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.

Find out more about parliamentary questions

Filter your results Hide all filters

Displaying 2577 questions Show Answers

Order by |

Question reference: S7W-01322

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 25 June 2026
Current Status: Answer expected on 23 July 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what proportion of individuals held on remand subsequently received a custodial sentence in each of the last five financial years.

Question reference: S7W-01269

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 24 June 2026
Current Status: Answer expected on 22 July 2026

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will bring forward legislation or guidance to address the issue identified by the National Child Sexual Abuse and Exploitation Strategic Group that all but one of the crime codes in the Sexual Offences (Scotland) Act 2009 defines children as aged 15 and under, rather than under 18, as defined in the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (Incorporation) (Scotland) Act 2024.

Question reference: S7W-01268

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 24 June 2026
Current Status: Answer expected on 22 July 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what progress has been made with the three workstreams of its Child Sexual Abuse and Exploitation Data Short Life Working Group, which was established in January 2026, including by what date the output from workstream one, which is an analysis of available data on child sexual abuse and exploitation, will be published.

Question reference: S7W-00889

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 09 June 2026
Current Status: Answered by Mairi McAllan on 23 June 2026

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-44296 by Jenny Gilruth on 25 March 2026, whether it will provide an update on the work carried out as part of the public inquiry into the response to group-based child sexual abuse and exploitation, and by what date does it anticipate the inquiry's findings will be published.

Work is continuing at pace to establish the inquiry. Detailed Terms of Reference are currently being developed, informed by ongoing discussions with Professor Jay, and these will be published in due course.

I would also reiterate that it is not appropriate for Ministers to direct an independent inquiry Chair in relation to its duration or costs. Professor Jay has made clear her intention to deliver the inquiry at pace, while retaining the necessary flexibility to examine all areas within its remit. Decisions regarding the timing and frequency of the inquiry’s findings will be a matter for Professor Jay.

Question reference: S7W-00905

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 10 June 2026
Current Status: Answered by Tom Arthur on 22 June 2026

To ask the Scottish Government how much funding it has provided each month (a) directly and (b) through Transport Scotland to Walking Scotland in each of the last five financial years, and since April 2026.

The Scottish Government does not hold funding information for Walking Scotland (formerly Paths for All) on a monthly basis, as funding is awarded and managed on an annual programme basis. The following table sets out the Transport Scotland programmes and annual funding allocations by financial year:

Year	Programme	Value
2020-21	Smarter Choices, Smarter Places	£7,879,200
2021-22	Smarter Choices, Smarter Places	£9,468,223
2021-22	Scottish Health Walks Network	£45,000
2022-23	Smarter Choices, Smarter Places	£12,633,626
2022-23	Ian Findlay Path Fund	£1,603,000
2023-24	Smarter Choices, Smarter Places – Local Authority Fund	£5,330,000
2023-24	Smarter Choices, Smarter Places – Open Fund	£5,388,000
2023-24	Smarter Choices, Smarter Places – Active Nation Fund	£1,792,000
2023-24	Ian Findlay Path Fund	£1,600,000
2024-25	Ian Findlay Path Fund	£1,523,000
2024-25	Smarter Choices, Smarter Places – Wind Down	£220,000
2025-26	Ian Findlay Path Fund	£1,800,000

Funding levels vary between financial years, reflecting changes to programme design, including the transition and wind down of the Smarter Choices, Smarter Places programme, alongside investment in the Ian Findlay Path Fund.

Additionally, the following table shows the annual funding from Active Scotland to Walking Scotland:

Year	Value
2021-22	£1.4
2022-23	£2
2023-24	£2
2024-25	£2
2025-26	£2

Question reference: S7W-00893

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 09 June 2026
Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 22 June 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the risks to public safety of the current household knife disposal policy, which allows for knives to be disposed of in accessible wheelie bins.

There are specific guidelines in place in every local authority area in Scotland for the disposal of sharp household items, including knives, to ensure safety. Neither local authorities nor Police Scotland have raised concerns about the current policy and approach – and have not reported a heightened risk to public safety arising from the disposal of household knives. More broadly, the Scottish Government is supporting a range of programmes such as No Knives, Better Lives, in our schools and in the wider community, to educate young people in particular about the dangers of carrying a knife.

Question reference: S7W-00894

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 09 June 2026
Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 22 June 2026

To ask the Scottish Government how many knives have been seized by Police Scotland over the last five years.

Data provided by Police Scotland shows the number of stop and searches where an item categorised as ‘bladed instrument’ was found. However, more than one type of item can be recovered in a stop and search. These figures do not reflect the quantities of items that were recovered. The additional categories for weapon recoveries include, ‘blunt instrument’, ‘pointed article’ and ‘other weapon’.

Year Bladed Instrument (positive stop search)

2020-21 561

2021-22 458

2022-23 457

2023-24 550

2024-25 528

2025-26 569

Question reference: S7W-01000

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 12 June 2026
Current Status: Answered by Jamie Hepburn on 19 June 2026

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S7W-00117 by Kirsten Oswald on 29 May 2026 and in light of reported comments by the First Minister regarding the Northern Ireland Troubles and Sinn Féin, whether any ministers have met with veterans groups on the matter.

Question reference: S7W-00778

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 04 June 2026
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 18 June 2026

To ask the Scottish Government how much it has spent in each of the last five financial years with Dance Ireland, and for what purpose.

The Scottish Government has spent a total of £2,577.32 in the last 5 financial years with Dance Ireland for the purpose of Supporting Dance Ireland/ Dance base Exchange Programme. £2,577.32 in Financial Year 2024-25 is the only expenditure.

Financial Year	Dance Ireland	Reason – Dance Ireland
2021-22	Nil spend	N/A
2022 – 23	Nil spend	N/A
2023 – 24	Nil spend	N/A
2024-25	£2,577.32	Support of Dance Ireland/ Dance base Exchange Programme
2025-26	Nil spend	N/A
Total	£2,577.32

As these are Electronic Purchase Card (ePC) transactions, any purchases over £500 are published routinely Government spend over £500: monthly reports - gov.scot

Question reference: S7O-00104

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 17 June 2026
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 23 June 2026

To ask the Scottish Government how it plans to improve openness, transparency and accountability across the public sector.