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-39749

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 26 August 2025
Current Status: Answered by Richard Lochhead on 23 September 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to reports that Scotland has higher rates of long-term sickness and disability relative to the UK average, and what analysis it has made of any economic cost of this.

The Scottish Government routinely analyses labour market data published by the Office for National Statistics (ONS).

The latest ONS Annual Population Survey (APS) statistics for April 2024 – March 2025 show that the estimated economic inactivity rate for people aged 16 to 64 in Scotland was 23.4% compared to 21.6% for the UK. They also show 34.6% of inactive people aged 16 to 64 in Scotland gave their reason for being inactive as “long-term sick or disabled”, compared to 28.4% for the UK.

Reducing economic inactivity can have economic benefits. Scottish Government analysis published in October 2024 indicated that even a relatively small increase of 0.25 percentage points in the economic activity rate could boost GDP in the long-term by around 0.1%, or around £180 million each year (in 2024-25 prices). This analysis is available at: https://www.gov.scot/publications/scottish-economic-insights-october-2024/

Question reference: S6W-40406

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 08 September 2025
Current Status: Answered by Mairi McAllan on 23 September 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the effectiveness of buyback schemes in addressing the reported housing shortage.

Having delivered 139,203 affordable homes between April 2007 and March 2025, we now remain focused on our new target of delivering 110,000 affordable homes by 2032, with at least 70% of these for social rent and 10% in rural and island areas, including new build, rehabilitation and acquisitions.

Backed by £808 million of investment this year, including £80 million targeted towards acquisitions to support local authorities to tackle the most sustained homelessness and temporary accommodation pressures, we are continuing to work with partners to increase the delivery of more affordable homes. The delivery of affordable homes, through both new build and acquisitions, is integral to our objectives of tackling poverty and inequality, ending homelessness, creating and supporting jobs, meeting energy efficiency and decarbonisation aims and creating connected, cohesive communities. Acquisitions are a useful option to help deliver at increased pace where the properties are of the right type, quality and location to meet local authority strategic housing priorities.

We report on all homes delivered through the Affordable Housing Supply Programme via our quarterly official statistics. Official statistics for the Affordable Housing Supply Programme are available on the Scottish Government website at Housing statistics - gov.scot.

Question reference: S6W-40405

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 08 September 2025
Current Status: Answered by Mairi McAllan on 23 September 2025

To ask the Scottish Government how many homes have been bought back by local authorities since the Right to Buy scheme ended.

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-03151 on 1 October 2021.

Whilst we hold information on the number of off the shelf properties supported through the Affordable Housing Supply Programme, we do not hold information on whether those properties are former right-to-buy properties.

We report on all homes delivered through the Affordable Housing Supply Programme, including off the shelf properties, via our quarterly official statistics. Official statistics for the Affordable Housing Supply Programme are available on the Scottish Government website at Housing statistics - gov.scot.

In the 10 years since ending the Right to Buy policy in 2016, we estimate that up to 15,500 homes will remain in the sector available to renters now and in the future.

Question reference: S6W-40394

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 08 September 2025
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 23 September 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what evidence it has assessed regarding any impact of mobile phone use in classrooms on educational attainment.

Data from the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) 2022 provides some insights into the use of digital devices and mobile phones in schools for learning. The evidence shows that moderate use of digital devices in lessons is positively linked with performance in the PISA assessment of maths, reading and science; but that overuse and/or misuse of digital devices can be negatively associated with performance.

Question reference: S6W-40409

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 08 September 2025
Current Status: Answered by Mairi McAllan on 23 September 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what proportion of new housing starts are classified as affordable homes.

The Scottish Government remains focused on delivering 110,000 affordable homes by 2032, with at least 70% of these for social rent and 10% in rural and island areas, including new build, rehabilitation and acquisitions.

We report on all homes delivered through the Affordable Housing Supply Programme (AHSP) via our quarterly official statistics, and this includes approvals, starts and completions. Official statistics for the Affordable Housing Supply Programme are available on the Scottish Government website at Housing statistics - gov.scot.

Note: The AHSP statistics reflect the number of affordable homes delivered with government support, whether through loans, grants or guarantees.

For the AHSP, figures are reported at the stages of approval, start and completion:

Approval marks the point at which funding is granted.
Start is recorded once there is an on-site presence to progress site work.
Completion is measured when all homes on a site are delivered and ready for occupation.

This differs from the all-sector housebuilding statistics, where completions are reported on a unit-by-unit basis. As a result, there will be occasions when the AHSP records completions in a local authority while the social sector new housebuilding series shows zero completions in the same quarter. This occurs because the corresponding units are captured in earlier quarters of the housebuilding data.

While the majority of affordable housing developments in Scotland are supported by the Scottish Government through the Affordable Housing Supply Programme, there are also contributions to the costs from housing associations, councils and the private sector. In particular, contributions by private sector developers are agreed through the planning system.

More information of Data and Methodology can be found of the Scottish Government website: Data and methodology - Housing Statistics for Scotland Quarterly Update: New Housebuilding and Affordable Housing Supply to end March 2025 - gov.scot.

Question reference: S6W-40414

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 08 September 2025
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 23 September 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the impact of early release on knife crime rates.

There has been no direct assessment made about the impact of early release of prisoners on knife crime rates.

The Scottish Government's work to address violence in Scotland is set out in the Violence Prevention Framework for Scotland (May 2023). This framework is supported by an evidence supplement. Page 10 of the evidence supplement specifically highlights knife crime evidence and statistics.

Violence Prevention Framework for Scotland: https://www.gov.scot/publications/violence-prevention-framework-scotland/

Question reference: S6W-40437

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 08 September 2025
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 23 September 2025

To ask the Scottish Government how much it plans to raise through taxation to fund the reported welfare spending increase.

Question reference: S6W-40431

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 08 September 2025
Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 23 September 2025

To ask the Scottish Government how many NHS patients have died while waiting for treatment since 2020.

Question reference: S6W-40425

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 08 September 2025
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 23 September 2025

To ask the Scottish Government how much it has invested in (a) specialist staff and (b) facilities to deliver thrombectomy treatment since 2021.

Question reference: S6W-40427

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 08 September 2025
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 23 September 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what cost-benefit analysis of 24/7 thrombectomy provision it carries out.

The Scottish Government has not undertaken a cost-benefit analysis of 24/7 thrombectomy provision.

Research suggests that, on average, every patient treated with a thrombectomy procedure could save the NHS £47,000 over five years, due to the reduction in length of hospital stays and a reduced need for social care input. This economic benefit is in addition to the significant improvements in outcome and quality of life for patients.