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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: S6W-19546

Asked by: Jamie Greene, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 29 June 2023
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 17 July 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether it has made an assessment of the impact of the redevelopment of Ardrossan harbour on the ferry routes servicing Arran, and, if so, whether it will provide details of this assessment.

Question reference: S6W-19542

Asked by: Jamie Greene, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 29 June 2023
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 17 July 2023

To ask the Scottish Government how many rural bus services have been discontinued in each year since May 2018, broken down by local authority area.

Question reference: S6W-19543

Asked by: Jamie Greene, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 29 June 2023
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 17 July 2023

To ask the Scottish Government how many pupils were suspended from schools in each of the last four years, broken down by local authority area.

Information on the number of pupils and cases of exclusions is collected and published every two years. Statistics on the number of pupils excluded by local authority from 2007-08 to 2020-21 are available in Table 2.3 here:

https://www.gov.scot/binaries/content/documents/govscot/publications/statistics/2018/06/school-exclusions-statistics/documents/school-exclusions-2020-21/school-exclusions-2020-21/govscot%3Adocument/Exclusion%2Bstatistics%2B202021.xlsx

Cases of exclusion have fallen from a high of 44,794 in 2006-07 to 8,323 in 2020-21. There was a particularly notable decrease in exclusion between 2018-19 and 2020-21, with cases of exclusion falling 44%. This decrease is partly attributable to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Over 99% of all exclusions were for a fixed period of time (referred to as temporary exclusions), with pupils expected to return to their original school when the exclusion period is completed.

Question reference: S6W-19522

Asked by: Colin Smyth, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 29 June 2023
Current Status: Answered by Maree Todd on 17 July 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what support it can provide to prevent the closure of Ayr Ice Rink.

Local sport and leisure facilities are vital in supporting the physical and mental health of the nation. We recognise the importance of facilities, such as Ayr Ice Rink for the overall wellbeing of those who use them regularly.

In recognising the important role that ice rinks play in many communities the Scottish Government supported thirteen privately operated ice rinks with over two million pounds (£2m) during the pandemic, through our Covid sport fund. Ayr Ice Rink received £181,000 through this fund.

sportscotland, our national agency for sport, will be meeting with representatives of Ayr Ice Rink to understand the current situation at the local level. It is vital that partners at a local level work together to explore all avenues and approaches to support local sport and leisure facilities.

We will continue to keep a dialogue with sportscotland and the sector on these issues, and consider how we can further support the sector.

Question reference: S6W-19422

Asked by: Mark Ruskell, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 29 June 2023
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 17 July 2023

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-18387 by Mairi McAllan on 9 June 2023, whether it will provide an update on its work with ATCO and COSLA in developing the Community Bus Fund, and when it plans to launch the Community Bus Fund.

Question reference: S6W-19509

Asked by: Paul O'Kane, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 29 June 2023
Current Status: Answered by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 17 July 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on any engagement that it has had with the UK Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) in relation to the impact assessment process for introducing individual payments of Universal Credit, and what assessment it has made of any implications for the managed migration of those on "legacy benefits" moving to Universal Credit in Scotland.

Scottish Government officials are continuing to work closely with the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) to consider the feasibility of introducing split payments of Universal Credit. Officials expect to submit a formal policy proposal to DWP soon, for them to impact assess.

The managed migration of people on legacy benefits onto Universal Credit will form part of DWP’s impact assessment of the split payment policy, and the Scottish Government will consider any impacts in due course. We will then be able to update on the feasibility of the policy.

Question reference: S6W-19491

Asked by: Oliver Mundell, MSP for Dumfriesshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 28 June 2023
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 17 July 2023

To ask the Scottish Government how much funding has been allocated to teachers undertaking (a) Into Headship, (b) Excellence in Headship and (c) master's-level qualifications in each of the last three years, broken down by local authority area.

a) Into Headship

The Scottish Government provided grant funding to Higher Education Institutions to deliver the Into Headship programme, as set out in the following table. This funding was not allocated to local authorities, therefore we do not hold a breakdown by local authority.

