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-04127

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Monday, 21 November 2011
Current Status: Answered by Alasdair Allan on 1 December 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive how many partnerships it has with universities outside of the UK for the provision of foreign language assistants.

The Scottish Government does not have any direct partnerships with individual universities outside of the UK for the provision of foreign language assistants. The British Council, under long standing agreements between the UK and other countries, runs the foreign language assistant programmes covering 15 countries. The council works with all of Scotland’s universities and with partner agencies overseas which provide the link to universities in each country.

Question reference: S4W-04128

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Monday, 21 November 2011
Current Status: Answered by Alasdair Allan on 1 December 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive what the reduction in foreign language assistants has been since 2005-06 and what impact it considers that this will have on its commitment to increase the take-up of foreign language lessons by children.

The number of foreign language assistants (FLAs) in Scottish schools fell from 284 in 2005-06 to 59 in 2011-12. Scottish Government is disappointed that 25 local authorities this year are not making use of FLAs, who at £7,911 per assistant per year, offer a very cost-effective way of enhancing delivery of language learning in our schools. The Scottish Government is committed to promoting the value of FLAs and the role of FLAs will be considered by the Languages Working Group which will report to ministers in April 2012 with advice on implementation of our commitment to strengthen language learning in schools.

Question reference: S4W-04126

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Monday, 21 November 2011
Current Status: Answered by Alasdair Allan on 1 December 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive what support it gives to students at universities in Scotland who hope to become foreign language assistants.

Scottish Government funds British Council Scotland (BCS) to run the English Language Assistants programme under which nearly 400 Scottish students are placed in 15 countries around the world. BCS works with all of Scotland’s universities and provides on-going support to students before, during and after their time abroad. Full information on the languages assistants programmes can be found at:

http://www.britishcouncil.org/languageassistants.htm.

Question reference: S4W-04129

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Monday, 21 November 2011
Current Status: Answered by Alasdair Allan on 1 December 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive what its position is on British Council Scotland's (BCS) recent report suggesting that there has been an 80% reduction in the number of foreign language assistants since 2005-06 and whether it has had discussions with BCS regarding this.

Question reference: S4W-04125

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Monday, 21 November 2011
Current Status: Answered by Alasdair Allan on 1 December 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it is taking to encourage local authorities to employ foreign language assistants.

Question reference: S4W-04172

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Wednesday, 23 November 2011
Current Status: Answered by Alex Neil on 1 December 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive how it is targeting support at homes that use liquid petroleum gas or heating oil to help make them more energy efficient and cheaper to heat.

The Energy Assistance Package (EAP) is the Scottish Government’s main vehicle to provide support for people in energy inefficient and hard to heat homes. In particular EAP Stage 4 offers innovative technologies such as air source heat pumps as well as traditional heating and insulation measures to help fuel poor households in off gas grid areas. A maximum grant limit of £6,500 has been introduced for individual installations where the lower grant cap of £4,000 cannot raise the Standard Assessment Procedure rating sufficiently.

Question reference: S4W-04174

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Wednesday, 23 November 2011
Current Status: Answered by Alex Neil on 1 December 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive how many people who use (a) liquid petroleum gas and (b) heating oil have been provided with energy efficiency measures under the Universal Home Insulation Scheme.

Question reference: S4O-00453

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Wednesday, 30 November 2011
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 8 December 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions it has had with Orkney Islands Council since May 2011 in relation to the replacement of Orkney’s internal ferry fleet.

Question reference: S4W-04139

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Monday, 21 November 2011
Current Status: Answered by Michael Russell on 30 November 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it considers that HM Inspectorate of Education should include in its inspections an assessment of the quality of education services available to children and young people who are absent from school because of accident or ill-health.

Education Scotland, through HM Inspectors inspect a wide range of provision including schools, pre-school assessment centres, special schools and residential special schools as well as the grant aided special schools. HM Inspectors are looking to consider how well education authorities, schools and services are taking forward Curriculum for Excellence to ensure all of Scotland’s children are successful learners, effective contributors, responsible citizens and confident individuals. All children and young people are entitled to universal and targeted support to meet their needs.

In all its inspections HM Inspectors consider how successfully schools are ensuring high quality learners’ experiences which include how well children and young people achieve the national outcome indicators of children and young people being safe healthy nurtured achieving respected responsible and included. Within its inspection toolkit any inspection can draw upon tools linked to issues about attendance and long term absence.

Question reference: S4W-04137

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Monday, 21 November 2011
Current Status: Answered by Michael Russell on 30 November 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will consider introducing a duty on local authorities to inform parents of the education services available to children and young people who are absent from school because of accident or ill-health.