The Scottish Parliament

Question reference: S7W-01098

Asked by: Murdo Fraser, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 17 June 2026
Current Status: Answered by Maree Todd on 23 June 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to support disability football.

For financial year 2026-27, the Scottish Government will provide Scottish Para-Football with £160,000 to deliver a range of Summer of Sport and related legacy activities and allow Scottish Para-Football to appoint a Youth Development Officer for two years.

Activities will include holding a number of “come and try’ festivals, running an 18-month Youth Training Programme, providing coach training and education and para-football referee development, purchasing new equipment and holding public exhibition matches to raise awareness and encourage wider participation.

Question reference: S7W-00838

Asked by: Murdo Fraser, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 05 June 2026
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 16 June 2026

To ask the Scottish Government, further to its response to petition PE1976 (Backdate council tax discounts for dementia to the date of GP certification), when it plans to bring forward legislation to backdate council tax discounts for individuals living with dementia.

As previously confirmed to the Citizen Participation and Public Petitions Committee in the last Parliamentary session, the Scottish Government recognises the concerns being raised on this issue.

Local authorities have the flexibility to backdate applications for the council tax disregard for people determined as having a severe mental impairment. However, we are currently considering approaches which might further streamline the availability of this support, including exploring legislative changes. This requires stakeholder input to minimise the risk of unintended consequences.

Work is continuing on proposals following the Scottish Parliament election and an update will be provided when they are at a more advanced stage.

Question reference: S7W-00756

Asked by: Murdo Fraser, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 03 June 2026
Current Status: Answered by Simita Kumar on 12 June 2026

To ask the Scottish Government, regarding its strategy, A Connected Scotland, whether it has published (a) the interim report, which was scheduled for publication in 2024, (b) the final report and (c) look ahead, which were scheduled for publication in early 2026, and, if so, whether it will provide links to those publications.

Progress against delivery of A Connected Scotland is monitored and reported through the Social Isolation and Loneliness Advisory Group (SIALAG), which will be chaired by the Minister for Equalities and International Development.

In recognition of the significant impact being delivered by funded activity, and the continued importance of tackling social isolation and loneliness, the Scottish Government has extended the Social Isolation and Loneliness Fund to March 2027. This means total funding for 2026-27 will amount to over £1.05 million. The fund will be evaluated on its completion. Work is underway with SIALAG members to consider the future priorities of the social isolation and loneliness programme, as such the 2026 report has been delayed to bring it in line with this work and the conclusion of the fund.

Question reference: S7W-00837

Asked by: Murdo Fraser, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 05 June 2026
Current Status: Answered by Stephen Gethins on 12 June 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment has been made of the contribution that geothermal energy could make to Scotland's economy.

Question reference: S7O-00081

Asked by: Murdo Fraser, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 10 June 2026
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 17 June 2026

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will reconsider its plan to reorganise neonatal care across Scotland, in light of reports that it could result in the downgrading of essential units, including the service at Ninewells Hospital.

Question reference: S7W-00655

Asked by: Murdo Fraser, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 29 May 2026
Current Status: Answered by Kirsten Oswald on 9 June 2026

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the Scottish National Party 2026 manifesto pledge to commit £10 million over three years to introduce a Police Scotland Retail Crime Taskforce, what the timeline is for this rollout.

The Scottish Government confirmed that a further £3 million was available to help Police Scotland tackle retail crime in its budget for 2026-27. This will ensure that the service can build upon its work carried out the previous year, which included the creation of its Retail Crime Taskforce.

Spending plans for 2027-28 and 2028-29 were outlined in the Scottish Spending Review 2026. Decisions on future budgets will be taken as part of the budget setting processes.

Question reference: S7W-00656

Asked by: Murdo Fraser, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 29 May 2026
Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 9 June 2026

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will increase police funding in line with inflation, in order to prevent further reductions to community policing.

Scotland’s police service will always be visible and at the heart of our communities. Police Scotland are keeping people safe every day as shown by recorded crime falling by half since 1991.

Using the GDP deflator, the 2026-27 Scottish Police Authority (SPA) Budget has increased in real terms compared to the opening 2025-26 budget.

In 2026-27, the Scottish Government is providing record funding of over £1.7 billion for policing, a total budget increase of £81.5 million, or 5% compared to the published 2025-26 Autumn Budget Revision (ABR) budget. This record investment continues to allow Police Scotland to recruit new officers and to maintain officer numbers at 16,500.

It is for the SPA, working with the Chief Constable, to determine how to allocate this budget to meet policing priorities, as outlined in the Police Scotland Three year Business Plan.

Question reference: S7W-00654

Asked by: Murdo Fraser, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 29 May 2026
Current Status: Answered by Maree Todd on 8 June 2026

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the Scottish National Party 2026 manifesto commitment to "reduce the hours police officers need to spend in courts and hospitals, including through the expansion of mental health triage cars to reduce the pressure on police when people are reported as being in mental health distress and ensure they are in our communities more", what reforms it proposes to introduce.

Scottish Ministers will be considering options with the Scottish Ambulance Service to increase the availability of this service across Scotland, this will be informed by an evaluation of the current three sites funded by the Scottish Government in Glasgow, Inverness and Dundee. We expect the evaluation to be available by the end of summer 2026.

There are a number of public sector reform programmes currently underway in justice, including Summary Case Management (SCM) and the Digital Evidence Sharing Capability to reduce police time spent at court. The national rollout of SCM across all sheriffdoms was completed in January 2026. A report published in May 2026 estimates that, during the rollout period, over 100,000 fewer police officers were cited to give evidence. These reforms are improving efficiency across the system by reducing unnecessary trials, minimising witness citations, and helping to address court backlogs.

Question reference: S7W-00300

Asked by: Murdo Fraser, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 26 May 2026
Current Status: Answered by Ivan McKee on 5 June 2026

To ask the Scottish Government in what financial year it expects the devolved public sector headcount to begin falling, in light of reports that it rose in the year following the publication of its workforce reduction target.

In the calendar year to December 2025 the core Scottish Government made a reduction of 2.5% in its total workforce, including both directly employed FTE and contingent worker headcount, as a result of tighter recruitment controls being implemented and taking effect. The increase in the overall devolved civil service headcount has occurred in specific public bodies outside of core Scottish Government.

The Scottish Government will publish a Workforce Management Governance Framework in 2026, which will include guidance on governance arrangements and controls necessary to ensure consistent and accountable management of the public sector workforce.

As part of the Public Service Reform Strategy, we will continue to work in partnership with public bodies to review and restructure the public service delivery landscape. This includes commitments to significantly reduce the overall structural footprint across public bodies and core Scottish Government.

As these measures are rolled out across Public Bodies we will see headcount reductions there too to meet our targets going forward.

Question reference: S7W-00310

Asked by: Murdo Fraser, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 26 May 2026
Current Status: Answered by Ivan McKee on 5 June 2026

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of its commitment to reduce the public sector workforce, for what reason the devolved civil service headcount increased in the year to December 2025.

In the calendar year to December 2025 the core Scottish Government made a reduction of 2.5% in its total workforce, including both directly employed FTE and contingent worker headcount, as a result of tighter recruitment controls being implemented and taking effect.

The increases in the overall number has occurred in specific public bodies outside of core Scottish Government. As tighter recruitment controls are rolled out across Public Bodies we will see headcount reductions there too to meet our targets going forward.

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Question reference: S7W-01098

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