Chamber and committees

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

Urgent Questions aren't included in the Question and Answers search. There is a SPICe fact sheet listing Urgent and emergency questions.

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Question reference: S6W-35535

Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 11 March 2025
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 24 March 2025

To ask the Scottish Government how many pupils have been suspended from (a) primary and (b) secondary school due to (i) verbal abuse directed at and (ii) a physical assault on a teacher in each year since 2004.

The number of pupils that have been suspended for verbal abuse of staff or physical assault against staff in primary and secondary schools from 2005-06 is set out below.

Table 1. Cases of exclusion in primary schools due to (i) verbal abuse directed at and (ii) a physical assault against staff since 2005-06.

Year	Verbal abuse of staff	Physical assault against staff
2005-06	1,791	Not available
2006-07	2,006	Not available
2007-08	1,787	881
2008-09	1,633	901
2009-10	1,419	889
2010-11	1,368	874
2012-13	1,298	961
2014-15	1,341	1,279
2016-17	1,563	1,518
2018-19	1,260	1,261
2020-21	583	533
2022-23	739	856

Table 2. Cases of exclusion in secondary schools due to (i) verbal abuse directed at and (ii) a physical assault against staff since 2005-06.

Year	Verbal abuse of staff	Physical assault against staff
2005-06	8,472	Not available
2006-07	9,123	Not available
2007-08	8,202	517
2008-09	6,870	382
2009-10	6,161	380
2010-11	5,379	315
2012-13	4,433	320
2014-15	4,122	263
2016-17	3,648	297
2018-19	3,228	344
2020-21	1,633	185
2022-23	2,511	381

These statistics include temporary exclusions only. These statistics relate to cases of exclusion so due to pupils being excluded multiple times, some pupils may be double-counted. Where more than one reason in a single case of exclusion is given, those reasons are counted under each relevant category.

Before 2008, data on acts or threats of violence did not distinguish between incidents involving pupils and those involving staff. As a result, exclusion data for physical assaults against staff is unavailable prior to 2008.

The Scottish Government does not hold exclusion data from before 2005-06.

Since 2010-11, the Scottish Government has collected exclusion data biennially, meaning data is only available for odd-numbered years. Data will next be collected and published for the 2024-25 academic year.

Question reference: S6W-35538

Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 11 March 2025
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 24 March 2025

To ask the Scottish Government how many external tutors have been employed in (a) primary and (b) secondary schools in each year since 2004, also broken down by what the associated costs were each year.

Question reference: S6W-35362

Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 12 March 2025
Current Status: Answered by Jim Fairlie on 24 March 2025

To ask the Scottish Government whether any potential contingent liability implications against future budgets is estimated at the time of entering any arrangements that may subsequently trigger that liability requiring to be met, and in what year any payment of a contingent liability counted for budget and public spending monitoring purposes.

Question reference: S6W-35363

Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 12 March 2025
Current Status: Answered by Jim Fairlie on 24 March 2025

To ask the Scottish Government whether it has undertaken any assessment of the costs of undertaking peatland restoration, and whether any such costs are (a) static, (b) falling and (c) rising; what the current (i) average cost is and (ii) range of costs are per hectare, and what the main factors affecting the range of costs are.

The Scottish Government has commissioned research through ClimateXChange (CxC) to better understand peatland restoration costs. This results of this research will be published shortly.

Previous research assessing the costs of peatland restoration can be found here: The costs of peatland restoration – data & initial analysis 2020 | SEFARI, The costs of peatland restoration – data & analysis update 2021 | SEFARI

Question reference: S6W-35481

Asked by: Elena Whitham, MSP for Carrick, Cumnock and Doon Valley, Scottish National Party
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Date lodged: Monday, 10 March 2025
Current Status: Answered by Jim Fairlie on 24 March 2025

To ask the Scottish Government for what reason relevant offences under the Animal Welfare (Scotland) Act 2006, Badgers Act 1992 and other similar legislation, are not included in the NatureScot licensing conditions relating to a whole landholding for an estate that has only licensed its grouse moor under section 16AA of the Wildlife Management and Muirburn (Scotland) Act 2024.

Question reference: S6W-35479

Asked by: Elena Whitham, MSP for Carrick, Cumnock and Doon Valley, Scottish National Party
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Date lodged: Monday, 10 March 2025
Current Status: Answered by Jim Fairlie on 24 March 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what advice (a) it and/or (b) NatureScot has received regarding the enforceability of the grouse shoot licence condition pertaining to raptor crimes on land outside the area licensed for killing or taking grouse, and whether it will publish this.

Question reference: S6W-35480

Asked by: Elena Whitham, MSP for Carrick, Cumnock and Doon Valley, Scottish National Party
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Date lodged: Monday, 10 March 2025
Current Status: Answered by Jim Fairlie on 24 March 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what proportion of estates applying for a section 16AA licence to shoot grouse in the 2024-25 season has registered the grouse moor only, rather than the whole landholding.

Question reference: S6W-36022

Current Status: Withdrawn

Question reference: S6W-36015

Current Status: Withdrawn

Question reference: S6W-35704

Asked by: Alex Cole-Hamilton, MSP for Edinburgh Western, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Friday, 14 March 2025
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 21 March 2025

To ask the Scottish Government whether it has any plans to reform the process for exhumation applications for ashes, in light of reports that the new system has moved away from independent crematory management, which was inexpensive, and now requires families to go through solicitors, which can reportedly cost more that £5,000.

The current procedure for applications for exhumation has been in place for many years. It involves the engagement of a solicitor who will apply to the sheriff court for a warrant to disinter. The process can be lengthy, complex and incur significant cost.

The Scottish Government is developing regulations on exhumation which will remove applications from the sheriff court, making the process more straightforward and less expensive for applicants.

Parliament dissolved ahead of election

Chamber and committees

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