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-03810

Asked by: Daniel Johnson, MSP for Edinburgh Southern, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 19 October 2016
Current Status: Answered by Derek Mackay on 3 November 2016

To ask the Scottish Government, since it received its living wage accreditation, what information is has regarding any of its non-departmental public bodies paying their staff less than the living wage.

I refer the member to the answer to question S5O-00180 on 22 September 2016 which is available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at: http://www.parliament.scot/parliamentarybusiness/28877.aspx

As detailed in the response to S5O-00180, public sector pay policy expects employers covered by the policy to pay their staff a Living Wage. Accreditation requires all directly employed staff and contracted staff to be paid the Living Wage (or for employers to at least demonstrate that they are moving towards applying the Living Wage across all contracts). Public Sector Pay Policy does not directly apply to contracted staff.

In line with the requirements for Living Wage Accreditation, the pay policy expects public bodies who take on a Modern Apprentice in a specific role to pay the Living Wage where they can afford to do so and as a minimum to pay the adult National Minimum Wage/National Living Wage rate rather than the Youth Development or Apprentice rates.

Question reference: S5W-03863

Asked by: Daniel Johnson, MSP for Edinburgh Southern, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 19 October 2016
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 3 November 2016

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the commitment in its publication, Delivering Excellence and Equity in Scottish Education: A Delivery Plan for Scotland, when data will be available through the national improvement framework to identify the attainment gap at P1, P4, P7 and S3 at school and local authority level; how the gap will be measured, and when the measures will be updated.

The Scottish Government made clear in the Delivery Plan that new data would become available through the National Improvement Framework in October. This data has now been received, is being analysed and will be published in December. The criteria for measuring the attainment gap will be set out in the National Improvement Plan that will also be published in December. Engagement with key stakeholders will take place to discuss plans to reduce the gap, together with any possible milestones towards delivery, and will be available by the middle of next year.

Question reference: S5W-03806

Asked by: Daniel Johnson, MSP for Edinburgh Southern, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 19 October 2016
Current Status: Answered by Derek Mackay on 3 November 2016

To ask the Scottish Government how it ensures that (a) the Scottish Qualifications Authority and (b) other non-departmental public bodies pay their staff at least the living wage.

Question reference: S5O-00305

Asked by: Daniel Johnson, MSP for Edinburgh Southern, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 02 November 2016
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 9 November 2016

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to extend access to high-speed fibre broadband across the country.

Question reference: S5W-03862

Asked by: Daniel Johnson, MSP for Edinburgh Southern, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 19 October 2016
Current Status: Answered by Roseanna Cunningham on 2 November 2016

To ask the Scottish Government what Scottish Water's capital reserves have been in each of the last five years.

Question reference: S5W-03861

Asked by: Daniel Johnson, MSP for Edinburgh Southern, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 19 October 2016
Current Status: Answered by Roseanna Cunningham on 2 November 2016

To ask the Scottish Government what Scottish Water's budget has been in each of the last five years.

Scottish Water’s budget, as confirmed in Spring Budget Revisions, has been as follows:

2011-12	Operating	Capital	Total
	£m	£m	£m
Voted Loans	£0.0	£85.1	£85.1
Interest on Voted Loans	-£92.7	£0.0	-£92.7
	-£92.7	£85.1	-£7.6
2012-13	Operating	Capital	Total
	£m	£m	£m
Hydro-Nation	£1.0	£0.0	£1.0
Voted Loans	£0.0	£142.1	£142.1
Interest on Voted Loans	-£88.3	£0.0	-£88.3
	-£87.3	£142.1	£54.8
2013-14	Operating	Capital	Total
	£m	£m	£m
Hydro-Nation	£1.5	£0.0	£1.5
Voted Loans	£0.0	£56.8	£56.8
Interest on Voted Loans	-£91.7	£0.0	-£91.7
	-£90.2	£56.8	-£33.4
2014-15	Operating	Capital	Total
	£m	£m	£m
Hydro-Nation	£2.8	£0.0	£2.8
Voted Loans	£0.0	£106.6	£106.6
Interest on Voted Loans	-£98.0	£0.0	-£98.0
	-£95.2	£106.6	£11.4
2015-16	Operating	Capital	Total
	£m	£m	£m
Hydro-Nation	£0.8	£0.0	£0.8
Exemption Scheme	£2.0	£0.0	£2.0
Voted Loans	£0.0	£132.5	£132.5
Interest on Voted Loans	-£99.9	£0.0	-£99.9
	-£97.1	£132.5	£35.4

Further details on budgets may be found on the Scottish Government’s website at: http://www.gov.scot/Topics/Government/Finance/18127/Documents

Question reference: S5W-03860

Asked by: Daniel Johnson, MSP for Edinburgh Southern, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 19 October 2016
Current Status: Answered by Roseanna Cunningham on 2 November 2016

To ask the Scottish Government what the investment in Scottish Water infrastructure has been in each of the last five years, broken down by local authority.

Question reference: S5W-03859

Asked by: Daniel Johnson, MSP for Edinburgh Southern, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 19 October 2016
Current Status: Answered by Roseanna Cunningham on 2 November 2016

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the reclassification of its funding of capital, what the impact will be of the reduction of planned loans to Scottish Water over the next five years, and which infrastructure projects might be affected by this.

There has been no reclassification of Scottish Water’s funding. Loans made by the Scottish Government to Scottish Water and Interest repaid by Scottish Water to the Scottish Government score in the capital and resource budgets respectively. The Scottish Government is committed to lending up to £760million in the regulatory period 2015-21 in support of the £3.5 billion programme of improvements to water and sewerage services.

Question reference: S5O-00256

Asked by: Daniel Johnson, MSP for Edinburgh Southern, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 19 October 2016
Current Status: Answered by Kevin Stewart on 26 October 2016

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to ensure that there is meaningful and inclusive community engagement in the planning system.

Question reference: S5W-03186

Asked by: Daniel Johnson, MSP for Edinburgh Southern, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 26 September 2016
Current Status: Answered by Joe FitzPatrick on 24 October 2016

To ask the Scottish Government when ministers have met parliamentary conveners, and what was discussed.

Fiona Hyslop MSP, Cabinet Secretary for Culture, Tourism and External Affairs met with Joan McAlpine MSP, Convener European and External Relations Committee on Tuesday 16 August to discuss European, Tourism and Cultural Matters.

Jamie Hepburn MSP, Minister for Employability and Training met with Sandra White MSP, Convener to the Social Security Committee on 7 September to discuss Employability and Training matters.