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-06433

Asked by: Bob Doris, MSP for Glasgow Maryhill and Springburn, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 08 February 2022
Current Status: Initiated by the Scottish Government. Answered by Jamie Hepburn on 9 February 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to improve the careers information, advice and guidance available to young people.

The Scottish Government recognises and values the importance of careers information advice and guidance. As part of his recommendations for the implementation of the Young Person’s Guarantee Sandy Begbie requested Skills Development Scotland consider how best a career advice service could operate from early years right through until a young person enters employment.

The Review and the Scottish Government’s response to the recommendations have now been finalised. The Review outlines ten recommendations for continuing to improve the delivery of careers advice and guidance. It has been informed by extensive consultation with young people, users and stakeholders.

The Review and the Scottish Government’s response can be found at .

Question reference: S6O-00678

Asked by: Bob Doris, MSP for Glasgow Maryhill and Springburn, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 19 January 2022
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 27 January 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of how access to further education by students from the most deprived areas has been impacted by COVID-19.

Question reference: S6O-00652

Asked by: Bob Doris, MSP for Glasgow Maryhill and Springburn, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 12 January 2022
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 20 January 2022

To ask the Scottish Government whether it has any concerns over the use of video doorbells in domestic properties.

Question reference: S6O-00504

Current Status: Withdrawn

Question reference: S6W-03984

Asked by: Bob Doris, MSP for Glasgow Maryhill and Springburn, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 25 October 2021
Current Status: Initiated by the Scottish Government. Answered by Jamie Hepburn on 26 October 2021

To ask the Scottish Government when it will respond to the Scottish Funding Council’s Review of Coherent Provision and Sustainability.

Our colleges and universities have been vital in our efforts to deal with the Covid-19 pandemic. The decades to come will bring further significant change at pace – shifts in automation, digital developments and artificial intelligence, the move to net-zero, changes in the world of work and study, global competition for talent and resources and our future demographic, health and social care needs.

That is why we asked the Scottish Funding Council (SFC) to review how it could best fulfil its mission of achieving coherence, quality and sustainability in tertiary education and research. SFC’s report - Coherence and Sustainability: A Review of Tertiary Education and Research - was published at the end of June 2021.

Our full response was published today and is available at . The Scottish Government broadly accept the Review’s recommendations. We recognise that, given the breadth of recommendations, some require a Scottish Government lead, others are for SFC and its Board to consider further, while we expect the sector itself to respond across a number of key areas. In addition, some recommendations will require further development for consultation.

As a government, our ambition is to create the best possible environment for colleges and universities, students and employers to thrive, now and into the future. I look forward to working with them to achieve our ambitions for Scotland’s tertiary education and research system.

Question reference: S6O-00154

Asked by: Bob Doris, MSP for Glasgow Maryhill and Springburn, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 08 September 2021
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 16 September 2021

To ask the Scottish Government how it will take forward the recommendations in Professor Gordon Stobart’s review of upper-secondary education student assessment in Scotland.

Question reference: S6W-02687

Asked by: Bob Doris, MSP for Glasgow Maryhill and Springburn, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 01 September 2021
Current Status: Initiated by the Scottish Government. Answered by Clare Haughey on 1 September 2021

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the delivery of the expanded hours of funded early learning and childcare.

All councils are now offering 1140 hours of funded ELC to all eligible children, making high quality early learning and childcare available to families in line with the increased statutory entitlement which came into force on 1 August. This will save parents up to £4,900 per year for each eligible child. Up to 130,000 children are expected to benefit this year.

Scotland is the only part of the UK to offer the equivalent of 1140 hours to all 3 and 4 year olds regardless of their parents’ working status, putting children first. This is a fantastic achievement that has been delivered in the face of the pandemic by Scottish Government, Local Government and our local delivery partners.

Question reference: S6T-00106

Asked by: Bob Doris, MSP for Glasgow Maryhill and Springburn, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 30 August 2021
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 31 August 2021

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the preparation and planning being undertaken to support people fleeing Afghanistan who may be resettled in Scotland.

Question reference: S6W-02369

Asked by: Bob Doris, MSP for Glasgow Maryhill and Springburn, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 18 August 2021
Current Status: Initiated by the Scottish Government. Answered by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 18 August 2021

To ask the Scottish Government what steps it has taken to support teacher recruitment throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.

To support education recovery during the pandemic, the Scottish Government has committed funding that has enabled local authorities to recruit an additional 1,400 teachers and 250 support staff. From April 2022, funding equating to £80m per annum will be baselined in to the local government settlement. This will ensure local authorities are able to offer sustained employment of additional teachers and support staff, while meeting local needs and benefitting Scotland’s children and young people.

This is in addition to the £65.5m permanent additional funding announced on
‎ 9 August for local authorities to recruit a further additional 1,000 teachers and 500 support staff.

Question reference: S5O-05124

Asked by: Bob Doris, MSP for Glasgow Maryhill and Springburn, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 10 March 2021
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 17 March 2021

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the impact of the UK’s exit from the EU on the opportunities for young people from Scotland to live, work or study in the EU.