Parliamentary questions
Ross Greer
616 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.
22 Jun 2021 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government for what reason the latest agreement between Scottish Enterprise and Flamingo Land includes a proposed 125-year lease of the site at Balloch, West Dunbartonshire, in contrast to the previous agreement, which proposed the sale of the land.
Answer · Kate Forbes: This is an operational matter for Scottish Enterprise. I will ask its Interim Chief Executive to write to you in this regard.
22 Jun 2021 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the comments in the letter from the Cabinet Secretary for Finance to Patrick Harvie on 26 February 2020, what improvements were funded from the additional £5 million allocated in the 2020-21 budget to Transport Scotland “to work up detailed proposals for final investment deci…
Answer · Graeme Dey: The additional £5 million funding allocated in the 2020-21 budget has been used by Transport Scotland to support the rail decarbonisation programme which includes the work currently being undertaken to electrify the routes between Glasgow and Barrhead, and Gl…
22 Jun 2021 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what projects it is supporting at the Hunterston PARC site in North Ayrshire (a) as part of the Ayrshire Growth Deal and (b) by any other means.
Answer · Kate Forbes: The Ayrshire Growth Deal, signed in November 2019, includes a commitment from the Scottish Government of £103 million investment over the next 10 years ensuring the long term inclusive growth for Ayrshire. The UK Government will match this funding, and region…
14 Jun 2021 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what plans are in place to offer COVID-19 vaccinations to international students arriving in Scotland for the 2021-22 academic year.
Answer · Humza Yousaf: Scottish Government plans are at an advanced stage in respect to forward planning for international students. It is the intention to vaccine international students, who require the COVID -19 Vaccination. We are in discussion with other interested parties and …
14 Jun 2021 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many students from outwith the Common Travel Area it estimates will arrive in Scotland for the start of the 2021-22 academic year.
Answer · Jamie Hepburn: In the academic year 2019-20, the latest for which we have complete data, there were around 60,000 students from outside the Common travel area enrolling at a Scottish University, with around half this number (30,000) beginning a new course and the other half…
14 Jun 2021 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what the total capacity will be of designated quarantine accommodation for university students arriving in Scotland for the 2021-22 academic year.
Answer · Jamie Hepburn: The Scottish Government carries out daily analysis of the occupancy levels in hotels and based on a projected increase in demand from our international students, work is underway to bring on additional capacity to meet this demand. The Scottish Government ha…
14 Jun 2021 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will detail the process by which terms of reference will be developed for the upcoming review of Education Scotland and the SQA, and which bodies will be consulted ahead of terms of reference being agreed.
Answer · Shirley-Anne Somerville: The draft remit for the work of the advisor on education reform was published on 17 June. The remit supports the recommendation made by the OECD for the need to simplify and better align the institutional structures that support our education system. We will …
4 Jun 2021 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to Education Scotland's finding that most local authorities are using the historic exams performance of schools in their moderation process for the 2021 Alternative Certification Model.
Answer · Shirley-Anne Somerville: As the Association of Directors of Education in Scotland has said, it is normal to look at historical school data as part of the quality assurance process in awarding national qualifications. This is designed to help support the best outcomes for our young pe…
4 Jun 2021 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking in response to concerns that there is an increased risk of pollution from sewage in Luss Bay and across Loch Lomond following heavy rainfall events, which are reportedly increasing in frequency.
Answer · Michael Matheson: Luss Bay has a designated Bathing Water and is given special protection to ensure it is safe for people to swim in during the bathing season, which normally runs from 1 June to 15 September. The Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) has determined the…
4 Jun 2021 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether the SQA will hold a live event for 2021 learners before 25 June, to assist these students in seeking further clarity on the Alternative Certification Model and appeals process.
Answer · Shirley-Anne Somerville: The Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA) has provided detailed information on this year’s appeals process on its website that includes Frequently Asked Questions, an interactive chatbot and a flowchart of how the process will work this year. Further detail…
1 Jun 2021 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how local authorities will be selected to pilot the policy of fully-funded deferred entry to primary school in 2022-23, and by what date the local authorities selected will be announced.
