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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 MSPs 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

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Question reference: S6W-06545

Asked by: Paul McLennan, MSP for East Lothian, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Friday, 11 February 2022
Current Status: Answered by Jamie Hepburn on 22 February 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to tackle any skills mismatches in the labour market in Scotland, in light of reported data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) stating that the number of job vacancies is at a record high, and the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) report, Working Lives Scotland, stating that 28% of all employees feel overqualified for their job.

Question reference: S6O-00765

Asked by: Paul McLennan, MSP for East Lothian, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 16 February 2022
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 23 February 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what analysis has been undertaken of the impact of Brexit on exports from Scotland to the European Union.

Question reference: S6W-06207

Asked by: Paul McLennan, MSP for East Lothian, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Friday, 04 February 2022
Current Status: Answered by Kevin Stewart on 15 February 2022

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the work of the Employment and Mental Health Short Life Working Group.

In May 2021 we established our employment and mental health working group to help take forward a number of key employment actions from our Mental Health – Transition and Recovery plan.

The group, consisting of policy officials, employer groups, trade unions and mental health organisations, is leading work to address some of the key challenges employers are facing in terms of supporting the mental health and wellbeing of their workforce. Their work has been focused on 3 key areas, identified by the group as being priorities for action:

1. To review, quality assure and consolidate existing mental health and wellbeing resources to enable employers to access the support they need, when they need it.

2. To help employers to learn from others by showcasing promising and emerging practice, enabling employers to understand how others have overcome barriers and challenges to create mentally healthy workplaces across different sectors and sizes of organisations.

3. To review existing guidance for employers in relation to home working, hybrid working and other models of working and to identify where consideration and support for mental health and wellbeing could be either strengthened or developed through additional guidance or resources.

A key output of this phase of work will be the production of an online platform for employers that clearly signposts employers to relevant, high quality, mental health and wellbeing resources and guidance. As the platform develops, it will be supported by a range of case studies and employer examples that showcase promising practice.

The new platform will be hosted by Public Health Scotland and is currently being tested with employers.

Question reference: S6W-06546

Current Status: Withdrawn

Question reference: S6W-06544

Current Status: Withdrawn

Question reference: S6W-06542

Current Status: Withdrawn

Question reference: S6W-06543

Current Status: Withdrawn

Question reference: S6W-05790

Asked by: Paul McLennan, MSP for East Lothian, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 20 January 2022
Current Status: Answered by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 3 February 2022

To ask the Scottish Government when the SQA will communicate the key areas to be covered within the forthcoming exam diet to (a) teachers and (b) pupils, in light of reported concerns regarding disruption to learning as a result of staff and pupil absences due to COVID-19 and the impact of the availability of subject specialists in secondary schools on the completion of courses.

As I confirmed on 1 February, based on the ongoing disruption arising from Covid, the SQA has taken the decision to invoke the Scenario 2 contingency and revision support will be made available in early March.

This revision support will complement the significant modifications to courses and assessments that the SQA have already made to take account of the expected disruption to learning this year.

The timing of the revision support gives learners the opportunity to complete the learning for their courses and focus on their coursework before their attention moves more fully to preparing for exams. It is important that teaching and learning is not narrowed too far in advance as this would negatively impact the learners’ breadth of knowledge and understanding as well as the next steps in their learning. In addition, the timing allows SQA to fully align the revision support with the question papers which are still being finalised.

Further information regarding the 2022 exam diet preparation, including the approach to exceptional circumstances, grading and appeals as well as support for learners, was included in my statement on 1 February 2022 and can be found at: Meeting of the Parliament: 01/02/2022 | Scottish Parliament Website .

Question reference: S6O-00748

Asked by: Paul McLennan, MSP for East Lothian, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 02 February 2022
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 10 February 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what support is available to maximise the growth opportunities for the renewables sector in East Lothian.

Question reference: S6W-05468

Asked by: Paul McLennan, MSP for East Lothian, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 05 January 2022
Current Status: Answered by Lorna Slater on 31 January 2022

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide details of what is meant by "relevant legal conditions" in relation to the designation of new national parks, as referred to in its shared policy programme with the Scottish Green Party.

The National Parks (Scotland) Act 2000 defines the conditions which the Scottish Ministers must be satisfied or may be satisfied before an area may be proposed for designation as a National park. Under Section 2(2) of the Act the Conditions are:

a. that the area is of outstanding national importance because of its natural heritage or the combination of its natural and cultural heritage,

b. that the area has a distinctive character and a coherent identity, and

c. that designating the area as a National Park would meet the special needs of the area and would be the best means of ensuring that the National Park aims are collectively achieved in relation to the area in a co-ordinated way.

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