Questions and answers

Question reference: S5W-20152

Asked by: Neil Bibby, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 22 November 2018
Current Status: Answered by Paul Wheelhouse on 3 December 2018

To ask the Scottish Government what impact its plans to phase out petrol and diesel cars will have on (a) the National Grid, (b) energy generation and (c) its energy policy.

The Scottish Government recognises that the commitment to phase out the need for new petrol and diesel cars and vans by 2032 is likely to lead to an increased demand for electric vehicles (EVs), although there is little certainty about how future transport systems will evolve. Increasing EV uptake will have a range of impacts on electricity demand and supporting infrastructure. We will work collaboratively to find innovative solutions that avoid unnecessary disruptions and investment.

The regulation of electricity networks is specifically reserved to the UK Government. However, we hold regular discussions with National Grid in the context of its role as System Operator across Great Britain, as well as with the UK Government, Ofgem, and industry partners on how networks need to change to support rising EV uptake and our wider carbon reduction targets. We intend to publish a Networks Vision statement by the end of the year, describing the ways in which the electricity and gas networks will have to change to enable the continued decarbonisation of Scotland’s economy, including transport.

The decarbonisation of transport is an integral part of the whole systems approach set out in our Energy Strategy. The associated target for the equivalent of 50% of energy for Scotland’s heat, transport and electricity to be supplied from renewable sources by 2030 will require changes to the ways in which energy is generated and consumed. We are working closely with Scotland’s network operators and others to consider the ways in which higher demand for electricity arising from EV uptake may vary in different geographical areas during the period up to 2030. Renewables will play a big part in meeting this increased demand, with roles for other sources and technologies, such as battery storage, within a smarter, more interconnected network.

Question reference: S5W-19908

Asked by: Neil Bibby, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 13 November 2018
Current Status: Answered by Richard Lochhead on 27 November 2018

To ask the Scottish Government what the spend was on estates at each campus within West College Scotland in each year since 2011.

West College Scotland was created in 2013 as a result of the merger of Clydebank College, James Watt College’s Greenock Campus and Reid Kerr College. The information requested is therefore not available prior to financial year 2014-15 for West College Scotland.

The Scottish Funding Council (SFC) provides funding for estates on a college basis with the college determining the allocation to each campus, with the exception of 2018-19 when colleges were allocated additional funding to address the very high priority works identified in the 2017 College sector estates condition survey. The survey provided details of recommended works on a campus by campus basis, hence, a breakdown of this funding by campus is available. The College itself will hold information on spend on individual campuses.

The following table provides details of SFC funding allocations to West College Scotland since merger.

College/campus	FY 2014-15	FY 2015-16	FY 2016-17	FY 2017-18	FY 2018-19
College/campus	Funding	Funding	Funding	Funding	Funding
West College Scotland Clydebank James Watt/Greenock Reid Kerr/Paisley	£2,576,579	£1,927,487	£1,483,760	£1,975,793	£1,181,794* £293,598 £896,100 £1,814,283
Total Capital Funding	£2,576,579	£1,927,487	£1,483,760	£1,975,793	£4,185,775

* Financial Year (FY) 2018-19 is for life cycle maintenance, which is distributed by the SFC in proportion to regional credit targets, whereas the campus-specific numbers are for very high priority maintenance from the condition survey.

Question reference: S5W-19907

Asked by: Neil Bibby, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 13 November 2018
Current Status: Answered by Richard Lochhead on 27 November 2018

To ask the Scottish Government how many lecturers at each campus within West College Scotland received voluntary severance in each of the last four academic years.

The SFC has provided the following information in line with college figures produced for annual accounting purposes:

The total voluntary severance headcount taken-up by lecturers across all 3 campuses of West College Scotland was 15 in the year 2014 -15. The breakdown for each of the campuses is:

Clydebank - 6
Greenock - 3
Paisley - 6.

No voluntary severance occurred in the years 2015-2016 and 2016-2017.

The total voluntary severance headcount taken-up by lecturers across all 3 campuses of West College Scotland was 10 in the year 2017 -18. The breakdown across each of the campuses being:

Clydebank - 2
Greenock - 4
Paisley - 4.

Question reference: S5W-19909

Asked by: Neil Bibby, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 13 November 2018
Current Status: Answered by Richard Lochhead on 27 November 2018

To ask the Scottish Government how many students there were in each West College Scotland campus in each year since 2011.

The number of enrolments in each West College Scotland (WCS) campus is as follows.

