Questions and answers

Question reference: S5W-09674

Asked by: Pauline McNeill, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 14 June 2017
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 26 June 2017

To ask the Scottish Government how it ensures that it collects sufficient data on the (a) accessibility and (b) quality of (i) schools and other educational institutions, (ii) medical institutions and (iii) public transport, particularly in urban areas where ethnic minorities represent a higher percentage of the population.

Scotland has an impressive set of high quality public sector data and internationally significant informatics research. Collective data agreements, use of questions in core surveys, and combined data sets are helping to provide a broader range of data for ethnic groups. In addition, the Scottish Government has recently engaged with stakeholders on a new Equality Evidence Strategy, which sets out equality evidence gaps, including on ethnicity. This strategy will be published in Summer 2017 and the Scottish Government will work with partner organisations to further develop the equality evidence base over the next four years.

This suite of data and research is used to inform Equality Impact Assessments (EQIAs) which consider the impact of new or revised policies, practices or services against the requirements of the public sector equality duty. The duty requires all Scottish public authorities to have due regard to the need to eliminate unlawful discrimination, advance equality of opportunity and foster good relations. It covers people in respect of all aspects of equality (age, disability, sex, race, religion or belief, sexual orientation, gender reassignment and pregnancy and maternity). Good quality evidence helps to ensure the needs of all people are taken into account during the development and implementation of a new policy or service, or when a change is made to a current policy or service.

More specifically, the Scottish Government ensures it collects sufficient data on accessibility and quality of Schools and Other Educational Institutions, Medical Institutions and Public Transport, and more detail on these areas are as follows:

Schools and Other Educational Institutions

Data on the quality and accessibility of schools and educational institutions is gathered through a number of data sources and much of this analysis can be provided for both urban areas and ethnic groups:

Information on the condition and suitability of (local authority funded) school buildings is collected in the school estates core facts survey which has been carried out annually since 2007;

The number of pupils who have been assessed as having an adaptation requirement and the nature of the adaptation required is collected in the annual pupil census;

Education Scotland inspect and report on the quality of education in a sample of early learning and childcare settings, primary schools, secondary schools, special schools, community learning and development services, colleges, and residential educational provision. These inspections include evaluations of the quality indicator ‘Ensuring wellbeing, equality and inclusion’. Education Scotland also inspect the education functions of local authorities;

The Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) and the Scottish Funding Council (SFC) collect a wide range of data on accessibility and quality covering Universities and Colleges in Scotland. Information is collected and published to meet a range of stakeholder needs;

Medical Institutions

Information Services Division of NHS (ISD) publishes a six-monthly update on recording of ethnic group in hospital admission and hospital outpatient data.

Public Transport

Data on the quality of public transport is gathered from the Scottish Household Survey (SHS) which asks users about their views on buses and trains on a number of dimensions. The SHS also collects information on the accessibility to several public services, including public transport. This data is collected for minority ethnic groups and is available split by urban /rural geography. Other sources of information on the quality of public transport are user satisfaction surveys that are run regularly.

Question reference: S5W-09676

Asked by: Pauline McNeill, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 14 June 2017
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 22 June 2017

To ask the Scottish Government how it ensures that (a) schools and other educational institutions and (b) childcare facilities are used to their full potential, particularly in urban areas where ethnic minorities represent a higher percentage of the population.

Question reference: S5O-01121

Asked by: Pauline McNeill, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 07 June 2017
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 15 June 2017

To ask the Scottish Government what its most recent figures are for the uptake of the Young Scot National Entitlement Card.

Question reference: S5F-01338

Asked by: Pauline McNeill, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 30 May 2017
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 1 June 2017

To ask the First Minister what the Scottish Government is doing to help people with arthritis who are struggling to work.

Question reference: S5O-01039

Current Status: Withdrawn

Question reference: S5O-01014

Asked by: Pauline McNeill, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 17 May 2017
Current Status: Answered by Jamie Hepburn on 24 May 2017

To ask the Scottish Government how it plans to use its share of the UK Apprenticeship Levy.

Funding notionally received from the UK Government’s Apprenticeship Levy through the block grant is not additional money, and largely replaces funding the Scottish Government would have previously received. Taking account of public bodies' contributions to the Levy, public sector spending leeway in Scotland will be reduced by around £30 million. Unlike the UK Government, we consulted extensively on how to respond to the Levy. In December I published details of how we will budget for apprenticeship and other employability and training opportunities, in a manner entirely consistent with the findings of our consultation.

Question reference: S5F-01264

Asked by: Pauline McNeill, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 08 May 2017
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 11 May 2017

To ask the First Minister what the Scottish Government is doing to better resource planning authorities, in light of an increase in planning fees for major applications from 1 June 2017.

Question reference: S5O-00961

Asked by: Pauline McNeill, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 03 May 2017
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 10 May 2017

To ask the Scottish Government what its policy is on the provision of minor injuries units in communities.

Question reference: S5W-08884

Asked by: Pauline McNeill, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 20 April 2017
Current Status: Answered by Jeane Freeman on 3 May 2017

To ask the Scottish Government what its long-term strategy is with regard to 18- to 21-year-olds having access to housing benefit.

We remain disappointed that the UK Government have refused to agree an approach that would have avoided housing benefit being withdrawn from young people in Scotland.

We continue to seek a solution that will allow all 18-21 year olds to receive housing costs through Universal Credit subject to the same criteria and eligibility as claimants aged 22 and over and will raise this issue with the incoming UK Government after the election period.

In the interim we will monitor the impact of the regulations in Scotland, and continue to work with local authorities to ensure those young people who will be excluded from financial support by the UK Government will still be able to receive assistance with housing costs through the Scottish Welfare Fund.

Question reference: S5W-08883

Asked by: Pauline McNeill, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 20 April 2017
Current Status: Answered by Kevin Stewart on 2 May 2017

To ask the Scottish Government when it will publish the findings of its research into barriers to engagement and the role of community councils in planning.

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