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-20769

Asked by: Neil Findlay, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 20 December 2018
Current Status: Answered by Jamie Hepburn on 17 January 2019

To ask the Scottish Government how (a) many people have received support from and (b) much has been paid through Individual Training Accounts in each of the last five years.

The Individual Training Account (ITA) scheme was launched in October 2017. Between October 2017 and March 2018, 7,015 claims for ITA funding were made. The value of these claims was £1,305,091.

In the 2018/19 financial year so far 19,812 claims for ITA funding have been made. The value of these claims has been £3,719,568.

It is anticipated that when all verified individuals in the system have been processed, the number of people who have benefitted from ITAs will exceed 22,000 this financial year.

Question reference: S5W-20770

Asked by: Neil Findlay, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 20 December 2018
Current Status: Answered by Jamie Hepburn on 17 January 2019

To ask the Scottish Government what the current funding position is with Individual Training Accounts.

Following a hugely successful year for this new Individual Training Account (ITA) programme, demand from individuals has been strong and the target of 18,500 accounts has been exceeded ahead of schedule. It is anticipated that when all verified individuals in the system have been processed, the number of people who have benefitted from ITAs will exceed 22,000. Skills Development Scotland (SDS )has therefore paused the ITA programme to new applicants until April 2019. In the interim, individuals who visit the My World of Work website will be given information on how to contact SDS for wider career advice and those who have registered an interest in opening an ITA will be proactively contacted by SDS in the lead up to the new financial year.

Question reference: S5W-20795

Asked by: Neil Findlay, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 24 December 2018
Current Status: Answered by Jamie Hepburn on 17 January 2019

To ask the Scottish Government what action is can take against companies that receive public money but then leave their employees and creditors unpaid.

Question reference: S5W-20797

Asked by: Neil Findlay, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 24 December 2018
Current Status: Answered by Jamie Hepburn on 16 January 2019

To ask the Scottish Government how much (a) it, (b) Scottish Enterprise and (b) its agencies have paid to Kaiam UK or Kaiam Europe in the last 10 years.

Question reference: S5W-20796

Asked by: Neil Findlay, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 24 December 2018
Current Status: Answered by Jamie Hepburn on 15 January 2019

To ask the Scottish Government what correspondence or communications it received from Kaiam Europe or Kaiam UK in relation to (a) the company’s failure to be able to pay its staff and (b) the sustainability of the business, and on which dates such communications were received.

Question reference: S5W-20793

Asked by: Neil Findlay, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 24 December 2018
Current Status: Answered by Jamie Hepburn on 15 January 2019

To ask the Scottish Government how much it has paid out in grants, loans and other finance to companies in which Bardia Pezeshki has been a director, executive officer, share holder or has had a business interest in the last 10 years.

This is an operational matter for Scottish Enterprise. Scottish Enterprise have advised they are not aware of any significant interests by way of executive officer roles during the period in question beyond formal directorships. Scottish Enterprise are also unable to advise whether the individual may have held any shares in any other business during this time as this would be personal information relating to an individual and is not necessarily associated with an executive role or controlling interest.

Question reference: S5W-20798

Asked by: Neil Findlay, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 03 January 2019
Current Status: Answered by Jamie Hepburn on 15 January 2019

To ask the Scottish Government on which date it or any of its agencies were alerted to Kaiam UK or Kaiam Europe being in financial difficulty.

Kaiam notified Scottish Enterprise on 16 November 2018 that the company was in financial difficulty and seeking a buyer for the business, the Scottish Government was informed on 22 November 2018. On learning of this development, Scottish Enterprise worked with Kaiam to explore all viable options to support the business to retain the jobs in Livingston. Unfortunately, a solution could not be found.

Question reference: S5W-20794

Asked by: Neil Findlay, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 24 December 2018
Current Status: Answered by Jamie Hepburn on 14 January 2019

To ask the Scottish Government what action it can take against companies that have received grants and loans from it and its agencies but which fail to fulfil the terms of the grant or loan.

Grants and loans entered into by Scottish Ministers and any public body subject to the Scottish Public Finance Manual (SPFM) are subject to the principles set out in the manual and have appropriate terms and conditions applied to protect public resources.

Scottish Ministers also make clear provision for recovery of funds if an organisation in receipt of grant funding disposes of assets acquired or developed with the aid of that funding in accordance with conditions attached to the grant. In the case of loans and grants if circumstances meant that the company was in administration, or some other factor meant that it was not able to pay back the amount, the Government would fall into line in the same way as any other creditor.

Question reference: S5W-20178

Asked by: Neil Findlay, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 27 November 2018
Current Status: Answered by Jeane Freeman on 7 January 2019

To ask the Scottish Government what recent discussions it has had with regulators regarding problems associated with hernia mesh.

Question reference: S5W-20175

Asked by: Neil Findlay, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 27 November 2018
Current Status: Answered by Jeane Freeman on 7 January 2019

To ask the Scottish Government what systems are in place for the early identification of problems with medical implants.