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-17757

Asked by: Michelle Ballantyne, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 18 July 2018
Current Status: Answered by Jeane Freeman on 8 August 2018

To ask the Scottish Government whether a radio therapy unit is to be installed at the Borders General Hospital and, if so, when, and what the reasons are for its position on this matter.

Question reference: S5W-17510

Asked by: Michelle Ballantyne, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 26 June 2018
Current Status: Answered by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 12 July 2018

To ask the Scottish Government what role the private sector has had in the creation of Social Security Scotland.

The Scottish Government has awarded contracts to the private sector through the social security programme to support the creation of Social Security Scotland, including the first phase of the new social security IT system and property expertise to support the acquisition of the agency's primary sites in Dundee and Glasgow.

Details of contracts over £50,000 in value can be found on the Scottish Government's contract register on the Public Contracts Scotland procurement portal ( www.publiccontractsscotland.gov.uk ).

Question reference: S5W-17509

Asked by: Michelle Ballantyne, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 26 June 2018
Current Status: Answered by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 12 July 2018

To ask the Scottish Government what role the private sector has in Social Security Scotland.

Question reference: S5W-17208

Asked by: Michelle Ballantyne, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 15 June 2018
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 26 June 2018

To ask the Scottish Government how the reporting of P1 assessments will take into account the proportion of children with additional support needs within a (a) class and (b) school.

Question reference: S5W-17207

Asked by: Michelle Ballantyne, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 13 June 2018
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 21 June 2018

To ask the Scottish Government how many parents have asked for their children to be withdrawn from the P1 standardised assessments.

The Scottish National Standardised Assessments are part of everyday learning and teaching. They provide teachers with diagnostic information on children’s progress in aspects of literacy and numeracy. The Scottish Government has received fewer than 10 requests from parents asking to withdraw their child from the assessments. As with any other area of learning, teaching and assessment parents should discuss their concerns with their child’s teacher.

Question reference: S5W-17185

Asked by: Michelle Ballantyne, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 11 June 2018
Current Status: Answered by Roseanna Cunningham on 21 June 2018

To ask the Scottish Government what financial support schemes are available to fund economic projects in coastal communities.

The Scottish Government is providing £6.5m funding to 8 Fisheries Local Action Groups (FLAGs) through the European Maritime and Fisheries Fund to deliver economic projects within coastal communities.

The Coastal Communities Fund is currently available to successful applications from the current round of funding. This fund has supported economic growth in Scotland’s deprived coastal communities by funding project. No decision has been made about the future of the Coastal Communities Fund, but a review of the fund is currently underway. In the meantime, I am committed to supporting the current Coastal Communities Fund projects through to completion

The Scottish Government’s Empowering Communities Fund supports community empowerment cross Scotland and, enables disadvantaged communities to tackle poverty and inequality on their own terms and directly supports community priorities. This reflects our commitment to investing in communities so that they can develop the resources and resilience to decide their own priorities and needs; and, develop their own social, economic and environmental solutions in response. We will continue to support various community-led regeneration programmes through our £20 million Empowering Communities Fund in 2018-2019.

Question reference: S5W-17209

Asked by: Michelle Ballantyne, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 13 June 2018
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 21 June 2018

To ask the Scottish Government how much the Scottish National Standardised Assessments IT system has cost to introduce in schools, broken down by (a) initial and (b) annual running cost.

The Scottish National Standardised Assessments IT system was delivered on time and remains within budget. Costs have been broken down by (a) initial and (b) annual running costs:

		SNSA main contract	Notes applicable
SNSA initial costs	Main suppliers development and initial implementation fee	£1,115,000

SNSA running costs (AY 17-18)	Main suppliers management fee and assessment fee	£3,390,509	1

SNSA running costs (AY 18-19)	Main suppliers management fee and assessment fee	£3,445,915	1

SNSA running costs (AY 19-20)	Main suppliers management fee and assessment fee	£862,329	1,2

Estimated contract completion cost		£8,813,753	3

Notes

1 . The cost of the assessments is assuming a 100% uptake of assessments for the full school role for P1, P4, P7 and S3 in academic year 17-18. Actual uptake is expected to be less due to absences, children with complex additional support needs etc.

2 . Year 19-20 is a part year as the 3 year contract term currently ends in October 2019. Three months (one quarter) of the full years management and assessment fee is estimated.

3 . Costs are not VAT applicable.

Question reference: S5W-17055

Asked by: Michelle Ballantyne, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 05 June 2018
Current Status: Answered by Roseanna Cunningham on 19 June 2018

To ask the Scottish Government what financial support it offers to coastal communities in East Lothian, and whether it is considering offering additional support.

Question reference: S5W-17054

Asked by: Michelle Ballantyne, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 05 June 2018
Current Status: Answered by Roseanna Cunningham on 19 June 2018

To ask the Scottish Government when its decision on round five of funding for the Coastal Communities Fund will be announced.

Question reference: S5W-17113

Asked by: Michelle Ballantyne, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 07 June 2018
Current Status: Answered by Jeane Freeman on 19 June 2018

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to publicise the Best Start Grant, and what progress it is making with (a) automating the claim progress for and (b) improving the take-up rate of the grant.

A plan to publicise the Best Start Grant (BSG) is in development. This will include communications and marketing activity to launch the new benefit, which will be aligned with ongoing work with stakeholders to ensure that there is an awareness of the new entitlement.

I refer the member to my letter of 29 May 2018 to Clare Adamson MSP, Convenor of the Social Security Committee. My response addresses the points raised at the Committee session on 10 May, including those on automation and take up. This letter is published on the Scottish Parliament website and can be found here:

http://www.parliament.scot/S5_Social_Security/General%20Documents/20180529_MinisterSSecuritytoConvener_BSG_response.pdf