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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-23828

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 17 June 2019
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 27 June 2019

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the impact of (a) the Attainment Challenge Fund and (b) pupil equity funding.

Progress towards the long term outcomes of closing the poverty related attainment gap are assessed in relation to the basket of measures outlined in the National Improvement Framework. Education Scotland’s inspection reports of the nine Challenge Authorities, published over the past 12 months, also provide valuable learning.

The Attainment Scotland Fund evaluation began in 2015 and follows the duration of the Scottish Attainment Challenge. An evaluation of the first two years of the Attainment Scotland Fund was published in March 2018 and may be accessed here:- https://www.gov.scot/publications/evaluation-attainment-scotland-fund-interim-report-years-1-2/pages/2/ .

The second interim evaluation of the Attainment Scotland Fund was published on 21 June 2019. This evaluates Year 3 (2017-18) of the Attainment Scotland Fund and focuses on 3 strands of funding: the Challenge Authority Programme, the Schools’ Programme and Pupil Equity Funding. It found that 88% of headteachers saw improvements in relation to closing poverty-related attainment gap as a result of interventions supported by the Attainment Scotland Fund and 95% of headteachers expect to see improvements over the next 5 years. The evaluation may be accessed here:- https://www.gov.scot/publications/evaluation-attainment-scotland-fund-interim-report-year-3/ .

The Attainment Scotland Fund will continue to be evaluated in line with the published Attainment Scotland Fund evaluation strategy:

- https://www.gov.scot/publications/evaluation-strategy-attainment-scotland-fund-years-3-4/pages/1/ .

Question reference: S5O-03441

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 19 June 2019
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 26 June 2019

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the Social Security Committee’s recommendation that the housing element of universal credit should be paid directly to a landlord by default, with the option for a tenant to opt out.

Question reference: S5F-03432

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 10 June 2019
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 13 June 2019

To ask the First Minister for what reason only £3.2 million out of a £200 million Scottish European Growth Co-Investment Programme has been spent in supporting Scottish businesses.

Question reference: S5W-23170

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 15 May 2019
Current Status: Answered by Derek Mackay on 29 May 2019

To ask the Scottish Government how it defines the term "private sector" in the context of the proposed Scottish National Investment Bank's lending solely to the private sector.

The Policy Memorandum set out that: “The Bank will lend solely to the private sector” and that: “It will not lend to public institutions including local authorities, government agencies or arms-length bodies.” In this context we have used ‘private’ to refer to sectors out with the public sector. The Bank will be able to provide financial assistance for commercial activities, which may be carried out by a range of bodies such as social enterprises, those in the third sector and cooperatives, as well as other types of body or organisation in the private sector. See also the answer to question S5W-23167 on 29 May 2019. 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-23167

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 15 May 2019
Current Status: Answered by Derek Mackay on 29 May 2019

To ask the Scottish Government for what reason the proposed Scottish National Investment Bank will not fund public sector projects.

Initial capitalisation of the Bank will be provided through Financial Transactions, a form of capital budget allocated by HM Treasury to the Scottish Government which can only be deployed as loans or equity investment for activities undertaken by a non-public sector body. Financial Transactions can be provided to social enterprises, third sector and cooperatives. For example, Financial Transactions have been used to fund housing provision by affordable housing providers, like housing associations.

Question reference: S5W-23164

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 15 May 2019
Current Status: Answered by Derek Mackay on 29 May 2019

To ask the Scottish Government what the source is of the £2 billion investment in the proposed Scottish National Investment Bank.

Question reference: S5W-23163

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 15 May 2019
Current Status: Answered by Derek Mackay on 29 May 2019

To ask the Scottish Government how much of the £2 billion investment in the proposed Scottish National Investment Bank is financial transaction money.

Question reference: S5W-23159

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 15 May 2019
Current Status: Answered by Derek Mackay on 29 May 2019

To ask the Scottish Government how it defines the term "commercial" in the context of the equality impact assessment of the Scottish National Investment Bank Bill, which refers it to giving “financial assistance to commercial activities”.

In referring to “financial assistance to commercial activities” the Equality Impact Assessment is in turn referring to Section 2(1) of the Scottish National Investment Bank Bill and that section mirrors what is provided for in Schedule 5 of the Scotland Act 1998. In this context “Commercial” refers to business activities that are profit-making or aim to be profit-making, carried out by business associations of various types, that the Bank may be interested in providing financial assistance to.

Question reference: S5W-23166

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 15 May 2019
Current Status: Answered by Derek Mackay on 29 May 2019

To ask the Scottish Government how the proposed Scottish National Investment Bank will assess societal value in its lending and investment.

Question reference: S5W-23169

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 15 May 2019
Current Status: Answered by Derek Mackay on 29 May 2019

To ask the Scottish Government whether financial transaction money can be used to fund the third sector, social enterprises and co-operation.