- Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 20 March 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Neil Gray on 1 April 2025
To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether NHS Scotland waiting times for all surgeries are in line with international best practices.
Answer
We want patients to be treated as soon as possible. However, we know many are facing unacceptable waits and we are determined to do more. That is why we are targeting an additional £200 million to reduce waits and enhance capacity. We are also looking to optimise the full force of the £21.7 billion committed through the Scottish Budget to health and social care to improve performance.
The most recement statistics show that over the 12 months to December 2024, inpatient and day-case activity was over 256,000 (256,209); 7.4% (17,644) more than previous 12 months, demonstrating our plan to improvement in inpatient / day-case waiting times performance is delivering.
- Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 20 March 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Jim Fairlie on 1 April 2025
To ask the Scottish Government what consultation it has had with (a) farmers and (b) agricultural bodies regarding the practicalities of meeting agricultural net zero targets.
Answer
We are committed to co-developing and co-designing our agricultural policies with industry and rural partners.
The Whole Farm Plan was co-developed with industry and will help farmers and crofters measure their businesses’ impact and find ways to become more efficient and to cut emissions. The Agriculture Reform Implementation Oversight Board continues to support us to develop new proposals for sustainable farming support and we are working closely with the agricultural industry and rural partners to co-develop the Code of Practice for Sustainable and Regenerative Agriculture through the Agriculture Reform Programme. Our Agricultural Reform Programme has engaged with over 700 farms and crofts in the last two years through interviews and surveys.
We are focused on developing our proposals for the next Climate Change Plan, which is due to be published later this year. It will set out key policies for our farming sector to continue to contribute to our ambitious national net zero target. Stakeholder engagement is fundamental to our policy development approach.
We have already engaged with key agricultural stakeholders as part of the development of our agricultural policies for the Climate Change Plan and are planning further engagement prior to its publication. We will continue to seek expertise from a wide-ranged audience to inform the development of a credible plan.
- Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 20 March 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Jim Fairlie on 1 April 2025
To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the feasibility of its net-zero targets for agriculture, in light of concerns raised in Scotland on Sunday on 16 March 2025 that current policies could put farms "at risk".
Answer
The Scottish Government is fully committed to delivering net zero by 2045. Our pathway to net zero must recognise that agriculture and food production relies on natural processes and will always cause some degree of emissions. We have no policy to reduce livestock numbers. Instead, we are committed to supporting the sector to enhance productivity and resilience while reducing emissions intensity
We are committed to supporting our agriculture sector to be productive and profitable while helping to address the climate and nature crises. We firmly believe there is no contradiction between high quality food production and producing it in a way that delivers for the climate and nature.
We are transforming how we support farming and food production in Scotland to deliver our Vision for Agriculture and become a global leader in sustainable and regenerative agriculture.
Importantly, the Whole Farm Plan will help farmers and crofters measure their businesses’ impact and find ways to become more efficient and to cut emissions. We continue to explore new, innovative ways to help mitigate emissions from agriculture, measure and build carbon sequestration, while continuing to produce high quality food and improve biodiversity.
It is important that we recognise that reaching net zero will require ambitious action from every sector and our next Climate Change Plan will set out our approach to delivering on Scotland’s net zero targets in a way which is just and fair for everyone.
Following the passage of the Climate Change (Emissions Reduction Targets) (Scotland) Act 2024, our carbon budgets will be set through secondary legislation taking into account the latest advice from the Climate Change Committee once available. Following setting of the carbon budgets, Scottish Ministers have two months to lay a draft climate change plan before the Scottish Parliament.
- Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 18 March 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Maree Todd on 1 April 2025
To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the findings of the University of Stirling project, Football and Alcohol Scoping Study, and what its position is on what impact controlled, responsible alcohol sales inside football grounds could have on (a) levels of so-called binge drinking before matches, (b) matchday revenues and (c) the overall supporter experience.
Answer
The University of Stirling research was commissioned by the Scottish FA and SPFL. The Scottish Government has not undertaken any detailed analysis of the report to date. Our position remains that we have no plans at the current time to amend the legislation governing alcohol at football but we will consider any proposals put forward by the football authorities, and which we would expect to address the issues set out in the University of Stirling report.
- Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 18 March 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Maree Todd on 1 April 2025
To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with football (a) clubs and (b) supporter groups regarding the potential impact of allowing alcohol sales inside grounds, and whether it will publish any feedback it has received on this.
Answer
I have discussed this issue a number of times with the SPFL and directly with some football clubs. More recently, the round table on enhancing Scottish football which has representatives from the footballing governing bodies and supporter groups, has discussed the reintroduction of alcohol in football stadia alongside other issues pertinent to Scottish football. We plan to publish the minutes of these meetings on the Scottish Government website in due course.
- Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 18 March 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Richard Lochhead on 1 April 2025
To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the concerns raised in the May 2020 Royal Society of Edinburgh paper, Developing Scotland’s Artificial Intelligence Strategy, how it will ensure that AI businesses are not subject to excessive regulatory complexity.
