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-12401

Asked by: Kezia Dugdale, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 21 January 2013
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 1 February 2013

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will publish the Minister for Youth Employment’s recent letter to the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions regarding a youth guarantee across EU member states (Official Report, col. 15342).

It is not normal practice to publish private letters between Ministers. However, in my letter to the Secretary of Work and Pensions, I suggested that it would be helpful to have a discussion about the UK Government’s views on the European Commission’s recommendation on a Youth Guarantee. Mr Mark Hoban MP, Minister for Employment, responded positively to this request and a discussion has been arranged.

Question reference: S4W-12449

Asked by: Kezia Dugdale, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 22 January 2013
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 1 February 2013

To ask the Scottish Government whether the Commission for Developing Scotland’s Young Workforce will publish its work programme and reports on progress until publishing its final report.

Question reference: S4W-12447

Asked by: Kezia Dugdale, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 22 January 2013
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 1 February 2013

To ask the Scottish Government when the Commission for Developing Scotland’s Young Workforce will (a) first meet and (b) report its findings.

Question reference: S4W-12396

Asked by: Kezia Dugdale, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 21 January 2013
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 1 February 2013

To ask the Scottish Government how many (a) 16 to 19 and (b) 20 to 24-year-olds have undertaken more than one learning, training or work opportunity via programmes administered by Skills Development Scotland.

Question reference: S4W-12398

Asked by: Kezia Dugdale, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 21 January 2013
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 1 February 2013

To ask the Scottish Government how it will spend the additional £80 million referred to by the Minister for Youth Employment on 10 January 2012 (Official Report, c. 15340), broken down by programme.

As part of our all-Government, All-Scotland response to assist young Scots towards and into employment, the £80 million we have identified will go towards:

£33 million (including £3 million from Young Scot funding) for Opportunities for All;

£15 million for the Employer Recruitment Incentive;

Up to £25 million of remaining European Structural Funds to support youth employment;

£5 million to support young people into opportunities linked to major cultural and sporting events hosted in Scotland;

£1 million to enable the Prince’s Trust Scotland to offer loans to young entrepreneurs; and

£700,000 to support graduate recruitment schemes.

Question reference: S4W-12390

Asked by: Kezia Dugdale, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 21 January 2013
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 1 February 2013

To ask the Scottish Government how many (a) job and (b) employability opportunities will be created by its youth employment budget in 2012-13, broken down by programme.

The number of jobs and employability opportunities that will be created by the Scottish Government’s additional funding to support youth employment in 2012-13 will be:

1,400 subsidised jobs for 16-19 year olds in social enterprises and voluntary organisations through Community Jobs Scotland.

1,754 opportunities for young people through jobs, work experience and training through the Social Enterprise & Third Sector Challenge Fund.

3,371 young people supported towards and into employment across six local authority areas.

100 young graduates supported into employment in the small business sector.

110 paid graduate placements through Adopt an Intern Scheme.

630 young people access to loans to either start up or grow their own businesses

In addition, the following opportunities will be created over the three year period from 2012-13 to 2014-15:

1,000 of the most disadvantaged young people including care leavers supported to enter the labour market.

2,500 young people supported into opportunities linked to major cultural and sporting events.

Question reference: S4O-01790

Asked by: Kezia Dugdale, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 30 January 2013
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 7 February 2013

To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to support credit unions in light of the reported rapid expansion of high interest short-term lending.

Question reference: S4W-12411

Asked by: Kezia Dugdale, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 21 January 2013
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 30 January 2013

To ask the Scottish Government what support it has given to families travelling to the myotonic dystrophy support group conference in Bristol.

We are not aware of any requests for support from families wishing to attend the Myotonic Dystrophy Support Conference in Bristol.

The Scottish Muscle Network is currently working to improve the support that individuals with neuromuscular conditions and their families receive. This has included:

appropriate sign-posting to services and support groups provided by third sector organisations; and

the development and auditing of standards on the information and support provided within myotonic dystrophy clinics.

Question reference: S4W-12410

Asked by: Kezia Dugdale, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 21 January 2013
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 30 January 2013

To ask the Scottish Government what support it gives families to access the specialist myotonic dystrophy support group based in Nottingham.

Question reference: S4W-12409

Asked by: Kezia Dugdale, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 21 January 2013
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 30 January 2013

To ask the Scottish Government what schemes it funds to help families affected by muscular dystrophy.

We want to ensure that people living with neuromuscular conditions, including their families, get access to the best possible care and support.

Healthcare Improvement Scotland published the Neurological Clinical Standards in October 2009. These standards will help ensure people with neuromuscular conditions get the earliest and most appropriate neurological treatment locally, but with access to specialist services when needed. That’s why we provided boards with £1.2 million, to develop improvement groups as the main vehicles to take them forward.

We have also funded:

Three neuromuscular care advisor posts in the South East and Tayside, the North of Scotland, and the West of Scotland for two years. These regional care advisors will be able to signpost people living with neuromuscular conditions and their families to services and support in their local area;

The Wheelchair and Seating Services Quality Improvement Framework which supports the timely provision of wheelchairs in a way that responds to people’s needs at each stage in the progression of their condition;

A £1.5 million investment in improving services for complex respiratory conditions, which has created a number of new posts (including consultants, dieticians, physiotherapists, nurses and pharmacists) enabling more people to be treated locally.