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: S7W-02229

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 03 August 2026
Current Status: Answer expected on 31 August 2026

To ask the Scottish Government whether any (a) Police Scotland officers, (b) members of police staff and (c) personnel working within the wider criminal justice system have had their personal or professional information compromised as a result of the recent cyberattack on the Police National Legal Database, and, if so, what remedial action is being taken.

Question reference: S7W-01547

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 06 July 2026
Current Status: Answered by Stephen Flynn on 3 August 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what assessments, reports, correspondence or briefing it has prepared since MV Glen Sannox entered service comparing the vessel's actual greenhouse gas emissions and fuel consumption with (a) those of the vessel or vessels that it replaced and (b) the emissions reductions forecast in the business case.

Question reference: S7W-01536

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 06 July 2026
Current Status: Answered by Stephen Gethins on 30 July 2026

To ask the Scottish Government, in relation to the £10 million Scottish Heating Oil Support Scheme fund, how many households have received support, broken down by (a) average amount received and (b) total amount paid out from the fund.

The Scottish Government launched the Scottish Emergency Heating Oil Scheme within a matter of weeks in response to the spiralling prices caused by the Iran conflict and wider instability undermining energy security across Europe.

As at the end of 26 July 2026, 3,418 households have met the eligibility requirements, with the first payments being made within 24 hours of the Scheme launching on 1 April 2026.

Each award is for £300 and therefore £1,024,500 has been paid out thus far to ensure the most vulnerable households are supported during the cost of living crisis, which includes households on means-tested benefits but also those in financial hardship and at risk of self-rationing fuel who have unavoidable heating needs.

Question reference: S7W-02078

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 28 July 2026
Current Status: Answer expected on 25 August 2026

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S7W-01537 by Stephen Gethins on 23 July 2026, which did not address the point raised regarding the £10 million Scottish Heating Oil Support Scheme fund, where any unallocated funds are currently held and what its plans are for such funds when the scheme closes in September 2026, including where any remaining funds will be held thereafter.

Question reference: S7W-01967

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Date lodged: Tuesday, 28 July 2026
Current Status: Answer expected on 25 August 2026

To ask the Scottish Government (a) what procurement process was used to appoint delivery partners for the International Development Inclusive Education Programme, (b) which organisations have received funding through the programme, (c) how much funding each organisation has received, (d) what outputs and outcomes were set for the delivery partners at the commencement of the programme, and (e) whether these outputs and outcomes are expected to be achieved by the end of the programme in 2029.

Question reference: S7W-01964

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Date lodged: Tuesday, 28 July 2026
Current Status: Answer expected on 25 August 2026

To ask the Scottish Government, in relation to expenditure under the International Development Inclusive Education Programme, (a) (i) what proportion of expenditure has been on (A) programme delivery, (B) administration, (C) monitoring and evaluation and (D) other overhead costs, and (ii) what the value of expenditure has been in each of these categories, and (b) how many children and young people have been directly supported since the programme's commencement, particularly in relation to (aa) enrolment, (ab) attendance, (ac) retention and (ad) educational attainment.

Question reference: S7W-01962

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Date lodged: Tuesday, 28 July 2026
Current Status: Answer expected on 25 August 2026

To ask the Scottish Government, regarding the £12.5 million International Development Inclusive Education Programme announced in 2024, (a) how much funding has been paid to date, broken down by (i) financial year, (ii) project, (iii) recipient organisation and (iv) partner country, and (b) what payments remain to be made, broken down by financial year to 2028-29.

Question reference: S7W-02079

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 28 July 2026
Current Status: Answer expected on 25 August 2026

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S7W-01538 by Stephen Gethins on 23 July 2026, which states that officials have been monitoring the scheme on an on-going basis and that consideration has been given to any adaptations that can be made since the scheme launched on 1 April 2026, what adaptations (a) have actually been made, (b) were proposed as being prudent, necessary or advisable but were not made, and who made such a decision.

Question reference: S7W-01428

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 30 June 2026
Current Status: Answered by Stephen Gethins on 28 July 2026

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the development of the Scottish Marine Recovery Fund, including what steps remain to be completed before it becomes operational.

The Scottish Government continues to prioritise delivery of the Scottish Marine Recovery Fund (MRF) and is undertaking thorough due diligence to ensure the fund is lawfully constituted, financially sustainable, and operationally deliverable.

This includes working in partnership with the UK Government on the delegation of functions required for Scottish Ministers to operate and manage the Scottish MRF and developing the appropriate financial and operating models for the fund, building on high-level principles set out in the 2025 MRF consultation.

Development of an initial suite of strategic compensation measures for inclusion in the MRF is underway, drawing on reforms under the Habitat Regulations for offshore wind which came into force on 25 May 2026.

The fund will become operational once the necessary legislative, governance and delivery arrangements are in place and seed funding can be secured to develop and bank appropriate compensatory measures, which is required before compensatory measures can be made available to developments through the fund.

Question reference: S7W-01426

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 30 June 2026
Current Status: Answered by Stephen Gethins on 28 July 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what the current timeline is for finalising the Sectoral Marine Plan for Offshore Wind Energy, and what remaining steps must be completed before adoption.

The Updated Sectoral Marine Plan for Offshore Wind Energy is expected to be adopted in Summer 2026.

Significant progress has already been made since our consultation on the draft Plan last year, including completion of the Appropriate Assessment, consultation with Statutory Nature Conservation Bodies, and ongoing work to identify compensatory measures for seabird impacts.

The remaining work relates primarily to finalisation of the Plan and its associated impact assessments including Habitats Regulations Appraisal processes. These documents are currently being finalised and will be submitted for Ministerial consideration in the coming weeks. This includes consideration by UK Ministers.

Subject to Ministerial approval, the Plan will be adopted and all supporting documents will be published.