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-39049

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 27 June 2025
Current Status: Answer expected on 25 July 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of whether employee ownership is a sustainable business ownership model, and on what evidence its assessment of this matter is based.

Question reference: S6W-38681

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 13 June 2025
Current Status: Answered by Mairi McAllan on 26 June 2025

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on how many homes have been assessed as below the legal tolerable standard in each of the last five years.

The Scottish House Condition Survey (SHCS) (link here: Scottish House Condition Survey - gov.scot) provides a snapshot of the domestic housing stock in each survey year, including the construction age, built form and the estimated number of dwellings falling below the Tolerable Standard (BTS). The physical data about the dwelling is recorded by surveyors trained to collect detailed information on housing characteristics and the key findings are published annually available here: Scottish House Condition Survey: 2023 Key Findings - gov.scot

The estimated number and percentage of dwellings recorded as BTS in Scotland is presented in table 1 below.

Table 1 Percentage and number of dwellings below tolerable standard 2018-2023

Below Tolerable Standard (BTS)	2018	2019	2020	2021	2022 (pre smoke alarm criteria)	2022	2023
Percentage of BTS dwellings (%)	2%	2%	[x]	[x]	2%	29%	27%
Number of BTS dwellings (in thousands)	49	39	[x]	[x]	55	732	694
Sample size (number)	2,964	2,997	[x]	[x]	2,983	2,983	3,151

(The SHCS is a sample survey and therefore all figures are estimates which lie at the midpoint of a confidence interval which depends primarily on sample size.)

In 2022, two new below tolerable standard criteria were introduced (assessing the presence, type, and condition of smoke, heat, and carbon monoxide alarms) leading to a sharp increase to the proportion of below tolerable standard dwellings from 2% in 2019 to 29% in 2022. Local authorities are responsible for making sure homes in their area are up to standard, including the requirement for fire and smoke alarms.

Flexibility is built into the existing legislation through a provision setting out that the work should be done “within such period as is reasonable in all the circumstances. No homeowner will be criminalised if they need more time, and there are no penalties for non-compliance.

In 2022, the proportion of dwellings below the Tolerable Standard based on the previous definition, without the two new criteria, remained at 2%.

Question reference: S6W-38675

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 13 June 2025
Current Status: Answered by Jamie Hepburn on 26 June 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what the total cost to the taxpayer has been of all special advisers since the appointment of the current First Minister.

In line with the requirements of Section 16 of the Constitutional Reform and Governance Act 2010, the Scottish Government discloses to the Scottish Parliament the number and total cost of employing special advisers on an annual basis. The latest report, pertaining to the financial year 2024-25, was published on 6 June 2025. I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-38463 on 6 June 2025. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers.

Although there is around a one month overlap with the tenure of the previous First Minister, the response nonetheless confirms that costs for 2024-25 under the current First Minister have reduced to £1,745,042 from £1,906,963 in the previous financial year.

Question reference: S6W-38671

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 12 June 2025
Current Status: Holding Answer by Mairi McAllan on 26 June 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to reports that almost 1,500 buildings remain "at risk" due to unsafe cladding, eight years after the Grenfell Tower fire.

Question reference: S6W-38672

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 12 June 2025
Current Status: Answered by Mairi McAllan on 26 June 2025

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will publish a timeline for completing all necessary remedial works on buildings deemed to be at risk of fire.

The Scottish Government is committed to the safe assessment of and remediation of buildings identified as at risk through the cladding remediation programme. However, it is important to clarify that fire safety remains the legal responsibility of the owner.

The Cladding Remediation Programme is being delivered through a distributed model, supporting owners to arrange Single Building Assessments (SBAs) to determine the scope and nature of risk for individual buildings.

Where remediation is required following an SBA, building owners are supported to develop appropriate design and remediation plans. However, the pace of delivery is influenced by a range of factors, including the specific outcome of each SBA, the complexity of the remediation that may be required, ownership and tenure arrangements, the involvement of original developers, and the need to obtain statutory consents such as planning permission and building warrants.

In the meantime, all buildings should have fire safety measures in place, such as up-to-date fire risk assessments and interim mitigation measures where needed. Building owners and managers are expected to take all necessary steps to ensure the safety of residents in accordance with their legal duties.

For these reasons, it is not currently possible to publish a national timeline for the completion of all necessary remedial works. The Scottish Government continues to work closely with delivery partners to progress buildings through each stage of the programme, and we publish regular updates on our website. Homeowners and residents are kept informed throughout this process, and every effort is being made to expedite the safe remediation of affected properties.

Question reference: S6W-38939

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 24 June 2025
Current Status: Answer expected on 22 July 2025

To ask the Scottish Government how many prisoners released early in 2024 had convictions for (a) violent or antisocial behaviour and (b) crimes against women.

Question reference: S6W-38936

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 24 June 2025
Current Status: Answer expected on 22 July 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what recent discussions it has had with Alexander Dennis and NFI Group regarding the company's reported proposed relocation of manufacturing to England.

Question reference: S6W-38943

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 24 June 2025
Current Status: Answer expected on 22 July 2025

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will launch an independent public inquiry into the operation of grooming gangs in Scotland.

Question reference: S6W-38946

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 24 June 2025
Current Status: Answer expected on 22 July 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what contact it has had with the UK Government regarding potentially expanding the recently announced inquiry into grooming gangs in England and Wales to include Scotland.

Question reference: S6W-38950

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 24 June 2025
Current Status: Answer expected on 22 July 2025

To ask the Scottish Government for what reason only 2% of victims were reportedly notified through the Victim Notification Scheme of the early release of prisoners in summer 2024.