Questions and answers

Question reference: S5W-00070

Asked by: Liz Smith, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 13 May 2016
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 24 May 2016

To ask the Scottish Government what criteria it will use over the next four years to determine whether there has been improvement in educational attainment.

We will gather and analyse a range of data and evidence, through the national improvement framework, to ensure that we have a comprehensive picture of children’s progress that does not focus on one single measure of performance.

The evidence will include a range of information on health and wellbeing, qualifications and awards, post-school destinations, findings from school and local authority self-evaluations and school inspections, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development’s Programme for International Student Assessment study and, over time, early years evidence. We will also gather from teachers their judgement of children’s achievement of Curriculum for Excellence levels in literacy and numeracy in P1, P4, P7 and S3. Teachers will use a range of assessment evidence to inform their judgement of achievement of these levels, including information from new standardised assessments.

Question reference: S5W-00068

Asked by: Liz Smith, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 13 May 2016
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 24 May 2016

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will re-enter Scotland in the (a) Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) and (b) Progress in International Reading Literacy Study (PIRLS) assessment of educational progress in schools.

The Scottish Government has no plans to reintroduce the Progress in International Reading and Literacy Trends (PIRLS) and Trends in International Mathematics and Science (TIMSS) studies for Scotland.

The Scottish Government welcomes international scrutiny of our education system and since 2000 has participated in the largest international survey, the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) run by The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), focusing on maths, reading and science. Unlike TIMSS and PIRLS, all OECD countries participate in PISA and it is a more effective indicator of how the whole Scottish education system is performing relative to other countries. It is also more closely aligned to Curriculum for Excellence. The Scottish Government took the decision to withdraw from PIRLS and TIMSS in 2010 in order to reduce the bureaucratic burden on teachers and because the PISA tests provide better information and better international comparisons than either TIMSS and PIRLS.

Question reference: S5W-00069

Asked by: Liz Smith, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 13 May 2016
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 24 May 2016

To ask the Scottish Government what mechanism it will use over the next four years to allocate resources from the Scottish Attainment Fund to schools.

The Scottish Government has committed to expanding our Attainment Fund and investing an additional £750 million during this parliament to close the gap in educational attainment. To date the Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation has been used to identify schools and local authorities with high concentrations of pupils experiencing socio-economic challenges and these have been prioritised for resources. We will continue to focus our efforts on deprivation and the poverty related attainment gap. Details of the plans to allocate the funding to support the challenge will be forthcoming in the next few weeks.

Question reference: S4O-05691

Asked by: Liz Smith, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 16 March 2016
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 23 March 2016

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the recommendations in the final report of the Commission on Widening Access regarding improving skills among the workforce.

Question reference: S4W-29967

Asked by: Liz Smith, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 17 February 2016
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 3 March 2016

To ask the Scottish Government what criteria the national improvement framework uses to measure the extent of the attainment gap.

The national improvement framework will ensure that we have more robust and consistent evidence to measure the extent of the attainment gap. For the first time, we will be collecting data on children’s progress as they move through their education from early years until they leave school.

A wide range of progress measures will be used at school level across the curriculum to measure the extent of the attainment gap. This will include teacher judgement, informed by standardised assessment, on achievement of Curriculum for Excellence levels in literacy and numeracy at P1, P4, P7 and S3 by school, local authority and nationally. Data from a range of surveys on health and wellbeing will also be gathered, with changes tracked over time. Further evidence, such as senior phase qualifications, awards data, the percentage of school leavers in positive and sustained destinations, and, over time, early years evidence will also be analysed. Additional information, for example external reviews of careers information, advice and guidance services, will also be gathered to help build a picture of improvement This approach will ensure we have a wealth of data to measure the extent of the attainment gap which can be analysed at pupil level using the Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation.

Question reference: S4W-29933

Asked by: Liz Smith, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 12 February 2016
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 2 March 2016

To ask the Scottish Government what organisations have received funding from the £1 million Centenary Memorials Restoration Fund, broken down by (a) memorial and (b) amount.

The Centenary Memorials Restoration Fund is managed by the War Memorials Trust on behalf of the Scottish Government and Historic Environment Scotland.

The following table shows the breakdown of grants offered and final grant paid to organisations where work is now complete:

