- Asked by: Willie Rennie, MSP for North East Fife, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Friday, 18 October 2024
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Current Status:
Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 15 November 2024
To ask the Scottish Government when ministers became aware of the Ofqual review of the Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA) investigations, which resulted in the SQA's undertaking to Ofqual was accepted in August 2024, into the resit assessments for the 2024 SQA Level 1 Health and Safety in a Construction Environment qualification.
Answer
Ofqual regulates qualifications, examinations and assessments in England. Its findings relate to the SQA Level 1 Health and Safety in a Construction Environment qualification delivered in England which was withdrawn by SQA in April 2019.
SQA made the Scottish Government aware of the issue through its regular governance channels when it first arose in 2019 and have regularly updated the Scottish Government on developments throughout the process.
SQA formally notified the Scottish Government of the final and published version of the Undertaking given by the SQA to Ofqual on 11 October 2024.
- Asked by: Willie Rennie, MSP for North East Fife, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Friday, 18 October 2024
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Current Status:
Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 13 November 2024
To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the undertaking given by the Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA) to Ofqual, which was accepted on 16 August 2024, and the non-compliances identified by Ofqual's investigation into the resit assessments for the 2024 SQA Level 1 Health and Safety in a Construction Environment qualification
Answer
Ofqual regulates qualifications, examinations and assessments in England. It’s findings relate to the SQA Level 1 Health and Safety in a Construction Environment qualification delivered in England which was withdrawn by SQA in April 2019.
We expect all public bodies to comply with their obligations and the Ofqual findings must be fully addressed.
SQA is an executive Non-Departmental Public Body (NDPB), established under the Education (Scotland) Act 1996. As a NDPB, SQA is responsible for making its own operational decisions. SQA has taken forward an action plan to address the concerns raised by Ofqual and the plan will be independently audited.
The Scottish Government will be monitoring progress closely.
- Asked by: Willie Rennie, MSP for North East Fife, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Friday, 18 October 2024
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Current Status:
Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 13 November 2024
To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the the undertaking given by the Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA) and accepted by Ofqual on 16 August 2024, what steps it and the SQA have taken to ensure that the issues identified by Ofqual’s investigation, similar to the resit assessments for the 2024 SQA Level 1 Health and Safety in a Construction Environment qualification, do not occur in future.
Answer
Ofqual regulates qualifications, examinations and assessments in England. It’s findings relate to the SQA Level 1 Health and Safety in a Construction Environment qualification delivered in England which was withdrawn by SQA in April 2019.
We expect all public bodies to comply with their obligations and the Ofqual findings must be fully addressed.
SQA is an executive Non-Departmental Public Body (NDPB), established under the Education (Scotland) Act 1996. As a NDPB, SQA is responsible for making its own operational decisions. SQA has taken forward an action plan to address the concerns raised by Ofqual and the plan will be independently audited.
The Scottish Government will be monitoring progress closely.
- Asked by: Willie Rennie, MSP for North East Fife, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Friday, 18 October 2024
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Current Status:
Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 13 November 2024
To ask the Scottish Government what communication it has had with the Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA) and Ofqual regarding the undertaking the SQA gave to Ofqual, which was accepted on 16 August 2024, following Ofqual's identification of non-compliance with its conditions into the resit assessments for the 2024 SQA Level 1 Health and Safety in a Construction Environment qualification.
Answer
Ofqual regulates qualifications, examinations and assessments in England. It’s findings relate to the SQA Level 1 Health and Safety in a Construction Environment qualification delivered in England which was withdrawn by SQA in April 2019.
The Scottish Government meets regularly with SQA to discuss a range of matters. This has included updates on Ofqual’s investigation of SQA.
SQA is an executive Non-Departmental Public Body (NDPB), established under the Education (Scotland) Act 1996. As a NDPB, SQA is responsible for making its own operational decisions. The undertaking by the SQA to Ofqual is a matter for Ofqual. The Scottish Government will be monitoring progress closely.
- Asked by: Willie Rennie, MSP for North East Fife, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Friday, 18 October 2024
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Current Status:
Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 13 November 2024
To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the the undertaking given by the
Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA) and accepted by Ofqual on 16 August
2024, when concerns were raised with or within the SQA regarding compliance
with Ofqual's conditions of recognition and the 2024 SQA Level 1 Health and Safety in a Construction Environment qualification; what
steps the SQA took in response, and when.
Answer
Ofqual regulates qualifications, examinations and assessments in England. It’s findings relate to the SQA Level 1 Health and Safety in a Construction Environment qualification delivered in England which was withdrawn by SQA in April 2019.
SQA is an executive Non-Departmental Public Body (NDPB), established under the Education (Scotland) Act 1996. As a NDPB, SQA is responsible for making its own operational decisions. The undertaking by the SQA to Ofqual is a matter for Ofqual. The Scottish Government will be monitoring progress closely.
