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-26760

Asked by: George Adam, MSP for Paisley, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Friday, 17 July 2015
Current Status: Answered by Fiona McLeod on 11 August 2015

To ask the Scottish Government how many children will be eligible for 600 hours of early learning and childcare from August 2015.

Question reference: S4W-26761

Asked by: George Adam, MSP for Paisley, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Friday, 17 July 2015
Current Status: Answered by Fiona McLeod on 11 August 2015

To ask the Scottish Government what information it has on how the commitment in its programme for government to extend provision of early learning and childcare to 30 hours per week compares with proposals in the Childcare Bill introduced by the UK Government.

The policy statement supporting the UK Government's proposed Childcare Bill states that the bill will place a duty on the secretary of state to secure the equivalent of 30 hours of free childcare per week in each of 38 weeks in any year to eligible working parents of three and four year old children. The department for education has estimated that around 600,000 families will benefit, which, based on The Office of National Statistics population data, suggests that less than half of three and four year olds in England and Wales may be eligible under this scheme.

The First Minister pledged in November 2014 that the Scottish Government would increase the level of funded early learning and childcare to 30 hours per week. This applies to 100% of three and four-year-olds in Scotland, not just those with parents in employment, as well as two-year-olds who are currently entitled to 600 hours per year (or 16 hours per week) of funded provision. From August 2015, 27% of two year olds will be entitled to the 600 hours. The increase to 30 hours per week will be delivered by the end of the next Parliament.

Question reference: S4W-26717

Current Status: Withdrawn

Question reference: S4O-04517

Asked by: George Adam, MSP for Paisley, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 17 June 2015
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 25 June 2015

To ask the Scottish Government when it will next meet the NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde board and what matters will be discussed.

Question reference: S4O-04453

Asked by: George Adam, MSP for Paisley, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 03 June 2015
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 11 June 2015

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on the recent branch closures announced by the Bank of Scotland and RBS.

Question reference: S4O-04358

Asked by: George Adam, MSP for Paisley, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 13 May 2015
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 21 May 2015

To ask the Scottish Government whether all 16 and 17-year-olds will be eligible to vote at the 2016 Scottish Parliament election.

Question reference: S4O-04253

Asked by: George Adam, MSP for Paisley, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 22 April 2015
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 29 April 2015

To ask the Scottish Government what recent discussions it has had with the Scottish Medicines Consortium regarding the licensing of new drugs for the treatment of MS.

Question reference: S4W-25042

Asked by: George Adam, MSP for Paisley, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 23 March 2015
Current Status: Initiated by the Scottish Government. Answered by Angela Constance on 24 March 2015

To ask the Scottish Government what it is doing to ensure that schools are prepared for the new national qualifications.

The Scottish Government is committed to working with partners to support teachers and pupils. That is why we are making a further £1 million available to local authorities to support schools as they move into the final phase of the introduction of the new qualifications. This money can be used to help with the purchase of textbooks and other resources for the new highers, and other local priorities.

The additional investment provided by the Scottish Government to support Scotland’s Curriculum for Excellence – more than £11 million since 2012 – has enabled schools to make great progress, as evidenced by the successful introduction of the new national qualifications in 2014.

Question reference: S4O-04032

Asked by: George Adam, MSP for Paisley, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 18 February 2015
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 25 February 2015

To ask the Scottish Government what support it provides to help prevent flooding in urban areas.

Question reference: S4T-00943

Asked by: George Adam, MSP for Paisley, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 16 February 2015
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 17 February 2015

To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to provide councils with resources to maintain teacher numbers.