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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: S6W-16665

Asked by: Alexander Burnett, MSP for Aberdeenshire West, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 03 April 2023
Current Status: Answered by Mairi McAllan on 20 April 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what criteria it will use to determine where Highly Protected Marine Areas will be situated.

Our seas must remain a source of economic prosperity for the nation, especially in our remote, coastal and island communities. We are determined that those who may be affected by these proposals are involved from the outset.

The proposed criteria by which Highly Protected Marine Area (HPMA) site proposals will be developed are set out in our draft Site Selection Guidelines , which were published on 12 December 2022. These have been produced jointly by our statutory nature advisors, NatureScot and the Joint Nature Conservation Committee (JNCC).

The approach we have taken to the process is to involve stakeholders from the outset, by consulting at the earliest possible stage before any site selection and implementation. We want the site selection process to be based on established principles, allowing for participation at every step and to be part of a just transition, with meaningful community engagement. The consultation on our overall approach to HPMAs, including the proposed criteria for determining where sites will be, closed on 17 April. We are currently analysing the responses we have received and will be carefully considering the feedback provided.

Question reference: S6O-02145

Asked by: Alexander Burnett, MSP for Aberdeenshire West, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 19 April 2023
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 26 April 2023

To ask the Scottish Government how many police stations have been closed down in the area covered by Police Scotland’s North East division since the force’s foundation in 2013.

Question reference: S6W-16322

Asked by: Alexander Burnett, MSP for Aberdeenshire West, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 28 March 2023
Current Status: Answered by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 18 April 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether the level of information required from third sector organisations for grant applications has increased compared with previous years, and, if so, what the reasons are for this, and what consideration it has given to the ability of these organisations to access funding.

Question reference: S6W-16189

Asked by: Alexander Burnett, MSP for Aberdeenshire West, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 28 March 2023
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 17 April 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on what date it anticipates that the public consultation on the revised Relationships, Sexual Health and Parenthood (RSHP) teaching guidance will be launched.

Question reference: S6W-16260

Asked by: Alexander Burnett, MSP for Aberdeenshire West, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 28 March 2023
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 17 April 2023

To ask the Scottish Government how many schools are currently mothballed, broken down by local authority area.

The Scottish Government does not routinely collect data on mothballed schools in Scotland. The Scottish Government does collect data from local authorities in order to collate a list of schools regarded as rural for the purposes of the Schools (Consultation)(Scotland) Act 2010. The most recent rural schools list was published on 25 October 2021 - Rural schools in Scotland - gov.scot (www.gov.scot) . The rural schools list includes those schools the relevant local authority has mothballed. The 2021 rural schools list shows that 21 schools were reported as being mothballed. The following table shows how many rural schools are mothballed by local authority area.

Local Authority	Number of schools reported as being mothballed
Aberdeenshire	4
Argyll & Bute	2
Dumfries & Galloway	1
Eilean Siar	2
Falkirk	2
Fife	1
Highland	4
Moray	1
Scottish Borders	1
Shetland Islands	2
Stirling	1

The Scottish Government has published statutory guidance on the Schools (Consultation)(Scotland) Act 2010 - Schools (Consultation) (Scotland) Act 2010: guidance - gov.scot (www.gov.scot) - which includes reference to mothballed schools and sets out the circumstances in which schools may be mothballed and when local authorities should consider whether to consult on their permanent closure.

Assessing the impact of mothballing a school on affected pupils is the responsibility of the relevant local authority. If a local authority proposes to permanently close a school they must undertake a full consultation in line with the requirements of the Schools (Consultation)(Scotland) Act 2010 and statutory guidance, including consulting with affected pupils.

Question reference: S6W-16259

Asked by: Alexander Burnett, MSP for Aberdeenshire West, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 28 March 2023
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 17 April 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what proportion of pupils in rural schools undertake a college course at school compared with those in urban schools.

Question reference: S6W-16177

Asked by: Alexander Burnett, MSP for Aberdeenshire West, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 27 March 2023
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 17 April 2023

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-15482 by Humza Yousaf on 16 March 2023, what correspondence it has had with Scottish Water regarding The Baird Family Hospital and The ANCHOR Centre; what observations were made, and how these were addressed.

Question reference: S6W-16190

Asked by: Alexander Burnett, MSP for Aberdeenshire West, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 27 March 2023
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 17 April 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what conclusions it has drawn from the recent Health and Wellbeing Census.

Conclusions drawn from the Health and Wellbeing Census are available on the Scottish Government's website at https://www.gov.scot/publications/health-and-wellbeing-census-scotland-2021-22/ .

It is essential that public services have a robust understanding of the issues affecting children and young people, so that appropriate support is put in place for them and their families. The Census data provides schools, education authorities, health and social care partners, as well as national Government, with the best source of evidence on children and young people’s health and wellbeing. The data collected in this first Census will provide a robust benchmark to measure future Census data collections against.

We will now work with local authorities to learn from their experiences of having undertaken the Census both to understand fully the benefit to them, and whether there are areas for improvement in the process.

Question reference: S6W-16187

Asked by: Alexander Burnett, MSP for Aberdeenshire West, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 27 March 2023
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 17 April 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what guidance it provides to (a) local authorities and (b) schools on determining the materials used in the Relationships, Sexual Health and Parenthood (RSHP) curriculum for different school year groups.

Guidance for local authorities and schools on teaching relationships, sexual health and parenthood (RSHP) education is available on the Scottish Government website at https://www.gov.scot/publications/conduct-relationships-sexual-health-parenthood-education-schools/.

A summary of resources available to schools and teachers to support delivery of RSHP education is available on Education Scotland's National Improvement Hub at https://education.gov.scot/improvement/learning-resources/a-summary-of-rshp-resources/. However it is for education authorities and schools to decide which resources they use in supporting their teaching, and it is recommended that schools involve parents and pupils in their consideration of resources .

Question reference: S6W-16188

Asked by: Alexander Burnett, MSP for Aberdeenshire West, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 28 March 2023
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 17 April 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on when the revised guidance for the Relationships, Sexual Health and Parenthood (RSHP) curriculum for 2023-24 will be published.

The Scottish Government does not provide annual guidance on relationships, sexual health and parenthood (RSHP) education. The experiences and outcomes for relationships, sexual health and parenthood are set within the health and wellbeing organiser of curriculum for excellence. Information is available from https://education.gov.scot/education-scotland/scottish-education-system/policy-for-scottish-education/policy-drivers/cfe-building-from-the-statement-appendix-incl-btc1-5/experiences-and-outcomes/#hwb .

For the current guidance on RSHP education, I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-16187 on 17 April 2023. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers .