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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: S5O-01213

Asked by: Willie Coffey, MSP for Kilmarnock and Irvine Valley, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 30 August 2017
Current Status: Answered by Keith Brown on 6 September 2017

To ask the Scottish Government how many EU citizens work in the Scottish labour market.

Question reference: S5O-01037

Asked by: Willie Coffey, MSP for Kilmarnock and Irvine Valley, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 17 May 2017
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 25 May 2017

To ask the Scottish Government how it supports gifted primary school pupils who it is believed may have autism.

The Scottish Government is committed to ensuring that all children and young people get the support that they need to reach their full learning potential. Education authorities have duties under the Additional Support for Learning Act 2004, to identify, provide for and review the additional support needs of their pupils.

The Act recognises that children and young people may require additional support for a variety of reasons. The associated Code of Practice is clear that additional support may be required where a child is particularly able, has autism, or both.

The Scottish Government has supported the development and publication of the "Autism Toolbox" which helps teachers and educational support staff identify and meet the needs of pupils with autism. In addition, we fund the Scottish Network for Able Pupils. SNAP offers a network of support to schools and teachers through the sharing of ideas and practice. SNAP also runs workshop for young people and provides advice to parents.

Question reference: S5W-08873

Asked by: Willie Coffey, MSP for Kilmarnock and Irvine Valley, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 19 April 2017
Current Status: Answered by Fergus Ewing on 11 May 2017

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5O-00873 by Fergus Ewing on 19 April 2017, whether it will publish the reply it received from the UK Government.

Question reference: S5O-00945

Asked by: Willie Coffey, MSP for Kilmarnock and Irvine Valley, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 26 April 2017
Current Status: Answered by Kevin Stewart on 3 May 2017

To ask the Scottish Government how much it has provided to East Ayrshire Council since 2012 to support affordable housing.

Question reference: S5W-08875

Asked by: Willie Coffey, MSP for Kilmarnock and Irvine Valley, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 19 April 2017
Current Status: Answered by Fergus Ewing on 2 May 2017

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5O-00873 by Fergus Ewing on 19 April 2017, what engagement it has with the UK Government regarding matters of shared interest in relation to broadband and mobile services.

At official level, the Scottish Government has regular engagement with the UK Government on a range of policy and operational issues relating to broadband and mobile, including broadband rollout in Scotland as part of the Digital Scotland Superfast Broadband programme.

I have written to Matt Hancock, Minister of State for Digital and Culture, on a number of occasions since 25 October 2016 on a range of digital connectivity issues, and have sought a meeting with him to discuss these. I have not yet received a substantive reply to the issues I raised in these letters, nor has a meeting taken place.

Question reference: S5W-08874

Asked by: Willie Coffey, MSP for Kilmarnock and Irvine Valley, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 19 April 2017
Current Status: Answered by Fergus Ewing on 2 May 2017

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5O-00873 by Fergus Ewing on 19 April 2017, whether it has received assurances from the UK Government regarding continued access to the digital single market.

To date, the Scottish Government has received no assurances from the UK Government regarding continued access to the Digital Single Market.

In spite of continued lack of meaningful engagement on the part of the UK Government, the Scottish Government will continue to engage in good faith with the UK Government to seek to ensure that Scotland’s interests are represented within the UK’s negotiations with the European Union, including continuing to call on the UK Government to include a priority objective for Scotland to enjoy the benefits of the European Single Market and from continued access to the Digital Single Market.

Question reference: S5W-08872

Asked by: Willie Coffey, MSP for Kilmarnock and Irvine Valley, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 19 April 2017
Current Status: Answered by Fergus Ewing on 2 May 2017

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5O-00873 by Fergus Ewing on 19 April 2017, in light of the EU abolishing mobile roaming charges from June 2017, what discussions it has had with the UK Government regarding these charges after the UK exits the EU.

The Scottish Government has had no discussions with the UK Government on mobile roaming charges after the UK exits the EU. This, as with all aspects of telecoms policy and regulation, is a reserved issue.

I have written to Matt Hancock, Minister of State for Digital and Culture, on a number of occasions since 25 October 2016 on a range of digital connectivity issues. I have not yet received a substantive reply to the issues I raised in these letters.

Question reference: S5W-08341

Asked by: Willie Coffey, MSP for Kilmarnock and Irvine Valley, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 23 March 2017
Current Status: Answered by Paul Wheelhouse on 21 April 2017

To ask the Scottish Government how it will help meet the upfront costs of digital and skills training.

Our recently published Digital Strategy for Scotland underlined the immense importance of digital skills to Scotland's citizens, businesses and the economy as a whole. These skills are clearly vital to the successful growth in key areas such as financial technology, software development, data analysis, life sciences, and the computer games industry, to name just a selection.

The importance of digital skills is why the strategy included a commitment to launch a new Digital Growth Fund, which will be supported by £36 million over the next three years.

This Fund has the potential to contribute towards the cost of training thousands of women and men each year. Our intention is that it should provide loans to organisations wishing to develop the digital skills of their staff across a range of areas.

Our aim is that the Fund will be ready to invite applications during 2017.

Question reference: S5O-00873

Asked by: Willie Coffey, MSP for Kilmarnock and Irvine Valley, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 12 April 2017
Current Status: Answered by Fergus Ewing on 19 April 2017

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with the UK Government on the impact on Scotland's rural economy of a withdrawal from the digital single market.

Question reference: S5O-00737

Asked by: Willie Coffey, MSP for Kilmarnock and Irvine Valley, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 01 March 2017
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 8 March 2017

To ask the Scottish Government how much support will be provided to schools in the Kilmarnock and Irvine Valley constituency through Pupil Equity Funding, and when this will commence.