Questions and answers

Question reference: S5W-14985

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 01 March 2018
Current Status: Answered by Keith Brown on 7 March 2018

To ask the Scottish Government how many jobs the SME Holding Fund has created.

Question reference: S5W-14816

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 22 February 2018
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 7 March 2018

To ask the Scottish Government what the longest time taken is by the Office of the Scottish Charity Regulator to deal with a complaint.

The Scottish Charity Regulator (OSCR) is a Non-Ministerial Department and part of the Scottish Administration. OSCR is an independent regulator and does not form part of the Scottish Government.

In line with the framework agreement between the Scottish Government and OSCR, given that this question asks about matters that are the responsibility of OSCR and that Scottish Ministers are not accountable for OSCR’s operations,the Member is invited to refer the question to OSCR.

Question reference: S5W-14815

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 22 February 2018
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 7 March 2018

To ask the Scottish Government what the average time taken is by the Office of the Scottish Charity Regulator to deal with complaints.

The Scottish Charity Regulator (OSCR) is a Non-Ministerial Department and part of the Scottish Administration. OSCR is an independent regulator and does not form part of the Scottish Government.

In line with the framework agreement between the Scottish Government and OSCR, given that this question asks about matters that are the responsibility of OSCR and that Scottish Ministers are not accountable for OSCR’s operations,the Member is invited to refer the question to OSCR.

Question reference: S5W-14888

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 27 February 2018
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 7 March 2018

To ask the Scottish Government how many school leavers with learning disabilities have gone on to (a) work, (b) further education, (c) higher education, (d) unemployment and (e) another destination in each of the last five years.

The initial destinations of school leavers with a recorded ‘Learning Disability’ Additional Support Need, for the last five leaver cohorts for which data are available, are detailed in the following table:

Percentage of secondary and special school leavers from publicly funded schools with a recorded 'Learning Disability' Additional Support Need by initial destination category, 2011-12 – 2015-16

	2011-12	2012-13	2013-14	2014-15	2015-16
Number of Leavers	940	1150	994	1,116	1,266
Higher Education	2.6	3.1	3.6	3	4.4
Further Education	54.7	52.1	52.4	53.8	52.4
Training	6.5	9.2	8.8	9.6	5.9
Employment	9.5	11	10.6	11.6	11.6
Voluntary Work	*	1.1	1	0.8	*
Activity Agreement	3.2	5.1	3.9	3	*
Unemployed Seeking	12.4	8.5	11.1	6.7	7
Unemployed Not Seeking	10	9.3	7.9	10.5	*
Unknown	*	0.5	0.7	1.1	*

Question reference: S5W-14980

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 01 March 2018
Current Status: Answered by Keith Brown on 7 March 2018

To ask the Scottish Government, since SME Holding Fund Strategic Interventions was introduced, (a) how many and (b) what value of applications for support have been made to Business Loans Scotland Limited in each year; of these, how many were (i) successful and (ii) unsuccessful; what the total value was of both, and whether it will provide details of each business and their location.

Question reference: S5W-14750

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 20 February 2018
Current Status: Answered by Derek Mackay on 6 March 2018

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-14024 by Derek Mackay on 6 February 2018, what information it has regarding when the UK Government's consultation on retention payments in the construction industry is scheduled to end.

Question reference: S5W-14749

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 20 February 2018
Current Status: Answered by Derek Mackay on 6 March 2018

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-14023 by Derek Mackay on 6 February 2018, whether it will provide the information that was requested regarding what its position is on introducing measures to ensure that all public sector procurers operate a so-called yellow/red card system to ensure that, if the lead contractors do not pay their supply chain within 30 days, they will be barred from bidding for public sector works for at least two years.

The Government is committed to improving the current level of performance in public sector construction contracts. This includes ensuring prompt payment practices at all levels in the supply chain. A red/yellow card system, along the lines described, is potentially one way in which this might be achieved; however, there are other possible approaches. Therefore, I want to be satisfied that whatever approach we adopt is the most appropriate for public construction contracts in Scotland and is also consistent with our underpinning public contract legislation. The Government will publish its conclusions following a full consideration of all the issues.

