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: S7O-00406

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 21 October 2026
Current Status: Due to be taken in the Chamber on 29 October 2026

To ask the Scottish Government how it ensures that public bodies within its culture portfolio are held accountable for their performance.

Question reference: S7W-04376

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 20 October 2026
Current Status: Answer expected on 17 November 2026

To ask the Scottish Government when it plans to align its close pass reporting system with the one used in England.

Question reference: S7W-04375

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 20 October 2026
Current Status: Answer expected on 17 November 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the impact of proposals to increase HGV speed limits on cyclist safety.

Question reference: S7W-04374

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 20 October 2026
Current Status: Answer expected on 17 November 2026

To ask the Scottish Government how it will ensure, through its proposed public sector reforms, that infrastructure spending by regional and community authorities is aligned to the preventative agenda of the NHS, particularly in relation to increasing active lifestyles.

Question reference: S7W-03726

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 28 September 2026
Current Status: Answered by Stephen Flynn on 20 October 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of whether there is a sufficient British Transport Police presence on Scotland’s rail network to protect passengers and railway staff from violence and antisocial behaviour.

The Scottish Government expects all rail passengers and staff to be able to travel and work without being subjected to violence, abuse or antisocial behaviour. We continue to engage with partners across the rail industry on passenger and staff safety.

The deployment of police officers and operational policing decisions on Scotland's railways are matters for the British Transport Police Authority (BTPA) and the British Transport Police (BTP). I have recently written to the Chair of the BTPA highlighting the importance of maintaining a visible and effective British Transport Police presence across Scotland's rail network to support the safety of passengers and railway staff.

Question reference: S7W-03728

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 28 September 2026
Current Status: Answered by Stephen Flynn on 20 October 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what information it holds on the number of (a) physical assaults, (b) threats and (c) incidents of harassment recorded against (i) passengers and (ii) railway staff on Scotland’s rail network in each of the last five years, how many such incidents resulted in an arrest or prosecution, and how many subsequent convictions there were.

The Scottish Government does not hold this information.

Information on assaults, threats and harassment on Scotland's rail network, including any associated arrests, prosecutions and convictions, is primarily held by the British Transport Police, the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service and the Scottish Courts and Tribunals Service.

The member may therefore wish to contact those organisations directly regarding the information requested.

Question reference: S7W-03725

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 28 September 2026
Current Status: Answered by Stephen Flynn on 20 October 2026

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the latest Office of Rail and Road statistics indicating an increase in reported assaults on passengers, members of the public and railway staff across Great Britain, how many assaults have been recorded on Scotland’s rail network in each of the last five years.

The Scottish Government does not hold this information.

Information on assaults recorded on Scotland's rail network is held by the British Transport Police (BTP). The latest statistics published by the Office of Rail and Road (ORR) provide data at a Great Britain level and show increases in reported assaults against passengers, members of the public and railway staff across the mainline GB rail network.

The member may wish to contact the British Transport Police directly regarding records of assaults on Scotland's rail network.

Question reference: S7W-03827

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 01 October 2026
Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 19 October 2026

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the HM Inspectorate of Constabulary in Scotland Custody inspection report - Highland and Islands finding that four children were held overnight in police cells for social work pick-up after relatively minor crimes, how many children have been held overnight in police custody in each year since 2021.

Presentation at a Police Custody Centre is often necessary to prevent further offending, facilitate investigations and capture samples such as fingerprints, photographs and DNA. However, police custody is not a suitable place of safety for children.

The Children (Care and Justice) (Scotland) Act 2024 strengthened safeguards for children in police custody, with provisions commencing on 30 March this year meaning that nobody under the age of 18 should be kept unless the alternatives are deemed, unsafe, inadvisable due to the person’s mental or physical health, or impracticable.

In 2021, 3,730 children and young people were arrested and taken to a police station. Out of these, 568 were held in police cells to appear before courts.

However, the operation of police custody services, including decisions about the detention and release of children, is an operational matter for Police Scotland under the direction of the Chief Constable.

The Scottish Government does not hold the requested information.

Question reference: S7W-03830

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 01 October 2026
Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 19 October 2026

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of His Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary in Scotland (HMICS) and Audit Scotland Best Value in Policing Thematic Inspection of Road Policing in Scotland finding that efforts to tackle drug driving are constrained by shortages of trained personnel and forensic services capacity, what action it is taking to address those constraints.

Operational decisions regarding road policing resources, officer training and the deployment of forensic services are matters for Police Scotland and the Scottish Police Authority. However, the Scottish Government recognises the importance of maintaining effective arrangements to support the investigation and prosecution of drug driving offences.

The Scottish Police Authority's Forensic Services Committee has recently advised the Authority's Board of the importance of delivering a sustainable long-term operating model for forensic services and continues to oversee work designed to ensure future capacity and resilience across the service. The Scottish Government continues to engage with the Scottish Police Authority and Police Scotland on this work, including in relation to forensic toxicology services which support the investigation of drug driving offences, with the aim of ensuring forensic services remain effective and capable of meeting current and future operational demand.

Question reference: S7W-03832

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 01 October 2026
Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 19 October 2026

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of His Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary in Scotland (HMICS) and Audit Scotland Best Value in Policing audit finding that strategic workforce planning remains underdeveloped, what action it is taking to support the development of a long-term workforce plan for Police Scotland.