- Asked by: Kezia Dugdale, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Monday, 16 December 2013
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Current Status:
Answered by Aileen Campbell on 8 January 2014
To ask the Scottish Government when it will publish its Council of Economic Advisers' work on childcare.
Answer
The minutes of the meeting of the Council of Economic Advisers on 30 August 2013, where the issue of the economic and social impacts of improving childcare provision in Scotland was discussed, are available on the Scottish Government’s website at the following address:
http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Economy/Council-Economic-Advisers/Meetings
The analysis informing the Council of Economic Advisers’ deliberations will be reflected in the annual chair’s report of the Council of Economic Advisers. It is anticipated that the chair’s report will be published in Spring 2014.
- Asked by: Kezia Dugdale, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Monday, 16 December 2013
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Current Status:
Answered by Michael Russell on 8 January 2014
To ask the Scottish Government how many people are studying for Scottish Qualification Authority awards in cooperative studies, broken down by local authority.
Answer
The certificate in co-operative studies is a customised award that SQA certificates and quality assures, but that is privately owned and developed.
The award is available at SCQF Levels 4, 5 and 6 although only levels 4 and 5 are currently being delivered. There are 18 candidates currently entered for the award across these levels. The candidates are all in a single centre in Dundee City.
As these awards are privately owned and developed, SQA does not actively promote them. It is up to the owner of the qualification to promote them if they wish to do so.
- Asked by: Kezia Dugdale, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Monday, 16 December 2013
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Current Status:
Answered by Michael Russell on 8 January 2014
To ask the Scottish Government what steps it has taken to encourage the uptake of massive open online courses in schools.
Answer
Education Scotland, through the Senior Education Officer (SEO) team, has opened up a dialogue with the Open University (OU) in relation to massive open online courses (MOOCS).
They are exploring how we can promote the Young Applicants in Schools scheme, which involves young people in schools following OU courses which are largely online.
SEOs are meeting with Open University representatives in January 2014 to further explore the development and use of MOOCs in Science.
Discussions are also taking place with the OU around how best to ensure uptake of future learn courses by practitioners and pupils and how to make use of OpenLearn materials.
- Asked by: Kezia Dugdale, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Monday, 16 December 2013
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Current Status:
Answered by Michael Matheson on 8 January 2014
To ask the Scottish Government whether it considers that young people should be able to access sexual health services in a non-clinical environment and, if so, how it is making such services available.
Answer
Scottish Government policy states that it is essential that young people have access to sexual health services, advice and information when they require it. It does not prescribe the format that these services should take or whether these services should be provided in a clinical or non-clinical setting.
The decision on how sexual health services are provided and the most appropriate setting for young people to access these services is a decision for NHS boards and local authorities based on local requirements and following scoping of local needs.
- Asked by: Kezia Dugdale, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Monday, 16 December 2013
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Current Status:
Answered by Michael Russell on 8 January 2014
To ask the Scottish Government whether Education Scotland's remit includes adult learning and, if so, what work is underway to enhance learning opportunities for adult learners across the country.
Answer
Education Scotland has policy responsibility for adult learning. This includes the Adult Literacies in Scotland 2020 Strategic Guidance and the strategy for English for Speakers of Other Languages. The Cabinet Secretary for Education and Lifelong Learning has recently established and chairs a national strategic forum for adult learning. The forum is currently working with partners to develop a statement of ambition for adult learning in Scotland. Education Scotland’s Community Learning and Development team supports the forum and leads a range of initiatives to help improve life chances for people of all ages, through learning, personal development and active citizenship. The team links with national partners through nine strategic funding partnerships and administers small grants to a range of adult learning providers to directly enhance learning opportunities across the country.
- Asked by: Kezia Dugdale, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 11 December 2013
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Current Status:
Answered by Keith Brown on 7 January 2014
To ask the Scottish Government when it will establish a public inquiry into the Edinburgh Trams project; who will chair it, and what its (a) remit and (b) budget will be.
Answer
The Scottish Government has made it clear that it would welcome a public inquiry but the focus has rightly been on delivering the project, which is now nearing completion. Once completed, we will consider when and how best to establish a public inquiry into the Tram project and what lessons can be learned for the future.
- Asked by: Kezia Dugdale, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Monday, 16 December 2013
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Current Status:
Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 7 January 2014
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will conduct a review of e-book provision and lending across the country.
Answer
Public libraries and the lending of books and e-books are the responsibility of local authorities in Scotland. The Scottish Government supports the work of public libraries through the Scottish Library and Information Council (SLIC) which, working with local authorities, can advise on the need for any review of e-books and lending in Scotland. SLIC has advised that 28 local authorities in Scotland provide some e-book lending at present. SLIC, in partnership with local authorities, intends to set up an E-book Consortium, similar to that set up in Wales, which will allow local authorities in Scotland to develop best practice in e-lending in Scotland.
The Public Library Improvement Fund, provided by the Scottish Government, has been used to support e-book projects and could be used to support e-book activity in the future. Findings from a recent Independent Review of E-Lending in Public Lending in Public Libraries in England, are also relevant to e-lending in libraries in Scotland; some, such as the extension of the Public Lending Right, are reserved matters to the UK Government.
- Asked by: Kezia Dugdale, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Monday, 06 January 2014
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Current Status:
Taken in the Chamber on 9 January 2014
To ask the First Minister whether the Scottish Government considers that schools, pupils and teachers are adequately prepared for the new National 4 and 5 qualifications.
Answer
Taken in the Chamber on 9 January 2014
- Asked by: Kezia Dugdale, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 18 December 2013
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Current Status:
Taken in the Chamber on 9 January 2014
To ask the Scottish Government how it will allocate the Barnett consequentials arising from the Autumn Statement.
Answer
Taken in the Chamber on 9 January 2014
- Asked by: Kezia Dugdale, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 27 November 2013
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Current Status:
Answered by John Swinney on 10 December 2013
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide the dates of all communications between the Cabinet Secretary for Finance, Employment and Sustainable Growth and the University of Edinburgh regarding the use of so-called zero-hours contracts since 2011, broken down by (a) telephone calls, (b) letters, (c) emails and (d) face-to-face meetings.
Answer
This issue was raised by the University and Colleges Union (UCU) during the STUC bi-annual meeting with the First Minister in June 2013, which the Cabinet Secretary for Finance, Employment and Sustainable Growth attended. Under direction from the Cabinet Secretary, Scottish Government officials raised the matter with the University of Edinburgh on 4 July 2013. As a result, the Principal of the University of Edinburgh, Professor Sir Timothy O’Shea, wrote to the Cabinet Secretary on 5 July 2013 advising that the University was committed to working in partnership with UCU. A response was also received from the University’s Director of Human Resources on 5 July 2013 which confirmed that the University would work with UCU on a comprehensive review of the use of zero-hours contracts.
