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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: S6W-08407

Asked by: Willie Coffey, MSP for Kilmarnock and Irvine Valley, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Friday, 06 May 2022
Current Status: Answered by Jamie Hepburn on 17 May 2022

To ask the Scottish Government how it supports British Sign Language (BSL) in schools, colleges and universities for people who (a) need an interpreter to assist their learning, (b) may wish to become BSL interpreters and (c) may wish to learn BSL.

We are committed to supporting children, young people and students who use British Sign Language (BSL) at all stages of their learning.

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, including BSL users. The Scottish Government provides funding of £150,000 to the Scottish Sensory Centre to support training for staff working with children and young people with sensory impairments, including BSL users.

All colleges and universities in Scotland have published BSL plans (accessible in BSL and English) setting out how students who use BSL are supported. Students attending college or university are also eligible to apply for additional financial support to help with any additional costs which arise as a result of a disability or additional learning need. This can include support towards the cost of BSL interpreters to assist their learning.

BSL is currently taught as a second additional language in schools as part of the 1+2 languages policy. This means it can be taught from P5 at the latest up to the end of S3. Learning does not need to be continuous during this time. The uptake of schools teaching BSL has increased steadily, and SQA awards are designed for both hearing and deaf learners to develop their language skills.

The General Teaching Council for Scotland (GTCS) is working with the University of Edinburgh on the development of an undergraduate degree in Primary Education and BSL. This would lead to graduates qualifying as primary teachers with enhanced BSL skills. GTCS is also considering further action to remove barriers that make it difficult for BSL users to become registered teachers, including reviewing registration rules.

The ’BSL Interpreting in Scotland: Landscape review’, commissioned by the Scottish Government in relation to Actions 7, 8, and 9 of the British Sign Language National Plan 2017 - 2023, was published in February 2020 with 13 recommendations. The recommendations include reference to improvements and development of vocational and academic pathways for interpreter training and BSL qualifications, and development of this work is currently being considered.

We have also committed to providing additional funding to enable local authorities to offer free British Sign Language tuition for deaf children from the age of five, and work to implement that commitment is underway, in consultation with stakeholders.

Question reference: S6O-01102

Asked by: Willie Coffey, MSP for Kilmarnock and Irvine Valley, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 11 May 2022
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 19 May 2022

To ask the Scottish Government how the Regional Food Fund is supporting the promotion and advancement of Scotland’s produce.

Question reference: S6O-01056

Asked by: Willie Coffey, MSP for Kilmarnock and Irvine Valley, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 04 May 2022
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 11 May 2022

To ask the Scottish Government whether it is considering any reforms to the justice system in relation to convicted and incarcerated persons who own and control property in Scotland.

Question reference: S6O-01031

Asked by: Willie Coffey, MSP for Kilmarnock and Irvine Valley, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 27 April 2022
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 4 May 2022

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the delivery of affordable housing.

Question reference: S6O-00973

Asked by: Willie Coffey, MSP for Kilmarnock and Irvine Valley, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 13 April 2022
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 20 April 2022

To ask the Scottish Government whether it has estimated the cost to Scotland of being removed from the European Digital Single Market.

Question reference: S6W-07351

Asked by: Willie Coffey, MSP for Kilmarnock and Irvine Valley, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 16 March 2022
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 30 March 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what information it has on the most recent level of housing and community amenities spending per person in Scotland, and how this compares with (a) England and (b) Wales.

The level of identifiable public sector expenditure spend per person on housing and community amenities in Scotland was £413 in 2020-21. This is higher than in England (£167) and in Wales (£264), and this has been the case every year since at least 2016-17, as outlined in the following table.

Total identifiable public sector expenditure on housing and community amenities per person (2020-21 prices)
	2016-17	2017-18	2018-19	2019-20	2020-21
Scotland	£333	£379	£447	£453	£413
England	£150	£162	£161	£191	£167
Wales	£259	£253	£284	£327	£264
Great Britain	£170	£185	£191	£220	£192

Sources: HM Treasury, Country and regional analysis; ONS population estimates and GDP market price deflator.

Please note that care is needed when making cross-national comparisons because of the different scope of public sector activities in different countries. For example, water supply is a public sector function in Scotland but is in the private sector in England and Wales.

Question reference: S6O-00891

Asked by: Willie Coffey, MSP for Kilmarnock and Irvine Valley, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 09 March 2022
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 17 March 2022

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the action it is taking to prepare for Ukrainian refugees arriving in Scotland.

Question reference: S6W-06894

Asked by: Willie Coffey, MSP for Kilmarnock and Irvine Valley, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Friday, 25 February 2022
Current Status: Answered by Maree Todd on 7 March 2022

To ask the Scottish Government by what date self-referral services for breast screening will be resumed for over 70s, who have previously experienced breast cancer but are outwith the surveillance scan group.

Question reference: S6O-00848

Asked by: Willie Coffey, MSP for Kilmarnock and Irvine Valley, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 02 March 2022
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 10 March 2022

To ask the Scottish Government how its investments have helped the wider Ayrshire economy.

Question reference: S6O-00634

Asked by: Willie Coffey, MSP for Kilmarnock and Irvine Valley, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 12 January 2022
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 19 January 2022

To ask the Scottish Government how it is tackling inequalities and child poverty in Kilmarnock and Irvine Valley.