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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

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Question reference: S6W-01165

Asked by: Michael Marra, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 02 July 2021
Current Status: Answered by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 28 July 2021

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answers to questions S4W-29691 and S5W-22664 by Angela Constance on 2 March 2016 and by John Swinney on 1 May 2019, whether it will provide the figures for each year since 2018-19.

Table 1 provides information on average gross revenue expenditure in Scotland per pre-school registration, and primary and secondary pupil along with information on teaching allocations per college and university place (Average Teaching Grant Funding per FTE - including controlled SG funded places – expenditure on tuition fees and student support not included).

Table 1: Average expenditure per place for each education level in cash terms
Education level	2010-11	2011-12	2012-13 1	2013-14	2014-15	2015-16 2	2016-17 3	2017-18 4	2018-19 4,5	2019-20 4,6	2020-21
Pre-school	£3,456	£3,193	£3,194	£3,102	£3,411	£3,957	£4,344	£4,561	£5,190	£6,958	-
Primary School	£5,001	£4,935	£4,899	£4,880	£4,819	£4,877	£4,980	£5,169	£5,444	£5,779	-
Secondary School	£6,598	£6,495	£6,629	£6,714	£6,795	£6,920	£7,046	£7,127	£7,454	£7,787	-
College	£3,803	£3,601	£3,496	£3,317	£3,317	£3,421	£3,527	£3,615	£3,972	£4,064	£4,284
University	£5,219	£5,115	£5,379	£5,514	£5,620	£5,655	£5,435	£5,437	£5,560	£5,563	£5,703

Table 2 provides the same information in 2020-21 prices.

Table 2: Average expenditure per place for each education level in real terms (2020-21=100)
Education level	2010-11	2011-12	2012-13 1	2013-14	2014-15	2015-16 2	2016-17 3	2017-18 4	2018-19 4,5	2019-20 4,6	2020-21
Pre-school	£4,321	£3,933	£3,854	£3,678	£3,989	£4,589	£4,917	£5,073	£5,641	£7,397	-
Primary School	£6,252	£6,078	£5,912	£5,785	£5,635	£5,657	£5,636	£5,749	£5,917	£6,143	-
Secondary School	£8,249	£7,999	£8,000	£7,959	£7,946	£8,026	£7,975	£7,927	£8,102	£8,278	-
College	£4,754	£4,435	£4,219	£3,932	£3,879	£3,968	£3,992	£4,021	£4,318	£4,321	£4,284
University	£6,525	£6,299	£6,492	£6,537	£6,572	£6,559	£6,152	£6,047	£6,044	£5,913	£5,703

For pre-school education, estimates are derived by dividing total expenditure adjusted for inter-authority transfers on pre-school education, reported by local authorities in the Local Finance Return, by the total number of early learning and childcare registrations, reported in the Scottish Government’s Early Learning and Childcare statistics.

Average gross revenue expenditure per pupil in primary and secondary education respectively is arrived at by taking the total gross revenue expenditure adjusted for inter-authority transfers, reported by local authorities on primary and secondary education to the local financial return, divided by the number of pupils in primary and secondary education as per the most recent statistics reported in the pupil census.

To ensure comparability with the 2019-20 figures, the earlier figures provided here for pre-primary, primary and secondary education expenditure have been re-calculated on a consistent basis and have been updated to take into account any methodological changes and revisions to the calculation of expenditure figures from the Local Government Financial returns. Some of the figures presented here, therefore, may differ from those provided previously in answers to parliamentary questions.

The Scottish Funding Council (SFC) have supplied detail of the cost of a College place (expenditure per full-time equivalent (FTE)). This is calculated by taking funding provided to Colleges for core teaching and fee waiver grant divided by the weighted SUMs (relative cost to a college of delivering different subjects). Expenditure excludes tuition fees not paid by SFC (mainly the Student Awards Agency Scotland (SAAS)) and student support funding or funding from the European Social Fund.

The cost of a University place, also provided by the SFC, is estimated by taking the total teaching grant awarded to Universities divided by the total number of SFC funded places for Scottish and EU domiciled FTEs. Expenditure figures exclude funding for student support, SFC’s research and strategic funds, and tuition fees that SAAS pay. Total FTE figures are SFC/SG funded places and do not include fees only and international places.

Real terms figures are in 2020-21 prices and are calculated using HM Treasury’s GDP Deflator Series, June 2021.

Additional notes

1. The rest of UK places were removed from 2012-13 on a phased basis (new students in 2012-13 and each new cohort thereafter over a 5 year period).

2. In AY 2015-16 SFC moved college funding to a credits based system, rather than WSUMS. It is assumed that 15 credits = 1 FTE.

