Parliamentary questions
Neil Findlay
2,296 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.
2 Feb 2012 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what additional financial support will be provided to schools for the introduction of the new national exams.
Answer · Michael Russell: Funding for individual schools is a matter for local authorities. In 2011-12 the Scottish Government is providing local authorities with revenue funding of £10.9 billion. The vast majority of this funding, which includes funding for education, is provided by …
2 Feb 2012 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it can guarantee that there will be no adverse effect on local authorities that choose to delay the introduction of the new national exams.
Answer · Michael Russell: I refer the member to the answer to question S4W-05414 on 29 February 2012. 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/Busines…
2 Feb 2012 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether support will be available for local authorities that choose to delay the introduction of the new national exams.
Answer · Michael Russell: Directors of Education have confirmed their schools are on track to deliver the new National Qualifications. Where a secondary school - with the agreement of the local authority - identifies a department in need of support beyond that already provided through…
20 Jan 2012 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how it will ensure further education provision for (a) older female students, (b) disabled students and (c) students from low-income backgrounds if there are reductions in the funding of non-recognised qualifications.
Answer · Michael Russell: We have made clear to the college sector the value we place on non-recognised qualifications where they provide an access route to employment, and we have made equally clear that we expect such provision to be protected. Colleges exist to help people towards…
20 Jan 2012 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many times ministers have met the (a) Scottish Funding Council Access and Inclusion Committee and (b) post-16 education equality and diversity working group and what was discussed.
Answer · Michael Russell: Scottish ministers have not met with the Scottish Funding Council's Access and Inclusion Committee and have no immediate plans to do so. An official from the Scottish Government attends the Access and Inclusion Committee meetings as an observer. No post-16 e…
20 Jan 2012 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what new approach the Scottish Funding Council Access and Inclusion Committee is taking to equality, access and inclusion.
Answer · Michael Russell: In 2010, the Scottish Funding Council reviewed all of its access and inclusion programmes and funding related to retention, articulation, schools/college programmes and community programmes in response to the implementation of Horizon funding and the emergenc…
20 Jan 2012 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the membership is of the Scottish Funding Council Access and Inclusion Committee.
Answer · Michael Russell: Details of the membership of the Scottish Funding Council’s Access and Inclusion Committee can be found on the Scottish Funding Council’s website at: http://www.sfc.ac.uk/about_the_council/council_board_committees/council_committees/access_inclusion_committe…
20 Jan 2012 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will provide details of (a) any reports produced and (b) the equality impact assessment carried out by the post-16 education equality and diversity working group prior to the publication of the Scottish Spending Review 2011 and Draft Budget 2012-13.
Answer · Michael Russell: I refer the member to the answer to question S4W–05108 on 3 February 2012 and S4W-04212 on 8 December 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.sc…
20 Jan 2012 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many times the post-16 education equality and diversity working group has met to discuss the further education equality impact assessment carried out prior to the drafting of the Scottish Spending Review 2011 and Draft Budget 2012-13.
Answer · Michael Russell: I refer the member to the answer to question S4W-05108 on 3 February 2012 and S4W-04212 on 8 December 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.sc…
20 Jan 2012 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many times the post-16 education equality and diversity working group has met the Scottish Funding Council Access and Inclusion Committee.
Answer · Michael Russell: I refer the member to the answer to question S4W–05108 on 3 February 2012. 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/parliamentary…
20 Jan 2012 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive (a) how many times and (b) when the post-16 education equality and diversity working group has met and who attended the meetings.
Answer · Michael Russell: I refer the member to the answer to question S4W–05108 on 3 February 2012. 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/parliamentary…
20 Jan 2012 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will provide details of the (a) recruitment process for and (b) membership of the post-16 education equality and diversity working group.
Answer · Michael Russell: No post-16 education equality and diversity working group has been established as part of the Post-16 Reform process. Issues relating to equality and diversity are currently being considered on a continual basis as we develop our policy in this area. The Sco…
19 Jan 2012 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive when it will release details of the allocation of funding from the £10 million Housebuilding Infrastructure Loan Fund, broken down by project.
Answer · Keith Brown: The assessment process for applications for the Housebuilding Infrastructure Loan Fund is currently being finalised. We aim to make announcements on the outcome of the applications in February.
18 Jan 2012 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what meetings have taken place in relation to the pilot scheme to promote a greater synergy between Skills Development Scotland and colleges; what partners are involved, and what (a) analysis, (b) reports and (c) strategy papers have been produced.
Answer · Michael Russell: I refer the member to the answer to question S4W-05068 on 30 January 2012. 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/parliamentaryb…
18 Jan 2012 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive where the pilot scheme to promote a greater synergy between Skills Development Scotland and colleges will take place; when it will begin, and what areas of college education it will cover.
Answer · Michael Russell: I have made clear I will bring forward details of the pilot scheme in due course.
18 Jan 2012 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what funding is available to ensure that the further education sector can accommodate a 96% student number target for 2012-13 and what targets for student numbers have been set for (a) 2013-14 and (b) 2014-15.
