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: S5W-10435

Asked by: Liz Smith, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 21 July 2017
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 31 July 2017

To ask the Scottish Government when finance will be forthcoming to support the building of new high schools in Dunfermline and West Fife.

The Scottish Government is currently providing significant investment of almost £58m to Fife Council through the Government's Schools for the Future programme. The three projects were identified by Fife Council as its priority schools for investment.

Our 2016 Manifesto indicated that the Government would bring forward new proposals to build on the success of the programme. Options are currently being developed and we intend to make an announcement later this year.

Question reference: S5W-10225

Asked by: Liz Smith, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 07 July 2017
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 26 July 2017

To ask the Scottish Government what entitlement home-educated children have to access SQA qualifications through SQA-approved centres.

Every child has a right to an education and it is the duty of the parent of every school age child to provide that education, either by sending the child to school or by other means. This includes home education.

Home educated young people can access Scottish qualifications but must be registered with a Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA) approved centre (usually a school or college), accepting that all assessments and assignments require to be appropriately carried out and monitored through an SQA approved centre. More information is available at www.sqa.org.uk.

The Scottish Government's Home Education Guidance, accessible at http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/2007/12/17133313/0, sets out the legislative position and provides advice on the roles and responsibilities of local authorities and parents in relation to children who are home educated. Section 7.2 of the guidance provides more detailed information on the process surrounding assessment for home educated children.

Statutory responsibility for the delivery of education in Scotland sits with local authorities, which have considerable flexibility to support learning and make available resources for home educated young people.

Question reference: S5W-10228

Asked by: Liz Smith, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 07 July 2017
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 26 July 2017

To ask the Scottish Government how many home-educated children sat SQA exams in the school year 2016-17.

Question reference: S5W-10227

Asked by: Liz Smith, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 07 July 2017
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 26 July 2017

To ask the Scottish Government how many children were home-educated in the school year 2016-17.

Question reference: S5W-10226

Asked by: Liz Smith, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 07 July 2017
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 26 July 2017

To ask the Scottish Government how many home-educated children have been refused access to sit SQA qualifications through SQA approved centres in the last five years.

Neither the Scottish Government nor the Scottish Qualifications Authority hold this information.

Home educated young people can access Scottish qualifications but must be registered with a Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA) approved centre (usually a school or college), for all assessments and assignments to be appropriately carried out and monitored through the SQA approved centre.

There is no legal requirement for home educated children to sit a particular set of examinations.

Question reference: S5W-10341

Asked by: Liz Smith, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 17 July 2017
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 26 July 2017

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will publish the minutes of the meeting of 15 March 2017 between the Cabinet Secretary for Education and Skills and Bill Maxwell, Lesley Brown and Clare Hicks of Education Scotland.

The purpose of the meeting on 15 March 2017 between myself and the Chief Inspector of Education Scotland and other officials was to brief the Cabinet Secretary on the content of the Strategic Level Inspection Report for Argyll and Bute Council. The report was published on 21 March 2017 and can be accessed here -https://www.education.gov.scot/assets/contactorganisationinspectionreports/argyllbuteinea210317.pdf. No action points arose from the briefing and therefore no minute was taken.

Question reference: S5O-01188

Asked by: Liz Smith, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 21 June 2017
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 29 June 2017

To ask the Scottish Government what recent discussions it has had with BEAR and Transport Scotland regarding the management of roadworks on motorways.

Question reference: S5O-01091

Asked by: Liz Smith, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 31 May 2017
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 7 June 2017

To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to encourage young people to study medicine at university.

Question reference: S5W-08767

Asked by: Liz Smith, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 11 April 2017
Current Status: Answered by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 9 May 2017

To ask the Scottish Government how the money from the sale of the former Stow College buildings in Cowcaddens will be used to improve further education for (a) students and (b) young people in Glasgow.

The former Stow College building was sold through the Glasgow Kelvin College Board for £6m. Glasgow Kelvin College retained £4m of these funds to support their Capital estate requirements and to use towards infrastructure that will support the Colleges STEM strategy. The Scottish Government does not direct the College board in terms of the outputs from this additional funding, however we are assured that the College Board will use it to benefit the learning experiences of all their students.

Question reference: S5W-08768

Asked by: Liz Smith, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 11 April 2017
Current Status: Answered by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 9 May 2017

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide a breakdown of how the money from the sale of assets from the former Stow College site in Cowcaddens will be spent.