Parliamentary questions

Neil Bibby

1,029 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.

29 Jan 2014 · Portfolio Question

To ask the Scottish Government what account the business case for the Edinburgh Glasgow Improvement Programme takes of the impact that construction work could have on passenger numbers.

12 Dec 2013 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many (a) librarians and (b) science technicians there have been in schools in each year since 2007, also broken down by local authority.

Answer · Alasdair Allan: The number employed by each local authority is a decision for that authority alone. The information you requested on librarians and science technicians is, however provided in the following tables: Number of library staff (Full time equivalent) by local auth…

12 Dec 2013 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many (a) classroom assistants and (b) additional support for learning staff there have been in schools in each year since 2007, also broken down by local authority.

Answer · Alasdair Allan: The number employed by each local authority is a decision for that authority alone. The information you requested on classroom assistants and additional support for learning staff is, however, provided in the following tables: Number of classroom assistant…

12 Dec 2013 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many (a) breakfast and (b) after-school clubs have been organised by schools in each year since 2007, also broken down by local authority.

Answer · Alasdair Allan: Information on the number of schools providing breakfast clubs was collected as part of the annual school meals survey until 2010. This information is published on the Scottish Government website in table 23 of the annual School Meals in Scotland publication.…

10 Dec 2013 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to encourage the development of rugby league and build on Scotland’s successful performance at the 2013 Rugby League World Cup.

Answer · Shona Robison: The Scottish Government is continuing to invest in Scotland Rugby League through sportscotland to build on the success at the 2013 Rugby League World Cup and the good work of the sport’s governing body in developing the sport and increasing participation.

4 Dec 2013 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many more social houses it estimates are needed to meet the demand for permanent accommodation.

Answer · Margaret Burgess: The demand for permanent accommodation can be met through different types of housing tenures, of which social housing plays a vital role but it is distinct from housing need. Whilst specific assessments of housing need are made by local authorities, the suppl…

4 Dec 2013 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many people are estimated to sleep rough due to a lack of emergency accommodation in each local authority area.

Answer · Margaret Burgess: During 2012-13, 1,745 applications contained someone who had slept rough on the night immediately preceding the day they made their homelessness application. A further breakdown of the reasons for sleeping rough is not held centrally. 2012-13 Local Autho…

4 Dec 2013 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to increase the availability of emergency accommodation for homeless people.

Answer · Margaret Burgess: It is the responsibility of local authorities to ensure there is adequate provision of temporary accommodation to meet the demands of homelessness applications. The Scottish Government is providing over £10.3 billion to local government in 2013-14, which incl…

4 Dec 2013 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how it supports local authorities to provide emergency accommodation for homeless people.

Answer · Margaret Burgess: Local authorities in Scotland have a statutory duty to provide temporary accommodation for all homeless people. The Scottish Government is providing local government in Scotland with over £10.3 billion in 2013-14. It is the responsibility of each local author…

4 Dec 2013 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government with what organisations it discussed the costs for the proposed increase in childcare provision as outlined in its white paper on independence.

Answer · Aileen Campbell: The Scottish Government regularly discusses childcare, including the issue of costs, with a range of relevant organisations.

4 Dec 2013 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it would (a) increase, (b) decrease or (c) maintain the current pre-school staff/child ratios in an independent Scotland.

Answer · Aileen Campbell: The Scottish Government has no plans to make changes to the current staff: child ratios for pre-school.

4 Dec 2013 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what minimum qualification would be required by people employed to deliver early learning and childcare as discussed in its white paper on independence.

Answer · Aileen Campbell: I refer the member to the answer to question S4W-18713 on 8 January 2013. 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…

4 Dec 2013 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether the term "childcare" in its white paper on independence is to be read as "early learning and childcare".

Answer · Aileen Campbell: Yes.

4 Dec 2013 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what training costs would arise from its proposed increase in the number of people to deliver early learning and childcare provision.

Answer · Aileen Campbell: The proposals set out within “Scotland’s Future” to increase early learning and childcare provision are phased over time, to allow for the building of capacity in the sector, including the recruitment and training of additional staff.

4 Dec 2013 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether the proposed 1,140 hours of childcare for all one-year-old to school age children would be paid for without increasing any rates of taxation.

Answer · Aileen Campbell: Independence offers the opportunity to bring in this long-term proposal as tax revenues generated by more women returning to the labour market will stay in Scotland. The initial investment in early learning and childcare will be funded from the savings and in…

4 Dec 2013 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what contingency it would put in place to fund its proposed increase in childcare provision in the event of fluctuations in employment levels.

Answer · Aileen Campbell: As set in “Scotland’s Future”, the Scottish Government has identified £600 million of savings or increases in revenue that would be implemented with independence, including ending the married couples tax allowance, cancelling the Shares for Rights Scheme, str…

4 Dec 2013 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what the expected annual increase in tax revenues would be from providing (a) 600 hours of childcare to half of the country's two-year-olds, (b) 1,140 hours of childcare to three and four-year-olds and vulnerable two-year-olds and (c) 1,140 hours of childcare to all children from one to …

Answer · Aileen Campbell: Improving access to high quality early learning and childcare reduces barriers to parents’ participation in the labour market and is considered to be a crucial element of the wider equality and welfare policy package that would improve economic activity, part…

4 Dec 2013 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many of the estimated 35,000 new jobs to be created by its proposed increase in childcare provision will result from providing (a) 600 hours of childcare to half of the country’s two-year-olds, (b) 1,140 hours of childcare to three and four-year-olds and vulnerable two-year-olds and …

Answer · Aileen Campbell: The issue of workforce planning for the phased expansion of early learning and childcare set out within “Scotland’s Future” will be considered by the Scottish Government.

4 Dec 2013 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what its estimate is of the (a) total, (b) capital, (c) revenue and (d) other costs of providing (i) 600 hours of childcare to half of the country’s two-year-olds, (ii) 1,140 hours of childcare to three and four-year-olds and vulnerable two-year-olds and (iii) 1,140 hours of childcare to…

Answer · Aileen Campbell: As set out in “Scotland’s Future”, in its first budget after independence, the Scottish Government will commit £100 million to extend 600 hours a year of early learning and childcare to nearly half of Scotland’s two year olds. By the end of the first Parliam…

25 Nov 2013 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Government for what reason it considers that, in the event of Scotland becoming independent, charging UK students tuition fees but not students from other EU countries will be compatible with EU law.

25 Nov 2013 · Topical Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the implementation of the new Higher exams.

30 Oct 2013 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Government for what reason the Procurement Reform (Scotland) Bill does not refer to the living wage.