- Asked by: Katy Clark, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Thursday, 14 September 2023
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Current Status:
Answered by Angela Constance on 28 September 2023
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will list, by local authority, any buildings where reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC) has been used on the justice estate since 2007, and whether any action was taken following structural inspection of these buildings.
Answer
The Scottish Government has directly engaged with justice stakeholders to provide the following information. Police Scotland have confirmed that RAAC has been identified in three sites across the Police Scotland estate, in Edinburgh, Perth and Dundee. These sites are pre 2007, however where RAAC has been identified, appropriate mitigation measures have been put in place and there is no immediate risk to officers, staff or visitors.
Scottish Courts and Tribunals Service (SCTS) have confirmed ongoing structural survey work is underway, RAAC has been identified in one building within the North Lanarkshire area at Airdrie Sheriff Court.
The Scottish Government’s response to question S6W-21348 on 27 September 2023 provides the member with a response to the question “To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide a list of any fire station buildings that contain reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC)”.
All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers
- Asked by: Donald Cameron, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Submitting member has a registered interest.
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 13 September 2023
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Current Status:
Answered by Maree Todd on 28 September 2023
To ask the Scottish Government what assistance is available to any bike pump tracks that are struggling to pay for increased insurance premiums.
Answer
The Scottish Government places great importance on sports and leisure facilities and believes everyone should have access to these services locally.
We recognise the challenging financial circumstances faced by operators in the maintenance and operating of facilities, including the increase in insurance premiums.
It is vital that partners at a local level work together to explore all avenues and approaches to support local sport and leisure facilities.
- Asked by: Mark Griffin, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
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Submitting member has a registered interest.
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 13 September 2023
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Current Status:
Answered by Patrick Harvie on 28 September 2023
To ask the Scottish Government how many applications that have been received by Home Energy Scotland and assessed under the new eligibility criteria for the Warmer Homes Scotland scheme since 1 April 2023, are awaiting referral and being "held onto" until 2 October 2023.
Answer
The total number of Warmer Homes Scotland referrals in process was 4429 as of 18 September 2023. Some of these are awaiting eligibility checks so the final number of eligible applications at that point will be lower. Assessments and installations will proceed at pace when the scheme re-commences as of 2 October.
- Asked by: Pam Duncan-Glancy, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Thursday, 14 September 2023
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Current Status:
Answered by Graeme Dey on 28 September 2023
To ask the Scottish Government what action it took to help colleges improve their
financial sustainability, following Audit Scotland's 2022 report on the college
sector.
Answer
Despite the most difficult public spending environment since devolution, we maintained college resource budgets for 2023-24 at 2022-23 levels. The Audit Scotland report highlights that challenges and opportunities lie ahead as a result. The Scottish Funding Council also provided greater flexibility in the funding for colleges for academic year 2023-24.
- Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 29 August 2023
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Current Status:
Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 28 September 2023
To ask the Scottish Government what practical steps it is taking to address and reverse the reported findings of the national improvement framework interactive evidence report, published on 13 December 2022, that (a) literacy, (b) reading, (c) writing, (d) listening, (e) talking and (f) numeracy rates are falling in P1, P4 and P7.
Answer
Whilst performance in 2021-22 compared to 2018-19 was broadly lower indicating the continuing impact of the pandemic on learning, there was some encouraging evidence amongst for example, P7 pupils that performance was returning to pre-pandemic levels.
ACEL data is one of a range of measures captured in the National Improvement Framework. It is important to be able to measure the impact of the education system as a whole, rather than looking at individual measures. That is why the National Improvement Framework includes ACEL data for P1, P4, P7 and S3 as part of a broader basket of key measures of attainment. This avoids, as far as possible, a situation where looking at a single measure generates perverse behaviours by becoming the single focus of activity in schools.
Local education authorities have the statutory responsibility to provide school education. To support continuous improvement in literacy and numeracy in our schools nationally, the Scottish Government is:
- Focusing on literacy and numeracy within the Scottish Attainment Challenge (SAC) which has allocated over £550m in Pupil Equity Funding directly to primary schools up until 2022-23 and is investing a total of £1bn over this parliamentary term, including direct funding for all 32 local authorities.
