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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: S5W-18707

Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for Midlothian South, Tweeddale and Lauderdale, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 11 September 2018
Current Status: Answered by Aileen Campbell on 20 September 2018

To ask the Scottish Government what funding is provided to local authorities to resettle and provide translation/interpreter services to Syrian refugees; how this is calculated; whether this is ring-fenced, and how much has been allocated to Scottish Borders Council in each year that funding has been provided.

Asylum is a matter reserved to the UK Government. This includes the design, operation and funding of UK refugee resettlement programmes.

The Home Office provides funding to local authorities receiving refugees under the Syrian Resettlement Programme and has set minimum requirements for their participation. However, Local Authorities are free to determine best use of funding to support refugees in their area.

The Scottish Government does not hold information on the calculation of funding or on the allocation of funding by the Home Office to Scottish Borders Council.

Question reference: S5W-18603

Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for Midlothian South, Tweeddale and Lauderdale, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 05 September 2018
Current Status: Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 19 September 2018

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the First Minister's statement on the Programme for Government on 4 September 2018 in relation to Finn’s Law (Official Report, c.20), when it plans to introduce the legislation.

Proposal’s for a Scottish “Finn’s Law” will be consulted on shortly as part of the Scottish Government’s commitment to amend the Animal Health and Welfare (Scotland) 2006 Act. The consultation will consider our proposal to increase the maximum penalty to five years’ imprisonment for the worst types of animal cruelty, including attacks on police dogs. This will include the Programme for Government proposal in relation to a “Finn’s law.”

Question reference: S5W-18597

Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for Midlothian South, Tweeddale and Lauderdale, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 05 September 2018
Current Status: Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 18 September 2018

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the First Minister’s statement on the Programme for Government on 4 September 2018 regarding the establishment of an animal welfare commission (Official Report, c.20), what plans it has to make a statement to Parliament on this matter.

Question reference: S5T-01204

Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for Midlothian South, Tweeddale and Lauderdale, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 10 September 2018
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 11 September 2018

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will ban the export of livestock for fattening for slaughter.

Question reference: S5W-17866

Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for Midlothian South, Tweeddale and Lauderdale, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 25 July 2018
Current Status: Answered by Derek Mackay on 16 August 2018

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will receive additional consequential funding in relation to the high-speed railway, HS2, and, if so, how much.

The UK Government only confirm the level of any additional consequentials for the Scottish Government at their fiscal events. This means that the next time we might expect confirmation of any additional consequentials will be either at the 2018 Autumn Budget or at the next UK Spending Review, early next year. If the consequentials are confirmed at the Spending Review, because the calculation of Barnett consequentials are determined at a UK Government Department level as opposed to a programme level, it will not be possible to isolate the financial impact of individual UK Government spending decisions (such as the funding of projects like HS2).

Question reference: S5W-17861

Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for Midlothian South, Tweeddale and Lauderdale, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 24 July 2018
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 10 August 2018

To ask the Scottish Government when it will next review or report on its Town Centre Action Plan.

Question reference: S5W-17505

Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for Midlothian South, Tweeddale and Lauderdale, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 27 June 2018
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 6 July 2018

To ask the Scottish Government, further to answer to question S5O-02266 by John Swinney on 21 June 2018, how the £1 million over three years in improving school libraries is to be allocated and on what criteria.

The Scottish Government is investing £1 million in school libraries through the School Library Improvement Fund, administered by the Scottish Library and Information Council. Local authorities apply for funding for projects. In 2016-17, £100,000 funded fifteen projects across thirteen local authorities and £450,000 has been made available in 2017-18. A further £450,000 will be available in 2018-19.

Applications must have a direct link to one or more of the key priorities that have been identified in the development of the national strategy for school libraries, due to be published in summer 2018. These are:

Curriculum, Learner Journey and Developing the Young Workforce
Health and Wellbeing
Information, Digital Literacy and Digital Creativity
Family Learning, Literacy and Numeracy
Standards and Leadership

More detail on the School Library Improvement Fund and the criteria can be found on the Scottish Library and Informaiton Council's website: https://scottishlibraries.org/funding/school-library-improvement-fund/

Question reference: S5W-17225

Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for Midlothian South, Tweeddale and Lauderdale, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 14 June 2018
Current Status: Answered by Andy Wightman on 25 June 2018

To ask the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body how many cross-party groups there are; how many have been dissolved in the current parliamentary session, and how many outstanding applications there are for establishing a group.

Question reference: S5O-02266

Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for Midlothian South, Tweeddale and Lauderdale, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 13 June 2018
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 21 June 2018

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the action by Scottish Borders Council at Peebles High and Priorsford Primary schools, what its position is on replacing school librarians with senior pupils or volunteers.

This Government is clear that a good quality school library service, supported by highly skilled library staff, can make a strong contribution to our ambition to raise attainment for all our young people. That is why I intend to publish a national strategy for school libraries and why we are investing £1 million over three years in improving school libraries.

It is incumbent on local authorities to make best use of the funds available and delivery models across Scotland will vary. There is a role for pupils, parents, and volunteers to play in supporting school library services – indeed, pupils can gain a great deal from getting involved – but they will only add value as part of a managed appropriately staffed service.

Question reference: S5W-17183

Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for Midlothian South, Tweeddale and Lauderdale, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 11 June 2018
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 19 June 2018

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to reports that Scottish Borders Council is substituting senior pupils for school librarians at Peebles High School, including concerns that these pupils might be asked to (a) enforce discipline and (b) access other pupils' personal data, and who will be legally liable for the senior pupils taking such action.

A good quality school library service can make a strong contribution to our ambition to raise attainment for all our young people. That is why a national strategy for school libraries will be published this summer, and it is why we are investing £1 million over three years in improving school libraries. Pupils can gain a great deal from getting involved in their school libraries, but as part of a managed service.

Local authorities are responsible for discipline in schools and for ensuring that any personal information held by them is processed in accordance with rules and legislation related to Data Protection Information and Security.