Questions and answers

Question reference: S5W-32307

Asked by: Beatrice Wishart, MSP for Shetland Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Tuesday, 06 October 2020
Current Status: Answered by Richard Lochhead on 19 October 2020

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will place copies of all reports received from institutions regarding the spend associated with the Higher Education Discretionary Fund regarding extra hardship payments in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre (SPICe).

The most recent data from the sector showed details of spending across the sector up to 31 July.

Student Awards Agency for Scotland (SAAS) are about to undertake an up to date analysis of spend on the Higher Education Discretionary Fund across colleges and universities. Information will be available in the early part of November and SAAS will give consideration to sharing this data with the Scottish Parliament Information Centre.

Question reference: S5W-32310

Asked by: Beatrice Wishart, MSP for Shetland Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Tuesday, 06 October 2020
Current Status: Answered by Richard Lochhead on 15 October 2020

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-29504 by Richard Lochhead on 5 June 2020, whether if it will provide an update on the expenditure.

As of 31 July this year, £1,88M of the additional £2.2M Higher Education (HE) Discretionary Funds issued to colleges and universities in April, had been spent.

As of 31 July this year, £215,000 of the advanced first instalment (£11.4M) of the main 2020-21 HE Discretionary Fund issued to colleges and universities in June, had been spent.

Officials are planning to carry out further analysis on the spending later in October.

Question reference: S5W-32309

Asked by: Beatrice Wishart, MSP for Shetland Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Tuesday, 06 October 2020
Current Status: Answered by Richard Lochhead on 15 October 2020

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-29504 by Richard Lochhead on 5 June 2020, how much of the additional £2.2 million allocated to the Higher Education Discretionary Fund was new money.

Question reference: S5W-31841

Asked by: Beatrice Wishart, MSP for Shetland Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Wednesday, 16 September 2020
Current Status: Answered by Jeane Freeman on 1 October 2020

To ask the Scottish Government how many people have been diagnosed with a lung condition during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Question reference: S5W-31796

Asked by: Beatrice Wishart, MSP for Shetland Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Monday, 14 September 2020
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 29 September 2020

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-31361 by John Swinney on 4 September 2020, whether it will place in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre (SPICe) any correspondence it had with the SQA that has been shared with, but not included in, the review to be published by Professor Priestley.

Question reference: S5T-02432

Asked by: Beatrice Wishart, MSP for Shetland Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Monday, 28 September 2020
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 29 September 2020

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking in response to reports that over 900 childminding settings are still to reopen, and the recent Scottish Childminding Association survey that suggests that the sector is "on the edge of financial viability".

Question reference: S5W-31842

Asked by: Beatrice Wishart, MSP for Shetland Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Wednesday, 16 September 2020
Current Status: Answered by Joe FitzPatrick on 28 September 2020

To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to promote the flu vaccine to people living with lung disease during the 2020-21 flu vaccination programme.

Question reference: S5W-31797

Asked by: Beatrice Wishart, MSP for Shetland Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Monday, 14 September 2020
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 28 September 2020

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-31360 by John Swinney on 4 September 2020, whether it will answer the question that was asked regarding what information it received about the tolerable range that was employed by the SQA ahead of the exam results moderation, and for what reason it did not respond to this point in its answer.

Question reference: S5W-31795

Asked by: Beatrice Wishart, MSP for Shetland Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Monday, 14 September 2020
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 28 September 2020

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-31365 by John Swinney on 4 September 2020, whether it will answer the question asked regarding whether it planned to use a similar system of moderation for the 2020-21 exams before it announced that “details will be provided separately before schools return on 11 August, regarding the approach for the assessment of national qualifications for the 2020-21 session”, and for what reason it did not respond to this point in its answer.

Question reference: S5W-31794

Asked by: Beatrice Wishart, MSP for Shetland Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Monday, 14 September 2020
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 28 September 2020

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-31362 by John Swinney on 4 September 2020, for what reason information about moderated exam results was not shared with the Education Recovery Group, in light of its role being specific to the current pandemic.

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