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.

Find out more about parliamentary questions

Filter your results Hide all filters

Displaying 2006 questions Show Answers

Order by |

Question reference: S6W-38291

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 04 June 2025
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 17 June 2025

To ask the Scottish Government whether the Cabinet Secretary for Justice and Home Affairs has met with the Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Local Government to discuss funding for the Scottish Violence Reduction Unit, and, if so, what the outcome of any such discussions was.

As part of the usual budget process within government, the Cabinet Secretary for Justice and Home Affairs met with the Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Local Government on a bilateral basis on 6 November 2024 and 20 March 2025. The specific issue of funding for the Scottish Violence Reduction Unit was not discussed as part of those meetings. The Scottish Government has provided increased funding for the Scottish Violence Reduction Unit for 2025-26 as part of its broader package to tackle violence and on the basis of them being able to provide additional impact from this funding.

Question reference: S6O-04821

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 11 June 2025
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 19 June 2025

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on when the consultation results of the A96 corridor review will be published.

Question reference: S6F-04167

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 09 June 2025
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 12 June 2025

To ask the First Minister what the Scottish Government's position is on whether the home leave for prisoners system is operating appropriately and as intended.

Question reference: S6O-04779

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 04 June 2025
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 11 June 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what work it is undertaking to prepare for the publication of the Government Expenditure and Revenue Scotland statistics for 2024-25.

Question reference: S6T-02545

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 27 May 2025
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 27 May 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to reports that violence against teachers in schools in Aberdeen has risen by 25% in the last year.

Question reference: S6W-37544

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 13 May 2025
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 27 May 2025

To ask the Scottish Government when it plans to launch its consultation on whether the dual functions of the Law Officers, as head of the independent prosecution service and principal legal advisers to the Scottish Government should be separated, in light of the commitment on page 36 of the Scottish National Party 2021 manifesto.

Question reference: S6W-37545

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 13 May 2025
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 27 May 2025

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on how many local authorities currently provide restorative justice services.

The Scottish Government does not hold this information.

Restorative Justice services can be offered by a wide range of organisations - not only by local authorities - including by third sector or faith-based organisations.

We continue to work in partnership with Community Justice Scotland and the Children and Young People’s Centre for Justice focussing on achieving our vision – to have restorative justice available at a time that is appropriate to the people and case involved; consistent; evidence-led, trauma informed and of a high standard.

Question reference: S6W-37549

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 13 May 2025
Current Status: Answered by Kaukab Stewart on 27 May 2025

To ask the Scottish Government when it expects to publish a strategy on ending intimate and sexual violence against men and boys.

The Scottish Government’s 2021-22 Programme for Government included a commitment to progress work to tackle violence against men and boys, investing in services which support male survivors of rape and domestic abuse.

In line with our PfG commitment we have invested in services which support male survivors of abuse by funding the following organisations:

Men’s Advice Line, who provide emotional support and practical advice and information for male victims of domestic abuse in Scotland.
SACRO’s FearFree Project which supports male and LGBTI survivors of domestic violence.
AMIS, a charity that support men experiencing domestic abuse through their national helpline, website and training services.
The Scottish Domestic Abuse and Forced Marriage Helpline to support both male and female victims and survivors.
ASSIST, who as part of their work provide advocacy support to male survivors of domestic abuse in the West of Scotland and the Lothians.
LGBT Domestic Abuse project, which works across Scotland to raise awareness and improve service responses of LGBT people's experiences of domestic abuse and other forms of gender based violence.

All legislative changes adopted to address domestic abuse and rape and sexual assault, such as the Domestic Abuse (Scotland) Act 2018 similarly protect both female and male victims.

Furthermore, Equally Safe, Scotland’s strategy to prevent and eradicate all forms of violence against women and girls, recognises that men and boys can also be victims of violence and abuse. Its focus on the disproportionate harm women and girls face due to this type of violence is in line with United Nations and World Health Organisation approaches, and enables us to meet our obligations under international human rights legislation such as CEDAW and the Istanbul Convention.

Question reference: S6W-37546

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 13 May 2025
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 27 May 2025

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on how many recommendations of the report, Independent Review of Complaints Handling, Investigations and Misconduct Issues in Relation to Policing, have been implemented to date.

The Scottish Government recognises the importance of transparency and is committed to continuing to share information on progress with the implementation of recommendations made in the Independent Review of Complaints Handling, Investigations and Misconduct Issues in Relation to Policing.

Since the Review was published in November 2020 the Scottish Government has undertaken extensive work alongside policing partners to implement recommendations. To-date 59 out of 72 non-legislative recommendations have been delivered and five reports setting out progress have been published on the Scottish Government website. Additionally, the Police (Ethics, Conduct and Scrutiny) (Scotland) Act 2025 discharges or paves the way via regulations for the majority of the legislative recommendations to be discharged.

A further update to report on the recommendations will be provided to Parliament before the end of the parliamentary term and subsequently published on the Scottish Government website.

Question reference: S6W-37548

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 13 May 2025
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 27 May 2025

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on how many local authority areas the Caledonian System currently operates within.

The Caledonian System is currently delivered in 21 of the 32 local authority areas, covering over 70% of the population. The Scottish Government is committed to rolling the Caledonian System out further and by the end of this year, two more areas, Shetland and Angus, will begin training to deliver the Caledonian System, taking this up to 23 areas. The Scottish Government will in the next week be writing to all local authorities, detailing a change to the funding distribution. These letters will also provide details of a £1.4m increase in the Caledonian funding line. We will also be engaging with all areas to provide central support and training for those areas moving to deliver the Caledonian System.