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: S5W-15806

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 04 April 2018
Current Status: Answered by Jamie Hepburn on 19 April 2018

To ask the Scottish Government how many people have taken part each year in the SCVO and Inclusion Scotland disability internship programme.

The “Disability Equality Internship Programme” was a project delivered jointly between SCVO and Inclusion Scotland with funding from the Scottish Government between 2015 and 2017. Scottish Disability Equality Forum (since renamed Disability Equality Scotland) were also a project partner during 2015-2016. The breakdown of internships provided under that project are as follows:

2015-2016: 34 internships

2016-2017: 20 internships

Question reference: S5W-15805

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 04 April 2018
Current Status: Answered by Jamie Hepburn on 19 April 2018

To ask the Scottish Government what action it takes to promote the supported employment model, Project SEARCH.

Scottish Government believes that supported employment has an important role to play in helping disabled people find sustained work.

We are very pleased that there are currently 12 Project Search sites with two in development (Falkirk Council’s site with NHS Forth Valley which is in target to start August 2018; and Shetland Council’s project which is at the initial stage of development).

By 2017:

356 young people had started on a Project SEARCH model;
316 had completed;
220 had moved into fulltime jobs;
69.6% of students who completed the project were in employment.

The Scottish Commission for Learning Disability (SCLD) leads the delivery of Project SEARCH in Scotland. Scottish Government officials are working with SCLD as part of a short life task group on employment. SCLD have also been partners in the development of the programme for the Scottish Government’s Congress on Disability, Employment and the Workplace on 30 th April, where a number of Project SEARCH service users will participate in the day.

We will continue to explore opportunities to promote the Project SEARCH model as we develop plans for greater alignment of learning and skills provision.

Question reference: S5W-15807

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 04 April 2018
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 18 April 2018

To ask the Scottish Government how many people have taken part each year in the NHS internship for disabled graduates programme.

The NHS Professional Careers Programme is a 2 year employment opportunity for disabled graduates and provides a challenging and rewarding experience of employment in NHS Scotland. Each placement is tailored around the graduate and both the graduate and NHS Board are provided with ongoing advice and support. The first cohort, started from October 2015 and provided 24 disabled graduates with employment in NHS Scotland. The success rate for moving into employment after the placement is 95%.

For the second cohort, covering the period 2018-20, a 22 further disabled graduates are currently being placed across NHS Scotland.

Question reference: S5W-15759

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 29 March 2018
Current Status: Answered by Derek Mackay on 17 April 2018

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-14397 by Derek Mackay on 21 February 2018, which four bodies have advised it that they have one project for which a contract containing a project bank account will be awarded in 2018.

Question reference: S5W-15758

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 29 March 2018
Current Status: Answered by Derek Mackay on 17 April 2018

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-14390 by Derek Mackay on 21 February 2018, whether it will provide further details of the 11 contracts worth £354 million that will be awarded shortly.

Further details of eleven projects commissioned by public bodies to which Scottish Government’s project bank account (PBA) policy applies which will be awarded with a PBA over the next 16 months are as follows:

Transport Scotland

1. A9 Luncarty to Pass of Birnam

2. A9 Berriedale Braes Improvement

3. A77 Maybole Bypass

4. A90/A96 Haudagain Improvement

5. A737 The Den Realignment

Highland and Islands Enterprise

1. Inverness Campus Plot 8

2. Orkney Research and Innovation Campus

Scottish Prison Service

1. Women’s National Facility

2. HMP Highland

NHS Grampian

1. The Baird Family Hospital and The ANCHOR Centre Project

The State Hospitals Board for Scotland

1. Perimeter Security and Enhanced Internal Security Systems 2017 project

Further information about each project can be obtained from the relevant public body and, where the project is already advertised, the Public Contracts Scotland website.

Question reference: S5W-15756

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 29 March 2018
Current Status: Answered by Keith Brown on 17 April 2018

To ask the Scottish Government who will undertake the review of the Scottish Business Pledge.

Question reference: S5W-15760

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 29 March 2018
Current Status: Answered by Derek Mackay on 17 April 2018

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-14397 by Derek Mackay on 21 February 2018, which other bodies are considering the option of applying a project bank account to projects due in 2019, which are estimated at £175 million.

Question reference: S5W-15757

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 29 March 2018
Current Status: Answered by Keith Brown on 17 April 2018

To ask the Scottish Government when the findings of the review of the Scottish Business Pledge will be published, and whether they will be presented to the Parliament.

Question reference: S5W-15755

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 29 March 2018
Current Status: Answered by Keith Brown on 17 April 2018

To ask the Scottish Government what the terms of reference are for the review of the Scottish Business Pledge.

Question reference: S5W-15512

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 21 March 2018
Current Status: Answered by Roseanna Cunningham on 29 March 2018

To ask the Scottish Government how many water rates appeals have been (a) submitted and (b) resolved in the last year, broken down by local authority.

Household water and sewerage charges are based on Council Tax Bands.

Non-domestic water and sewerage charges are based on meter readings where meters are installed. Unmeasured charges, such as drainage, are based on Rateable Values. From 1 April 2018, the Rateable Value as shown in the current Valuation Roll, will be used.

The water industry is not responsible for determining Council Tax bands or Rateable Values. The Scottish Government does not therefore collect information about water rates appeals.