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-36460

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 03 April 2025
Current Status: Answered by Siobhian Brown on 24 April 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to ensure that non-harassment orders are effectively enforced in all circumstances, including when the offender has legal title to the shared home.

A non-harassment order is an order requiring the person against whom it is made requiring them to refrain from such conduct in relation to another person as may be specified in the order. A civil court can make a non-harassment order under section 8 or section 8A of the Protection from Harassment Act 1997. A criminal court can make a non-harassment order under section 234A of the Criminal Procedure (Scotland) Act 1995 and, in domestic abuse cases, section 234A as modified by section 234AZA of that Act.

Breach of a non-harassment order is a criminal offence and alleged breaches can be reported to Police Scotland.

Question reference: S6W-36477

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 03 April 2025
Current Status: Answered by Tom Arthur on 24 April 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to reduce the number of young people in Scotland who are classified as not in education, employment or training (NEET), in light of reports suggesting that almost one in eight 16- to 24-year-olds in the UK are classified as being in this category.

No One Left Behind is the Scottish Government’s shared approach with Local Government and wider partners to delivering an all-age, place-based, person-centred model of employability support in Scotland. Services are delivered locally, ensuring individuals, including young people, receive tailored support to help them progress into sustainable employment.

Reaching people who are classed as economically inactive requires services to do things differently. Employability support must be tailored to an individual’s circumstances and recognise that progress towards employment might not be linear. That is why we are working collectively with Local Government, the wider public sector, and third sector partners to enhance the reach and awareness of the support we provide.

Skills Development Scotland (SDS) provides an all-age career service in every local authority with an SDS Careers Adviser in every mainstream secondary school to highlight the wide range of career options available. Developing the Young Workforce (DYW) Regional Groups, School Coordinators, and third sector organisations also play an important role in supporting young people’s transitions to work, including those for whom the barriers are greater.

Question reference: S6W-36522

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 03 April 2025
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 24 April 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what the justification is for the reported 70% increase in civil service employment since 2013.

The Scottish Government expanded its workforce to deliver on the new powers devolved from the 2012 and 2016 Scotland Acts, including establishing the Social Security Agency, and to respond to EU Exit and the COVID-19 pandemic.

Since 2022, enhanced recruitment controls were introduced that have controlled growth in the total workforce. From March 2022 to December 2024, the total workforce has reduced by 4%.

Question reference: S6W-36434

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 03 April 2025
Current Status: Answered by Ivan McKee on 24 April 2025

To ask the Scottish Government how many public sector lease agreements it is currently reviewing as part of its property rationalisation programme, and what criteria are being used to determine value for money.

Question reference: S6W-36450

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 03 April 2025
Current Status: Answered by Jim Fairlie on 24 April 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with (a) the Civil Aviation Authority, (b) the National Grid and (c) airport operators regarding the adequacy of back-up systems at Scottish airports.

Question reference: S6W-36528

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 03 April 2025
Current Status: Answered by Richard Lochhead on 24 April 2025

To ask the Scottish Government whether it has commissioned any economic modelling on the impact of reshoring manufacturing to Scotland.

The Scottish Government routinely works with partners to support the manufacturing sector in Scotland. In addition, our investment strategies are designed with the goal of maximising the impact of our interventions, allowing us to maintain our position as the top performing region or nation of the UK for inward investment projects outside of London for the ninth year running as per the 2024 EY Attractiveness Survey.

Question reference: S6W-36285

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 01 April 2025
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 24 April 2025

To ask the Scottish Government whether the updated list of public appointments by public body, which was published on 25 March 2025, is an exhaustive list of all public appointments.

The list of public appointments by public body, which was published on 25 March 2025, is an exhaustive list of Ministerial regulated public appointments only. Ministerial regulated public appointments are those governed by the Ethical Standards Commissioner and the Code of Conduct for Public Appointments (2022).

The list is intended to be updated regularly so that it reflects recently made appointments. It was corrected on 25 March 2025 following the identification of errors.

Details added to the spreadsheet should be correct at the point of the appointment commencing. These details may change over time and become out of date. A process is underway to update the spreadsheet to ensure accuracy, including rectification of any other errors identified, and it will be re-published when complete.

Question reference: S6W-36817

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 10 April 2025
Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 24 April 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what proportion of the 2025-26 social care budget will be used to support essential frontline services, as opposed to administrative overheads or bureaucracy.

The 2025-26 Scottish Budget includes almost £2.2 billion for social care and integration – exceeding our commitment to increase funding by 25% by almost £350 million.

However, While the Scottish Government has overall responsibility for health and social care policy in Scotland, it is for local authorities and health boards to work with the Health and Social Care Partnerships (HSCPs) to ensure that social care support services are in place to provide people with the appropriate support.

Decisions on how best to deliver services to local communities are ultimately for integration authorities and locally elected representatives to make.

Question reference: S6W-36690

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 08 April 2025
Current Status: Answered by Richard Lochhead on 24 April 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what contingency planning it has undertaken to mitigate the economic consequences of any tariffs being placed on Scotch whisky in foreign markets.

The Scottish Government continues to provide support to the entire food and drink sector to help businesses with their economic growth ambitions. This includes £10 million funding for the period 2023-2025 to support the implementation of Scotland's food and drink strategy “Sustaining Scotland, Supplying the World” which outlines how we are driving growth for businesses across various sectors, including the drinks industry. In addition, we have invested over £7 million in the Scotland Food and Drink Export Plan since 2014, helping Scottish businesses to capitalise on key global market opportunities. Specifically in relation to whisky the Scottish Government continues to actively engage with the UK Government to strike a good deal for whisky in the proposed India Free Trade Agreement, which is the largest market for whisky in the world.

Question reference: S6W-36599

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 04 April 2025
Current Status: Answered by Alasdair Allan on 24 April 2025

To ask the Scottish Government how it will support social housing providers in complying with greener heat regulations that they find unaffordable.

The social housing sector has been outperforming the housing stock overall in terms of EPC ratings in recent years. The Scottish House Condition Survey found 65% of Scotland’s social housing stock rated EPC band C or better. Scottish Government provides grant funding support to social landlords to implement clean heating systems and energy efficiency measures in their existing stock through the Social Housing Net Zero Heat Fund.