- Asked by: Russell Findlay, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 02 June 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Shona Robison on 16 June 2025
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-37209 by Shona Robison on 12 May 2025, in light of this information being sought via a parliamentary question and not via a Freedom of Information request, whether it will provide the information requested regarding how much it has spent on advertising in (a) national and (b) local newspapers, broken down by title, in each of the last five years, and for what reason it considers that exemptions under the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002 apply to parliamentary questions.
Answer
We acknowledge there was an error in sharing an FOI response to S6W-37209 on 12 May 2025.
The information requested is highly commercially sensitive and therefore we are unable to provide the expenditure broken down by newspaper title, as requested.
As per the initial response, disclosure of this information would materially disadvantage the Scottish Government contractor. Providing the specific expenditure for a newspaper or outlet would potentially allow competitors of the media buying agency to calculate the rates negotiated by the appointed media buying agency who work on behalf of the Scottish Government. It would also impact the newspaper titles involved as their competitors (other newspaper titles) would be able to work out the rates they are selling at.
Please see the advertising spend for press, for the last five years, outlined below.
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| To be published on 19 June |
- Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 02 June 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Angela Constance on 16 June 2025
To ask the Scottish Government what guidance it has issued to Police Scotland on the recording of sex and gender in criminal justice processes.
Answer
The Office of the Chief Statistician published guidance for public bodies in Scotland on the collection of data on sex and gender in 2021. The Scottish Government has committed to reviewing this guidance on collecting data on sex and gender by the end of 2026. The Scottish Government has not issued other specific guidance to Police Scotland on the recording of sex and gender in criminal justice processes. These are operational matters for the Chief Constable, who is responsible for ensuring compliance with legal obligations and for maintaining accurate and consistent recording practices.
- Asked by: Sharon Dowey, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 09 June 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Gillian Martin on 16 June 2025
To ask the Scottish Government whether it has considered any legislative or policy options to address the reported legal and regulatory challenges posed by "ownerless" contaminated sites like Tarbolton Moss landfill site.
Answer
Scottish Government officials continue to consider the issue of ownership at Tarbolton Moss, engaging with partners, including South Ayrshire Council and the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA).
There are provisions in the Pollution Prevention and Control (Scotland) Regulations 2012 and the Landfill (Scotland) Regulations 2003 to require companies to make adequate financial provisions for landfill aftercare, and this requirement will also be included in the Environmental Authorisations (Scotland) Amendment Regulations 2025. However, in the case of Tarbolton Moss the company was dissolved without any such funds remaining.
Officials continue to work with SEPA to understand how this occurred to ensure that the risk for similar future scenarios is minimised.
Furthermore, to minimise risk of further site abandonment, we continue to work closely with local authorities and commercial operators to examine challenges faced before the commencement of the ban on landfilling biodegradable municipal waste on 31 December 2025.
- Asked by: Ariane Burgess, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Green Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 06 June 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 16 June 2025
To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the reported delays in implementing the mandatory remote electronic monitoring requirements and tackling illegal discarding, how it is managing any risks to Scotland's global reputation for quality and sustainable seafood.
Answer
There are no delays with the implementation of Scotland’s mandatory remote electronic monitoring requirements for fishing vessels. The scallop requirements are in force, and the pelagic requirements are due to come into force as planned on 7 March 2026.
Under existing legislation fishing vessels are required to record and land all quota species of fish unless subject to a permitted exemption. Our Future Catching Policy is intended to improve on the current requirements and we will be consulting on relevant improvements to technical standards later this year. Fishing vessels are subject to a wide range of rules and regulations which support them to fish responsibly and sustainably and which help to safeguard Scotland’s reputation in the international marketplace.
- Asked by: Oliver Mundell, MSP for Dumfriesshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 06 June 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 16 June 2025
To ask the Scottish Government for what reason the Young Carer Grant is only available to carers aged 16 to 18, in light of many young carers being younger than this.
Answer
The Young Carer Grant is part of a package of measures to support young carers alongside non-cash support through the Young Scot Young Carers Package, which is available to young carers aged 11-18 and provides tailored discounts and opportunities including high value e-vouchers, wellbeing boxes and vouchers for family days out.
