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-31360

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 15 November 2024
Current Status: Answered by Graeme Dey on 2 December 2024

To ask the Scottish Government for what reason the Scottish Funding Council provides funding for College Employers Scotland, and what information it has regarding the objectives of this organisation.

The Scottish Funding Council (SFC) provides funding to College Employers Scotland (CES) to support a fair and sustainable implementation of National Pay Bargaining through a shared partnership agenda and work plan with the trade unions.

In terms of objectives of CES, these are outlined in their business case to SFC for funding as follows:

1.Put in place a clear and visible strategy for the employers;

2.Engage positively and proactively with our key stakeholders;

3.Create a clear identity, brand and voice for the Employers’ Association which differentiates it from Colleges Scotland, and be effective in our communications, both internally within the sector and externally, promoting its value and achievements;

4.Ensure the employment services team can deliver the workload expected of them to service the Employers’ Association and National Joint Negotiating Committee (NJNC).

Question reference: S6W-31356

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 15 November 2024
Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 28 November 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what the estimated number of spectators will be at the 2026 Commonwealth Games, and how this compares with the 2014 edition of the event.

The Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games will deliver a programme of 10 sports hosted within 4 venues in Glasgow. The programme and location of those sports are still to be finalised but Commonwealth Games Scotland anticipate that approximately 500,000 tickets will be available for sale.

The 2014 Commonwealth Games incorporated a programme of 17 sports across 14 venues in Glasgow, Edinburgh and Carnoustie. A number of those sports were outdoors and free to attend for spectators. Approximately 1.3 million tickets were sold, representing 98% of all tickets available for sale.

The Scottish Government supports the Commonwealth Games Federation’s strategy and the work undertaken by Commonwealth Games Scotland to create a new sustainable model for 2026, which opens up future hosting opportunities to a more diverse range of Commonwealth nations.

Question reference: S6W-31344

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 15 November 2024
Current Status: Answered by Gillian Martin on 27 November 2024

To ask the Scottish Government when it started mitigation works for the potential closure of the Grangemouth oil refinery.

We have been engaging with the shareholders of the Grangemouth Refinery business over many years on future options for the site, demonstrated in a track record support for low carbon technologies at the site. Via Scottish Enterprise, since 2021 we have supported a range of studies which explored the feasibility a bio-refinery at Grangemouth, as well as the use of low carbon hydrogen for fuel switching purposes. These studies are predecessors to the Project Willow study, which the business approached the Scottish Government with in early 2024 and is considering the enablers and blockers to deploying a range of low carbon technologies at Grangemouth.

Question reference: S6W-31355

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 15 November 2024
Current Status: Answered by Gillian Martin on 27 November 2024

To ask the Scottish Government how the closure of the Grangemouth oil refinery fits alongside its plans for a Just Transition for Grangemouth.

The Scottish Government remains commitment to securing a long term, sustainable future for the Grangemouth industrial cluster, and highly skilled workforce located there. This is outlined in our draft Grangemouth Industrial Just Transition Plan which was published for consultation on 7 November.

This document is designed to set the strategic direction for Grangemouth’s transition to net zero, including a co-designed vision for the future of the cluster and a series of proposed actions to support this. The final plan will take cognisance of the outputs of Project Willow which is due to report in early 2025.

Question reference: S6W-31354

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 15 November 2024
Current Status: Answered by Gillian Martin on 27 November 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what projections it has made regarding the impact of the closure of the Grangemouth oil refinery on the size of the town's population.

Our focus remains on mitigating any impact, to the best of our ability, that Petroineos’ decision to close the Grangemouth Refinery will have on the locality and wider economy. Petroineos’ consultation with their workforce is ongoing and, following its conclusion, we will be able to establish in more detail any potential impact that the closure of the Grangemouth Refinery will have.

The Scottish and UK Governments have announced a package of measures to support Grangemouth’s industrial future. This includes a skills intervention, jointly funded by Scottish Government and UK Government, to support those Petroineos workers affected by the recent closure announcement. This intervention will support workers at both the Grangemouth Refinery and Finnart Terminal, and will be provided by Forth Valley College.

Looking towards the long term future of the Refinery site, the Scottish and UK Government's are supporting the Project Willow cross site study which is examining the enablers and blockers to deploying low carbon technologies at Grangemouth. Such technologies will take time to be brought forward, but they offer a route to the creation of new, highly skilled jobs at Grangemouth and our focus is on accelerating the deployment of these projects and associated jobs.

Lastly, the Deputy First Minister and Secretary of State for Scotland have also signed an enhanced Falkirk and Grangemouth Growth Deal that will support wider economic development for those who live in the locality.

Question reference: S6O-04039

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 21 November 2024
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 28 November 2024

To ask the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body what progress has been made on the development of a Scottish Parliament app.

Question reference: S6O-03992

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 13 November 2024
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 21 November 2024

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on its position regarding investment in the future of Scotland's nuclear industry.

Question reference: S6O-03962

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 06 November 2024
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 14 November 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what information it holds on how many of last year's newly qualified teachers have a permanent contract to teach in a Scottish school.

Question reference: S6T-02168

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 04 November 2024
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 5 November 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of any increased risk to public safety resulting from industrial action by the Scottish Police Federation.

Question reference: S6W-30537

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 09 October 2024
Current Status: Answered by Kate Forbes on 28 October 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the effectiveness of the Chief Entrepreneur.

The Chief Entrepreneur has been fundamental to the development of some of our most ambitious economic policies, including but not limited to: the building of a new policy agenda embodied by the Scottish Tech Ecosystem Review; the Entrepreneurial Campus Blueprint report to enhance the economic impact of our universities and colleges, and promote the teaching of Computer Science in schools; the Pathways report to increase women’s participation in entrepreneurship; and the delivery of Techscaler, a programme central to our ambitions to create one of the finest state-funded entrepreneurial systems in the world dedicated to the creation of high-growth businesses.