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-24767

Asked by: James Kelly, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 14 August 2019
Current Status: Answered by Kate Forbes on 27 August 2019

To ask the Scottish Government how much revenue raised by the business rates incentivisation scheme has been retained by each local authority in each year since 2016-17.

The additional non-domestic rates raised and retained by individual local authorities in 2016-17, as a result of the business rates incentivisation scheme are set out in the following table. The final audited 2017-18 non-domestic rates returns have recently been validated. Having completed this validation exercise the 2017-18 outcomes, revised 2018-19 targets and the provisional 2019-20 targets are due to be published later this year.

	Sum to be retained (£)
Local Authority	2016-17
Aberdeenshire	79,448
Argyll & Bute	38,799
East Renfrewshire	124,893
Falkirk	272,112
Inverclyde	59,075
Midlothian	111,361
Moray	299,153
North Ayrshire	239,573
Perth & Kinross	42,276
Stirling	118,841

Question reference: S5W-24156

Asked by: James Kelly, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 03 July 2019
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 18 July 2019

To ask the Scottish Government how many children supported through the aided places scheme for pupils at St Mary’s Music School in Edinburgh in each year since 2008 have been from the 20% (a) most and (b) least deprived areas in Scotland, according to the Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation.

Question reference: S5W-24158

Asked by: James Kelly, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 03 July 2019
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 18 July 2019

To ask the Scottish Government where the funding for the aided places scheme for pupils at St Mary’s Music School in Edinburgh is from, and where this can be found in its Budget for 2018-19.

Funding payments are made by the Scottish Government through the St Mary’s Music School Aided Places Scheme and details can be found at Level 4 of the Scottish Government budget https://www.parliament.scot/parliamentarybusiness/82102.aspx .

St Mary’s Music School (Aided Places) Regulations provide that Scottish Ministers specify the maximum number of Aided Places that may be supported in any year, and give Scottish Ministers the power to approve the fees and other charges which apply to aided places. These decisions are taken annually, in consultation with the School, and allow Ministers to manage their financial support to St Mary’s Music School in line with the budget for this purpose set out in the Scottish Budget. The level for 2018-19 is £1.3m. This is scrutinised by Parliament each year as part of the Scottish Budget process.

Question reference: S5W-24157

Asked by: James Kelly, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 03 July 2019
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 18 July 2019

To ask the Scottish Government how many children supported through the aided places scheme for pupils at St Mary’s Music School in Edinburgh in each year since 2008 have been from households with an income of (a) under £24,944, (b) between £24,944 and £43,430, (c) between £43,430 and £63,579 (d) between £63,579 and £100,000, (e) between £100,000 and £150,000 and (f) over £150,000.

As set out in the Scottish Public Finance Manual, financial records should normally be retained for six years. The Scottish Government holds the information requested from 2012 onwards.

In every year shown in the table below, Scottish Government funding has made available 51 Aided Places, comprising 45 instrumentalists (which includes up to 33 boarding pupils) and 6 choristers.

The table sets out the number of places held per banding requested: (a) under £24,944; (b) between £24,944 and £43,430; and (c) between £43,430 and £63,579. The last 3 bandings requested: (d) between £63,579 and £100,000; (e) between £100,000 and £150,000; and (f) over £150,000, have been amalgamated as numbers are low, therefore may have made individuals identifiable.

Figures have also been rounded to the nearest 5 for the same reason. Due to these two adjustments, the figures in the table may not add up to the total number of Aided Places held by students each year.

On occasion students may leave during the year, so their Aided Place transfers to a new student. This can result in more than one student holding the same Aided Place in one year. Where this has been the case, this is indicated in the following table.

Net relevant income*	2012-13	2013-14	2014-15	2015-16	2016-17	2017-18
(a) under £24,944	25	25	20	25	25	20
(b) between £24,944 and £43,430	10	15	20	10	10	15
(c) between £43,430 and £63,579	10	10	10	15	15	5
(d) between £63,579 and £100,000; and, (e) (e) between £100,000 and £150,000; and (f) over £150,000	5	5	5	5	10	10
Number of Aided Places held in each year	51	53**	52**	53**	54**	53**

* Net relevant income, as defined under the St Mary’s Music School (Aided Places) (Scotland) Amendment Regulations 2009, 2014, 2015 (amended 2019).

** More than one student held a place in this year.

Question reference: S5F-03474

Asked by: James Kelly, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 24 June 2019
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 27 June 2019

To ask the First Minister for what reason the 2018-19 Scottish budget was underspent by £449 million.

Question reference: S5W-23683

Asked by: James Kelly, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 07 June 2019
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 19 June 2019

To ask the Scottish Government how much it has spent through the aided places scheme to support pupils at St Mary’s Music School in Edinburgh in each year since 2008, also broken down by how many pupil placements this has funded.

The payments made by the Scottish Government through the St Mary’s Music School Aided Places Scheme since the 2007-08 school year are listed in the following table.

In every year shown, this funding has supported 51 pupils, comprising 45 instrumentalists (which includes up to 33 boarding pupils) and 6 choristers.

School Year	Total Aided Places Scheme Payment
2007-08	£1,229,012
2008-09	£1,230,590
2009-10	£1,314,143
2010-11	£1,331,924
2011-12	£1,234,258
2012-13	£1,252,891
2013-14	£1,258,398
2014-15	£1,281,259
2015-16	£1,289,134
2016-17	£1,273,622
2017-18	£1,302,598
2018-19	£1,298,825*

*The figure for 2018-19 is provisional and will be confirmed in the School’s final claim for 2018-19 which is due to be submitted in August 2019.

Question reference: S5O-03360

Asked by: James Kelly, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 05 June 2019
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 12 June 2019

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to improve the performance of ScotRail services in the Glasgow area.

Question reference: S5O-03313

Asked by: James Kelly, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 22 May 2019
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 30 May 2019

To ask the Scottish Government how its social security policies take into account the recommendations of the Poverty and Inequality Commission.

Question reference: S5O-03256

Asked by: James Kelly, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 15 May 2019
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 22 May 2019

To ask the Scottish Government what funding it is making available to Glasgow City Council to support preparations for a potential no deal Brexit.

Question reference: S5O-03223

Asked by: James Kelly, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 08 May 2019
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 15 May 2019

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to promote the food and drink sector in Cambuslang.