Parliamentary questions
Liam Kerr
2,165 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.
2 Nov 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-21483 by Graeme Dey on 3 October 2023, when it expects to conclude its consideration of options, and (a) in what form and (b) when it will publish its conclusions.
Answer · Graeme Dey: The Scottish Government is still awaiting some responses to the Lessons Learned report from partners in the National Collective Bargaining process and is currently considering next steps with respect to the report’s recommendations that are for Scottish Gover…
31 Oct 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether any funds realised from the apprenticeship levy are used to fund the Flexible Workforce Development Fund, and, if so, what proportion of such funds are used in this way.
Answer · Graeme Dey: As noted earlier in the year in a similar parliamentary question , the UK Government Apprenticeship Levy is a reserved tax on employers which was implemented by the UK Government. Scotland receives a proportionate share of tax revenues via the block grant a…
28 Oct 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-21959 by Jenny Gilruth on 27 October 2023, for what reason the answer did not address the explicit point in both the original question and the follow-up question regarding what consequences there are for local authorities that do not meet its commit…
Answer · Jenny Gilruth: As stated in the original answer, we continue to work to develop plans on the provision of digital devices, which includes ensuring appropriate consideration of funding, monitoring and reporting. Given the extremely challenging financial climate, it is import…
28 Oct 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-21885 by Jenny Gilruth on 26 October 2023, whether it will provide the information requested regarding what consequences local authorities will face if they do not increase teacher numbers to the levels that it requires; for what reason it did not p…
Answer · Jenny Gilruth: Further to the answer S6W-21885, we have been clear that if increased teacher numbers are not maintained, we reserve the right to withhold or recoup funding which has been given for this purpose. That data will be available following publication of the Summa…
27 Oct 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-21423 by Jenny Gilruth on 2 October 2023, whether it will provide the number of probationers that were bid for, and the number allocated, broken down by subject, as well as by local authority.
Answer · Jenny Gilruth: The detailed information requested is currently being collated and once it is available it will be placed in the Scottish Parliament Information centre under Bib. Number 64646.
26 Oct 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government when it expects to launch the national digital academy.
Answer · Jenny Gilruth: Scottish Government and Education Scotland are currently developing options for a National Digital Academy. Details of timescales and funding will be available when these are complete. The National e-Learning offer (a range of live, recorded and supported re…
26 Oct 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the creation of a national digital academy.
Answer · Jenny Gilruth: Scottish Government and Education Scotland are currently developing options for a National Digital Academy. An update will be available when these are complete.
26 Oct 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what the total cost has been to date of its development of the national digital academy, and what the projected final cost will be.
Answer · Jenny Gilruth: Scottish Government and Education Scotland are currently developing options for a national digital academy. These will include an estimate of costs.
18 Oct 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what consultation was undertaken before launching the plans for the Centre of Teaching Excellence, including (a) the specific bodies or individuals that were involved and (b) when this took place, and when any minutes of relevant discussions will be published.
Answer · Jenny Gilruth: The Scottish Government undertakes regular engagement and consultation with the teaching profession, Scotland’s national education bodies, professional associations and wider stakeholders. The June 2021 report from the OECD, “Scotland’s Curriculum for Excell…
18 Oct 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what the core purpose of the Centre of Teaching Excellence will be, and how success will be measured.
Answer · Jenny Gilruth: I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-22299 on 16 November 2023. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-commit…
18 Oct 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government against what outputs the performance of the Centre of Teaching Excellence will be measured.
Answer · Jenny Gilruth: I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-22299 on 16 November 2023. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-commit…
18 Oct 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether the Centre of Teaching Excellence will report to the Cabinet Secretary for Education and Skills.
Answer · Jenny Gilruth: I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-22299 on 16 November 2023. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-commit…
18 Oct 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what role it anticipates the Centre of Teaching Excellence will have regarding the development of senior phase assessments.
Answer · Jenny Gilruth: The SQA has responsibility for developing and delivering the vast majority of Senior Phase qualifications and this responsibility will pass to its successor body. Teaching professionals are, and will continue to be, involved in the delivery of qualifications.
18 Oct 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what role it anticipates the Centre of Teaching Excellence will have regarding the development of the school curriculum.
Answer · Jenny Gilruth: I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-22299 on 16 November 2023. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-commit…
18 Oct 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what weekly interactions it anticipates the Centre of Teaching Excellence will have with individual teachers and schools.
Answer · Jenny Gilruth: I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-22299 on 16 November 2023. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-commit…
18 Oct 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government in what fundamental respects the Centre of Teaching Excellence will be different from Education Scotland.
Answer · Jenny Gilruth: I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-22299 on 16 November 2023. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-commit…
18 Oct 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what it anticipates the cost will be of (a) consulting on, (b) establishing, (c) launching and (d) the ongoing running of the Centre of Teaching Excellence.
Answer · Jenny Gilruth: I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-22299 on 16 November 2023. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-commit…
18 Oct 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government when the Centre of Teaching Excellence is expected to be launched, to the nearest year.