Question reference: S5W-14632

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 13 February 2018
Current Status: Answered by Jamie Hepburn on 6 March 2018

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-11841 by Jamie Hepburn on 6 November 2017, (a) how it calculated the share for each sector and (b) who the (i) first delivery partners and (ii) supporting contractors are, broken down by value of contract.

a) To calculate the percentage share of delivery for each sector, the following methodology was applied:

i) calculate the indicative volumes for each supplier and their partners based of their estimated proposed percentage share of delivery in each Lot as set out in the tenders;

ii) aggregate the volumes for each sector;

iii) determine the estimated percentage share for each sector based on the Scottish indicative volumes.

b) The following table provides information (as at February 2018) about the suppliers; current partners; sector and share of delivery for each Lot.

Lot

Anticipated Participant Volumes

Suppliers

Sector

% share of Delivery for Lot

Glasgow

7,600

PeoplePlus – Supplier

Momentum – Partner

Remploy – Partner *

The Lennox Partnership – Partner

Private

Third

Private

Third

23%

24%

35%

18%

Lanarkshire

5,000

Remploy – Supplier *

Enable Scotland – Partner

Routes to Work South – Partner

Private

Third

70%

15%

Tayside

2,900

Remploy – Supplier *

Rathbone – Partner

Private

Third

90%

10%

Forth Valley

2,000

Falkirk Council – Supplier

Clackmannanshire Council – Partner

Forth Valley NHS – Partner

Stirling Council - Partner

Third Sector Providers (25) – Partners

Public

Third

37%

23%

14%

4%

22%

East

8,400

Start Scotland – Supplier

Triage – Partner

Momentum – Partner

Private and Third Sector

Private

Third

77%

8%

15%

South West

4,100

Start Scotland – Supplier

The Lennox Partnership – Partner

Rathbone – Partner

The Wise Group – Partner *

Private and Third Sector

Third

50%

18%

24%

8%

North East

2,200

Momentum – Supplier

Life Skills – Partner

Enable Scotland – Partner

SAMH – Partner

Aberdeen Foyer – Partner

Enterprise Mentoring – Partner

Third

Private

Third

Private

25%

15%

5%

Highlands

2,400

PeoplePlus – Supplier (managing agent)

Third Sector Hebrides – Partner

Argyll and Bute Council – Partner

Lochaber Hope – Partner

Life Skills – Partner

Momentum – Partner

2020 Clearview – Partner

Private

Third

Public

Third

Private

Third

Private

0%

7%

19%

5%

41%

20%

9%

West

3,400

The Wise Group – Supplier *

The Lennox Partnership – Partner

Working Links – Partner

Enable Scotland – Partner

Enterprise Mentoring – Partner

Street League – Partner

Third

Private

Third

43%

27%

15%

10%

3%

* Supported Business

Contract values

Suppliers are currently finalising their commercial arrangements with their partners. It should be noted that the contract values are not determined by the percentage share of participants allocated to each partners. The contract values are determined by the fees agreed between the suppliers and their partners for the type and level of support they will provide to individual participants accessing Fair Start Scotland to help them progress into work. Therefore this will change over time because the nature of the service required by individual participants will vary.

Question reference: S5O-01857

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 28 February 2018
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 7 March 2018

To ask the Scottish Government what the average school clothing grant payment was in 2017.

Question reference: S5W-14762

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 20 February 2018
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 28 February 2018

To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to mark the 100th anniversary of the Education (Scotland) 1918 Act.

2018 marks 100 years of Catholic state education in Scotland, and the First Minister and I will be involved in a number of events which will mark this significant anniversary.

The First Minister will give the Cardinal Winning lecture at the University of Glasgow on 3 March, and I will attend the Caritas Awards Ceremony in June. I also look forward to hosting a reception to celebrate the contribution that Catholic schools make to Scottish education later in the year. These events will be part of a programme of wider events taking place to mark this occasion.

Seòmar agus comataidhean