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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: S4W-30383

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Monday, 07 March 2016
Current Status: Answered by Aileen McLeod on 22 March 2016

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on establishing more national parks to help conserve the natural landscape.

Question reference: S4W-30609

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Thursday, 10 March 2016
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 22 March 2016

To ask the Scottish Government what steps it has taken to provide higher and further education scholarships for the children of servicemen and women killed on active duty.

The Scottish Government provides support for children of servicemen and women who have been killed on active duty, through the Bereaved Scholarships Scheme (BSS). The scheme, which was launched in 2011, is funded by the Department for Education in England and the devolved governments in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. It is administered by the Ministry of Defence.

The BSS provides maintenance bursaries for further (FE) and higher education (HE) students. The bursaries are worth up to £1,500 per year for FE students and £4,950 per year for HE students. Scottish domiciled HE students studying in the rest of the UK are also eligible for a contribution of up to £9,000 towards the cost of their tuition fees.

The bursaries are provided in addition to the tuition fee and living-cost support that the Scottish Government makes available to all Scottish domiciled further and higher education students.

Question reference: S4W-30368

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Monday, 07 March 2016
Current Status: Answered by Fergus Ewing on 22 March 2016

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on proposals for national fixed pricing on electricity distribution networks and whether it has asked the UK Government to examine such proposals.

Question reference: S4W-30578

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Wednesday, 09 March 2016
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 22 March 2016

To ask the Scottish Government what the average size has been for primary 1-3 classes in each of the last five years.

This information can be found in Table 4.1 in the Summary Statistics for Schools in Scotland, No: 6 - 2015 publication document: http://www.gov.scot/Publications/2015/12/7925/321884

Table 4.1: Average class size of primary school pupils⁽¹⁾, 2006 to 2015

	2006	2007	2008	2009	2010	2011	2012	2013	2014	2015
P1	23.1	20.9	21.0	21.1	21.1	20.5	20.6	21.2	21.2	21.1
P2	23.7	23.5	23.0	22.8	22.8	23.3	23.3	24.0	23.9	24.1
P3	24.1	24.0	24.0	23.7	23.4	23.9	24.0	24.5	24.7	24.8
P1-P3	23.6	22.8	22.6	22.5	22.4	22.5	22.6	23.2	23.3	23.3
All Primary	23.2	22.8	22.7	22.5	22.5	22.7	22.7	23.2	23.3	23.4

(1) Data refer to the average class size of pupils in each stage, not the average class size of single stage classes. The total average class size is calculated on a different basis than the P1 to P3 class sizes, see background note 3.7.

Question reference: S4W-30600

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Thursday, 10 March 2016
Current Status: Answered by Alasdair Allan on 22 March 2016

To ask the Scottish Government what percentage of (a) primary and (b) secondary pupils has received two hours of quality PE each week delivered by specialist PE teachers in 2015-16.

<>Healthy Living Survey results from 2015 outlined that 98% of primary school pupils were receiving at least 2 hours of PE each week; and 93% of secondary school pupils (S1-4) were receiving at least 100 minutes of PE each week. For both primary and secondary schools, this PE provision was delivered by either a General Teaching Council for Scotland registered class teacher or a PE specialist.

Education Scotland continue to support all schools to help them improve the quality of PE.

Healthy Living Survey results for 2016 will be published in June 2016.

Question reference: S4W-30598

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Thursday, 10 March 2016
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 22 March 2016

To ask the Scottish Government what steps it has taken to ensure that headteachers will have the power to decide on the most appropriate class sizes in later years.

Question reference: S4W-30532

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Wednesday, 09 March 2016
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 21 March 2016

To ask the Scottish Government, given that NHS Orkney's funding has been £6.1 million below the NHS Scotland Resource Allocation Committee (NRAC) target between 2010-11 and 2015-16, what plans it has to provide NHS Orkney with the £6.1 million to bring it into line with the NRAC target.

Question reference: S4W-30531

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Wednesday, 09 March 2016
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 21 March 2016

To ask the Scottish Government for what reason NHS Orkney was allocated less funding than the NHS Scotland Resource Allocation Committee target in (a) 2010-11, (b) 2011-12, (c) 2013-14, (d) 2014-15 and (e) 2015-16.

Question reference: S4W-30402

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Monday, 07 March 2016
Current Status: Answered by Derek Mackay on 21 March 2016

To ask the Scottish Government whether it considers that its ministers should have the power, at the request of local authorities, to issue statutory guidance in relation to island communities that relevant public bodies would be required to adhere to and, if so, what steps it has taken to achieve this.

Question reference: S4W-30399

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Monday, 07 March 2016
Current Status: Answered by Derek Mackay on 21 March 2016

To ask the Scottish Government whether it considers that island councils should have the power to make the case to the Local Government Boundary Commission for Scotland for the introduction of single or two-member wards where there is a strong geographical case and, if so, what steps it has taken to devolve that power.

As part of the Scottish Government’s recent Consultation on Provisions for a Future Islands Bill, views were sought on a range of issues including the concept of island proofing with the flexibility to issue statutory guidance and also councillor representation in island communities.

The findings of the independent analysis of the responses received was published on 14 March 2016 and this will help inform the development of a draft Bill.

Decisions on the introduction of a future Bill will be for the next Scottish Government to determine following the Scottish parliamentary elections in May 2016.