Answer · Jenny Gilruth: The Scottish Government’s national mission to close the poverty related attainment gap will be supported by the establishment of a Centre of Teaching Excellence. The Centre is being progressed as part of the Education Reform programme; I updated Parliament i…
12 Oct 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-21418 by Jenny Gilruth on 9 October 2023, what discussions it has had with local authorities regarding (a) whether pupils who have received a free laptop or other digital device will receive a replacement device should theirs break, (b) how swif…
Answer · Jenny Gilruth: We continue to work with COSLA and local authority partners to develop delivery plans. This includes consideration of funding, monitoring and reporting. At present local authorities are responsible for the management of their own digital assets and will have …
12 Oct 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-15474 by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 10 March 2023, how much of the £13 million allocated in its Budget 2023-24 has been allocated to date; which local authorities have received funding; what proportion of the allocated funding each local authority r…
Answer · Jenny Gilruth: We continue to work with partners to further delivery of this commitment. This includes consideration of the delivery and funding model.
12 Oct 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-20954 by Jenny Gilruth on 19 September 2023, whether it or local authorities will meet the cost to "update when necessary" the laptops, Chromebooks and tablets that are given to school children in Scotland.
Answer · Jenny Gilruth: I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-20954 on 19 September 2023 . All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at - https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-co…
12 Oct 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-15474 by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 10 March 2023, how much of the £140 million to support the roll-out of digital devices in the Capital Spending Review has been allocated to date; how much will be allocated before May 2026, and when it expects it …
Answer · Jenny Gilruth: We continue to work with partners to develop delivery plans, including phasing and funding options for this commitment. Details of timescales and funding allocations will be confirmed in due course.
11 Oct 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-15089 by Lorna Slater on 7 March 2023, when, in the remainder of 2023, it plans to complete and publish the Investment Plan outlined in its publication, Scottish Biodiversity Strategy to 2045, Tackling the Nature Emergency in Scotland.
Answer · Lorna Slater: The consultation on the Scottish Biodiversity Framework closes on 14 December 2023. We will consider the analysis of responses and publish the final Strategy and Delivery Plan in Spring 2024, and the Biodiversity Investment Plan will follow shortly thereafter…
5 Oct 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many local authorities have local digital learning strategies.
Answer · Jenny Gilruth: The 2016 Digital Learning and Teaching strategy sets out our expectation that local authorities will develop strategies to support the appropriate and effective use of technology in education. We do not hold a central record of these documents. As indicated…
5 Oct 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-21422 by Jenny Gilruth on 4 October 2023, when the digital strategy for education will be published, and which organisations and stakeholders are contributing to it.
Answer · Jenny Gilruth: We are developing a new digital strategy to support our ongoing commitment to improve digital access for learners. This strategy will define the key elements for successful digital learning and seek to deliver the right technology, in the right place, with a …
5 Oct 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-21487 by Graeme Dey on 3 October 2023, what progress it has made regarding the next round of the Flexible Workforce Development Fund; whether it plans to announce the next round of the fund in 2023, and what discussions and meetings it has had with …
Answer · Graeme Dey: Budget discussions are still ongoing. We are working hard to confirm the final position for FWDF in 2023-24 as quickly as possible. An announcement will be made once a final decision has been reached. Meetings with the Scottish Funding Council and Skills Deve…
3 Oct 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-21421 by Jenny Gilruth on 2 October 2023, in relation to the 280,000 devices that have been distributed, whether it can provide a breakdown by type of device, including for example, laptop and tablet, and, at the point of distribution, how many devi…
Answer · Jenny Gilruth: It is for local authorities to hold information on the type or condition of those devices that have been distributed across primary and secondary settings within individual local authorities.
3 Oct 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether the conclusions of the Audit Scotland report, Investing in Scotland's infrastructure, and, in particular, the stated change in status of the Borders railway decarbonisation project to "Paused", alter the status of the Rail Services Decarbonisation Action Plan's objective to elect…
Answer · Fiona Hyslop: The objectives in the July 2020 Rail services Decarbonisation Action Plan DAP currently remain. Any updates will be included in the refreshed plan, which is under development, and is due to be published in the near future.
3 Oct 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-19661 by Jenny Gilruth on 31 July 2023, whether the Student Finance and Wellbeing Study will also include the amount of paid work that postgraduate students are doing within the schools that they are studying, such as convening tutorials or hosting …
Answer · Graeme Dey: The Student Finance and Wellbeing Study (academic year 2023-24) will gather data from college and university students in Scotland on their level of study, the number of hours they have worked in the last week, the sector that their job(s) is/are in, and wheth…
3 Oct 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-19661 by Jenny Gilruth on 31 July 2023, when it will conclude and publish the findings of the Student Finance and Wellbeing Study, which will provide data on paid work undertaken by students.
Answer · Graeme Dey: The findings from the Student Finance and Wellbeing Study are due to be published in a Scottish Government Social Research report in late summer 2024.