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: S4W-21943

Asked by: Liz Smith, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 26 June 2014
Current Status: Answered by Aileen Campbell on 14 July 2014

To ask the Scottish Government what the “outstanding and unresolved issues” are that are referred to in paragraph 15 of the policy note accompanying the Provision of Early Learning and Childcare (Specified Children) (Scotland) Order 2014 [draft] and how many local authorities it expects to experience them.

A joint assessment by the Scottish Government and COSLA has confirmed that every local authority has plans in place to deliver the new provision for eligible 2 year olds in August 2014.

To ensure they are ready to deliver this new provision, local authorities have been making alterations to buildings to make them ready for a higher number of young children, recruiting more suitably trained and experienced staff and negotiating with partner providers and childminders.

However, there remains a risk that practical issues may appear during the initial stages of implementation.

The extra time before the legal duty commences allows local authorities more flexibility to resolve any unforeseen challenges around implementation.

Question reference: S4W-21942

Asked by: Liz Smith, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 26 June 2014
Current Status: Answered by Aileen Campbell on 14 July 2014

To ask the Scottish Government how many of the 3,440 two-year-olds in workless families will be guaranteed a childcare place at the start of August 2014.

Question reference: S4W-21840

Asked by: Liz Smith, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 19 June 2014
Current Status: Answered by Aileen Campbell on 10 July 2014

To ask the Scottish Government how many two-year-olds from workless households will be eligible to receive free childcare provision from August 2014.��

We estimate that 3,400 two year olds from workless households will start their entitlement from the beginning of the autumn term in August.

This is in addition to an estimated 1,184 two year olds whose entitlement is set out on the face of the Children and Young People (Scotland) Act 2014, those who are looked after, under a kinship care order or have a parent-appointed guardian. In total more than 8,000 disadvantaged two year olds are expected to benefit from this enhanced provision across the forthcoming school year.

A joint assessment by the Scottish Government and COSLA has confirmed that every local authority has plans in place to deliver the��new provision for eligible 2 year olds in August.

Question reference: S4W-21739

Asked by: Liz Smith, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 13 June 2014
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 26 June 2014

To ask the Scottish Government what its definition is of the “exceptional circumstances” referred to at paragraph 39 of the paper, Commonwealth Games 2014 Progress report 2: Planning for the delivery of the XXth Games, under which the special reserve for the Commonwealth Games can be drawn down.

Question reference: S4W-21741

Asked by: Liz Smith, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 13 June 2014
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 26 June 2014

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S4O-03321 by Shona Robison on 5 June 2014 (Official Report, c. 31883), whether it will inform members of any future access to the special reserve fund and the reasons why ministers considered that the "exceptional circumstances" criteria referred to at paragraph 39 of the paper, Commonwealth Games 2014 Progress report 2: Planning for the delivery of the XXth Games had been met.

The Scottish Government is providing up to £381.6 million of funding for the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games which are firmly on course to deliver within budget.

In the preliminary stages of planning these Games, it was identified that a prudent budget position would be to reserve a portion of the budget, the Special Reserve, to be used in response to unforeseen circumstances and to support the successful delivery of the Games.

This Special Reserve is and always has been part of the overall Games Budget.

As a Government we recognise that public funds must be well managed and that is why the Games Budget is subject to robust financial controls. In order to promote financial transparency Audit Scotland were invited to review these financial controls and the Commonwealth Games Federation’s Co-ordination Committee recently praised the “strong financial management” of the Games partners in relation to the Games Budget. Since the Special Reserve is entirely funded by the Scottish Government, access is subject to Ministerial approval.

Any future use of the Special Reserve will require the further approval of Ministers.

The full audited accounts of Glasgow 2014 will be available post Games. In addition, Audit Scotland will be conducting a review of the Commonwealth Games which will be published in January 2015.

Question reference: S4W-21740

Asked by: Liz Smith, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 13 June 2014
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 26 June 2014

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S4O-03321 by Shona Robison on 5 June 2014 (Official Report, c. 31883), how the £800,000 notionally committed from the special reserve satisfies the "exceptional circumstances" criteria referred to at paragraph 39 of the paper, Commonwealth Games 2014 Progress report 2: Planning for the delivery of the XXth Games.

Question reference: S4O-03413

Asked by: Liz Smith, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 18 June 2014
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 25 June 2014

To ask the Scottish Government how it is publicising to parents the expansion of childcare provision.

Question reference: S4O-03379

Asked by: Liz Smith, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 11 June 2014
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 19 June 2014

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will review the remit of Education Scotland school inspections to include the condition of school buildings.

Question reference: S4F-02167

Asked by: Liz Smith, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 09 June 2014
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 12 June 2014

To ask the First Minister when the Scottish Government last met members of the Commonwealth Games organising committee and whether access to the special reserve was discussed.

Question reference: S4W-21142

Asked by: Liz Smith, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 14 May 2014
Current Status: Answered by Michael Russell on 30 May 2014

To ask the Scottish Government what funding it has made available in each year since 1999 under the Scotland’s Schools for the Future programme, broken down by local authority.

The Scotland’s Schools for the Future Programme commenced in 2009. The first round of funding was paid in 2010-11. The Scotland’s Schools for the Future Programme is taken forward through a phased development. All 32 local authorities have been offered funding for at least one project through the programme. Not all local authorities have received funding yet, as their projects are yet to begin.

The detail of the funding made available in each year through the programme, broken down by local authority, is as follows:

Local Authority	2010-11 (£)	2011-12 (£)	2012-13 (£)	2013-14 (£)	2014-15 (£) (As of end April 14)
Aberdeen City	��	��	��	2,124,509	��
Aberdeenshire	��	��	7,308,550	17,568,289	��
Clackmannanshire	��	��	��	4,335,585	��
Dundee	��	��	��	5,138,110	680,000
E. Ayrshire	450,000	2,444,720	800,655	��	��
E. Dunbartonshire	��	��	��	1,209,007	��
East Lothian	61,231	2,214,606	2,632,644	��	��
East Renfrewshire	506,568	5,500,000	10,918,198	489,018	��
Falkirk	665,000	1,973,088	��	��	��
Fife	725,000	��	18,085,647	391,586	��
Glasgow	��	��	��	5,996,023	��
Inverclyde	259,023	��	3,242,000	1,513,106	��
Midlothian	858,358	5,275,204	14,576,620	��	��
Perth and Kinross	190,865	��	2,276,048	��	��
Renfrewshire	��	��	555,709	4,505,653	��
Shetland	��	��	��	322,366	��
South Lanarkshire	��	��	2,403,473	��	��
Stirling	��	��	1,883,324	��	��
W. Dunbartonshire	163,643	��	8,917,130	1,527,533	��
Western Isles	141,845	2,235,180	��	��	��
West Lothian	2,000,000	357,203	��	502,790