3. In AY 2016-17 there was a 2.9% reduction in HEI gross teaching prices.

4. In 2017-18 and 2018-19, funding for colleges includes additional funding for national bargaining.

5. In 2018-19, The additional places at St Andrew’s for rUK Calman students clinical training were funded separately by SFC however are not included for continuance.

6. The university allocation includes funded places and funding for childcare that were announced after the publication of the final funding announcement, to ensure consistency with other years

7. The funded places/weighted SUMS/credits figures used are taken from the final published main grant letters or outcome agreements, and do not take account of any subsequent adjustments.

8. SFC (not matched) ESF funding included together with all ESF student number targets.

9. A “-“ symbol indicates no available data.

Question reference: S6W-00612

Asked by: Michael Marra, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 10 June 2021
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 17 June 2021

To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to raise awareness of the deadlines for the installation of smoke and heat detectors.

We are currently planning for an extensive marketing campaign to take place throughout this year to reinforce how people can effectively reduce the risk of fire in their homes and highlighting the changes coming into force in February 2022.

We are continuing to work with the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service, as well as local authorities, to ensure people have the support and advice they need to meet the new requirements. Our regularly updated online Q and A has been providing advice for householders since 2018 and SFRS have signposted and highlighted the changes though various social media channels.

Question reference: S6W-00611

Asked by: Michael Marra, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 10 June 2021
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 17 June 2021

To ask the Scottish Government whether its revised deadlines for the installation of smoke and heat detectors in all homes are on schedule.

Fire safety remains our priority and changes to the requirement for fire and carbon monoxide detectors in all homes mean that everyone will benefit from the same level of protection, whether they own their home or rent. The regulations will come into force on 1 February 2022 as scheduled. We will be undertaking a comprehensive awareness raising campaign which will look to help support people to fit the necessary alarms to the new standard.

Question reference: S6W-00414

Asked by: Michael Marra, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 03 June 2021
Current Status: Answered by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 10 June 2021

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide additional resources to local authorities to help fulfil the Scottish National Party manifesto pledge that “we will increase the school uniform grant to at least £120 in primary school and £150 in secondary school” and, if not, what proportion of the funding required to meet this commitment it will ask local authorities to contribute.

Question reference: S6W-00412

Asked by: Michael Marra, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 03 June 2021
Current Status: Answered by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 10 June 2021

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had or plans with COSLA regarding fulfilling the Scottish National Party manifesto pledge that “we will increase the school uniform grant to at least £120 in primary school and £150 in secondary school”.

Question reference: S6W-00411

Asked by: Michael Marra, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 03 June 2021
Current Status: Answered by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 10 June 2021

To ask the Scottish Government how much it will cost to fulfil the Scottish National Party manifesto pledge that “we will increase the school uniform grant to at least £120 in primary school and £150 in secondary school”.

On 26 May the First Minister confirmed that the Scottish Government will increase the school clothing grant. We are fully committed to providing all the necessary funding required to deliver this commitment and are now working with our local authority partners to introduce the new national minimum school clothing grant levels for primary and secondary children and to agree the levels of funding required.

The national minimum school clothing grant has been an essential measure of support for thousands of low income families across Scotland since its introduction in the summer of 2018. As we enter into the new Parliamentary session, the Scottish Government will continue to support schools in their efforts to ensure the same opportunities are afforded to all children and young people regardless of their background.

Question reference: S6O-00033

Asked by: Michael Marra, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 09 June 2021
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 16 June 2021

To ask the Scottish Government what representations it has made to the UK Government regarding the UK’s commitments to international aid.

Question reference: S6W-00035

Asked by: Michael Marra, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 14 May 2021
Current Status: Answered by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 24 May 2021

To ask the Scottish Government whether local authorities will be able to retrospectively draw down funding under the phase three timetable of the Scottish Schools for the Future programme.

Question reference: S6W-00034

Asked by: Michael Marra, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 14 May 2021
Current Status: Answered by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 24 May 2021

To ask the Scottish Government whether local authorities with urgent priorities to build schools will be able to fund this through their own capital plans once their Scottish Schools for the Future awards are confirmed.

Question reference: S6W-00031

Asked by: Michael Marra, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 14 May 2021
Current Status: Answered by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 24 May 2021

To ask the Scottish Government by what date phase three of the Scottish Schools for the Future programme will begin.

The £1.8bn Scotland’s Schools for the Future Programme is now complete, and delivered 117 new or refurbished schools across the country. Our current school building scheme - the £2bn Learning Estate Investment Programme - aims to build on the success of the Scotland’s Schools for the Future Programme.

Officials are preparing options for Phase 3 of the Learning Estate Investment Programme which will be considered by Ministers. We hope to make an announcement on the timescale for Phase 3 later this year.