Answer · Michael Russell: I refer the member to the answer to question S4W-05066 on 30 January 2012. 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/parliamentaryb…
18 Jan 2012 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has published detailed plans of how baseline student numbers will be maintained at 96% for (a) 2012-13, (b) 2013-14 and (c) 2014-15.
Answer · Michael Russell: I wrote to all college principals on 11 January, providing them with high level planning assumptions for maintaining student numbers in 2012-13. I also wrote to the Scottish Funding Council on 25 January providing additional strategic guidance, which asked th…
18 Jan 2012 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what recent discussions it has had with the Scottish Funding Council to ensure that baseline student numbers at further education colleges are maintained in (a) 2012-13, (b) 2013-14 and (c) 2014-15.
Answer · Michael Russell: My officials are routinely involved in discussions with the Scottish Funding Council on matters relating to further education, including on maintaining the baseline of student numbers at colleges.
18 Jan 2012 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what criteria will be used to determine which colleges will receive a budget reduction other than 8.5% in 2012-13.
Answer · Michael Russell: Matters relating to the funding of individual colleges fall within the responsibility of the Scottish Funding Council. I have asked its Chief Executive to write to the member.
18 Jan 2012 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how much funding for student support was provided to each further education college in (a) 2009-10 and (b) 2010-11, is provided in 2011-12 and is proposed for (i) 2012-13, (ii) 2013-14 and (iii) 2014-15.
Answer · Michael Russell: Matters relating to the funding of individual colleges fall within the responsibility of the Scottish Funding Council. I have asked its Chief Executive to write to the member.
18 Jan 2012 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what funding for student support in the further education sector was provided in (a) 2009-10 and (b) 2010-11, is provided in 2011-12 and is proposed for (i) 2012-13, (ii) 2013-14 and (iii) 2014-15.
Answer · Michael Russell: Matters relating to the funding of colleges fall within the responsibility of the Scottish Funding Council. Funding for student support in the further education sector is detailed in the following table. Year Total Student Baseline £ Million Addition to …
18 Jan 2012 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what budget is allocated for each college for (a) 2012-13, (b) 2013-14 and (c) 2014-15.
Answer · Michael Russell: Matters relating to the funding of individual colleges fall within the responsibility of the Scottish Funding Council. I have asked its Chief Executive to write to the member.
18 Jan 2012 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what budget was proposed for each college when the Scottish Spending Review 2011 and Draft Budget 2012-13 was published.
Answer · Michael Russell: Matters relating to the funding of individual colleges fall within the responsibility of the Scottish Funding Council. I have asked its Chief Executive to write to the member.
18 Jan 2012 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether discussions have taken place regarding changing the further education budget since the publication of the Scottish Spending Review 2011 and Draft Budget 2012-13.
Answer · Michael Russell: Yes. Discussions have taken place with a range of interested parties. For example, we have discussed the terms of the college transformation fund with Scotland’s colleges.
18 Jan 2012 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive whether changes are being made to the block grant being provided to the further education sector as proposed in the Scottish Spending Review 2011 and Draft Budget 2012-13.
Answer · Michael Russell: Yes. For example, the £15 million college transformation fund that I announced on 7 December 2011 will be available to colleges in 2012-13 to support change in the sector and help fund the cost of regional mergers. As in previous years, there may also be in-y…
18 Jan 2012 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive for what reason there has been a delay in confirming with colleges their budget allocation for 2012-13.
Answer · Michael Russell: There has been no delay. The timetable published in our consultation paper on college regionalisation indicated college funding allocations would be made available in March 2012, following parliamentary approval of the 2012-13 budget. This is what we will do.…
18 Jan 2012 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive what the block grant to the further education sector is for (a) 2012-13, (b) 2013-14 and (c) 2014-15.
Answer · Michael Russell: The block grant to the further education sector for (a) 2012-13, (b) 2013-14 and (c) 2014-15 is shown in the following table. The figures for 2012-13 are subject to parliamentary approval and the figures for 2013-14 and 2014-15 are plans. The capital split be…
16 Jan 2012 · First Minister's Question
To ask the First Minister whether the Scottish Government supports the aims of the National Union of Students Scotland campaign, Our Future, Our Fight.
4 Jan 2012 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many full-scale responses have been required at prisons other than HMP Addiewell in the last five years.
Answer · Kenny MacAskill: I have asked John Ewing, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service, to respond. His response is as follows: There have been no “full-scale” responses at prisons in the last five years, inclusive of HMP Addiewell. All incidents have been resolved locally…
4 Jan 2012 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Executive how many full-scale responses have been required at HMP Addiewell since it opened and what the cause was in each case.
Answer · Kenny MacAskill: I have asked John Ewing, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service (SPS), to respond. His response is as follows: There have been no “full-scale” responses required at HMP Addiewell since it opened in 2008. The SPS defines a “full-scale” or Level 3 inc…