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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-11792

Asked by: Tavish Scott, MSP for Shetland Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Wednesday, 04 October 2017
Current Status: Answered by Alasdair Allan on 25 October 2017

To ask the Scottish Government what representations it has made to the UK Government regarding establishing a Tier 4 visa pilot programme similar to that being trialled at universities in England, and what analysis it has carried of this trial.

The Scottish Government is concerned that the UK Government’s Tier 4 pilot was introduced without any prior consultation in Scotland and that Scottish institutions were not included. Scotland’s Higher Education institutions, and key stakeholder Universities Scotland, were similarly disappointed at the limited scope of the pilot.

Myself and the Minister for Further Education, Higher Education and Science jointly wrote to the UK Immigration Minister on 5 August 2016, asking that the UK Government consider widening the scope of the pilot to include Scottish institutions. The Minister for Further Education, Higher Education and Science wrote to the UK Minister of State for Universities, Science, Research and Innovation on 6 September 2016 expressing concern about the lack of consultation in Scotland in advance of the introduction of the pilot. The Minister for International Development and Europe also raised the issue at a meeting with the UK Immigration Minister on 1 December 2016.

The UK Government advised that the Tier 4 pilot was deliberately narrow in scope, to ensure that the outcomes could be adequately monitored. They advised that it has not been decided if and when the pilot will be rolled out more widely, and committed to undertaking a formal evaluation and engaging with stakeholders before any further steps are taken. Although the Scottish Government are not involved in evaluating the pilot which is taking place at four English Universities, we understand that the evaluation will be undertaken in mid 2018.

We remain concerned that UK immigration policies pose a significant risk to Scotland's Further and Higher Education institutions. The restrictive, one-size-fits-all UK approach to immigration doesn’t address the distinctive demographic, economic and social needs of Scotland, and there is growing support for Scotland to have powers needed to decide our own immigration policy. The Minister for International Development and Europe has a longstanding request to meet the UK Immigration Minister and intends to raise these issues in person when they meet.

Question reference: S5W-11901

Asked by: Tavish Scott, MSP for Shetland Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Monday, 09 October 2017
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 25 October 2017

To ask the Scottish Government whether only members of its communications team were permitted to give media interviews about the meeting of the International Council of Education Advisers on 21 September 2017 and, if so, for what reason.

Question reference: S5W-11906

Asked by: Tavish Scott, MSP for Shetland Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Monday, 09 October 2017
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 25 October 2017

To ask the Scottish Government what role it (a) has had and (b) will have in drafting or editing the statements of the International Council of Education Advisers.

Question reference: S5W-11900

Asked by: Tavish Scott, MSP for Shetland Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Monday, 09 October 2017
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 25 October 2017

To ask the Scottish Government on what date the initial report of the International Council of Education Advisers was published; who it directly informed about the publication, and when, and what criteria it used to determine who to advise.

Question reference: S5W-11907

Asked by: Tavish Scott, MSP for Shetland Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Monday, 09 October 2017
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 25 October 2017

To ask the Scottish Government on what date it will publish the minutes of the meeting of the International Council of Education Advisers of 21 September 2017.

Question reference: S5W-11902

Asked by: Tavish Scott, MSP for Shetland Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Monday, 09 October 2017
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 25 October 2017

To ask the Scottish Government whether it placed restrictions on members of the International Council of Education Advisers who attended the council on 21 September 2017 interacting with the media and if (a) so, (i) for what reason and (ii) whether it will place a copy of guidance it provided to council members about this in the Scottish Parliament information Centre (SPICe) and (b) not, which members of the council (A) it asked about and (B) informed it regarding their availability for interview; which members of the media it informed about advisers' availability, and how many interviews were conducted.

ICEA members are free to interact with the media. They are independent of the Scottish Government and free to speak to media as and when they wish. Media are also able to approach and contact them to request interviews at any time. Decisions about whether to accept interview requests are a matter for individual ICEA members.

It is normal practice at ICEA meetings for council members to agree amongst themselves the nomination of one or more spokespeople to undertake media interviews.

The ICEA had a prominent programme of events while in Scotland for its third meeting – including headlining an open Q&A at the Scottish Learning Festival and International Improvement Conference for Education. Media attending the regular post-FMQ media briefing were informed in advance about the ICEA meeting on
21 September 2017. A reporter for a national daily newspaper was advised of the availability of ICEA members for interview at the International Improvement Conference for Education.

ICEA members conducted interviews with the Scottish Government’s multi-media unit and the EIS newsletter. No other interview requests were received.

Question reference: S5W-11909

Asked by: Tavish Scott, MSP for Shetland Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Monday, 09 October 2017
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 25 October 2017

To ask the Scottish Government on what date the final report of the International Council of Education Advisers will be published and what role (a) ministers, (b) special advisers and (c) its officials will have in its drafting and editing.

Question reference: S5W-11796

Asked by: Tavish Scott, MSP for Shetland Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Wednesday, 04 October 2017
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 24 October 2017

To ask the Scottish Government whether local authorities setting time windows in which they expect standardised national assessments to be conducted is consistent with guidance issued by it, and which local authorities are engaging in this practice.

Question reference: S5W-11800

Asked by: Tavish Scott, MSP for Shetland Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Wednesday, 04 October 2017
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 24 October 2017

To ask the Scottish Government at what point it considers school inspection reports become outdated and what its position is on whether such reports should no longer be (a) available to the public and (b) retained by (i) Education Scotland and (ii) other public bodies.

Education Scotland publishes school inspection reports on its website. The reports will remain on the website for a period of five years.

(a) However, should a member of the public wish to request the report after that point, they can do so by contacting Education Scotland. Through its External Reference Group, Education Scotland has agreed with teachers’ unions and others that published inspection reports will be removed from their public facing website after five years.

(b)(i) Copies of the reports will still be retained by Education Scotland just not available online.

(ii) The National Records of Scotland have advised that so long as inspection findings are retained within the official record and can be made available to the public, they can be removed from our website after an appropriate period of time.

Question reference: S5W-11794

Asked by: Tavish Scott, MSP for Shetland Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Wednesday, 04 October 2017
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 24 October 2017

To ask the Scottish Government further to the comment in its news release of 22 September 2017, Improving education, that it will only have access to national level data from standardised national assessments, what information will be accessible from local authorities through freedom of information legislation, and whether this will include (a) class- and (b) school-level data and results.