	2020-21	2021-22	2022-23	Total
University of Aberdeen	£79,716	£98,112	£107,310	£285,138
University of Dundee	£58,254	£45,990	£36,792	£141,036
University of Edinburgh	£110,376	£162,498	£101,178	£374,052
University of Glasgow	£113,442	£82,782	£67,452	£263,676
University of Highlands & Islands	£76,650	£180,894	£95,046	£352,590
University of Stirling	£177,828	£165,564	£134,904	£478,296
University of Strathclyde	£144,102	£104,244	£135,926	£384,272
Total	£760,368	£840,084	£678,608	£2,279,060

b) Excellence in Headship

The Scottish Government provided funding to Education Scotland to deliver the Excellence in Headship programme, as set out in the table below. This funding was not allocated to local authorities, therefore we do not hold a breakdown by local authority.

2020-21

2021-22

2022-23

Scottish Government Funding to Education Scotland

£400,000

1. Masters-Level Learning for Teachers

The Scottish Government provided grant funding to the recipients set out in the table below to enable the delivery of Masters-level learning for teachers. This funding was allocated to these recipients on behalf of Teacher Education Partnerships, except for City & Guilds and The Royal Conservatoire of Scotland. We do not hold a breakdown by local authority.

Grant Recipient	Universities in Teacher Education Partnership	Local Authorities in Teacher Education Partnership	2020-21	2021-22	2022-23	Total
University of Aberdeen	University of Aberdeen	Aberdeen City, Aberdeenshire, Highland, Moray and Shetland	£71,400	£88,500	£88,500	£248,400
City & Guilds	NA	NA	£45,750	£45,000	£26,000	£116,750
Dumfries and Galloway Council	University of Glasgow, University of Stirling	Dumfries and Galloway	£15,900	£6,964	£5,547	£28,411
University of Dundee	University of Dundee	Angus, Dundee, Fife, Perth & Kinross	£81,900	£81,720	£81,000	£244,620
University of Edinburgh	University of Edinburgh	Edinburgh City, East Lothian, West Lothian, Midlothian, Scottish Borders, Fife	£132,200	£132,400	£132,100	£396,700
University of Strathclyde	University of Strathclyde, University of Glasgow	East Dunbartonshire, East Renfrewshire, Glasgow City, Inverclyde, North Ayrshire, North Lanarkshire, Renfrewshire, South Lanarkshire, West Dunbartonshire	£217,100	£218,700	£218,700	£654,500
University of Highlands & Islands	University of Highlands & Islands	Argyll & Bute, Shetland, Orkney, Eilean Siar, Highland, Moray	£53,900	£53,100	£54,000	£161,000
The Royal Conservatoire of Scotland	NA	NA	£18,300	£18,300	£18,300	£54,900
University of Stirling	University of Stirling	West Lothian, Falkirk, Stirling, Clackmannanshire, Perth & Kinross	£55,000	£55,600	£55,080	£165,680
University of West of Scotland	University of West of Scotland	East Ayrshire, South Ayrshire, North Ayrshire	£40,320	£40,600	£41,000	£121,920
Total			£731,770	£740,884	£720,227	£2,192,881

Question reference: S6W-19493

Asked by: Craig Hoy, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 28 June 2023
Current Status: Answered by Maree Todd on 17 July 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will outline the specific reasons for the reported delay in the allocation of funding for community groups and local authorities to build and provide Changing Places toilets.

The Scottish Government is committed to investing in Changing Places Toilets during this parliamentary term, in order to increase the number of these facilities across the country and to support mobile Changing Places Toilets to allow people easier access to events and outdoor venues.

I refer you to written submission PE2027/A I provided in response to a petition published on 18 May 2023.

https://www.parliament.scot/get-involved/petitions/view-petitions/pe2027-launch-the-changing-places-toilet-fund.

Question reference: S6W-19511

Asked by: Kevin Stewart, MSP for Aberdeen Central, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 28 June 2023
Current Status: Answered by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 17 July 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of poverty rates in Aberdeen.

Question reference: S6W-19467

Asked by: Oliver Mundell, MSP for Dumfriesshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 27 June 2023
Current Status: Answered by Maree Todd on 17 July 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on what action is being taken to reduce reported backlogs at the Office of the Public Guardian regarding processing power of attorney applications.

The Office of the Public Guardian (OPG) is part of the Scottish Courts and Tribunal Service (SCTS). SCTS is an independent body corporate and does not answer directly to the Scottish Government (SG). Instead, it is directly answerable to its board, chaired by the Lord President.

OPG advise that they continue to fund a dedicated taskforce to reduce the time taken to process PoA applications. They have commenced a programme to develop a new case management system, which will provide greater online capability and greater effectiveness in PoA registrations.