Answer · Clare Haughey: To progress the implementation of this policy ahead of August 2023, the Scottish Government and the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities (COSLA) have agreed a Joint Implementation Plan under which five local authorities will pilot early implementation of …
24 May 2021 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will bar the 112 companies identified by the UN Human Rights Office as being involved in activities related to illegal Israeli settlements in occupied Palestine from bidding for contracts to provide goods or services to the Scottish Government and the public bodies for which i…
Answer · Ivan McKee: The Scottish Government supports implementation of the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights and agrees with others in the international community that Israeli settlements are illegal under international law; making it harder for a peaceful two s…
24 May 2021 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will bar the 112 companies identified by the UN Human Rights Office as being involved in activities related to illegal Israeli settlements in occupied Palestine from receiving public grants, account management services or other support from the Scottish Government and the publ…
Answer · Ivan McKee: The Scottish Government supports implementation of the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights and agrees with others in the international community that Israeli settlements are illegal under international law; making it harder for a peaceful two s…
21 May 2021 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on the "fire and rehire" practice, in which college lecturers are reportedly being made redundant while simultaneously being offered course instructor posts on poorer pay and conditions.
Answer · Jamie Hepburn: Colleges are responsible for making workforce-related decisions in line with legislative requirements, the Code of Good Governance for Scotland’s Colleges and the Scottish Funding Council’s Financial Memoranda. Such decisions may take into account the need to…
21 May 2021 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether the Cabinet Secretary for Education has discussed the SQA alternative certification model for 2021 with (a) the Children and Young People's Commissioner Scotland's office or (b) the Equality and Human Rights Commission and, if so, on which dates the discussions took place, what s…
Answer · Shirley-Anne Somerville: The former Cabinet Secretary for Education and Skills wrote to the Children and Young People’s Commissioner Scotland earlier this year in response to correspondence from the Commissioner about this year’s Alternative Certification Model and the Scottish Quali…
21 May 2021 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the resolution of the Parliament on motion S5M-23385 on 18 November 2020, what action it has taken to resource the improvement of ventilation in the school estate.
Answer · Shirley-Anne Somerville: We have published robust guidance on ventilation in schools which has been developed collaboratively with stakeholders, including the Scottish Heads of Property Services Network, and has incorporated the latest SAGE and Health and Safety Executive expert advi…
21 May 2021 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what its assessment is of the effectiveness of Scottish Enterprise’s human rights reputational risk assessments, as introduced from 2019 under the Customer Due Diligence procedure.
Answer · Ivan McKee: Our 2018 Guidance on Due Diligence: Human Rights sets out how the Scottish Government, our executive agencies and non-departmental public bodies should undertake appropriate due diligence on companies, including their human rights record, before entering into…
18 May 2021 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answers to questions S5W-28271 and S5W-35532 by John Swinney on 20 April 2020 and 4 March 2021 respectively, whether it will provide the information for 2020 regarding the number of additional support for learning (a) teachers and (b) classroom assistants there were in ea…
Answer · Shirley-Anne Somerville: (a)Additional Support for Learning Teachers Statistics on the full time equivalent number of additional support for learning teachers by local authority from the 2020 staff census are published in Table 6.5 of the 2020 Teacher Census Supplementary statistics…
5 Mar 2021 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how it will ensure that the £53 million allocated to the Energy, Circular Economy and Environment programme in the Ayrshire Growth Deal will not be used for so-called greenwashing activities that provide limited or no climate/environmental benefit.
Answer · Michael Matheson: The £53 million allocated to the Energy, Circular Economy and Environment programme in the Ayrshire Growth Deal features a £41.5 million investment from the UK Government, with the remaining £11.5 million funded by Ayrshire’s local authorities. The three con…
1 Mar 2021 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the statement by the First Minister on 2 February 2021 (Official Report, c. 13), whether the sectors covered by the expansion of routine workforce COVID-19 testing will include (a) transport and (b) offshore energy production.
