- Asked by: Willie Rennie, MSP for North East Fife, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Friday, 25 March 2022
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Current Status:
Answered by Jamie Hepburn on 19 April 2022
To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of reported concerns that Confucius Institutes may represent a threat to academic freedoms and freedom of expression.
Answer
We are concerned by suggestions of foreign interference in Scottish universities. Our universities are autonomous institutions and the alliances they forge across global academic networks are a matter for them and their governing bodies.
However, we expect all universities to understand and manage the reputational, ethical and security risks associated with international partnerships. This includes conducting appropriate due diligence before entering into new international partnerships and monitoring existing partnerships. Guidance to support universities has been published by Universities UK.
Academic freedom is of paramount importance in Scotland and we have legislated to expand the statutory definition of academic freedom in the Higher Education Governance Act 2016. We also expect our universities to listen to the campus community when taking decisions affecting the university, its staff and students.
- Asked by: Murdo Fraser, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 25 March 2022
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Current Status:
Answered by Kate Forbes on 19 April 2022
To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the Starlink satellite service as a means of providing superfast broadband to hard-to-reach properties across Scotland.
Answer
Officials advise that Starlink's base level satellite internet service offers speeds of between 50Mbps and 150Mbps, but that Starlink's beta commercial service is currently only available at a latitude below 55 degrees. This means it is unavailable to the vast majority of premises in Scotland at this time.
Starlink has indicated that they have plans to make their service available above 55 degrees latitude in financial year 2022-23 – however, there is no firm date for further availability of the service.
- Asked by: Willie Rennie, MSP for North East Fife, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Friday, 25 March 2022
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Current Status:
Answered by Jamie Hepburn on 19 April 2022
To ask the Scottish Government whether it is aware of any reported allegations that the Chinese Communist Party, through student groups on university campuses in Scotland, is seeking to deter certain events from taking place, and, if so, what action has been taken to address this.
Answer
I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-07562 on 19 April 2022. 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: Murdo Fraser, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 25 March 2022
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Current Status:
Answered by Kate Forbes on 19 April 2022
To ask the Scottish Government how many properties in (a) Perth and Kinross and (b) Fife are deemed to be eligible for the £5,000 main voucher portion of the Scottish Broadband Voucher Scheme that is available to people who will not receive broadband services under the R100 programme.
Answer
As of 31 March 2022, 3,890 properties in Perth and Kinross, and 3,801 properties in Fife, remain eligible for the main voucher worth up to £5,000 through the R100 Scottish Broadband Voucher Scheme component of the R100 programme.
- Asked by: Murdo Fraser, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 25 March 2022
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Current Status:
Answered by Kate Forbes on 19 April 2022
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will extend the deadline for applications for the interim voucher portion of the Scottish Broadband Voucher Scheme for people who are experiencing delays under the R100 programme.
Answer
As of 31 March 2022, the interim voucher portion of the R100 Scottish Broadband Voucher Scheme is now closed. The main voucher worth up to £5,000 remains open for those who are not planned to benefit from build through R100 contracts or commercial coverage.
- Asked by: Alexander Burnett, MSP for Aberdeenshire West, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 25 March 2022
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Current Status:
Answered by Kate Forbes on 19 April 2022
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-07084 by Kate Forbes on 17 March 2022, how many requests for vouchers through the Scottish Broadband Voucher Scheme have been declined in each local authority area, also broken down by (a) interim and (b) main voucher scheme.
Answer
No requests for a voucher through the R100 Scottish Broadband Voucher Scheme (SBVS) for eligible premises have been declined.
- Asked by: Alexander Burnett, MSP for Aberdeenshire West, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 06 April 2022
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Current Status:
Answered by Shona Robison on 19 April 2022
To ask the Scottish Government what resources are provided to former Hong Kong residents who resettle in Scotland in order to ensure that they integrate safely.
Answer
I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-07557 on 19 April 2022. 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: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 05 April 2022
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Current Status:
Answered by Kate Forbes on 19 April 2022
To ask the Scottish Government how many households have received support under the Council Tax Reduction scheme in each year since it was introduced, broken down by local authority.
Answer
The number of recipients of Council Tax Reduction is calculated as a monthly snapshot, and results are published at local authority level on the Scottish Government website at https://www.gov.scot/publications/council-tax-reduction-local-authority-tables-and-charts/
- Asked by: Pam Duncan-Glancy, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Thursday, 31 March 2022
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Current Status:
Answered by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 19 April 2022
To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to introduce new national guidance on the use of restraint and seclusion in schools.
Answer
The Scottish Government is clear that physical intervention should only ever be used appropriately, as a last resort, to prevent harm and when in the best interests of the child or young person.
The Scottish Government is working with partners, including the Children and Young People’s Commissioner, on new human rights-based non-statutory guidance to minimise the use of restraint in schools. This new guidance will replace existing advice provided within Included, Engaged and Involved Part 2: Preventing and Managing School Exclusions ( Supporting documents - Included, engaged and involved part 2: preventing and managing school exclusions - gov.scot (www.gov.scot) ).
The physical intervention working group began work on the new guidance in January 2020. Progress was affected by group members’ focus on the Covid-19 response. However, work resumed in June 2020 and positive progress has been made since then. Working Group members have now reached agreement that the draft guidance can be put to public consultation. The Scottish Government is currently preparing this consultation.
Details of the membership and notes of the meetings of the physical intervention working group are available on the Scottish Government’s website: Physical Intervention Working Group - gov.scot (www.gov.scot) .
- Asked by: Pam Duncan-Glancy, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Thursday, 31 March 2022
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Current Status:
Answered by Patrick Harvie on 19 April 2022
To ask the Scottish Government what consultation it has carried out with disabled people and their organisations in relation to the promotion of active travel.
Answer
The Scottish government’s principle engagement mechanism with disabled people and the organisations which represent them is through regular meetings with the Mobility and Access Committee for Scotland (MACS), an independent advisory non-departmental public body. Their role is to consider matters about the needs of disabled persons in connection with transport that the committee think are appropriate.
Transport Scotland has consulted and engaged with disabled people’s groups to deliver updated Cycling by Design guidance, Inclusive Design Guidance for Town Centres and Busy Street and more specific work including Free Bikes for Children who cannot afford them and ongoing work on accessible bike hire.