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: S4W-24066

Asked by: Lewis Macdonald, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 16 January 2015
Current Status: Answered by Roseanna Cunningham on 29 January 2015

To ask the Scottish Government how many apprenticeships it estimates (a) to have been lost and (b) to be at risk as a result of the falling oil price over the last six months.

Skills Development Scotland (SDS) publishes quarterly statistics on the number of Modern Apprenticeship redundancies by Modern Apprenticeship framework grouping. Figures up to the end of quarter 2 for 2014-15 can be found at:

http://www.skillsdevelopmentscotland.co.uk/statistics/modern-apprenticeships/modern-apprenticeship-statistics-quarter-2-2014-15/

In relation to those at risk, SDS has engaged with companies in the oil and gas sector which have employees at risk of redundancy. To date there have not been significant numbers of modern apprentices being released by employers.

Question reference: S4O-03996

Current Status: Withdrawn

Question reference: S4W-24010

Asked by: Lewis Macdonald, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 15 January 2015
Current Status: Answered by Roseanna Cunningham on 28 January 2015

To ask the Scottish Government how much money was allocated initially to the 2014-15 Adopt an Apprentice programme, and how much had been committed prior to 14 January 2015.

The Scottish Government allocates funding to Skills Development Scotland (SDS) on an annual basis for delivery of employability and training support, including the Adopt an Apprentice programme. It is up to SDS to determine how to allocate this funding between activities. As Adopt an Apprentice is demand-led it is the level of demand which will dictate SDS expenditure on Adopt an Apprentice in current and future years.

The amount committed to Adopt an Apprentice in the current financial year to 14 January 2015 is an operational matter for SDS. I will ask the Chief Executive to write to you with this information.

Question reference: S4W-24011

Asked by: Lewis Macdonald, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 15 January 2015
Current Status: Answered by Roseanna Cunningham on 28 January 2015

To ask the Scottish Government how many times financial incentives have been paid to companies in the oil and gas sector each year under the Adopt an Apprentice programme, and to how many different companies.

Question reference: S4W-24012

Asked by: Lewis Macdonald, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 15 January 2015
Current Status: Answered by Roseanna Cunningham on 28 January 2015

To ask the Scottish Government how much additional money will be allocated to the Adopt an Apprentice programme in relation to the oil and gas sector in 2014-15 in order to meet the First Minister's commitment in the news release of 14 January 2015, Taskforce set up to support oil & gas jobs.

Question reference: S4W-24014

Asked by: Lewis Macdonald, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 15 January 2015
Current Status: Answered by Roseanna Cunningham on 28 January 2015

To ask the Scottish Government on what date it will publish the criteria for employers in the oil and gas sector to obtain the additional assistance under the Adopt an Apprentice programme that the First Minister committed to offer in the news release of 14 January 2015, Taskforce set up to support oil & gas jobs.

The programme guidelines for Adopt an Apprentice, including details of how to apply are available on the Skills Development Scotland (SDS) website at:

http://www.ourskillsforce.co.uk/funding-for-skills/adopt-an-apprentice/.

We are working with SDS to develop the formal criteria for the additional assistance to be made available under the Adopt an Apprentice programme, announced as part of this government’s guarantee that any modern apprentices in Scotland’s oil and gas sector faced with redundancy will be offered alternative employment or continued off the job training pending alternative employment.

As part of our commitment to working with partners across the energy sector to maintain jobs, including modern apprenticeships, and to mitigate the potential impact of any losses, we will seek to agree the criteria with the energy jobs taskforce.

Question reference: S4W-24013

Asked by: Lewis Macdonald, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 15 January 2015
Current Status: Answered by Roseanna Cunningham on 28 January 2015

To ask the Scottish Government how much money was allocated initially to the 2015-16 Adopt an Apprentice programme, and how much additional funding will be allocated in light of the First Minister's commitment in the news release of 14 January 2015, Taskforce set up to support oil & gas jobs.

The Scottish Government allocates funding to Skills Development Scotland (SDS) on an annual basis for delivery of employability and training support, including Adopt an Apprentice. It is up to SDS to determine how to allocate this funding between activities.

You can view the draft budget, including the anticipated SDS budget, for 2015-16 at http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/2014/10/2706. This remains subject to parliamentary approval.

Question reference: S4W-23682

Asked by: Lewis Macdonald, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 15 December 2014
Current Status: Answered by Keith Brown on 8 January 2015

To ask the Scottish Government how many civil servants belong to its Defence Policy Unit and what its remit is.

The Scottish Government Defence Policy Unit was established in June 2011. Its remit is to provide support to ministers, to the Armed Forces, veterans and our communities across a range of defence activity in Scotland. This includes: ensuring that Armed Forces personnel, their families and veterans in Scotland can access inclusive, quality services as outlined in the Scottish Government’s Our Commitments paper; supporting the relationship between defence bases and the communities that host them; liaising with the UK Government and the Armed Forces on defence issues and impacts in Scotland; and advising ministers on relevant aspects of defence issues.

The unit currently comprises seven officials, who report mainly to me, in line with my ministerial responsibility for Armed Forces and veterans’ issues. In addition, I have appointed a Veterans Commissioner who has an independent role of improving outcomes for veterans in Scotland, by engaging with, listening to and acting on the experience of veterans, to help public services focus on veterans’ experience of their service provision and improve where possible.

Question reference: S4W-23490

Asked by: Lewis Macdonald, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 02 December 2014
Current Status: Answered by Marco Biagi on 11 December 2014

To ask the Scottish Government what guidance it has given to local authorities regarding the fee charged for processing an application for a high hedges notice to be served.

The Scottish Government issued guidance on the High Hedges (Scotland) Act 2013 to all local authorities ahead of the Act’s commencement on 1 April 2014. The guidance document covers all aspects of the application and decision making process, including the setting of fees. The setting of fees is a matter for local authorities, covered on pages 13 and 14 of the guidance document.

The guidance stipulates the legislation is intended to be cost neutral for local authorities and not a source of excess revenue. The high hedges legislation does not set a flat national fee, as the Scottish Government recognises each local authority has its own individual circumstances to take into account when determining the reasonable costs of deciding an application under the Act.

In addition to setting fees, the legislation also grants local authorities the discretion to vary or refund fees depending on the circumstances of individual applicants. Information on the circumstances under which local authorities will refund fees must be published.

A copy of the Scottish Government’s guidance to local authorities on the Act is available in the Scottish Parliament’s Reference Centre, Bib reference number 56484.

Question reference: S4O-03825

Asked by: Lewis Macdonald, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 10 December 2014
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 17 December 2014

To ask the Scottish Government where it foresees future jobs growth in the offshore energy sector in the North Sea.