Answer · Mairi Gougeon: Asymptomatic testing is a useful tool in our fight against coronavirus but it must be used in conjunction with other mitigations. All general and sectoral guidance must still be followed even where asymptomatic testing is taking place – including 2 metre dist…
25 Feb 2021 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on its progress implementing the recommendations of the review of personal and social education.
Answer · John Swinney: The Scottish Government remains committed to delivering and implementing the recommendations of the review, as personal and social education (PSE) offers us an opportunity to ensure children and young people are prepared for the issues and challenges life may…
24 Feb 2021 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on working with the higher and further education sectors to establish a “no detriment” policy for students whose studies have been disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Answer · Richard Lochhead: The Scottish Government are in discussion with students, universities and colleges on approaches to minimise the impact of COVID-19. An immediate priority is to enable students to continue and complete their learner journeys and move into employment or furthe…
24 Feb 2021 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to ensure that students can access the Higher Education (HE) Coronavirus Discretionary Fund, and whether it will continue payments after 31 March 2020.
Answer · Richard Lochhead: The £22 million HE Coronavirus Discretionary Fund was issued to colleges and universities in February 2021. These funds are available to all students studying a course of Higher Education who are facing financial hardship including EU/ international students …
24 Feb 2021 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to ensure that the money allocated to the Higher Education (HE) Coronavirus Discretionary Fund is used to support students experiencing hardship.
Answer · Richard Lochhead: Guidance has been issued to colleges and universities to support the administration of the £22 million HE Coronavirus Discretionary Fund. This document complements the main Discretionary Fund guidance which is produced and provided each year by the Student Aw…
24 Feb 2021 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-03736 by Keith Brown on 31 October 2016, whether it will provide the information for 2020-21, also broken down by what information it has regarding which companies received funding; how much they received, and the purpose of their award.
Answer · Fiona Hyslop: The Scottish Government does not provide funding for the manufacture of munitions – either directly or via our enterprise agencies. The support provided is mainly focused on helping firms to diversify and develop non-military applications for their technology…
24 Feb 2021 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-28271 by John Swinney on 20 April 2020, whether it will provide the information for 2020 regarding the number of additional support for learning (a) teachers and (b) classroom assistants there were in each local authority.
Answer · John Swinney: Statistics on the number of additional support for learning teachers in each local authority for 2020 will be published in the 2020 Teacher Census Supplementary Statistics on 23rd March 2021. The use of the term 'classroom assistant' varies between local aut…
24 Feb 2021 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether the information ordinarily included in the Pupil Census Supplementary Statistics 2020 will be published before 25 March 2021.
Answer · John Swinney: The pupil census supplementary statistics 2020 will be published on 23 March 2021.
18 Feb 2021 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, following reports of a serious incident at Hunterston Jetty on 2 February 2021, how it plans to work with stakeholders to ensure that (a) the incident is fully investigated and (b) action is taken to prevent future incidents from taking place.
Answer · Paul Wheelhouse: Shipping safety is a matter reserved to the UK Government. The Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) undertook General Inspections on the Ensco DS-8 vessel on 9 February and on the Valaris DS-4 vessel on 10 February. During these inspections a number of defici…
17 Feb 2021 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government (a) how external input will be fed into the OECD Review of Curriculum for Excellence and (b) whether this will include the acceptance of written evidence.
Answer · John Swinney: As set out in the remit agreed for the Independent Review of Curriculum for Excellence, published on 26 February 2020, the OECD has been undertaking the Review using its Implementing Policies: Supporting Change in Education Framework . The OECD uses this fra…
15 Feb 2021 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether the COVID-19 testing for school staff and senior pupils will cover early years' staff, and what the reasons are for its position on this matter.
Answer · Maree Todd: On the 2 February, the First Minister confirmed that the Scottish Government will introduce a routine testing programme for schools and childcare staff. This includes all Early Learning and Childcare (ELC) and School-aged Childcare (SAC) staff. The safety of…