- Asked by: Willie Rennie, MSP for North East Fife, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Friday, 18 October 2024
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Current Status:
Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 13 November 2024
To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the the undertaking given by the
Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA) and accepted by Ofqual on 16 August
2024, whether it is aware of what issues were identified by Ofqual regarding
the SQA's failure to ensure that the content of resit assessments for the 2024 SQA Level 1 Health and Safety in a Construction Environment qualification were fit for purpose, and if so what those issues
were and how they affected the course of Ofqual's investigation.
Answer
Ofqual regulates qualifications, examinations and assessments in England. It’s findings relate to the SQA Level 1 Health and Safety in a Construction Environment qualification delivered in England which was withdrawn by SQA in April 2019.
SQA have regularly updated the Scottish Government on the Ofqual review from its inception.
The investigation of the non-compliance is a matter for Ofqual. Ofqual has published its findings: Undertaking given by Scottish Qualifications Authority to Ofqual in accordance with B8 of the Conditions of Recognition - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk).
- Asked by: Willie Rennie, MSP for North East Fife, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Friday, 18 October 2024
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Current Status:
Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 13 November 2024
To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the the undertaking given by the Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA) and accepted by Ofqual on 16 August 2024, whether it is aware of the concerns identified by Ofqual in January 2022 regarding the SQA's approach to investigating and dealing with with malpractice and maladministration concerns and. if so. what whose concerns were.
Answer
Ofqual regulates qualifications, examinations and assessments in England. It’s findings relate to the SQA Level 1 Health and Safety in a Construction Environment qualification delivered in England which was withdrawn by SQA in April 2019.
SQA have regularly updated the Scottish Government on the Ofqual review from its inception.
Ofqual has published its findings: Undertaking given by Scottish Qualifications Authority to Ofqual in accordance with B8 of the Conditions of Recognition - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk).
- Asked by: Willie Rennie, MSP for North East Fife, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Friday, 18 October 2024
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Current Status:
Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 13 November 2024
To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the the undertaking given by the Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA) and accepted by Ofqual on 16 August 2024, whether it is aware of what "significant issues" were identified by Ofqual regarding the 2024 SQA Level 1 Health and Safety in Construction qualification, and if so what those issues were.
Answer
Ofqual regulates qualifications, examinations and assessments in England. It’s findings relate to the SQA Level 1 Health and Safety in a Construction Environment qualification delivered in England which was withdrawn by SQA in April 2019.
SQA have regularly updated the Scottish Government on the Ofqual review from its inception.
Ofqual has published its findings: Undertaking given by Scottish Qualifications Authority to Ofqual in accordance with B8 of the Conditions of Recognition - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk).
- Asked by: Willie Rennie, MSP for North East Fife, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Friday, 27 September 2024
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Current Status:
Answered by Paul McLennan on 8 October 2024
To ask the Scottish Government how much of the £97.1 million in Barnett consequential funding, which it received as a result of the UK Government’s announcement in March 2020 to remediate additional residential cladding, was allocated to the Single Building Assessment delivery team, and to which other areas of spending the money was allocated.
Answer
Under devolution, consequentials of this kind become part of the Scottish Government’s overall budget for that year. As part of the Scottish Budget process, it is for Scottish Ministers to propose funding levels for specific programmes in Scotland, and when the budget is required.
In the case of cladding remediation, we have said that we will spend whatever is necessary to address the problems created by unsafe cladding, that we will make provision for that at the appropriate time, and that we expect the cost of that in Scotland to be at least the quoted amount of consequentials – that is, £97.1 m.
The Cladding Remediation Programme has spent £9 m as of 30 June 2024. We publish updated information on programme spend on a quarterly basis at https://www.gov.scot/publications/single-building-assessment-spending-information/.
- Asked by: Willie Rennie, MSP for North East Fife, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Friday, 27 September 2024
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Current Status:
Answered by Paul McLennan on 8 October 2024
To ask the Scottish Government what Barnett consequential funding it (a) has received and (b) anticipates it will receive as a result of the UK Government's announcement in July 2023 of £5.1 billion of funding for the Cladding Safety Scheme.
Answer
(a) £97.1 million in cladding specific consequentials were received in 2021-22.
(b) In the Spending Review 2021, the UK Government confirmed £5 billion funding (£3 billion over the Spending Review period to 2024-25) for remediation of the highest risk buildings with unsafe cladding. This was the funding referred to in the July 2023 statement.
Cladding funding is factored into the Barnett Settlement for the Spending Review. However, as the Scottish Government does not, except in certain circumstances, receive a full breakdown of consequentials at programme level from the UK Government, it is not possible in this case to determine how much was received from individual programmes such as cladding.