- Asked by: Rachael Hamilton, MSP for Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 23 May 2018
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Current Status:
Answered by Jamie Hepburn on 31 May 2018
To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to reduce underemployment.
Answer
The latest statistics show that the underemployment rate in Scotland is 8.0%. This is down from 10.0% in 2012 and down from 8.4 per cent in 2016.
To help reduce underemployment further we are taking steps across government to encourage employers to adopt fair working practices, including investment in Returners programmes to assist professionally qualified women to re-enter the workforce following a career break. We are also investing in skills by growing, widening and enhancing Modern Apprenticeships as part of the Developing the Young Workforce Strategy; and we have put in place the £10 million pilot Flexible Workforce Development Fund, and the Individual Training Account scheme.
- Asked by: Rachael Hamilton, MSP for Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 18 April 2018
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Current Status:
Answered by Keith Brown on 8 May 2018
To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the commitment in its Enterprise and Skills Review: Report on Phase 2 to "develop a clearer shared understanding of priority countries....by end 2017", which priority countries were identified.
Answer
The specific commitment within the Enterprise & Skills Review report was to “Develop a clearer, shared understanding of priority countries, recognising that these may be different for trade, investment and Scotland’s other interests”. This agreement recognises that different organisations have different priority countries depending on their specific objectives but that the benefit of this overseas presence and knowledge can be shared and exploited among partners. This is part of the wider commitment by partners to work more effectively together to deliver Scotland’s international trade and investment ambitions and to maximise the economic and social benefit to Scotland.
- Asked by: Rachael Hamilton, MSP for Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 27 April 2018
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Current Status:
Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 8 May 2018
To ask the Scottish Government how it promotes historically significant sites.
Answer
Section 2 of the Historic Environment Scotland Act 2014 provides that Historic Environment Scotland’s general function is to investigate, care for and promote Scotland’s historic environment. The Scottish Government provided £37,145,000 in grant-in-aid to Historic Environment Scotland in 2017-18 to act as the lead public body on matters relating to Scotland’s historic environment, supporting and enabling partners, stakeholders, communities and individuals to fulfil their roles in investigating, protecting and celebrating our heritage. In particular, one of the strategic aims set out in Historic Environment Scotland's Corporate Plan is to "promote the value of the historic environment through education, learning, outreach and skill-sharing activities."
- Asked by: Rachael Hamilton, MSP for Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 04 May 2018
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Current Status:
Taken in the Chamber on 10 May 2018
To ask the First Minister what action the Scottish Government will take to reduce the number of cancelled NHS operations.
Answer
Taken in the Chamber on 10 May 2018
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Current Status:
Withdrawn
- Asked by: Rachael Hamilton, MSP for Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 27 March 2018
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Current Status:
Answered by Maree Todd on 25 April 2018
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on what progress it is making with its plans to deliver 1,140 hours of free early learning and childcare from 2020, and what recent discussions it has had with (a) COSLA and (b) local authorities regarding any funding concerns that have been expressed about achieving this.
Answer
In March 2017 the Scottish Government published A Blueprint for 2020: 2017-18 Action Plan . This set out the policy vision and framework for delivering the expansion of the early learning and childcare (ELC) entitlement. It committed us to a series of actions, to be delivered by the end of March 2018 to ensure that the expansion of ELC is rooted in a high quality experience for our children, and; to support our delivery partners in building additional capacity. We, along with our deliver partners, have made significant progress since the publication of the 2017-18 Action Plan and are on track to deliver 1,140 hours of funded early learning and childcare from 2020.
The Scottish Government is committed to making an unprecedented level of investment in early learning and childcare, and is continuing to work with local authorities to agree a sustainable multi-year funding package which will deliver the requirements of the expansion, taking account of local authority cost estimates reflected in ELC Expansion Plans. On 29 March 2018 Scottish Ministers and COSLA Leaders met to progress funding discussions, with a view to reaching agreement on the multi-year funding package soon.
- Asked by: Rachael Hamilton, MSP for Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 18 April 2018
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Current Status:
Taken in the Chamber on 26 April 2018
To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to close the attainment gap.
Answer
Taken in the Chamber on 26 April 2018
- Asked by: Rachael Hamilton, MSP for Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 12 March 2018
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Current Status:
Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 27 March 2018
To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to remove the (a) physical and (b) social barriers that disabled musicians face.
Answer
The primary aim of the Disability Action Plan, A Fairer Scotland for Disabled People , is to remove the barriers that stop disabled people from participating fully in their communities, and at national and international levels. Our goal is for all disabled people to have choice and control, dignity and freedom to live the life they choose, with the support they need to do so. The Plan may be accessed here:- http://www.gov.scot/Publications/2016/12/3778/0
Equalities, access and participation are critical to the music sector to ensure that opportunities to engage with quality music-making are available to as many people, and as many distinct groups, as possible. Paragon Ensemble, Drake Music Scotland, for example, are all supported through Creative Scotland and are critical in ensuring equal access for all.
- Asked by: Rachael Hamilton, MSP for Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 12 March 2018
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Current Status:
Answered by Jeane Freeman on 26 March 2018
To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to help connect disabled and non-disabled people at (a) a community, (b) a national and (c) an international level.
Answer
The primary aim of the Disability Action Plan, A Fairer Scotland for Disabled People , is to remove the barriers that stop disabled people from participating fully in their communities, and at national and international levels. Our goal is for all disabled people to have choice and control, dignity and freedom to live the life they choose, with the support they need to do so. The Plan may be accessed here:- http://www.gov.scot/Publications/2016/12/3778/0
Across Scottish Government, Ministers are leading on the delivery of actions which fall to their portfolio area.
- Asked by: Rachael Hamilton, MSP for Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 12 March 2018
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Current Status:
Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 26 March 2018
To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on the effectiveness of the assistive music technology, which has been pioneered by the Drake Music School, in making music accessible, and how it encourages and supports the developments of such initiatives.
Answer
The Scottish Government is committed to supporting, developing and promoting Scotland's creative talent, and ensuring that Scotland's culture reaches a wide audience at home and abroad. The use of technology and innovation in making music making more accessible is welcomed. On 9 March 2018, forty-eight organisations were awarded almost £1.6 million through the Youth Music Initiative to enable more young people to learn about and enjoy musical activities. This included support for Drake Music Scotland to provide music opportunities for disabled young people or additional support needs in the Glasgow area and north-east of Scotland.