Answer
Since the publication of the 2020 report by the RSE Scotland's artificial intelligence strategy - Royal Society of Edinburgh : Royal Society of Edinburgh I have commissioned an independent review into the opportunities for AI which was published last year AI+Independent+Review+-+Call+for+Views+-+Initial+Report+-+Advancing+AI+for+Scotland+-+Reformatted+-+January+2024.pdf.
We have been continuously engaging with the UK Government to advocate that their approach to the regulation of AI considers the interests of the citizens and businesses of Scotland. We continue to provide AI support to business through our enterprise agencies and the AI Alliance, our delivery body for Scotland’s AI Strategy. They have recently relaunched the AI Playbook Guidance on AI Adoption Including Information on AI Policies — Scottish AI Playbook which is a one-stop shop for supporting businesses with AI adoption. The playbook also includes information on legal and regulatory provisions relating to the development and use of AI systems.
- Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 31 March 2025
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Current Status:
Taken in the Chamber on 3 April 2025
To ask the First Minister what engagement the Scottish Government has had with the UK Government regarding what assessment has been made of the potential impact of an extension of US tariffs on Scottish businesses that export to the US market.
Answer
Taken in the Chamber on 3 April 2025
- Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 20 March 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Neil Gray on 31 March 2025
To ask the Scottish Government what the cost to date has been for the development of the NHS Scotland app, including the cost of any contracts awarded, and whether there has been any budgetary overspend compared with initial projections.
Answer
Delivery of the health and social care app for Scotland is being taken forward by NHS Education Scotland (NES) as part of the wider Digital Front Door programme. The majority of costs to date have been on mobilising the team required and developing the Outline Business Case. NHS NES staff have participated in the Civtech Challenge, which has allowed NES to understand what is required to develop the app in a way that integrates into Scottish Government plans to digitise postal communications. More information about this can be found at: https://www.civtech.scot/civtech-9-challenge-8-secure-individualised-and-effective-communications-channel.
The bulk of development costs on the app specifically will be incurred from 2025-26 onwards, as part of the indicative programme budget for 2025-26 set at £12 million.
The Scottish Government has provided NES with the following funding for the Digital Front Door Programme:
Scottish Government has also awarded no contracts associated with this work, although NES, as the delivery partner, did spend £210,000 from their allocated budget on a contract to develop the Outline Business Case and further contracts will be awarded by NES as they move into this delivery phase. There has been no budgetary overspend compared with projections to date.
- Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 20 March 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 31 March 2025
To ask the Scottish Government whether it has had any discussions with (a) educational organisations, such as School Leaders Scotland, and (b) teachers' unions regarding restricting mobile phone use by pupils in school.
Answer
In August 2024, I published refreshed guidance to schools on the use of mobile phones, as part of the joint action plan to respond to the Behaviour in Scottish Schools Research.
This guidance was developed in collaboration with the Scottish Advisory Group on Relationships and Behaviour in Schools (SAGRABIS). All members of SAGRABIS were involved in discussions about the content of the guidance and agreed to its publication. Members of SAGRABIS include School Leaders Scotland (SLS), the Educational Institute of Scotland (EIS), NASUWT, Scottish Secondary Teachers Association (SSTA), the Association of Head Teachers and Deputes in Scotland (AHDS), and UNISON. Other members of SAGRABIS include COSLA, the Association of Directors of Education (ADES), the Scottish Council of Deans of Education (SCDE), the Association of Scottish Principal Educational Psychologists (ASPEP), parents’ representatives and respectme.
- Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 20 March 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 31 March 2025
To ask the Scottish Government how many local authorities have (a) reduced or (b) eliminated modern language teaching in (i) primary and (ii) secondary schools in the last five years.
Answer
The Scottish Government does not publish local authority level data for the items requested.
Scottish Government does, however, publish related data on language learning and teaching at a national level. The table below provides a summary of data from the biennial 1+2 languages survey, summarising provision of language teaching for the first additional language (known as “L2”) and the second additional language (known as “L3”) in 2019, 2021 and 2023.
| | Primary schools | Secondary schools |
| | L2 | L3 | L2 | L3 |
2019 | 88% full* | 48% | 70% full | 83% |
2021 | 98% (69% full, 29% partial) | 64% | 100% (70% full, 30% partial) | 87.5% |
2023 | 99% (68% full, 31% partial) | 76% | 100% (61% full, 39% partial) | 88% |
*Note: Full implementation of L2 indicates it is taught continuously from P1-P7 in primary and S1-S3 in secondary. Partial implementation indicates the L2 is offered, but not taught continuously. The 2019 Survey only gathered data on full L2 implementation. The L3 entitlement does not require it to be taught continuously so full/partial figures are not provided.
The full Survey reports are available on the Scottish Government website:
