Questions and answers

Question reference: S5W-03863

Asked by: Daniel Johnson, MSP for Edinburgh Southern, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 19 October 2016
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 3 November 2016

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the commitment in its publication, Delivering Excellence and Equity in Scottish Education: A Delivery Plan for Scotland, when data will be available through the national improvement framework to identify the attainment gap at P1, P4, P7 and S3 at school and local authority level; how the gap will be measured, and when the measures will be updated.

The Scottish Government made clear in the Delivery Plan that new data would become available through the National Improvement Framework in October. This data has now been received, is being analysed and will be published in December. The criteria for measuring the attainment gap will be set out in the National Improvement Plan that will also be published in December. Engagement with key stakeholders will take place to discuss plans to reduce the gap, together with any possible milestones towards delivery, and will be available by the middle of next year.

Question reference: S5O-00305

Asked by: Daniel Johnson, MSP for Edinburgh Southern, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 02 November 2016
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 9 November 2016

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to extend access to high-speed fibre broadband across the country.

Question reference: S5W-03861

Asked by: Daniel Johnson, MSP for Edinburgh Southern, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 19 October 2016
Current Status: Answered by Roseanna Cunningham on 2 November 2016

To ask the Scottish Government what Scottish Water's budget has been in each of the last five years.

Scottish Water’s budget, as confirmed in Spring Budget Revisions, has been as follows:

2011-12	Operating	Capital	Total
	£m	£m	£m
Voted Loans	£0.0	£85.1	£85.1
Interest on Voted Loans	-£92.7	£0.0	-£92.7
	-£92.7	£85.1	-£7.6
2012-13	Operating	Capital	Total
	£m	£m	£m
Hydro-Nation	£1.0	£0.0	£1.0
Voted Loans	£0.0	£142.1	£142.1
Interest on Voted Loans	-£88.3	£0.0	-£88.3
	-£87.3	£142.1	£54.8
2013-14	Operating	Capital	Total
	£m	£m	£m
Hydro-Nation	£1.5	£0.0	£1.5
Voted Loans	£0.0	£56.8	£56.8
Interest on Voted Loans	-£91.7	£0.0	-£91.7
	-£90.2	£56.8	-£33.4
2014-15	Operating	Capital	Total
	£m	£m	£m
Hydro-Nation	£2.8	£0.0	£2.8
Voted Loans	£0.0	£106.6	£106.6
Interest on Voted Loans	-£98.0	£0.0	-£98.0
	-£95.2	£106.6	£11.4
2015-16	Operating	Capital	Total
	£m	£m	£m
Hydro-Nation	£0.8	£0.0	£0.8
Exemption Scheme	£2.0	£0.0	£2.0
Voted Loans	£0.0	£132.5	£132.5
Interest on Voted Loans	-£99.9	£0.0	-£99.9
	-£97.1	£132.5	£35.4

Further details on budgets may be found on the Scottish Government’s website at: http://www.gov.scot/Topics/Government/Finance/18127/Documents

Question reference: S5W-03859

Asked by: Daniel Johnson, MSP for Edinburgh Southern, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 19 October 2016
Current Status: Answered by Roseanna Cunningham on 2 November 2016

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the reclassification of its funding of capital, what the impact will be of the reduction of planned loans to Scottish Water over the next five years, and which infrastructure projects might be affected by this.

There has been no reclassification of Scottish Water’s funding. Loans made by the Scottish Government to Scottish Water and Interest repaid by Scottish Water to the Scottish Government score in the capital and resource budgets respectively. The Scottish Government is committed to lending up to £760million in the regulatory period 2015-21 in support of the £3.5 billion programme of improvements to water and sewerage services.

Question reference: S5W-03860

Asked by: Daniel Johnson, MSP for Edinburgh Southern, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 19 October 2016
Current Status: Answered by Roseanna Cunningham on 2 November 2016

To ask the Scottish Government what the investment in Scottish Water infrastructure has been in each of the last five years, broken down by local authority.

