- Asked by: Kenneth Gibson, MSP for Cunninghame North, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 14 May 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Gillian Martin on 27 May 2025
To ask the Scottish Government whether fisheries management measures for the remaining inshore Marine Protected Areas and a programme of protection for Priority Marine Features outside inshore Marine Protected Areas will be fully consulted on and adopted in statute before the end of the current parliamentary session.
Answer
Scottish Ministers are legally required to consult, develop and implement fisheries management measures for inshore Marine Protected Areas and Priority Marine Features.
Developing the evidence-base for effective fisheries management measures, and undertaking statutory requirements, for more than 160 sites and areas within the inshore region is a complicated and challenging process. We are continuing to work at pace to complete the necessary statutory social, economic and environmental assessments ahead of launching a public consultation.
Fisheries management measure will be implemented as soon as possible following analysis of the consultation responses and a final decision on the measures has been taken.
- Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 14 May 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 27 May 2025
To ask the Scottish Government how many representations it has received from parents, schools and MSPs in the last five years regarding bereavement-based appeals not being accepted by the SQA.
Answer
I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-37627 on 27 May 2025.
The following table sets out any representations that officials have identified as being received by the Scottish Government referencing bereavement-based exceptional circumstances or appeals arrangements in relation to the National Qualifications.
It should be borne in mind that different exceptional circumstances and appeals arrangements were in place in 2020, 2021 and 2022 as a result of the alternative awarding processes in place due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Year | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 |
Representations on bereavement based EECCS or appeals | One case identified from an individual on behalf of young people raising concerns around the approach taken to appeals in 2020. | One case identified from an MSP on behalf of a parent raising concern about school and SQA handling of a bereavement request under different awarding approach taken in 2021. | One case identified from a parent raising concerns about grade awarded through EECCS request. | One case identified from a parent raising concerns about the EECCS process in relation to a bereavement where insufficient evidence available. | No cases identified. |
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
- Asked by: Gillian Mackay, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Green Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 13 May 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Jenni Minto on 27 May 2025
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will write to the UK Government to seek clarity on what steps can be taken to expand access to tovorafenib.
Answer
The regulations for the licensing, safety and efficacy of medicines are reserved to the UK Government and are the responsibility of the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA). For a medicine to be routinely prescribed in the UK, it firstly needs to receive a marketing authorisation. This process ensures the safety, quality and efficacy of medicines placed on the market in the UK. It is the responsibility of individual pharmaceutical companies to apply to the MHRA for a marketing authorisation.
- Asked by: Pauline McNeill, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 14 May 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Graeme Dey on 27 May 2025
To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to increase the number of plumbers in Scotland.
Answer
The Scottish Government recognises the vital importance of a skilled plumbing workforce and is actively supporting its growth. A key route is our continued investment in Modern Apprenticeships, backed by £185 million this year. We are also exploring how to maximise the impact of this investment.
We are engaging directly with industries and employers to shape a new skills planning approach that will aim to effectively address national and regional needs. including considering how Recognition of Prior Learning can help individuals with experience enter the sector.
While we take these actions, it's crucial to acknowledge that Brexit and current UK immigration policy exacerbate skills gaps and hinder Scotland's progress, which is why we advocate for a tailored migration approach for Scotland.
- Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 13 May 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Angela Constance on 27 May 2025
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on how many recommendations of the report, Independent Review of Complaints Handling, Investigations and Misconduct Issues in Relation to Policing, have been implemented to date.
Answer
The Scottish Government recognises the importance of transparency and is committed to continuing to share information on progress with the implementation of recommendations made in the Independent Review of Complaints Handling, Investigations and Misconduct Issues in Relation to Policing.
Since the Review was published in November 2020 the Scottish Government has undertaken extensive work alongside policing partners to implement recommendations. To-date 59 out of 72 non-legislative recommendations have been delivered and five reports setting out progress have been published on the Scottish Government website. Additionally, the Police (Ethics, Conduct and Scrutiny) (Scotland) Act 2025 discharges or paves the way via regulations for the majority of the legislative recommendations to be discharged.
A further update to report on the recommendations will be provided to Parliament before the end of the parliamentary term and subsequently published on the Scottish Government website.
- Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 13 May 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Angela Constance on 27 May 2025
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on how many local authority areas the Caledonian System currently operates within.
Answer
The Caledonian System is currently delivered in 21 of the 32 local authority areas, covering over 70% of the population. The Scottish Government is committed to rolling the Caledonian System out further and by the end of this year, two more areas, Shetland and Angus, will begin training to deliver the Caledonian System, taking this up to 23 areas. The Scottish Government will in the next week be writing to all local authorities, detailing a change to the funding distribution. These letters will also provide details of a £1.4m increase in the Caledonian funding line. We will also be engaging with all areas to provide central support and training for those areas moving to deliver the Caledonian System.
- Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 21 May 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Ivan McKee on 27 May 2025
To ask the Scottish Government, regarding any implications for Scotland’s public finances, and in relation to the recent decision to equalise the MSP element of minsters' salary with that of MSPs who are not currently serving ministers, whether it will publish a full list of current ministers’ salaries, broken down by those who decided to (a) accept and (b) decline the equalisation of the MSP element of their salary.
Answer
Ministerial pay is set and administered by the Scottish Parliament and the Scottish Government has no role in this. You may, therefore, wish to direct any detailed questions on pay to the Scottish Parliament. A breakdown on Ministerial salaries is provided on the Scottish parliament website - MSP salaries | Scottish Parliament Website.
I can confirm that all Ministers accepted the equalisation of the MSP element of their salary, with the exception of the First Minister who chose not to do so to avoid any perception that he was personally benefiting from his own decisions on Ministerial pay.
- Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 21 May 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 27 May 2025
To ask the Scottish Government how much it estimates it will cost to update, when necessary, the laptops, Chromebooks and tablets given to every school child in Scotland.
Answer
Local authorities are responsible for the management of their own digital assets and will have processes and financing in place to deal with the repair or replacement of devices as required. We do not hold this information centrally.
- Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 21 May 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 27 May 2025
To ask the Scottish Government how many free (a) laptops and (b) Chromebooks or tablets have been given to schoolchildren since May 2021.
Answer
In December 2022, local authorities reported that around 280,000 devices had been distributed to learners. This figure contains the 72,000 Scottish Government funded device from the pandemic alongside those purchased through local investment. We do not hold an updated figure but would expect this to be significantly higher, given the ongoing investment from local authorities since this time.
- Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 21 May 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 27 May 2025
To ask the Scottish Government how many pupils in (a) primary and (b) secondary schools have been provided with prescription drugs by teachers during school hours in each year since 1999, also broken down by local authority area.
Answer
The information requested is not held centrally.