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.

Find out more about parliamentary questions

Filter your results Hide all filters

Displaying 940 questions Show Answers

Order by |

Question reference: S2W-24232

Asked by: Fiona Hyslop, MSP for Lothians, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 14 March 2006
Current Status: Answered by Robert Brown on 23 March 2006

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will take steps to increase the number of residential places available for the children of drug or alcohol-dependent parents.

Through integratedchildren’s services planning, it is for local agencies to determine theservices needed in their local area to make sure children get the help theyneed when they need it.

It is, therefore, for localauthorities to ensure they have sufficient foster and residential placesavailable for vulnerable children. To assist local authorities further, we areproviding an additional £12 million funding over two years to enable them to improverecruitment and retention of foster carers, and to increase placement choice.

Question reference: S2W-24231

Asked by: Fiona Hyslop, MSP for Lothians, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 14 March 2006
Current Status: Answered by Hugh Henry on 23 March 2006

To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it is taking to improve services for children of drug or alcohol-dependent parents.

The proposals in Gettingit Right for Every Child will improve services for all children, includingthose whose parents are misusing drugs or alcohol. This will be achieved throughintegrated assessments, a single electronic record and an agreed plan of actionto meet an individual’s needs. Where multi-agency inputs are required, a leadprofessional will be appointed to ensure that agreed actions are undertaken andthat progress is reviewed.

Question reference: S2W-24049

Asked by: Fiona Hyslop, MSP for Lothians, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 09 March 2006
Current Status: Answered by Nicol Stephen on 23 March 2006

To ask the Scottish Executive why Higher and Further Education Students’ Income, Expenditure and Debt in Scotland 2004-2005 excluded data from students studying nursing or midwifery.

Nursing and Midwiferystudents were not included in the Higher and Further Students’ Income,Expenditure and Debt in Scotland 2004-05 survey because there are different studentsupport measures in place for them as compared to the majority of HigherEducation Students support by the Students Awards Agency for Scotland.

The survey aimed atcollecting comprehensive data on full-time students’ income, expenditure anddebt, and to identify any differences by students’ socio-economic and institutionalcharacteristics. The focus of the survey is on the condition of students receivingsupport under the mainstream arrangements that came into place in 2001.

Question reference: S2W-24051

Asked by: Fiona Hyslop, MSP for Lothians, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 09 March 2006
Current Status: Answered by Nicol Stephen on 23 March 2006

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it is undertaking research to assess the incomes, expenditures and debt of undergraduate students who started their course before August 2001.

Question reference: S2W-24050

Asked by: Fiona Hyslop, MSP for Lothians, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 09 March 2006
Current Status: Answered by Nicol Stephen on 23 March 2006

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it is undertaking research to assess the incomes, expenditures and debt of students taking courses in subjects allied to medicine.

Question reference: S2W-24053

Asked by: Fiona Hyslop, MSP for Lothians, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 09 March 2006
Current Status: Answered by Nicol Stephen on 23 March 2006

To ask the Scottish Executive what total outstanding debt is owed to the Student Loans Company Ltd by Scottish-domiciled borrowers.

Question reference: S2W-24047

Asked by: Fiona Hyslop, MSP for Lothians, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 09 March 2006
Current Status: Answered by Nicol Stephen on 23 March 2006

To ask the Scottish Executive why Higher and Further Education Students’ Income, Expenditure and Debt in Scotland 2004-2005 excluded data from students taking a course in a subject allied to medicine.

Students taking a course ina subject allied to medicine were not included in the Higher and FurtherStudents’ Income, Expenditure and Debt in Scotland 2004-05 survey because thereare additional student support measures in place for these students as comparedto the majority of Higher Education Students support by the Students AwardsAgency for Scotland.

The survey aimed atcollecting comprehensive data on full-time students’ income, expenditure anddebt, and to identify any differences by students’ socio-economic andinstitutional characteristics. The focus of the survey is on the condition ofstudents receiving support under the mainstream arrangements that came intoplace in 2001.

Question reference: S2W-24256

Asked by: Fiona Hyslop, MSP for Lothians, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 14 March 2006
Current Status: Answered by Peter Peacock on 20 March 2006

To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to improve leadership in schools.

The recent Her Majesty’s Inspectorateof Education report, Improving Scottish Education, highlighted that leadershipis good or very good in over 80% of our schools. The Executive is determined tobuild on this successful performance to improve leadership in all schools and therebyincrease pupil attainment and achievement.

The Executive is undertakinga wide range of initiatives aimed at improving leadership in Scottish education.Some of the priority areas that we are addressing are:

Designing and developing flexibleapproaches to meeting the Standard for Headship;

Supporting the development ofleadership capacity at all levels of the education system;

Increasing the mentoring andcoaching capacity in Scottish education;

Establishing additional supportand development mechanisms for headteachers who are new in post;

Supporting local authoritiesin leadership succession planning, and

Accessing and sharing best practicefrom Scotland, the rest of the UK and international.

Question reference: S2W-24052

Asked by: Fiona Hyslop, MSP for Lothians, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 09 March 2006
Current Status: Answered by Andy Kerr on 17 March 2006

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it is undertaking research to assess the incomes, expenditures and debt of students studying nursing or midwifery.

Question reference: S2W-22890

Asked by: Fiona Hyslop, MSP for Lothians, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 02 February 2006
Current Status: Answered by Cathy Jamieson on 16 March 2006

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will confirm that it does not keep central records in respect of Justice of the Peace appointments and, if so, how it records the number of Secretary of State-appointed Justices of the Peace.