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-42803

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 05 January 2026
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 19 January 2026

To ask the Scottish Government when it anticipates that all frontline Police Scotland officers will be routinely equipped with body-worn video cameras, and what its position is on whether inconsistent access undermines (a) officer safety, (b) victim confidence and (c) public trust.

Police Scotland has been clear from the beginning of the rollout of Body Worn Video (BWV) in March 2025, that it expected the first phase of 10,500 officers to be equipped by spring 2026. This remains the case, with the remainder of officers expected to be equipped over the course of 2026-27.

The approach to rollout is a matter for Police Scotland, with oversight from the Scottish Police Authority. However, the Scottish Government engages regularly with both bodies and no significant issues have been identified. Police Scotland has been clear that an incremental rollout to divisions was the preferred means to ensure that any emerging issues could be picked up quickly and dealt with at scale in line with the industry standard approach.

The Scottish Government considers BWV a game changer for police officers/staff and for those coming into contact with the service, enhancing public confidence by promoting transparency and accountability as well as providing clear evidence of incidents. The halfway point of the first phase rollout was reached in October 2025 , with around 1,800 officers in Edinburgh and in Lothian and Borders, including road policing officers and dog handlers equipped. A full evaluation on benefits to officer safety, court efficiency and public trust will be undertaken as part of the standard delivery model in due course.

Police Scotland’s annual workforce survey has shown an appreciation for the advancements in technology and support systems within Police Scotland. Officers and staff have emphasised the positive impact of new technologies such as DESC (Digital Evidence Sharing Capability) and Body Worn Video (BWV), which have improved efficiency and officer safety.

Police Scotland’s Transformation Board meets around every two months and BWV is a standing item. The Scottish Police Authority's Resources Committee receive quarterly updates on the Transformation Portfolio which include BWV progress.

Question reference: S6W-42804

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 05 January 2026
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 19 January 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the impact of any delays to the national roll-out of body-worn video cameras on police officer safety, in light of reported reductions in assaults on officers in divisions where the technology is already in use.

Question reference: S6W-42805

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 05 January 2026
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 19 January 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether any delay to the roll-out of body-worn video cameras is preventing Police Scotland from fully realising any benefits in court efficiency, including reductions in officer court citations and earlier guilty pleas.

Question reference: S6W-42806

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 05 January 2026
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 19 January 2026

To ask the Scottish Government which governance group is responsible for overseeing the delivery of body-worn video cameras for Police Scotland; when it last considered progress, and what action it has taken to address any delays.

Question reference: S6W-42910

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 08 January 2026
Current Status: Answered by Siobhian Brown on 15 January 2026

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide any data that shows how 20 new nationwide solicitor traineeships will address the reported workforce crisis in legal aid representation and ensure there is sufficient provision across the country in future.

The provision of funding to support the employment of additional trainees has been identified by the profession as making a significant contribution to the provision of legal aid services. In addition to providing support for the cost of employing a trainee, that trainee can deliver legal aid and attract income for a firm.

We are working closely with the Law Society of Scotland to develop the funding model, taking on board the lessons learned from the previous Traineeship Fund, and drawing on evidence submitted to the Equalities, Human Rights and Civil Justice Committee inquiry into Legal Aid Inquiry about gaps in service across rural communities and legal aid types.

The profession remains supportive of the initiative and I am committed to working with them on this and other reforms to legal aid to improve this important service.

Question reference: S6W-43020

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 14 January 2026
Current Status: Answer expected on 28 January 2026

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the points made by the Cabinet Secretary for Justice and Home Affairs in the debate on Non-fatal strangulation Laws and intimate partner homicides on 8 January 2026, (a) when the public consultation referred to will (i) be published, (ii) open for responses and (iii) close, (b) when any conclusions and outcomes will be ready to be progressed, and (c) what requirement will be placed on any future government to have regard to or progress the findings of the consultation if it is not completed before the beginning of May 2026.

Question reference: S6W-43003

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 13 January 2026
Current Status: Answer expected on 27 January 2026

To ask the Scottish Government how much funding it has allocated to the Low Emission Zone Support Fund for Households since its introduction; what proportion of that has been allocated to be used for eligible households within the relevant area in Aberdeen, and how much of that allocation has been distributed to eligible households.

Question reference: S6W-43005

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 13 January 2026
Current Status: Answer expected on 27 January 2026

To ask the Scottish Government how much has been spent on the Aberdeen-Central Belt Service Improvements Project in each financial year since 2021-22, including the current financial year to date.

Question reference: S6W-43004

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 13 January 2026
Current Status: Answer expected on 27 January 2026

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-37327 by Fiona Hyslop on 19 May 2025, whether it will provide an update on how many businesses and individuals it has provided funding to since 1 January 2021 to date “through the LEZ Support Fund to assist small businesses and individuals with the cost of complying with the LEZ requirements", broken down by (a) how much was provided to each recipient and (b) the city location, or nearest city, of each recipient.

Question reference: S6W-42560

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 12 December 2025
Current Status: Answered by Graeme Dey on 9 January 2026

To ask the Scottish Government whether the (a) First Minister and (b) Permanent Secretary considered whether the Cabinet Secretary for Justice and Home Affairs’ interpretation of Professor Alexis Jay’s comments met the requirements of the Ministerial Code, and what conclusion he reached.

As set out under the Scottish Ministerial Code, the First Minister is the ultimate judge of the standards of behaviour expected of a Minister. The First Minister's Independent Advisers on the Scottish Ministerial Code have considered this matter fully and their report is now available at: Ministerial code investigation: complaint about Cabinet Secretary for Justice and Home Affairs - gov.scot.

The First Minister has accepted the conclusions and recommendations of the report in full. A letter from the First Minister to the Justice Secretary can be found at: Ministerial Code investigation: First Minister letter to Justice Secretary - gov.scot.