Chamber and committees

The study of science and maths in the later years of secondary is currently in a strong position, making up four of the top five subjects at Higher, and the top three Advanced Highers taken in the 2010-11 session. Under Curriculum for Excellence schools will be able to offer a breadth of choice in the senior phase, enabling pupils to continue to study a range of STEM subjects.

Curriculum for Excellence, along with the work of the Science and Engineering Education Advisory Group (SEEAG) we established, is intended to strengthen the place and popularity of science, technology, engineering and maths in our schools. SEEAG will produce their final report and recommendations to ministers by the end of the year.

The Scottish Government does not hold this information.

It is for local authorities to decide how to deliver the statutory requirement of 475 hours per year of free pre-school provision for three and four year olds, on the basis of local priorities and needs. The Scottish Government provides local authorities with the vast majority of their funding, including funding for pre-school, by means of a block grant.

All local authorities are delivering the statutory requirement of 475 hours of free pre-school education. There is local variability in terms of additional pre-school provision; such as provision beginning closer to the date of a child’s third birthday, provision for vulnerable two-year-olds and expanded provision of 570 hours. However, monitoring information on additional provision is not collated centrally.

I refer the member to the answer to question S4W-02765 on 28 September 2011. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at:

http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/Apps2/MAQASearch/QAndMSearch.aspx.

There is a statutory requirement to provide 475 hours (12.5 per week) of free nursery school provision.

The Scottish Government is, however, committed to the continued expansion of early learning and childcare provision, focussing initially on those from deprived backgrounds. We are currently exploring options for doing so.

I have recently met with several third sector organisations with an interest in the availability of flexible, accessible, affordable childcare provision. This particular issue of increasing flexibility in the hours for which free pre-school provision can be claimed has not been raised with me.

I refer the member to the answer to question S4W-02763 on 28 September 2011. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/parliamentarybusiness/28877.aspx.

Senior Scottish Government officials are in regular discussion with the Chief Executive of Orkney Health and Care and are very supportive of the plans to take an integrated approach to investment in health and care facilities to ensure that services in Orkney are fit for the 21st century. However, given the amount of public support involved, it is essential that all of the necessary preparatory work has been done to ensure that the facilities will meet not just the current needs of the Orkney population but those of generations to come.

Scottish Government officials have been working closely with NHS Orkney and other key stakeholders to ensure that all of the necessary planning and preparatory work is completed to enable us to move forward as swiftly as possible on a blueprint for a new hospital for Orkney.

As recently as 30 August, the board signed off its implementation plan Our Orkney, Our Health – Transforming Clinical Services, setting out how it intends to deliver its clinical strategy. This was critical step in the process and, alongside the recently published consultation document on Older People’s Services’, reflects many months of concentrated effort by the board and its partners in the Council and Orkney Health and Care to develop a robust and holistic framework for the delivery of high quality health and social care services in the Islands.

Scottish Government will continue to support efforts locally to translate the plans and the models developed into practical proposals that ensure that future investments in these health and care services in Orkney produce the best possible outcomes. At the same time, NHS Orkney have confirmed that an Outline Business Case for the replacement of the Balfour hospital is in the course of preparation in which proposals will be put forward seeking Scottish Government’s support for revenue financed investment.

The Scottish Government has not received any formal representations to consider a programme similar to the Pupil Premium.