The eligibility criteria for Young Carer Grant were developed with carers and those that represent and support them. As highlighted in the Equality Impact Assessment for the grant it is “…targeted at young adults at a transition point in their lives. There was a firm consensus among stakeholders that it would be inappropriate to pay benefits to people under the age of 16.”
The interim evaluation of the Young Carer Grant, published in 2021, showed the grant was having a positive impact on young carers' ability to take part in opportunities that are the norm for their peers and that stakeholders were generally supportive of the age criteria.
- Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 06 June 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Angela Constance on 16 June 2025
To ask the Scottish Government how many confiscation orders issued prior to 2016 remain unpaid in full or in part.
Answer
Data regarding confiscation orders is held by the Scottish Courts and Tribunals Service (SCTS). SCTS publish the Courts Data Scotland bulletin on a quarterly basis, which provides national level information on confiscation order penalties currently going back to 2020-21. The latest publication can be found at https://scotcourts.gov.uk/media/puudlhmh/courts-data-scotland-fines-edition-64-workbook.xlsx
- Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 04 June 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Jenni Minto on 16 June 2025
To ask the Scottish Government what action it will take if the £5 million being allocated to hospices is not enough for them to match 2025-26 NHS staff pay levels.
Answer
The Scottish budget for 2025-26 includes £5 million of investment to support independent hospices to provide pay parity with NHS levels. This figure is based on estimates provided by independent hospices. Officials are working with a variety of colleagues across the health directorates to explore mechanisms for providing this funding to hospices, while respecting existing commissioning arrangements with Integration Joint Boards (IJBs).
We expect the £5m for pay parity to significantly help independent hospices in increasing their pay offer for staff. However, as independent hospices are charitable organisations, they are responsible for setting their own staff terms and conditions, including pay arrangements.
The Scottish Government does not undertake financial planning for local services, which is why commissioning and contractual discussions are carried out at a local, operational, level between independent hospices and IJBs.
- Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 04 June 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Jenni Minto on 16 June 2025
To ask the Scottish Government what action it will take to ensure that hospices do not lose staff as a result of the reported delay in allocating the £5 million of funding to hospices.
Answer
The Scottish Government has already provided reassurances to independent hospices that the funding will be allocated as soon as practically possible, based on the analysis of financial data provided by the hospices.
However, it is important to reflect that it remains the responsibility of Integration Joint Boards (IJBs) to commission palliative care services, including independent hospices, to meet the needs of their local populations. As such, we expect Scottish hospices and IJBs to continue to engage on any matters that may impact on the delivery of local palliative care services.
- Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 04 June 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Jenni Minto on 16 June 2025
To ask the Scottish Government what discussions have taken place between the finance and workforce sections of its health directorate regarding the allocation of funding to ensure pay parity for hospice staff.
Answer
The Scottish budget for 2025-26 includes £5 million of investment to support independent hospices to provide pay parity with NHS levels. Officials are working with a variety of colleagues across the health directorates to explore mechanisms for providing this funding to hospices, while respecting existing commissioning arrangements with Integration Joint Boards (IJBs).
Most recently, policy officials have been working closely with health finance officials to ensure that the relevant governance and approval procedures are correctly followed to ensure this funding can be provided as soon as practically possible. We look forward to engaging further with Scottish hospices as we conclude this work.
- Asked by: Alex Cole-Hamilton, MSP for Edinburgh Western, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Thursday, 05 June 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Gillian Martin on 16 June 2025
To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether the Helensburgh Wastewater Treatment Works recording 1,722 spills in 2024 meets the requirement for sewage spills to only happen in exceptional circumstances, in light of the European Court of Justice and Environmental Standards Scotland reportedly emphasising this requirement.
Answer
As this is an operational matter for Scottish Water, I have asked them to respond. Their reply is as follows:
All overflow events at Helensburgh wastewater treatment works arose through a Settled Storm Sewage Overflow after being screened and receiving primary treatment. This process is licensed by the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) and all overflows are monitored and reported.
