a) Northern Isles and (b) Clyde and Hebrides ferry route and what (i) employment and (ii) pension rights they have.
Answer · Derek Mackay: I refer the member to the answer to question S4W-23327 on 3 December 2014. 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…
20 Nov 2014 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many (a) ratings and (b) officers are employed on ferries chartered on the (i) Northern Isles and (ii) Clyde and Hebrides ferry route.
Answer · Derek Mackay: Operators of the Northern Isles and Clyde and Hebrides Ferry Services (CHFS) sub-contract with Seatruck on a time charter basis to provide freight services on these networks. As the Scottish Government does not contract with Seatruck to provide ferry services…
20 Nov 2014 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how much it has cost to charter ferries on the (a) Northern Isles and (b) Clyde and Hebrides ferry route in each year since 1993-94.
Answer · Derek Mackay: I refer the member to the answer to question S4W-23331 on 3 December 2014. 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…
20 Nov 2014 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how it will ensure that contracts for ferry services chartered by Transport Scotland stipulate that the owners of the vessels must abide by the (a) rates of pay, (b) pension rights and (c) terms and conditions of employment agreed through the ferry industry's collective bargaining proces…
Answer · Derek Mackay: The Scottish Government has public service contracts with operating companies to provide ferry services in the Northern Isles and Clyde and Hebrides Islands. The owners of the vessels operating on these routes, Royal Bank of Scotland and Caledonian Maritime A…