- Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Friday, 16 September 2016
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Current Status:
Answered by Fergus Ewing on 30 September 2016
To ask the Scottish Government by what date it will publish the findings of its Reaching 100% superfast broadband project team.
Answer
We will set out our delivery approach, once we have finalised the coverage to be delivered through the existing Digital Scotland Superfast Broadband programme and consulted with the market to confirm future commercial investment plans. We will do this ahead of new procurement activity starting in 2017.
- Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Friday, 16 September 2016
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Current Status:
Answered by Fergus Ewing on 30 September 2016
To ask the Scottish Government what level of simultaneous use would cause an appreciable break or slowdown in broadband service.
Answer
There are a wide range of factors that can impact broadband speeds or service, not limited to the level of simultaneous use.
- Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Friday, 16 September 2016
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Current Status:
Answered by Fergus Ewing on 30 September 2016
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide a breakdown of the shortfall in European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) support that is referred to at page 10 of the August 2016 Audit Scotland Report, Superfast broadband for Scotland: A progress update.
Answer
The Scottish Government’s original application for European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) resources sought £20.5 million for the Rest of Scotland Digital Scotland Superfast Broadband project. The Scottish Government subsequently reduced the funding sought from the ERDF programme in light of revised criteria for calculating eligible capital expenditure. £12 million was subsequently drawn down.
- Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Friday, 16 September 2016
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Current Status:
Answered by Fergus Ewing on 30 September 2016
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide a breakdown of the £14 million in savings arising from conditions in the contract that is referred to at page 10 of the August 2016 Audit Scotland Report, Superfast broadband for Scotland: A progress update.
Answer
A breakdown of the £14 million is provided on page 10 of the Audit Scotland report. This comprises innovation funds across both contracts, funding originally allocated to deliver non-fibre technology and interest accrued.
- Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Friday, 16 September 2016
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Current Status:
Answered by Fergus Ewing on 30 September 2016
To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with BT regarding how the savings referred to at page 10 of the August 2016 Audit Scotland Report, Superfast broadband for Scotland: A progress update will be used to increase broadband coverage.
Answer
The Scottish Government and Highlands and Islands Enterprise has regular discussions with BT around the management of the Digital Scotland contracts. This includes ensuring that funding within the contract is fully utilised to extend coverage, making use of resources freed up as a result of BT’s actual costs being lower than expected.
- Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Friday, 16 September 2016
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Current Status:
Answered by Fergus Ewing on 30 September 2016
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide details of the modelling that is referred to at page 12 of the August 2016 Audit Scotland Report, Superfast broadband for Scotland: A progress update that BT is considering to increase broadband coverage.
Answer
The Digital Scotland contracts agreed between the Scottish Government, Highlands and Islands Enterprise and BT contain clauses that generate revenue for the public sector if broadband take-up on the new infrastructure exceeds a certain level. BT brought forward almost £18 million of this so-called Gainshare funding in 2015 which can be reinvested in the contracts. BT has modelled this funding, alongside other residual funding within both contracts, in recent months in line with criteria laid out by public sector partners. This process is not yet complete across both contracts. We will announce further details of the coverage impacts arising from the modelling in the coming weeks.
- Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Friday, 16 September 2016
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Current Status:
Answered by Fergus Ewing on 30 September 2016
To ask the Scottish Government how many premises in each Scottish Parliamentary constituency will have access to broadband speeds of (a) up to and (b) above 40mb/ps by 2018.
Answer
At least 95% of premises across Scotland will have fibre broadband access by the end of 2017, as a result of our investment in the Digital Scotland Superfast Broadband programme and commercial rollout.
It is not possible to state definitively at this stage what speeds will be accessible by 2018. Much of this is dependent upon the commercial deployment of superfast broadband, which the Scottish Government does not hold information on.
The Scottish Government plans to launch an Open Market Review, ahead of new procurement activity in 2017, to determine (a) what has been delivered commercially and (b) what will be delivered commercially over the next 3 years. This will require suppliers to provide speed information at premise level. We will use this information to define a new intervention area for future public investment in broadband.
- Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 21 September 2016
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Current Status:
Answered by John Swinney on 28 September 2016
To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to increase the number of people that choose teaching as a career.
Answer
The Scottish Government is taking a series of actions to increase the number of people that choose teaching as a career. These include building on the success of our 'Inspiring Teachers' campaign with a more substantial recruitment campaign to be launched by the end of the year.
In addition we are working with the university sector and the General Teaching Council for Scotland to introduce new and innovative routes into teaching, including distance learning routes, that are designed to be attractive to a wide range of potential student teachers. Throughout we will ensure that Scotland’s high level of teacher professional standards is maintained while enabling suitably qualified individuals to make a positive contribution in our schools.
- Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 20 September 2016
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Current Status:
Answered by Derek Mackay on 28 September 2016
To ask the Scottish Government how much of the £20 billion referred to in the 2016-17 Programme for Government that is to be allocated to transport, housing, digital and water infrastructure projects will go to digital projects, broken down by project.
Answer
The Draft Budget document for this financial year sets out the Scottish Government's spending plans for 2016-17, including investment in digital projects.
- Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Monday, 29 August 2016
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Current Status:
Answered by Fergus Ewing on 26 September 2016
To ask the Scottish Government what communications it has had with the UK Government relating to releasing CAP convergence funds to Scottish farmers.
Answer
I raised the issue of releasing CAP convergence funds to Scottish farmers in a letter to the Secretary of State for Scotland, David Mundell, on 24 June 2016.
Despite this, and assurances earlier this year from Defra Minister, George Eustice, that Defra would carry out a review of how the UK CAP budget is distributed, there has been no reply to my letter so far.