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.

Find out more about parliamentary questions

Filter your results Hide all filters

Displaying 2274 questions Show Answers

Order by |

Question reference: S6W-41609

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 30 October 2025
Current Status: Answer expected on 13 November 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of teacher numbers in 2025 compared with 2021, in the context of its contact time reduction pledge.

Question reference: S6W-41608

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 30 October 2025
Current Status: Answer expected on 13 November 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what progress it has made on fulfilling its manifesto commitment to reduce teacher contact time by 90 minutes per week.

Question reference: S6W-41156

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 09 October 2025
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 30 October 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what analysis it has undertaken of what the potential impact could be of removing Land and Buildings Transaction Tax on the purchase of a primary residence.

The Scottish Government has not considered the potential impact of removing Land and Buildings Transaction Tax (LBTT) on the purchase of a primary residence and has no plans to remove any element of the tax.

Removing any element of LBTT would result in less funding being available to support public services in Scotland. In 2024-25 for example, £899m was raised from total LBTT, resulting in a net positive contribution to the Scottish Budget of £274 million.

Question reference: S6W-41539

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 29 October 2025
Current Status: Answer expected on 12 November 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what the total cost has been of rectifying pension administration errors by the Scottish Public Pensions Agency in each of the last five years.

Question reference: S6W-41538

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 29 October 2025
Current Status: Answer expected on 12 November 2025

To ask the Scottish Government how many public sector workers in Scotland have been affected by delays or errors in the issue of pension statements in each of the last five years.

Question reference: S6O-05114

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 29 October 2025
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 6 November 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what projection it has made of the cost of welfare payments after 2030.

Question reference: S6W-41002

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 03 October 2025
Current Status: Answered by Ben Macpherson on 29 October 2025

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the recent report by Audit Scotland, Scotland’s Colleges 2025, which noted that colleges supported fewer students from deprived backgrounds to access university in 2022-23, what action it will take to address the decline in the number of students from the most deprived backgrounds progressing from college to university.

The Scottish Government recognises the contribution colleges make to widening access, and the important role they provide in delivering higher education.

We are working with the Scottish Funding Council (SFC), colleges, and universities to improve articulation agreements, particularly for students from disadvantaged backgrounds. This includes expanding opportunities for direct entry into degree programmes with advanced standing.

We are promoting stronger partnerships between colleges and universities to ensure smoother transitions for learners, including joint curriculum planning and shared support services.

Articulation from college to university is a key route into degree level study for many learners from disadvantaged backgrounds. With so many more young people from deprived areas successfully securing places directly to university, this inevitably reduces articulation figures and also allows those young people to enter the job market sooner. School-leaver destinations stats published in June 2025 showing the proportion of leavers in positive follow-up destinations 9 months after leaving school, show that 24.6% of school leavers from the most deprived areas in Scotland are in Higher Education, an increase from 24.0% the previous year.

However, the data shows there is still a need for articulation, with over a third (33.5%) of new entrants at university from deprived areas in 2022-23 progressing from Higher Education courses at college.

We continue to invest in guidance and support services to help students from deprived backgrounds navigate their options and make informed decisions about progressing to university.

Question reference: S6W-41014

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 03 October 2025
Current Status: Answered by Ben Macpherson on 29 October 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to ensure that there is sufficient ASN staff provision in colleges, in light of findings in Audit Scotland’s report, Scotland’s Colleges 2025, that ASN staff reductions have limited the provision of courses and support for students with additional support needs.

The Scottish Government recognises the vital role that Additional Support Needs (ASN) staff play in ensuring that all learners can access and succeed in college education.

In light of financial pressures across the sector, we are working with colleges and the SFC to ensure that strategic workforce planning includes consideration of ASN provision, so that reductions in staffing do not disproportionately affect the most vulnerable learners.

Colleges are required to demonstrate how they support students with additional needs. They are required to submit a Self-Evaluation Action Plan (SEAP) annually to the SFC to demonstrate how inclusive practices and support for ASN learners are embedded and improved. Institutions are encouraged to co-produce the SEAP with student associations to ensure it reflects student priorities.

We continue to provide targeted funding to support inclusive education, including the Disabled Students Premium and other resources aimed at improving accessibility and support for learners with ASN. Colleges receiving Disabled Students Premium funding must demonstrate how it is used to:

Improve accessibility.
Enhance support services.
Maintain inclusive learning environments.

This is part of the Main Teaching Grant and is monitored through funding allocation reviews.

We are supporting colleges to embed inclusive practices through staff training, digital accessibility initiatives, and cross-sector collaboration. This includes promoting professional development for ASN staff and ensuring that colleges have the capacity to meet diverse learner needs.

The Scottish Government values and supports all those who work in Further and Higher Education. Despite the challenging financial climate our last budget allowed the SFC to provide a 2.6 per cent increase in teaching funding for 2025-26 and an increase of almost 5 per cent in capital maintenance to help colleges to invest in the learning experience of students.

Question reference: S6W-41015

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 03 October 2025
Current Status: Answered by Ben Macpherson on 29 October 2025

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on progress made to resolve the national job evaluation for support staff, in light of Audit Scotland’s recent report, Scotland’s Colleges 2025, which notes that some colleges have expressed concerns that the uncertainty over the possible costs of back pay could pose a significant financial risk.

The job evaluation project is an outcome of national bargaining; therefore, the Scottish Government has no role in determining its progress. College Employers Scotland and trade unions (UNISON, GMB and Unite) have joint ownership of the project and are responsible for its completion.

The Scottish Government has committed to meeting the costs associated with the outcomes of the job evaluation project. Once detailed and evidenced-based costings have been provided, funding requirements will form part of budget considerations at the relevant time, in line with established public spending processes.

Question reference: S6W-41010

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 03 October 2025
Current Status: Answered by Ben Macpherson on 29 October 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to address the higher non-completion rates among college students from more deprived communities, care-experienced students and disabled students, as identified in the recent report by Audit Scotland, Scotland’s Colleges 2025.

The Scottish Government is committed to ensuring that all college students—regardless of their background or circumstances—have the opportunity to succeed in their studies. We recognise the concerns raised in Audit Scotland’s Scotland’s Colleges 2025 report, particularly regarding the higher non-completion rates among students from more deprived communities, care-experienced students, and disabled students.

We are taking a number of steps to address the issue which include additional funding to colleges to support students facing barriers to learning, including those from deprived backgrounds and those with disabilities. This includes the Disabled Students Premium and funding for student support services.

We have expanded the Care-Experienced Bursary and are working with colleges to ensure that care-experienced students receive tailored support throughout their learner journey.

We are working with stakeholders to embed inclusive practices across the college sector, including mental health and wellbeing support, accessibility improvements, and staff training.

We are enhancing the use of data to better understand the factors contributing to non-completion to inform targeted interventions at both institutional and national levels. The SFC has introduced refined performance indicators, including a new measure of non-completion that distinguishes between early withdrawals and students who remain enrolled but do not complete their course. This will allow for more nuanced analysis of student outcomes and help identify where interventions are most needed.

We are committed to working collaboratively with colleges, students, and sector partners to reduce inequalities and improve retention and outcomes for all learners.