- Asked by: Liz Smith, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 05 March 2009
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Current Status:
Answered by Stewart Stevenson on 5 March 2009
To ask the Scottish Executive what advice it has given to local authorities regarding water testing in church and community halls.
Answer
This question was answered in the Chamber. The answer can be viewed in the Official Report using the following link: http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/business/officialReports/meetingsParliament/or-09/sor0305-01.htm
- Asked by: Liz Smith, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 05 February 2009
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Current Status:
Answered by Maureen Watt on 5 February 2009
To ask the Scottish Executive , in light of the reported increase in alcohol-related incidents in schools, what plans it has to address indiscipline.
Answer
Schools are addressing indiscipline, including alcohol-related issues, through their learning programmes and also through the opportunities for learning and support that they provide for young people.
Curriculum for Excellence will make a significant contribution, and this government is working with partners nationally and locally within this context to improve substance misuse education (covering alcohol as well as tobacco and drugs) in schools.
This government is also funding the Positive Behaviour Team to work with local authorities and schools to promote and support the implementation of the most effective strategies for managing behaviour in schools. This includes whole school approaches which create a positive ethos and culture of respect and responsibility; prevent and resolve conflict, and address more serious indiscipline or additional behaviour needs.
- Asked by: Liz Smith, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 15 January 2009
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Current Status:
Answered by Maureen Watt on 15 January 2009
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it considers that it is doing enough to tackle indiscipline in schools.
Answer
The Scottish Government is tackling indiscipline in Scottish schools in a variety of ways. We are committed to helping create peaceful and positive learning environments and are working with local Government and key stakeholders to develop guidance and support local authorities to introduce effective approaches to dealing with indiscipline in schools.
The Scottish Government provides funding of £500,000 per annum to fund the Positive Behaviours Team who deliver free training and advice to schools in a range of practices which improve relationships and promote positive behaviour.
- Asked by: Liz Smith, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 08 January 2009
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Current Status:
Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 8 January 2009
To ask the Scottish Executive when it expects an announcement from UCAS about the tariff points that will be awarded to the new Scottish Baccalaureate when it is considered as part of a university application.
Answer
This PQ was answered in the Chamber. The answer can be viewed in the Official Report using the following link: http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/business/officialReports/meetingsParliament/or-09/sor0108-01.htm
- Asked by: Liz Smith, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 11 December 2008
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Current Status:
Answered by Maureen Watt on 11 December 2008
To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to review the assessment of teaching performance in schools.
Answer
Ensuring the best possible performance of our teachers is an important issue to pupils, parents, teachers, local authorities and the Scottish Government alike. It is up to schools and local authorities to manage performance issues appropriately.
- Asked by: Liz Smith, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 25 September 2008
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Current Status:
Answered by Adam Ingram on 9 October 2008
To ask the Scottish Executive whether the promise to deliver access to a fully qualified nursery teacher for nursery age children entails full-time or part-time contact with the child by the teacher.
Answer
The Scottish Government expects that local authorities will deliver on the commitment to deliver access to a teacher for all pre-school children, on the basis of local needs and priorities.
There is evidence to show that the quality of provision is higher in centres where a teacher is involved in pre-school education and, where the quality is high, there is evidence that children have increased chances of success in their primary education and reduced chances of problems with attainment, relationships and behaviour.
The key issue in driving up quality of provision is that children benefit from the input of a qualified teacher to their programme of activity and child development. However, there is no evidence to support the setting of a specific minimum level of access needed to achieve that quality of provision.
We are clear that we do expect to see an overall increase in the level of teacher involvement in pre-school in all local authorities.
- Asked by: Liz Smith, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 26 September 2008
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Current Status:
Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 8 October 2008
To ask the Scottish Executive how much it would cost to maintain service industry apprenticeships that have been abolished for people aged 16 to 19.
Answer
The Scottish Government has not abolished service industry apprenticeships for people aged 16 to 19.
- Asked by: Liz Smith, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 26 September 2008
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Current Status:
Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 8 October 2008
To ask the Scottish Executive how much it would cost to retain the service industry apprenticeships that have been abolished for people aged over 20 as well as maintaining the 50% increase in apprenticeships in the construction industry.
Answer
Service industry apprenticeships have not been abolished for people aged over 20. Employers are still able to use the modern apprenticeship frameworks to train their staff if they so choose. Not all apprenticeships can or should be funded by taxpayers.
The Scottish Government has refocused public sector contributions for adult modern apprenticeships to construction and engineering related sectors where investment delivers economic results. Skills Development Scotland have been tasked to develop and deliver improvements in Scotland''s skills performance for the benefit of individuals and employers, ensuring that our skills interventions continue to meet the needs of the economy, individuals and employers in Scotland.
It is not possible to cost a notional programme of activity given the complexity of modern apprenticeship funding. In any case, specific funding of the modern apprenticeship programme is an operational matter for Skills Development Scotland.
- Asked by: Liz Smith, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 18 September 2008
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Current Status:
Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 18 September 2008
To ask the Scottish Executive what assessment it has made of the OECD report that states that the largest educational attainment gap in Scotland exists at P4 and P5.
Answer
We have made it clear that we see the OECD report as a seminal document for Scottish education. In the debate on the review in Parliament on 16 January this year I said that the report will continue to be a catalyst for change as it challenges all of us, including this government, about educational thinking.
The report does not in fact state that the largest educational attainment gap in Scotland exists at P4 and P5. The report discusses the need to reduce the achievement gap that the authors state opens up about P5 and continues to widen during junior secondary school.
In my day of discussion with the OECD Education Policy Committee they agreed that this government''s attention to and focus on the early years and early intervention in nursery and P1 to P3 will help build better foundations and resilience to prevent that gap from opening in the first place.
- Asked by: Liz Smith, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 07 August 2008
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Current Status:
Answered by Stewart Maxwell on 27 August 2008
To ask the Scottish Executive how many cheap lets have been made available to sporting and activity groups in each year since 1999, broken down by local authority area.
Answer
This information is not held centrally.
