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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.

Find out more about parliamentary questions

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Question reference: S4W-20937

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Wednesday, 30 April 2014
Current Status: Answered by Fergus Ewing on 15 May 2014

To ask the Scottish Government what incentives it provides to encourage the use of renewable energy technologies when developing (a) hospitals and (b) other major public buildings.

The Scottish Government provides incentives to encourage the use of renewable energy technologies when developing hospitals and other major public buildings through a number of channels.

Specifically for developing new health facilities within NHS Scotland, NHS boards are encouraged to fully consider a range of sustainability issues, including carbon emissions, through the application of green energy including renewable sources. This issue is assessed as part of the NHS Scotland Design Assessment Process and the consideration of business cases within the Scottish Government's Health and Social Care Directorates.

More generally, Resource Efficient Scotland is a Scottish Government programme delivered by Zero Waste Scotland which offers a wide range of advice and support on renewable technologies including the implementation of decentralised renewable energy solutions. This service is available to public bodies. Further information can be found at: http://www.resourceefficientscotland.com/.

Question reference: S4W-20747

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Wednesday, 16 April 2014
Current Status: Answered by Paul Wheelhouse on 12 May 2014

To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to combat illegal raptor persecution in the Leadhills area.

The Leadhills area has been identified as a poisoning ‘hotspot’ in the maps that are published annually by the Scottish Partnership for Action Against Wildlife Crime. There have also been incidents in the area involving illegal shooting of raptors.

Operational policing and the targeting of enforcement activity in any specific area is a matter solely for Police Scotland.

The Scottish Government works closely with the police, conservation groups and landowners through the Partnership for Action Against Wildlife Crime (PAW) Scotland. The PAW Scotland Raptor Group has established a short-life working group tasked with developing a clear message that raptor persecution must stop now. The message will have the explicit backing of all PAW partners and be aimed in particular at those areas where raptor persecution is most persistent.

See also my response to S4W-20748 on 12 May 2014 which sets out the additional steps being taken by the Scottish Government and partners to combat illegal raptor persecution.

All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at:

http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/parliamentarybusiness/28877.aspx.

Question reference: S4W-20748

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Wednesday, 16 April 2014
Current Status: Answered by Paul Wheelhouse on 9 May 2014

To ask the Scottish Government whether there is sufficient evidence to assess the effectiveness of the new enforcement measures to tackle raptor persecution announced by the Minister for Environment and Climate Change on 1 July 2013.

There is not yet sufficient evidence to assess the effectiveness of the new measures announced on 1 July 2013. A report on the review of penalties is due by the end of the year and the changes to the general licences will be fully implemented by Scottish Natural Heritage over the next few months. The use by the police of the full range of investigative techniques in raptor persecution cases is an operational matter, however it is unlikely that results would be seen less than 12 months after the announcement of new measures.

Question reference: S4W-20816

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Wednesday, 23 April 2014
Current Status: Answered by Alasdair Allan on 7 May 2014

To ask the Scottish Government how many foreign language assistants there have been in schools in each year since 2005.

Since 2005 there has been a total of 1553 language assistants in Scottish schools. A breakdown of this figure is provided in the following table by each academic year since 2005. This number includes both local authority and independent schools.

Year	Total
2005-2006	278
2006-2007	263
2007-2008	254
2008-2009	244
2009-2010	188
2010-2011	126
2011-2012	58
2012-2013	69
2013-2014	73
Total	1553

The data for 2014-15 is not yet confirmed but initial indications suggest the number of language assistants will be around 100.

Question reference: S4O-03130

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Wednesday, 16 April 2014
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 23 April 2014

To ask the Scottish Government what steps it will take to mitigate the impact on Orkney of the move from a historic to an area basis for payments under the reformed common agricultural policy.

Question reference: S4O-03066

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Wednesday, 19 March 2014
Current Status: Answered by Alasdair Allan on 26 March 2014

To ask the Scottish Government whether it sought legal advice on the tuition fee proposals set out in its white paper on independence.

Question reference: S4W-20081

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Monday, 10 March 2014
Current Status: Answered by Alasdair Allan on 24 March 2014

To ask the Scottish Government how many (a) primary and (b) secondary pupils were or have been excluded for being in possession of (i) a weapon, (ii) alcohol and (iii) illegal drugs at school in (A) 2012-13 and (B) 2013-14.

Although information on pupils excluded from school is collected by the Scottish Government, specific information on pupils excluded for possession of weapons, alcohol or illegal drugs at school is not collected. Information on exclusions, by the reasons for exclusion we collect, is published in table 17 of a supplementary dataset to the Summary Statistics for Schools in Scotland, No 4: 2013 Edition publication. A link to this dataset, which on the Scottish Government website is as follows:

http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Statistics/Browse/School-Education/exclusiondatasets/exclusionsdataset2013

Question reference: S4W-19991

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Thursday, 06 March 2014
Current Status: Answered by Alasdair Allan on 20 March 2014

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on the updated Pupil census 2013 supplementary data, which suggests an apparent disparity across local authorities in identifying pupils with additional support needs, and whether it considers that there should be a more consistent approach across local authorities toward this.

Prior to 2010, only pupils with co-ordinated support plans, individualised educational programmes or who were attending a special school were recorded as having additional support needs. However, in 2010 this was extended to include anyone receiving additional support, regardless of whether it was under a formal plan. This has led to a large increase in the number of pupils recorded with additional support needs since 2010.

It is important to note that the pupil census figures relate to information recorded on school's management information system and may not reflect the 'non quantifiable' support provided to pupils in schools by classroom and support staff, or support provided which is not recorded within the management information system.

The Scottish Government has committed to considering recording practices and the data collected on children and young people with additional support needs. This will ensure adequate information to support implementation of the Education (Additional Support for Learning) (Scotland) Act 2004. The advisory group for additional support for learning will, in April 2014, consider the issue of data collection and the guidance which supports it, and reporting on outcomes.

Question reference: S4W-19987

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Monday, 03 March 2014
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 17 March 2014

To ask the Scottish Government how many modern apprenticeships have (a) started and (b) been completed in each of the last three years and what percentage of people taking part are disabled.

Question reference: S4W-19988

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Monday, 03 March 2014
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 17 March 2014

To ask the Scottish Government how many disabled people the additional £500,000 announced for employer recruitment incentives in August 2013 will assist and how long the funding will be available.

The aim is to support 1,000 targeted young people, through the Skills Development Scotland (SDS) employer recruitment incentive (ERI) over the three year funding programme ending in 2015.

From 1 April 2013 to 27 December 2013, 224 individuals were supported through the targeted ERI. We are unable to disaggregate those supported.

However, making available an additional £500,000 and extending eligibility to include disabled young people will mean that employers are more likely to consider employing a young person with additional support needs to join their workforce. This additional funding was made available during 2013-14 and 2014-15, should SDS require it.