Chamber and committees

The Scottish Government does not hold information on the total number of reported knife crime incidents as the data we receive from Police Scotland is a simple count of the number and type of crimes and offences recorded. We do not in general hold further details as to whether any of these crimes included a knife or other bladed/pointed instrument.

There are two exceptions to this. The first are crimes of homicide, where information is available on method of killing (including by sharp instrument). Table One presents this by local authority area for the latest three years. The next Accredited Official Statistics on Homicide (for 2024-25) will be published in October.

The second area where information is held in relation to knife crime are for those types of crime that specifically reference the presence of a knife or bladed/pointed article. This includes the police recorded crimes of (i) having in a public place an article with a blade or point, (ii) having in a prison an article with a blade or point, (iii) having in a school an article with a blade or point and (iv) possession of certain dangerous knives in a private place. Table Two presents information on these types of crime. Again, this is split by local authority area for the latest three available years. The next Accredited Official Statistics on recorded crime (for year ending March 2025) will be published on the 24th June.

The Scottish Government does not have all the information requested because it does not retain data in relation to office usage for a period of time greater than 24 months. Furthermore, the Scottish Government can only provide data on those buildings where its own data systems are in place. Some locations have landlord data systems in place and the Scottish Government does not have access to that data.

Average occupancy levels are shown in the following table for the buildings where we hold this data, these are taken as an average of attendance levels for a full day every second Tuesday. Bothwell House closed for use by SG core staff in April 2025.

Scotland has a strong record in attracting foreign direct investment and our Inward Investment Plan (IIP) plays a central role in supporting this by targeting key sectors including HealthTech, energy transition and advanced manufacturing.

Scotland’s IIP outlines a plan for Scotland to be a leading destination for inward investment aligned with Scotland’s values of fair work, net zero and inclusive prosperity. It takes an evidence-led approach to identifying Scotland’s strengths, aligning these with current and projected global investment flows, and set out a series of actions to attract high quality inward investment to Scotland.

The Scottish Government and Enterprise Agencies work closely with both domestic and international businesses to secure and grow their operations in Scotland, ensuring long-term economic benefit and job creation.

ZeroAvia’s recent investment at Glasgow Airport, is one example of how our approach to inward investment, aligned with our values and net zero goals, is delivering real results, and creating high-value jobs. Scotland remains the top UK location for inward investment outside of London for the ninth year running, securing a record 142 projects in 2023 – a testament to the strength of our strong investment approach.

Scottish Government does not hold this information.

Scottish Government centrally purchased 25,000 Chromebooks at a cost of £6m in 2020-21. A further 47,000 devices were centrally funded at this time but purchased locally. Decisions on device types were taken by each authority in line with their needs, and so SG does not hold this information. A total of £25m was provided for this investment. Additionally, we have allocated £10m in 2025-26 to continue improving digital access for learners.

Forecasts for the Scottish economy, including inflation, are produced by the independent Scottish Fiscal Commission. Their most recent forecasts were published on 29 May (https://fiscalcommission.scot/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Scotlands-Economic-And-Fiscal-Forecasts-May-2025.pdf).

The Scottish Government has costed the one percentage point above inflation that the Agenda For Change pay deal for 2025-26 and 2026-27 guarantees and is monitoring monthly.

All social care workers are registered with the Scottish Social Services Council and are therefore subject to their fitness to practise rules and requirements. Social care practice is clearly complex and it is for employers and the regulator to assess whether conduct is inappropriate or otherwise in any given circumstance. Scottish Ministers and Parliament have provided legislation that allows the relevant parties to carry out their functions in accordance with best practice and the law.

For young people who may decide to seek medical support related to their gender identity, a range of support is available and is currently provided in NHS Scotland via NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde’s Young Person Gender Service.

Individualised assessment for, and potential treatment of, gender dysphoria is carried out by clinicians in this NHS service in consultation with their patient, as informed by patient need. Assessment will be carried out in line with relevant best practice. For example, guidance set by the General Medical Council (GMC) which, as the independent regulator of doctors, publishes a range of documentation to help clinicians fulfil their professional duties.

As the Care Inspectorate is an independent non-departmental body, it operates at arm’s length from Government. The Care Inspectorate therefore issues its own guidance independently from the Scottish Government to maintain its role as an impartial and objective regulator.

The Network and Information Systems (NIS) regulatory requirements for the NHS require that each Health Board provides evidence on their improvements to resilience and capabilities through the Scottish Health Competent Authority regulatory audits, which are against the Public Sector Cyber Resilience Framework.

The Scottish Government published the Cyber Resilience Public Sector Action Plan for all organisations in Scotland’s public sector, including Health and Local Authorities. This plan, alongside a number of other actions, sets out the minimum standards for cyber security that public sector organisations are expected to meet. Controls within the Public Sector Cyber Resilience Framework require that disaster recovery and resilience policies and procedures be in place.

https://www.gov.scot/publications/scottish-public-sector-cyber-resilience-framework-v2-0/pages/1/

I refer the member to the answers provided in response to S6W-36894 and S6W-36895 on 13 May 2025. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers.