Questions and answers

Chamber and committees

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 ��˿�� 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-27862

Asked by: Martin Whitfield, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 29 May 2024
Current Status: Answered by Natalie Don on 11 June 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what early warning systems are in place to identify any nurseries that are at risk of closure due to financial difficulties or staffing shortages.

Under Funding Follows the Child, all nurseries who deliver funded early learning and childcare (ELC) must, as part of the criteria in the National Standard for all ELC providers Section 2: The National Standard for all Early Learning and Childcare Providers - Funding Follows The Child and The National Standard for Early Learning and Childcare Providers: Operating Guidance - gov.scot (www.gov.scot) , be able to demonstrate that they are financially viable providers and that they have a sustainable staffing structure in place which meets the recommended adult: child ratios.

Local authorities are responsible for assessing and monitoring compliance with the National Standard in all funded providers, as part of their contract management arrangements and in their role as guarantors of quality. With regards to business sustainability, services delivering funded ELC must ensure that they are able to demonstrate – when required – that their business model continues to be financially viable through the provision of appropriate financial information, for example, accounts and business forecasts/projections. A Business Continuity Plan must also be in place.

If a service delivering funded ELC was at risk of closure due to financial difficulties or staffing shortages then it is expected that they would make their local authority aware of these challenges.

The Scottish Government monitors trends in sustainability and staffing across the overall childcare sector, including through the Financial Sustainability Health Checks. Analysis in the most recent Financial Sustainability Health Check: Financial Sustainability Health Check of the Childcare Sector in Scotland - gov.scot (www.gov.scot) published on 31 July 2023, reported that annual cancellation rates for private and third sector services over the period March 2020 to March 2023 were at similar levels to previous years.

Question reference: S6T-02027

Asked by: Martin Whitfield, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 03 June 2024
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 4 June 2024

To ask the Scottish Government whether it remains its position to have a target of 60% of household waste recycled annually by 2020, in light of reports that the target is being dropped.

Question reference: S6W-27410

Asked by: Martin Whitfield, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 10 May 2024
Current Status: Answered by Ivan McKee on 28 May 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of how early retirement has impacted the number of active teachers, and what steps are being taken to address any potential teacher shortages arising from any such trend.

The Scottish Government's annual teacher workforce planning process is informed by a statistical model which estimates the number of Initial Teacher Education students required to maintain teacher numbers. The model considers a number of inputs, including projections of the number of teachers retiring.

The Strategic Board for Teacher Education, which comprises a range of key education stakeholders, is also considering issues around the recruitment and retention of teachers in Scotland.

The Scottish Government is committed to protecting teacher numbers, and we are offering local authorities £145.5m in this year’s budget for that purpose. This funding will allow councils to protect teacher numbers in order to support children’s education.

Question reference: S6W-27403

Asked by: Martin Whitfield, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 10 May 2024
Current Status: Answered by Ivan McKee on 23 May 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what the current average pension pay-out is for teachers who retire under the Scottish Teachers' Pension Scheme (STPS).

Question reference: S6W-27418

Asked by: Martin Whitfield, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 10 May 2024
Current Status: Answered by Ivan McKee on 23 May 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what the total percentage is of teachers who are currently not enrolled in a pension scheme.

This information is not collected or held centrally by the Scottish Government.

Whilst the Scottish Public Pensions Agency holds information about teachers who are currently contributing to the Scottish Teachers' Pension scheme, individual local authorities and other employers of teachers such as independent schools and further and higher education bodies will separately hold information on the overall percentage of their employees not enrolled in a pension scheme.

Question reference: S6W-27416

Asked by: Martin Whitfield, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 10 May 2024
Current Status: Answered by Ivan McKee on 23 May 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what support mechanisms are in place to ensure that retired teachers with long careers have a secure and comfortable standard of living.

The Scottish Teachers’ Pension Scheme (STPS) provides teachers in Scotland with a Defined Benefit pension scheme which offers the security of a guaranteed inflation proofed income in every year of retirement which is paid in addition to the State Pension. Teachers are automatically enrolled into the scheme and begin accruing pension immediately upon taking up teaching employment which supports pension saving throughout their careers.

Question reference: S6W-27419

Asked by: Martin Whitfield, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 10 May 2024
Current Status: Answered by Ivan McKee on 23 May 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what the projected impact is of the recent teacher pay settlements on the long-term sustainability of the Scottish Teachers' Pension Scheme (STPS).

Question reference: S6W-27408

Asked by: Martin Whitfield, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 10 May 2024
Current Status: Answered by Ivan McKee on 23 May 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what role the Scottish Public Pensions Agency (SPPA) has in managing the Scottish Teachers' Pension Scheme (STPS), and how teachers can raise any concerns or enquiries regarding their pension plan.

Question reference: S6W-27412

Asked by: Martin Whitfield, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 10 May 2024
Current Status: Answered by Ivan McKee on 23 May 2024

To ask the Scottish Government how it will ensure fairness and equality within the Scottish Teachers' Pension Scheme (STPS) for teachers who joined at different points in time, in light of any changes in pension age and contribution rates.

Question reference: S6W-27407

Asked by: Martin Whitfield, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 10 May 2024
Current Status: Answered by Ivan McKee on 23 May 2024

To ask the Scottish Government how it ensures the smooth transition for teachers moving between the Scottish Teachers' Superannuation Scheme (STSS) and the Scottish Teachers' Pension Scheme 2015 (STPS 2015), in order to avoid any loss of pension benefits.

The value of members’ benefits accrued in the Scottish Teachers’ Superannuation Scheme (STSS) are protected by transitional protections on moving to the Scottish Teachers’ Pension Scheme 2015. These protections include a Final Salary Link which provides that members’ final salary pension from the STSS is based on their pensionable salary at the point they finally retire and not at the point they transition to the 2015 Scheme.