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-00148

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 19 May 2026
Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 28 May 2026

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the publication of Award of DSF – Jury Deliberation Research, in February 2026, whether the research commissioned that will explore jury deliberations in rape and attempted rape cases will specifically examine whether the abolition of the not proven verdict and the change to the jury majority required for conviction have affected juror deliberations, decision-making and/ or verdicts.

Question reference: S7W-00013

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 18 May 2026
Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 28 May 2026

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the publication of Award of DSF – Jury Deliberation Research, in February 2026, by what date it will publish the findings of the research commissioned that will explore jury deliberations in rape and attempted rape cases, and whether it will commit to publishing (a) the full report and (b) details of the methodology used, including any limitations that were encountered when carrying this out.

Question reference: S7W-00014

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 18 May 2026
Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 28 May 2026

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the publication of Award of DSF – Jury Deliberation Research, in February 2026, what methodology will be used for the research commissioned that will explore jury deliberations in rape and attempted rape cases, including whether jurors will be interviewed, surveyed, observed or otherwise asked to disclose information about their deliberations and, if so, what safeguards it will put in place for (a) juror confidentiality, (b) complainer anonymity, (c) accused persons’ rights, (d) data protection, (e) appeals and (f) the integrity of criminal proceedings in relation to the research.

The research design and approach will only be finalised if approval from the Lord Justice General is provided.

Ensuring the research is undertaken in an ethically appropriate manner will of course be a key priority. Juror confidentiality, complainer anonymity, accused persons’ rights, data protection, appeals and the integrity of criminal proceedings in relation to the research have all been considered extensively during the drafting of the research specification, the evaluation of the bids received and, most recently, by the project’s Ethics Panel. Specific safeguards will be finalised when the research design is confirmed.

Question reference: S7W-00011

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 18 May 2026
Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 28 May 2026

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the publication of Award of DSF – Jury Deliberation Research, in February 2026, whether the Lord Justice General has granted leave for the research commissioned that will explore jury deliberations in rape and attempted rape cases and, if so, whether it will list any conditions that were attached to this.

Question reference: S7W-00039

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 14 May 2026
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 27 May 2026

To ask the Scottish Government when the First Minister last met the co-leaders of Aberdeen City Council.

Details of all external engagements undertaken by Scottish Ministers, including the First Minister, are published on the Scottish Government website and can be found here: https://www.gov.scot/collections/ministerial-engagements-travel-and-gifts/.

These records currently cover engagements up to February of this year, with further information to be published in due course in line with the Scottish Government’s commitment set out in the Scottish Ministerial Code. Scottish Ministers regularly engage with local authority leaders, including the co-leaders of Aberdeen City Council, to discuss a range of issues of mutual interest.

It is also worth noting that although the names of specific councils or council leaders may not appear in records of certain engagements, the First Minister and other Ministers have engaged with various council leaders at COSLA Annual Conferences and other conferences and events that involve council leaders.

Question reference: S6W-44355

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 12 March 2026
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 23 March 2026

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-44120 by Angela Constance on 10 March 2026, in light of paragraph 12.1 of the paper, Report on the Roles and Functions of the Scottish Law Officers, which states that the “research is intended to inform the preparation of a future consultation by the Scottish Government on the roles and functions of the Scottish Law Officers", by what date this research will commence and its findings will be published.

The Report on the Roles and Functions of the Scottish Law Officers sets out the findings of the research commissioned by the Scottish Government and carried out by Malcolm McMillan, former Chief Executive of the Scottish Law Commission. As specified in the terms of reference, the research analyses the history of the Law Officers’ roles and why and how they have developed to the current position; examines their current functions in detail (including the legal bases for those functions); considers examples of arrangements for Law Officers and prosecuting authorities in a number of other jurisdictions; and sets out the constitutional and legislative competence requirements for any reforms to the Law Officers’ roles in Scotland.

The research was not intended to make recommendations for any model or approach: rather, its purpose was to provide a detailed, robust foundation to inform any future consultation on the Law Officers’ roles. Decisions on that will be a matter for the next administration.

Question reference: S6W-44100

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

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6F-04705 by John Swinney on 26 February 2026, in which he confirmed that Malcolm McMillan's report on the dual role of the Lord Advocate "will be published before the end of the parliamentary session", on what date it plans to publish the report.

Question reference: S6T-02951

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 16 March 2026
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 17 March 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the impact on Police Scotland of the Budget 2026-27 allocation being £50 million less than the amount requested by the Chief Constable.

Question reference: S6W-44403

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 12 March 2026
Current Status: Answered by Siobhian Brown on 16 March 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what the current status is of the Scottish Civil Justice Council's investigation into the introduction of an opt-out system for group proceedings.

The development of rules for group proceedings, including any proposals to introduce opt-out procedures, is the responsibility of the Scottish Civil Justice Council (SCJC).

The SCJC is an independent body established by the Scottish Civil Justice Council and Criminal Legal Assistance Act 2013, and as such Scottish Ministers are not responsible for its operations.

The SCJC Group Procedure Working Group established to investigate the introduction of an opt-out system for group proceedings publish updates of their work online, which can be found here:

https://www.scottishciviljusticecouncil.gov.uk/council/group-procedure-working-group

Question reference: S6O-05665

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 11 March 2026
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 19 March 2026

To ask the Scottish Government how it expects NHS Grampian to address a projected deficit of £76 million for 2026-27, in light of it having already made £62 million of savings in 2025-26 and requiring a further £40 million of budget reductions in 2026-27.