Questions and answers

Question reference: S5O-00756

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 01 March 2017
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 9 March 2017

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde’s review of GP out-of-hours services.

Question reference: S5O-00707

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 22 February 2017
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 1 March 2017

To ask the Scottish Government what support it is providing for the paddle steamer, Maid of the Loch.

The Scottish Government acknowledges the work that the Loch Lomond Steamship Company is undertaking to bring this iconic vessel back into operation. Scottish Government officials, along with representatives from Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park Authority, VisitScotland and Scottish Enterprise have offered to collectively meet the owners of the paddle steamer to discuss public sector engagement.

The National Park Authority also continues to work closely with the company, providing advisory support and access to facilities. As part of this support, the National Park Authority will be reviewing the piers and infrastructure around Loch Lomond to see how best to accommodate the Maid of the Loch in the future.

Question reference: S5W-06736

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 31 January 2017
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 22 February 2017

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the impact of changing the eligibility criteria for free bus travel on women born in the 1950s who are also affected by the increase in the state pension age.

Over the coming months, we will be engaging with stakeholders across Scotland to listen carefully to their views so that we may understand the social, equality and other impacts of possible changes that might be made to the scheme.

This early period of engagement will lead to a more formal written consultation later in the year on ways in which we might help ensure the longer-term sustainability of concessionary travel.

I do not wish to pre-empt the conclusions of those discussions. However. if the formal consultation includes options to change the eligibility criteria for the National Concessionary Travel Scheme, we will consider the potential impacts on groups that might be affected as part of the consultation process.

I would add that I will be meeting representatives of Women Against State Pension Inequality (WASPI) in the near future to discuss the proposed consultation.

Question reference: S5W-06737

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 31 January 2017
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 22 February 2017

In terms of the The National Bus Travel Concession Scheme for Older and Disabled Persons (Eligible Persons and Eligible Services) (Scotland) Order 2006, all persons aged 60 or over are eligible for free bus travel.

In the coming months the Scottish Government will be consulting on ways in which to ensure the longer term sustainability of the Concessionary Travel Scheme, through initial engagement with stakeholders leading to a formal open and transparent public consultation later in the year. I do not wish to pre-empt the conclusions of those discussions.

Question reference: S5W-06980

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 09 February 2017
Current Status: Answered by James Wolffe QC on 17 February 2017

To ask the Scottish Government whether the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service plans to commence proceedings in the Caroline Glachan case.

I refer to the questions raised by Ms Baillie MSP for Dumbarton addressed to the Scottish Government in relation to the case of Caroline Glachan. I respond as head of the system of prosecution and investigation of deaths. Caroline Glachan was murdered on 25 August 1996. Her remains were found near the west bank of the river Leven close to Place of Bonhill, Renton, Alexandria. She was aged 14. The circumstances of her death have been the subject of a number of reports submitted by the police to the Crown throughout the years. To date no one has been charged with her murder .There are no plans to commence proceedings at this time. There is insufficient evidence to do so. The police and Caroline’s family made a plea for information on 8 January this year to coincide with what would have been her
35th birthday. As part of that appeal it was made clear any new evidence or lines of enquiry would be pursued and that any opportunities available as a result of advances in forensic science would be applied. The results of these enquiries will be reported to the Crown by the police. The matter will be dealt with by the Crown Office & Procurator Fiscal Service’s Cold Case Review Unit, which is responsible for such cases. Caroline’s family will be advised of any developments.

Question reference: S5W-06981

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 09 February 2017
Current Status: Answered by James Wolffe QC on 17 February 2017

To ask the Scottish Government whether the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service has received a report from Police Scotland regarding the Caroline Glachan case.

I refer to the questions raised by Ms Baillie MSP for Dumbarton addressed to the Scottish Government in relation to the case of Caroline Glachan. I respond as head of the system of prosecution and investigation of deaths. Caroline Glachan was murdered on 25 August 1996. Her remains were found near the west bank of the river Leven close to Place of Bonhill, Renton, Alexandria. She was aged 14. The circumstances of her death have been the subject of a number of reports submitted by the police to the Crown throughout the years. To date no one has been charged with her murder .There are no plans to commence proceedings at this time. There is insufficient evidence to do so. The police and Caroline’s family made a plea for information on 8 January this year to coincide with what would have been her
35th birthday. As part of that appeal it was made clear any new evidence or lines of enquiry would be pursued and that any opportunities available as a result of advances in forensic science would be applied. The results of these enquiries will be reported to the Crown by the police. The matter will be dealt with by the Crown Office & Procurator Fiscal Service’s Cold Case Review Unit, which is responsible for such cases. Caroline’s family will be advised of any developments.

Question reference: S5W-06751

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 01 February 2017
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 16 February 2017

The request for information on pupil and teacher numbers for each school can be found in the school contacts list at the link below:

http://www.gov.scot/Topics/Statistics/Browse/School-Education/Datasets. This data comes from the teacher and pupil censuses, which is carried out in September each year.

For ease of information please see the following table with teacher/pupil ratios for the years requested.

School	2011	2012	2013	2014	2015	2016
Corseford Residential School	4.8	4.3	3.9	4.1	3.2	2.6
Craighalbert Centre - SCCMI	5.5	9.5	6.0	3.7	3.3	3.9
Donaldson's School	3.0	3.1	2.7	2.8	5.9	12.4
East Park School	2.7	1.8	2.8	2.9	3.0	5.6
Harmeny Education Trust	3.0	3.2	3.0	3.3	3.2	2.6
Royal Blind School	2.5	2.3	2.3	2.1	1.8	2.3
Stanmore House School	5.1	4.8	5.8	4.1	4.6	5.6

All grant-aided special schools	3.2	3.1	2.9	2.9	3.1	3.8

Question reference: S5W-06753

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 01 February 2017
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 16 February 2017

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-05648 by John Swinney on 30 December 2016, whether grant-aided special schools are obliged to provide access to (a) school nurses, (b) speech and language therapists and (c) physiotherapists.

Question reference: S5W-06752

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 01 February 2017
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 16 February 2017

To ask the Scottish Government what action it takes if a grant-aided special school is deemed to be failing.

Grant-aided special schools are subject to frequent inspections from Education Scotland through a cycle of inspections of grant-aided schools, residential special schools and secure care establishments. HM Inspectors evaluate how well schools are performing using quality indicators from How Good is Our School? 4. If a school receives a 'Weak' or 'Unsatisfactory' evaluation for any of the quality indicators scrutinised by HM Inspectors then the school will be subject to 'continuing engagement'.

Furthermore, Section 66 of the Education (Scotland) Act 1980 provides Ministers with a range of powers to require action to be taken to secure improvement. This applies to all schools, including grant-aided special schools.

Question reference: S5W-06750

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 01 February 2017
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 16 February 2017

To ask the Scottish Government what guidance it publishes on (a) class sizes and (b) pupil/teacher ratios in grant-aided special schools.

The Scottish Negotiating Committee for Teachers (SNCT) sets out the pay and conditions of service for teachers (including class sizes) for teachers and associated professionals employed by Scottish Councils. As grant-aided special schools are independent of Scottish Councils and the Scottish Government, pay and conditions set by the SNCT do not automatically apply. It is for each grant-aided special school (as it is for independent schools) and its Board of Governors to decide if they wish to self-govern under the SNCT Handbook.

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