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: S4O-00208

Asked by: Mark Griffin, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 21 September 2011
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 29 September 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive how many of the modern apprenticeships delivered in 2010-11 went to existing employees.

Question reference: S4W-02293

Asked by: Mark Griffin, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 19 August 2011
Current Status: Answered by Alex Neil on 14 September 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive where it plans to allocate the funds received through the rural broadband funding grant.

Having only recently been advised of Scotland’s share of UK Government funding for broadband, the Scottish Government is currently unable to confirm how the Scottish share will be allocated within Scotland. We will not be in a position to do this until we have had a chance to fully examine the data model and methodology used by the UK Government to make its regional allocations. Broadly speaking, however, it will be used for the provision of next generation broadband in areas where the market alone is not expected to deliver.

Question reference: S4O-00191

Asked by: Mark Griffin, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 14 September 2011
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 22 September 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive whether a time limit applies for payments to private companies delivering public services and, if so, whether this applies to payments made to sub-contractors.

Question reference: S4W-01909

Asked by: Mark Griffin, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 27 July 2011
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 11 August 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive how many equal pay claims are outstanding, broken down by local authority area.

Question reference: S4W-00625

Asked by: Mark Griffin, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 08 June 2011
Current Status: Answered by Keith Brown on 23 June 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive what financial support it gives to North Lanarkshire Council to support park and ride facilities at train stations in Cumbernauld and Kilsyth.

The Scottish Government support the use of station car parks to maximise rail patronage and to make the rail network accessible for people living outside a station’s walk-in catchment area.

Local authorities are funded through the Local Government Settlement with individual councils deciding upon spending priorities in their area, which may include support for a park and side facility at Cumbernauld. There is no rail station in Kilsyth.

Question reference: S4W-00628

Asked by: Mark Griffin, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 08 June 2011
Current Status: Answered by Michael Russell on 22 June 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive how many children use only British Sign Language in school.

Question reference: S4W-00643

Asked by: Mark Griffin, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 09 June 2011
Current Status: Answered by Michael Russell on 22 June 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions it has had with the Scottish Funding Council regarding the funding of higher and further education courses in British Sign Language.

Question reference: S4W-00640

Asked by: Mark Griffin, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 09 June 2011
Current Status: Answered by Michael Russell on 22 June 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive whether it plans to include the learning of British Sign Language in the Curriculum for Excellence.

The curriculum is not prescribed in Scotland as it is the responsibility of local authorities and schools to design a curriculum which provides a high quality learning experience for children and young people in their area. This includes language experiences and outcomes under Curriculum for Excellence taking into account the needs of all learners. In some schools pupils can undertake units/qualifications in British Sign Language and Deaf studies at Scottish Credit and Qualification Framework level 3, 4, 5 and 6 (Access 3, Intermediate 1 and 2 and Higher).

Question reference: S4W-00641

Asked by: Mark Griffin, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 09 June 2011
Current Status: Answered by Michael Russell on 22 June 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it is taking to promote and develop a national qualification in British Sign Language in the Curriculum for Excellence.

The Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA) currently has as suite of stand alone National Qualifications Units in learning British Sign Language at Scottish Credit Qualifications Framework level 3 (Access 3), 4 (Intermediate 4), 5 (Intermediate 2) and 6 (Higher). These will continue to be available under Curriculum for Excellence. SQA is currently validating a professional development award which is designed to develop skills in British Sign Language as well as knowledge and skill in the Linguistics of British Sign Language, Scottish Deaf History: 1750 to the Present and the Community and Culture of Deaf People. The award should be available to centres in August 2011.

Question reference: S4W-00642

Asked by: Mark Griffin, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 09 June 2011
Current Status: Answered by Michael Russell on 22 June 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions it has had with the Scottish Qualifications Authority regarding national qualifications in British Sign Language.