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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-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.

Question reference: S4W-19975

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Friday, 28 February 2014
Current Status: Answered by Aileen Campbell on 13 March 2014

To ask the Scottish Government when the Council of Economic Advisers’ report on the provision of childcare will be published.

Question reference: S4W-19920

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Tuesday, 25 February 2014
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 6 March 2014

To ask the Scottish Government how many disabled people have enrolled in modern apprenticeships in each of the last three years for which information is available.

Question reference: S4W-19922

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Tuesday, 25 February 2014
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 6 March 2014

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the report by the Equality and Human Rights Commission Scotland, Modern Apprenticeships, Equality & the Economy: Spreading the Benefits, what it is doing to reduce the discrepancy between the proportion of disabled people taking up apprentices in Scotland and England, and to encourage more disabled people to start modern appenticeships.

Achieving a balanced workforce which reflects Scottish society as a whole is a challenge for the wider labour market and is not specific to the Modern Apprenticeship (MA) programme. A key element of the MA programme in Scotland is, and has always been, that all apprentices must be employed. As a result, this limits the influence that this government can have as recruitment decisions rest with employers, providing they act within the appropriate laws.

The Scottish Government appreciates, however, that we need to do more to ensure all people understand the nature and opportunities available across the labour market, and that employers recognise the economic and social value of a balanced workforce. This requires a cross-Government approach.

Part of this work requires us to challenge employers on their own perceptions of what it means to be a member of an under-represented group working in their industries. Scottish Ministers are strongly encouraging employers to consider all people regardless of disability, ethnicity, gender, or other factors, when recruiting and offering MAs and we are reinforcing this message through our Make Young People Your Business campaign.

In support of this, in July 2012 we launched the Employer Recruitment Incentive for targeted young people which offers funding to employers to support young people aged 16-24 who are care leavers, disabled people, young carers or ex-offenders to sustain employment including undertaking a MA. This incentive can also be used with our Youth Employment Scotland funding.

Skills Development Scotland (SDS) already works to promote equal opportunities in line with the Equalities Act 2010. In addition the Scottish Government recently agreed with the Equal Opportunities Committee’s recommendation to launch an awareness campaign to better promote inclusion throughout all levels of the MA programme. We will continue to work with SDS to take this forward including a specific focus on under-represented groups during Scottish Apprenticeship Week 2014.

You will also be aware that the recent interim report from the Commission for Developing Scotland’s Young Workforce made a number of recommendations relating to MAs, and we are currently considering these. An important stage in the second half of the Wood Commission will be a focus on equality issues, looking to make meaningful recommendations to improve employment outcomes in relation to gender, disability and ethnicity.