Enrolments at West College Scotland, 2010-11 – 2016-17

	2010-11	2011-12	2012-13	2013-14	2014-15	2015-16	2016-17
Clydebank (previously Clydebank College)	9,661	8,213	8,355	7,619	6,095	6,834	6,635
Greenock (previously James Watt College)	15,504	14,113	13,181	11,258	5,193	4,402	4,499
Paisley ‎ (previously Reid Kerr College)	16,171	14,829	12,248	12,695	17,748	15,564	14,836
Total enrolments	41,336	37,155	33,784	31,572	29,036	26,829	25,970

Source: Scottish Funding Council

NOTES:

1) Total enrolments include those with unknown campus.

2) West College Scotland is the regional college for West Scotland, and was formed from a merger of Clydebank College, James Watt College and Reid Kerr College in 2013.

3) Prior to the merger, James Watt College had additional campuses in Largs and Kilwinning. These were transferred to the new Ayrshire College during the merger and as such care should be taken when comparing across the time series.

4) Since the merger in 2013-14, most distance learning students at WCS have been allocated at the Paisley campus. This accounts for some of the changes in numbers at WCS campuses in that year.

Question reference: S5W-19906

Asked by: Neil Bibby, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 13 November 2018
Current Status: Answered by Richard Lochhead on 27 November 2018

To ask the Scottish Government how many (a) full-time equivalent lecturers, (b) other academic, (c) administrative and (d) other staff have been employed by each West College Scotland campus in each year since 2011.

West College Scotland was formed of 3 colleges; James Watt, Reid Kerr and Clydebank in 2013. 2014-15 is the first year for which the Scottish Funding Council (SFC) hold data on staffing at West College Scotland. The SFC report that the number of full-time equivalent lecturers in the year 2014-15 was 390 FTE; 404.9 FTE in the year 2015-16 and 400.2 FTE in 2016-17.

No data is yet available from the SFC for colleges in 2017-18, nor do the SFC hold data by staff type.

Separate data provided by West College Scotland provides data of other academic, administrative and ancillary staff

Category	2014-15	2015-16	2016-7

Administration and central services	275	230	236
Premises	53	66	68
Other expenditure	38	43	43
Catering	21	32	31

Question reference: S5O-02588

Asked by: Neil Bibby, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 14 November 2018
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 21 November 2018

To ask the Scottish Government when it last met ScotRail and what issues were discussed.

Question reference: S5O-02547

Asked by: Neil Bibby, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 07 November 2018
Current Status: Answered by Fergus Ewing on 14 November 2018

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on what action it is taking to support the food and drink industry.

We continue to work with farmers, food producers and industry bodies to drive forward the Ambition 2030 food and drink strategy. Our new Programme for Government sets out a range of new measures to support the sector, building on the range of work that is already ongoing.

Indeed, direct investment and support to the food and drink sector in Scotland from the public sector across a range of areas including skills, education, research, industry development, standards and capital investment equates to approximately £100 million per annum.

Question reference: S5O-02459

Asked by: Neil Bibby, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 17 October 2018
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 24 October 2018

To ask the Scottish Government when it last met NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde and what issues were discussed.

Question reference: S5O-02436

Asked by: Neil Bibby, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 26 September 2018
Current Status: Answered by Maree Todd on 3 October 2018

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with Renfrewshire Council regarding the provision of childcare in the Paisley area.

The Scottish Government meets regularly with local authorities to discuss the delivery of the Early Learning and Childcare entitlement. These meetings can be through a number of routes, including one-to-one meetings or through engagement and working groups whose membership includes Scottish Government and local authorities.

Scottish Government officials have also been in contact with Renfrewshire Council in recent weeks regarding developments at Hillview Nursery in the Ferguslie Park area of Paisley.

Question reference: S5W-18031

Asked by: Neil Bibby, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 07 August 2018
Current Status: Answered by Jamie Hepburn on 18 September 2018

To ask the Scottish Government what it considers the relevant collective agreements are in the engineering construction industry.

In the context of public procurement, the Statutory Guidance on Addressing Fair Work Practices including the Living Wage in Procurement, published in October 2015, states that we expect contractors who deliver public contracts to take a positive approach to their workforce and adopt policies which demonstrate how they comply with relevant employment, equality and health and safety law, human rights standards and adhere to relevant collective agreements. What may constitute a relevant collective agreement will be determined on a contract–by-contract basis, and the detail of any agreement would be a matter for the employer organisation and its recognised trade union(s). Where such a collective agreement exits, and covers those employees working on the contract, then that agreement will be relevant.

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