Memorial Name

Applicant Organisation

Grant Offer

Final Grant Paid

New Kilpatrick Church

New Kilpatrick Parish Church

£9,107

Elderslie

Renfrewshire Council

£6,005

Bridge of Weir

Renfrewshire Council

£7,461

James Stokes

Glasgow City Council

£4,500

3rd Leith Boys Brigade

Leith St Andrew's Church

£6,672

Moffat

Dumfries and Galloway Council

£1,728

Field Marshall Earl Robert

Glasgow City Council

£26,250

Fair Isle

Fair Isles Community Association

£448

£296

Cupar

Fife Council

£17,901

Stirling

Stirling City Heritage Trust

£29,853

£26,782

Crookston

Wallyford Community Council

£2,115

£1,962

Creich/Bonar Bridge

Creich and Kincardine Branch of RBL Scotland

£10,693

Kirkconnel

Brighten up Kirkconnel and Kelloholm

£3,375

Clyne

Friends of Clyne War Memorial Association

£5,914

Clachan-ath-luib

North Uist Community Council

£2,520

£2,470

Dunscore

Dunscore Community Council

£778

£750

Gattonside

Gattonside Village Hall Committee

£1,665

Glasgow School of Art

£1,215

£1,140

Hopeman Memorial Hall

Hopeman Community Association

£10,000

£4,190

Aberlour Orphanage

Aberlour Child Care Trust

£3,344

Avendale Old Parish Church

Old Parish Church and Drumclog Memorial Kirk

£1,088

£788

Laurencekirk Parish

Laurencekirk Church of Scotland

£5,760

£5,590

Pierowall

Westray Community Council

£896

Walls

Sandness & Walls Community Council

£2,010

Callander

RBL Scotland - Callander Branch

£9,310

Peeblesshire

Scottish Borders Council

£22,000

Ormiston

East Lothian Council

£9,130

£8,220

Minard

Minard Community Trust

£2,990

£2,760

West Kilbride

West Kilbride Parish Church

£990

North Tolsta

Tolsta Community Council

£2,930

Grant not required

Tayport

RBL Scotland - Tayport Branch

£13,470

Fintry Kirk

£500

£430

Milngavie

East Dunbartonshire Council

£7,310

Bearsden

East Dunbartonshire Council

£9,240

Longhope

Graemsay, Hoy & Walls Community Council

£750

£730

Stromness

Stromness Community Council

£13,170

£12,810

Cameronians

Glasgow City Council

£2,090

Dundonald

Dundonald Community Council

£8,050

Beauly - Lovat Scout

Beauly Community Council

£15,480

Girvan

South Ayrshire Council

£12,690

Hopeman war memorial hall

Hopeman Community Association

£3,750

Douglas

Douglas Community Council

£8,880

Colonel John Cameron

Lochaber Local History Society

£15,400

£14,240

Glasgow Academy (external memorial)

The Glasgow Academy

£10,210

Gordon Schools

The Gordon Schools

£1,390

£940

Kitchener Memorial

Orkney Heritage Society

£30,000

Work not yet complete

Keiss

Sinclair Bay Community Council

£1,180

Limekilns and Charleston

Limekilns, Charlestown and Pattiesmuir Community Council

£2,370

Walls

Shetland Islands Council

£2,460

£2,370

South Ronaldsay

South Ronaldsay and Burray Community Council

£9,370

Work not yet complete

Scottish American memorial

Edinburgh City Council

£1,110

Work not yet complete

Helensburgh

Argyll and Bute Council

£60,000

Work not yet complete

Stronsay

Stronsay Community Council

£715

Work not yet complete

Law

Law Community Trust

£1,400

Caledonian Station Hotel

Waldorf Astoria Edinburgh

£890

Royal Scots Greys

Ratho

Slateford

Dalmeny

Duddingston

Canongate

Newhaven

South Queensferry

Edinburgh City Council

£35,190.00

Work not yet complete

Invergarry

Glengarry Community Council

£2,700

Grant not required

St Anne's Dunbar

St Anne’s Episcopal Church

£22,670

Work not yet complete

Tullibody

Clackmannanshire Council

£30,000

Work not yet complete

Cowie

Cowie War Memorial Research Group

£1,530

Work not yet complete

Duke of Wellington

TGP Landscape Architects

£750

Work not yet complete

Falkirk Boer War

TGP Landscape Architects

£750

Work not yet complete

Barra and Vatersay

Barra and Vatersay War Memorial Association

£2,080

Work not yet complete

Kirkintilloch

East Dunbartonshire Council

£48,220

Work not yet complete

Campsie

East Dunbartonshire Council

£26,750

Work not yet complete

Longhope

Graemsay, Hoy and Walls Community Council

£4,130

Work not yet complete

Strathblane

Strathblane Community Council

£2,410

Work not yet complete

TOTAL

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£617,703

£323,299

Question reference: S4W-29683

Asked by: Liz Smith, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 03 February 2016
Current Status: Answered by Alasdair Allan on 2 March 2016

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S4W-29415 by Alasdair Allan on 2 February 2016, how the £1 million that was announced in December 2012 was allocated and what information it has regarding how many instruments were purchased, broken down by local authority.

The Royal Conservatoire of Scotland (RCS) was charged with administering the investment and liaising with the Instrumental Music Service in each authority, on behalf of the Scottish Government. The total investment of £1 million was allocated in two phases. Phase one was a direct formulaic allocation to local authorities for instruments to be used by the Instrumental Music Service. Phase two consisted of an open bidding process, which permitted instruments to be purchased for community use.

As part of this exercise the RCS prepared a report on instruments purchased and costs associated. This can be accessed at the attached link: .

Question reference: S4F-03269

Asked by: Liz Smith, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 29 February 2016
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 3 March 2016

To ask the First Minister what the Scottish Government's position is on the BBC's proposal to introduce a "Scottish Six" news programme.

Question reference: S4O-05582

Asked by: Liz Smith, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 17 February 2016
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 24 February 2016

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the Scottish Prison Service’s plan to deliver smoke-free indoor prison facilities.

A ‘National Tobacco Strategy Workstream’ has been developing an evidence informed joint action plan, detailing how indoor smoke-free prison facilities will be delivered. The workstream is in the process of producing a comprehensive evidence informed options paper which will consider available national and international research and policy evaluation. The outcome of the options paper will be used to inform the proposed action plan (including timescales) to deliver indoor smoke-free prison facilities.

I understand that the consultation process has now concluded and an options paper will be submitted to me for my consideration in the near future.

Question reference: S4W-29684

Asked by: Liz Smith, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 03 February 2016
Current Status: Answered by Alasdair Allan on 22 February 2016

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S4W-18461 by Alasdair Allan on 3 December 2013, what information it has regarding how many pupils in each local authority have been learning a musical instrument in each year since 2012-13.

The government's Instrumental Music Group report of June 2013, recommendation 14, noted “the Improvement Service's offer to create, maintain and provide a standard benchmarking framework to capture in a standard form data on charging policy, current charges, participation and drop-out rates for instrumental music services (IMS) across Scotland”.

The Improvement Service in their recent report included IMS pupil numbers and percentage out of whole school roll on table 5; page 14 of the attached report includes figures from 2012 to 2014-15.

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Chamber and committees