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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.

Find out more about parliamentary questions

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Question reference: S6W-24955

Asked by: Pam Duncan-Glancy, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 30 January 2024
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 19 February 2024

To ask the Scottish Government when it plans to (a) launch and (b) complete the co-design process for the Centre of Teaching Excellence.

We have begun engagement with trade unions and other stakeholders in preparation for the wider co-design process which will start this month. We anticipate the design process will take approximately six months to ensure this is a collaborative endeavour. This will feed into the identification of a suitable host institution, followed by a launch once appointed. Specific timelines will follow once the specification of the Centre has been developed through the co-design process.

Question reference: S6W-25171

Asked by: Pam Duncan-Glancy, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 02 February 2024
Current Status: Answered by Tom Arthur on 16 February 2024

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will extend the 100% non-domestic rates relief for eligible day nurseries beyond June 2023.

Question reference: S6W-25023

Asked by: Pam Duncan-Glancy, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 31 January 2024
Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 15 February 2024

To ask the Scottish Government by what date it anticipates that the advisory group considering the implementation of the recommendations from the review of allied health professionals will report.

The Advisory Group is expected to offer expert advice and provide assurance on activities being taken forward to progress the implementation of the recommendations of the Allied Health Professions Education and Workforce Policy Review and, although is not expected to exist in perpetuity, will continue until such time as systems, processes and activities are embedded that can demonstrate that progress is adequately assured..

This is likely to mean at least 4 quarterly meetings and meetings are currently scheduled until October 2024.

The group is chaired by Professor Carolyn McDonald, Chief Allied Health Professions Officer, who will report progress towards the implementation of the recommendations to the Chief Nursing Officer and Scottish Ministers as required.

Question reference: S6O-03101

Asked by: Pam Duncan-Glancy, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 14 February 2024
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 21 February 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what it is doing to support access to health and social care services in Glasgow.

Question reference: S6W-24980

Asked by: Pam Duncan-Glancy, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 30 January 2024
Current Status: Answered by Natalie Don on 13 February 2024

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-24473 by Natalie Don on 26 January 2024, what impact it anticipates the reallocation of funding away from regional improvement collaboratives will have on the newly appointed speech and language leads carrying out their objectives.

Question reference: S6W-24473

Asked by: Pam Duncan-Glancy, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 12 January 2024
Current Status: Answered by Natalie Don on 26 January 2024

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-23500 by Jenni Minto on 11 December 2023, how it expects that regional leads for early years speech and language will work with regional improvement collaboratives.

The Regional Early Years Speech and Language Leads will work alongside the Regional Improvement Collaboratives and across local services and agencies to encourage the development of a sustainable whole systems approach to improving children’s speech, language and communication outcomes from pre-birth to school entry. They will work together to connect partners, develop and share resources and expertise, and maximise opportunities to support children’s speech, language and communication development.

Question reference: S6W-23885

Asked by: Pam Duncan-Glancy, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 14 December 2023
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 23 January 2024

To ask the Scottish Government how many probationer teachers are currently supernumerary.

The total number of Teacher Induction Scheme (TIS) probationers allocated to local authorities in May 2023 on a supernumerary basis was 626.

This is the number for which local authorities have declared there are no specific probation places for. Probation numbers fluctuate due to deferrals and drop-outs etc. To date there are over 500 deferrals and withdrawals from this year’s initial cohort so the 600 “supernumerary” figure as of May 2023 does not mean there are 600 surplus teachers.

The teacher workforce planning model estimates future student teacher intake numbers by rolling forward recent patterns in the school pupil and staff censuses and other data including national population projections and teacher wastage and turnover.

Question reference: S6W-24474

Asked by: Pam Duncan-Glancy, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 12 January 2024
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 22 January 2024

To ask the Scottish Government by what date it expects to have confirmed a university to lead the Centre of Teaching Excellence.

Question reference: S6W-24393

Asked by: Pam Duncan-Glancy, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 09 January 2024
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 22 January 2024

To ask the Scottish Government when the Gender Equality Taskforce in Education and Learning last met, and what was discussed.

The Gender Equality Taskforce in Education and Learning last met in May 2023. At that meeting, members continued to consider and refine the Taskforce’s workplan, with a particular focus on ensuring that its three strategic goals are consistent with its more detailed, thematic workplan. I will be present at the next meeting of the Gender Equality Taskforce, which will take place in early 2024.

Effecting the type of systemic change which the Taskforce aims to do is complex and long term. I am committed to continuing and accelerating such work to ensure that girls and young women do not experience gender inequality in so many aspects of education.

Question reference: S6W-24455

Asked by: Pam Duncan-Glancy, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 11 January 2024
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 22 January 2024

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-23874 by Jenny Gilruth on 8 January 2024, whether it plans to uprate, by inflation in future years, the ringfenced funding that it provides to local authorities annually for the provision of additional support assistants.

As outlined in my previous answer, the Scottish Government has continued to invest an additional £15m per year since 2019-20 to help local authorities respond to the individual needs of children and young people. This investment is monitored via information collected through the annual school staff census. The latest figures show that this funding has helped contribute to the highest recorded number of support staff in schools, 16,606 in 2022.

We are also providing local authorities with £145.5m in this year's budget to protect teacher numbers and support staff.

Any financial decisions regarding these investments are subject to future budgetary processes.