- Has agreed clear stretch aims within each local authority as part of the SAC which, if achieved, would narrow the poverty related attainment gap by over 7 percentage points in both primary school literacy and numeracy by 2022-23 compared to 2020-21.
- Rejoining the “PIRLS” and “TIMSS” surveys, thereby further improving the evidence base on literacy and numeracy performance.
- Taking forward the National Response to Improving Literacy (NRIL) and the National Response to Improving Mathematics (NRIM) alongside Education Scotland and ADES, drawing on the available evidence to develop focused, “teacher-relevant” packages of professional learning, guidance and support.
- Ensuring that Education Scotland provides a tailored local and school-level support offer via attainment advisers and Regional Improvement Collaboratives.
- Funding and promoting Maths Week Scotland every year since 2017, transforming public attitudes to maths and promoting the value of maths as an essential skill for every career.
- Funding additional national programmes which support high quality learning and teaching, including “Read Write Count with the First Minister”, Reading Schools and the School Library Improvement Fund.
- Asked by: Rachael Hamilton, MSP for Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 01 September 2023
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Current Status:
Answered by Gillian Martin on 28 September 2023
To ask the Scottish Government how many applications for battery storage sites have been rejected by the Energy Consents Unit between 2013 and
2023.
Answer
Applications for the construction and operation of onshore electricity generating stations with an installed capacity in excess of 50 megawatts are made to Scottish Ministers under section 36 of the Electricity Act 1989. No such applications made for generating stations exclusively powered by battery storage have been refused between 2013 and 2023.
- Asked by: Kevin Stewart, MSP for Aberdeen Central, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 30 August 2023
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Current Status:
Answered by Graeme Dey on 28 September 2023
To ask the Scottish Government how many care experienced students (a) in Aberdeen
and (b) throughout Scotland have received bursary support.
Answer
Data on the Care Experienced Bursary for Higher Education (HE) students for 2023-24 academic year (AY) is not yet available. In the 2022-23 academic year 75 HE students with addresses in Aberdeen City local authority received the Care Experienced Bursary. In the same academic year 1,840 HE students throughout Scotland received the Care Experienced Bursary.
Data on the Care Experienced Bursary for Further Education (FE) students for 2022-23 academic year is not yet available. In the 2021-22 academic year 150 FE students at North East Scotland College received the Care Experienced Bursary. In the same academic year 3,890 FE students throughout Scotland received the Care Experienced Bursary.
- Asked by: Kevin Stewart, MSP for Aberdeen Central, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 30 August 2023
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Current Status:
Answered by Graeme Dey on 28 September 2023
To ask the Scottish Government how many students (a) in Aberdeen and (b)
throughout Scotland will receive free university tuition in the 2023-24
academic year.
Answer
Data on tuition fee support for academic year 2023-24 is not yet available as students have up until 31 March 2024 to apply to the Student Awards Agency Scotland (SAAS) for their financial support package.
In the 2022-23 academic year 5,855 full-time Higher Education (HE) students with addresses in Aberdeen City local authority received tuition fee support. In the same academic year 130,900 full-time students received tuition fee support whilst studying a course of Higher Education at college or university in Scotland.
- Asked by: Liz Smith, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 27 September 2023
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Current Status:
Taken in the Chamber on 5 October 2023
To ask the Scottish Government, in light of reports that the V&A Dundee has generated £304 million for the Scottish economy over the last five years, whether it will be pursuing any further joint projects with UK institutions.
Answer
Taken in the Chamber on 5 October 2023
- Asked by: Ross Greer, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Green Party
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Submitting member has a registered interest.
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 27 September 2023
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Current Status:
Taken in the Chamber on 5 October 2023
To ask the Scottish Government what consideration has been given to any proposals to increase the frequency of services on the Milngavie rail line.
Answer
Taken in the Chamber on 5 October 2023
