Chamber and committees

Questions and answers

Parliamentary questions can be asked by any MSP to the Scottish Government or the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body. The questions provide a means for MSPs to get factual and statistical information.

Written questions must be answered within 10 working days (20 working days during recess)
Other questions such as Topical, Portfolio, General and First Minister's Question Times are taken in the Chamber

Urgent Questions aren't included in the Question and Answers search. There is a SPICe fact sheet listing Urgent and emergency questions.

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Question reference: S6W-16508

Asked by: Meghan Gallacher, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 05 April 2023
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 2 May 2023

To ask the Scottish Government how it will ensure continued efficient implementation of the 1+2 languages policy, in light of the reduction in funding allocated in 2023-24.

The Scottish Government continues to support language learning in schools. We are maintaining grant funding to key delivery partners, such as Scotland’s National Centre for Languages, to support schools and local authorities to deliver high-quality language learning.

Local authority funding in support of implementing the 1+2 approach was originally planned to cease after 2020-21. However, it was extended for a further two years in recognition of the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic. This was provided to help local authorities consolidate their progress and prepare strategies to ensure language learning continues to be a normal part of the curriculum.

The implementation of the 1+2 approach has led to language learning from P1 to S3 becoming a normalised part of the Broad General Education. Our surveys of local authorities show that 98% of primary schools and 100% of secondary schools now report offering language learning within the terms of the policy.

Question reference: S6W-16504

Asked by: Meghan Gallacher, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 30 March 2023
Current Status: Answered by Graeme Dey on 27 April 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what measures are being considered to provide additional support to higher education institutions to prevent their modern languages departments from being reduced or closed.

Scotland has universities that are not only world leaders in education and research but also key drivers of the Scottish economy and we recognise as part of that modern language provision plays an important role

Scottish universities are autonomous institutions and as such the Scottish Government does not intervene in internal institutional matters. With the exception of controlled subjects, the Scottish Government does not direct individual universities on the number of funded places made available for eligible Scottish and EU domicile students. Universities are allocated a finite amount of money. It is then for the universities themselves to decide: how to distribute these places between faculties; the courses they offer; and how many of the total funded places will be available on each course. When looking at modern language provision it is important to recognise that the university sector is not homogeneous, with different institutions providing different types of courses addressing different learner needs.

The 2023-24 Budget allocated nearly £2 billion to Scotland’s universities and colleges through the Scottish Funding Council, demonstrating our commitment to supporting our learners and institutions.

Question reference: S6W-16399

Asked by: Meghan Gallacher, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 30 March 2023
Current Status: Answered by Graeme Dey on 27 April 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the report, Impact of Scotland’s Developing Young Workforce Strategy on Employer Engagement, and what its position is on the fourteen recommendations made.

Question reference: S6W-16398

Asked by: Meghan Gallacher, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 30 March 2023
Current Status: Answered by Graeme Dey on 27 April 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the report, Impact of Scotland’s Developing Young Workforce Strategy on Education, and what its position is on the five recommendations made.

Question reference: S6O-02174

Asked by: Meghan Gallacher, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 26 April 2023
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 3 May 2023

To ask the Scottish Government how much it has allocated from its Budget to cover any additional costs resulting from the delay to the Deposit Return Scheme.

Question reference: S6W-16401

Asked by: Meghan Gallacher, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 30 March 2023
Current Status: Answered by Natalie Don on 26 April 2023

To ask the Scottish Government when it will introduce a minimum national allowance for foster and kinship care, and for what reason it has not yet done so.

The Scottish Government is committed to working constructively with COSLA to set a Scottish Recommended Allowance for foster and kinship allowances. Officials are meeting on a regular basis and these conversations have been constructive, yet challenging, given the wider financial environment. We know that it has taken longer than originally anticipated, which is why we are exploring all available options, and working at pace with COSLA to deliver the allowance as soon as possible.

Question reference: S6W-16402

Asked by: Meghan Gallacher, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 30 March 2023
Current Status: Answered by Natalie Don on 26 April 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the potential impact of not providing the planned minimum national allowance for foster and kinship care, on those who would be entitled to such an allowance.

The rate of payment for the Scottish Recommended Allowance is still subject to negotiations with COSLA and, therefore, we have not undertaken an impact assessment. Foster and kinship carers are, however, already entitled to an allowance at a rate set by the local authority, which is age dependent, and should cover the needs of the child. Many local authorities also make additional payments to cover specific requirements. The variation in rates means that it is likely that some local authorities may already be paying a rate that will be equal to, or above, a new national minimum rate. The Scottish Recommended Allowance will, however, ensure that a consistent and transparent level of financial support is provided to all foster and kinship carers across the country.

Question reference: S6W-16396

Asked by: Meghan Gallacher, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 29 March 2023
Current Status: Answered by Graeme Dey on 25 April 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will increase the number of modern apprenticeship places to at least 27,000, in light of reported calls from businesses for such an increase.

Question reference: S6O-02161

Asked by: Meghan Gallacher, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 19 April 2023
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 27 April 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to tackle the vacancies in Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services.

Question reference: S6W-16403

Asked by: Meghan Gallacher, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 29 March 2023
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 18 April 2023

To ask the Scottish Government how many children will not have received free school meals as a result of the reported two-year delay, from September 2022 to September 2024, in providing free school meals for all primary school children.

Free school meals are universally available during term-time to all children in primaries 1 to 5 at publicly-funded schools and to all children at publicly-funded special schools.

After primary 5, children and young people remain eligible to receive free school meals if their families meet the eligibility criteria set out within legislation until they leave school. This is the most generous provision of free school meals across the UK. However, it is for children, young people and their families to choose to take up this provision.

We remain committed to expanding universal free school meals to all primary school pupils over the course of this parliament, and our next step towards this will be the expansion of free school meals for all Primary 6 and 7 pupils in receipt of the Scottish Child Payment.