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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-20802

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 03 January 2019
Current Status: Answered by Richard Lochhead on 31 January 2019

To ask the Scottish Government what estimates it has made of how many unpaid student loans there will be in the next (a) 5, (b) 10 and (c) 15 years, based on the (i) previous and (ii) latest Scottish student loan repayment thresholds, expressed in (A) cash and (B) percentage terms.

The following table shows the cash value of student loans that are estimated to be unpaid and written-off in the next 5, 10 and 15 years for both the previous and latest student loan repayment thresholds.

(A) Cash value of unpaid student loans

Real terms (2018-19 prices)**	Cash value of total unpaid loans (£m)*
Real terms (2018-19 prices)**	a) 5 years	b) 10 years	c) 15 years
Latest repayment threshold (i)	48.8	107.9	287.6
Previous repayment threshold (ii)	48.4	104.4	258.6

Note: 2018-19 is the base financial year. 5 years relates to financial year 2023-24, 10 years relates to 2028-29 and 15 years relates to 2033-34.

*The cash value of total unpaid loans is the total loan write-offs that have occurred up to that point.

**Real terms calculated by deflating cash values to 2018-19 prices by using the growth rate of the loans i.e. the interest rate = minimum of RPI or BoE base rate+1%.

(B) There is no meaningful total against which these cash values can be expressed in percentage terms. The outstanding loan balance increases with each year’s outlay and changes from year to year depending on repayments and write-offs which are already taken into account. Write-offs can be against loans taken at any point in the past and are not comparable with the loan balance in the same year.

Question reference: S5W-20799

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 03 January 2019
Current Status: Answered by Richard Lochhead on 31 January 2019

To ask the Scottish Government what estimate it has made of the proportion of all student loans paid to Scottish-domiciled students that will not be repaid, expressed as a percentage.

The Scottish Government estimates that 22.4% of student loans drawn down in 2018-19, and 30.2% of the total historic loan book, will not be repaid.

These estimates have increased from 13.5% and 20.1% respectively in 2017-18, please see the answer to question S5W-20801 on 31 January 2019, primarily as a result of the increased student loans repayment threshold. ‎

All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.parliament.scot/parliamentarybusiness/28877.aspx .

Question reference: S5W-20801

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 03 January 2019
Current Status: Answered by Richard Lochhead on 31 January 2019

To ask the Scottish Government what its estimate is of the proportion of the existing student loan book that will not be repaid, in (a) percentage and (b) cash terms, as at the end of 2017-18.

The value of the student loan book disclosed in the Scottish Government accounts reflects the likelihood that a proportion of student loans will not be repaid (the accounts show the ‘fair value’).

Student loans drawn down in the current year are adjusted to reflect expected write-offs and the interest rate subsidy. Those charges were 13.5% (£84.3m) and 11.1% respectively at 31 March 2017 (£66.2m).

Scottish Government also annually reviews the value of the historic loan book to assess the likely value of loans which will not be recovered. At 31 March 2017, the estimated loan write-off was 20.1% of the gross value of historic loans and the interest rate subsidy was 9.8%. The fair value of the loan book is then adjusted as necessary. In 2017-18, the fair value of the loan book was adjusted by £30.1m.

Question reference: S5W-20803

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 03 January 2019
Current Status: Answered by Richard Lochhead on 31 January 2019

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the recent government accounts reclassification decision by the Office for National Statistics, whether it has agreed with the Treasury how student loans and debts are to be treated in Scottish Government accounts, and, if so, what changes it will make.

The reclassification decision affects the UK National Accounts, a statistical publication which is prepared under the European System of Accounts (ESA 10). The Scottish Government annual accounts are prepared under the International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS), and as such recognise the likelihood that a proportion of student loans will not be repaid. No change to the Scottish Government accounting treatment is required as a result of the reclassification decision.

Question reference: S5W-21155

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 24 January 2019
Current Status: Answered by Roseanna Cunningham on 30 January 2019

To ask the Scottish Government what the remit is of the Chief Executive of the Water Industry Commission for Scotland.

Question reference: S5W-21156

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 24 January 2019
Current Status: Answered by Roseanna Cunningham on 30 January 2019

To ask the Scottish Government whether the Chief Executive of the Water Industry Commission for Scotland is appointed for a set term of office.

Question reference: S5W-21157

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 24 January 2019
Current Status: Answered by Roseanna Cunningham on 30 January 2019

To ask the Scottish Government when it established a board to work with the Chief Executive of the Water Industry Commission for Scotland, and who serves on the board.

Question reference: S5W-20805

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 03 January 2019
Current Status: Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 30 January 2019

To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to follow the example of the Welsh and UK governments by legislating on flygrazing so that the public and landowners can act quickly to deal with horse welfare and, if so, when.

Fly-grazing is rarely reported in Scotland, unlike the situation on England and Wales; and we have not been alerted of a problem by either our stakeholders or local authorities. We are, however, aware of an isolated case in the Argyll and Bute Council area.

The Council has identified the owner of the horses and is seeking removal through the courts, and the Scottish SPCA is reported as having visited on a number of occasions to ensure the horses’ welfare.

The Scottish Government takes the welfare of all animals extremely seriously and that welfare is provided for under the Animal Health and Welfare (Scotland) Act 2006. The Scottish Government encourages those with concerns for the welfare of an animal, whether by reason of neglect or abandonment, to raise these concerns with the relevant local authority or the Scottish Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.

Question reference: S5W-20804

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 03 January 2019
Current Status: Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 30 January 2019

To ask the Scottish Government what legislation currently applies to flygrazing in Scotland.

Flygrazing is primarily a civil matter between the landowner and the keeper or owner of the horse which has been placed on that land to graze.

The Horse Identification (Scotland) Regulations 2009 assist enforcement authorities in identifying the owner or keeper of a horse from any microchip implanted within the animal. The Equine Identification (Scotland) Regulations 2019 will come into force on 28 March 2019 with the view to improving compliance with identification.

Question reference: S5W-20984

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 15 January 2019
Current Status: Answered by Jeane Freeman on 29 January 2019

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-20494 by Jamie Hepburn on 20 December 2018, whether it will confirm on what dates it has held discussions with Cornerstone regarding trade union recognition, and whether it will publish any exchange of letters that it has had with the company’s chief executive regarding this matter.

Scottish Government officials are in regular contact with Cornerstone and Unison about the dispute.

The Cabinet Secretary for Health and Sport and Councillor Currie from COSLA wrote to both organisations in 21 December 2018 offering support towards reaching an agreement and arrangements have been made for a meeting involving all parties. In advance of this meeting, Scottish Government and COSLA officials will continue to engage and meet with both organisations to support progress towards reaching a resolution. The detailed information requested is being placed in the Parliament's Reference Centre (Bib number 60413).