Question reference: S5W-03862

Asked by: Daniel Johnson, MSP for Edinburgh Southern, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 19 October 2016
Current Status: Answered by Roseanna Cunningham on 2 November 2016

To ask the Scottish Government what Scottish Water's capital reserves have been in each of the last five years.

Question reference: S5O-00256

Asked by: Daniel Johnson, MSP for Edinburgh Southern, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 19 October 2016
Current Status: Answered by Kevin Stewart on 26 October 2016

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to ensure that there is meaningful and inclusive community engagement in the planning system.

Question reference: S5W-03185

Asked by: Daniel Johnson, MSP for Edinburgh Southern, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 26 September 2016
Current Status: Answered by Joe FitzPatrick on 24 October 2016

To ask the Scottish Government when ministers have met parliamentary liaison officers, and what was discussed.

Ministers met with parliamentary liaison officers on the dates noted below and discussed a range of issues relevant to their portfolios.

Roseanna Cunningham MSP, Cabinet Secretary for Environment, Climate Change and Land Reform met with Gillian Martin, MSP on
27 September 2016.

Roseanna Cunningham MSP, Cabinet Secretary for Environment, Climate Change and Land Reform met with Angus Macdonald MSP on 29 June 2016.

Annabelle Ewing MSP, Minister for Community Safety and Legal Affairs met with Tom Arthur MSP on 15, 22 and 29 September 2016.

Keith Brown MSP, Cabinet Secretary for Economy, Jobs and Fair Work, Jamie Hepburn MSP, Minister for Employability and Training, and Paul Wheelhouse MSP, Minister for Business, Innovation and Energy met with Ivan McKee MSP on 21 September and 4 October 2016.

Derek Mackay MSP, Cabinet Secretary for Finance and the Constitution, holds weekly meetings with Kate Forbes MSP, these started on 15 June 2016.

The First Minister holds a weekly meeting with Ben Macpherson MSP and Gail Ross MSP, these started on 1 June 2016.

Angela Constance MSP, Cabinet Secretary for Communities, Social Security and Equalities, Jeane Freeman MSP, Minister for Social Security and Kevin Stewart MSP, Minister for Local Government and Housing met with Mairi Evans MSP, on 24 May, 2 June, 9 June, 30 June, 8 September, 15 September, 22 September and 6 October 2016.

John Swinney MSP, Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Secretary for Education and Skills met with Jenny Gilruth MSP on 21 June 2016.

Mark McDonald MSP, Minister for Childcare and Early Years and Aileen Campbell MSP, Minister for Public Health and Sport met with Jenny Gilruth MSP on 14 June 2016

Question reference: S5W-03184

Asked by: Daniel Johnson, MSP for Edinburgh Southern, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 26 September 2016
Current Status: Answered by Joe FitzPatrick on 24 October 2016

To ask the Scottish Government whether it shares confidential information with (a) parliamentary liaison officers and (b) any other MSP.

As set out in section 4.11 of the Scottish Ministerial Code, government information may be shared with parliamentary liaison officers for the purposes of allowing them to discharge their role effectively. Parliamentary liaison officers are required to respect the confidentiality attached to such information.

Government information may be shared in confidence with MSPs, including Party Leaders, where it is in the public interest to do so.

Question reference: S5W-03186

Asked by: Daniel Johnson, MSP for Edinburgh Southern, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 26 September 2016
Current Status: Answered by Joe FitzPatrick on 24 October 2016

To ask the Scottish Government when ministers have met parliamentary conveners, and what was discussed.

Fiona Hyslop MSP, Cabinet Secretary for Culture, Tourism and External Affairs met with Joan McAlpine MSP, Convener European and External Relations Committee on Tuesday 16 August to discuss European, Tourism and Cultural Matters.

Jamie Hepburn MSP, Minister for Employability and Training met with Sandra White MSP, Convener to the Social Security Committee on 7 September to discuss Employability and Training matters.

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