Questions and answers

Question reference: S6W-36863

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 15 April 2025
Current Status: Answered by Graeme Dey on 13 May 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to reduce the reported overreliance of universities on international student markets for financial stability.

The Scottish Funding Council (SFC) has a statutory duty set out in the Further and Higher Education (Scotland) Act 2005 to secure the coherent provision by the post-16 education bodies (as a whole) of a high quality of fundable further education and fundable higher education. As autonomous institutions, universities have the key role in mitigating financial pressures and external risks.

The SFC monitors and assesses the financial health and the sustainability of universities through regular engagement and analysis of financial returns, which universities are required to submit to SFC each academic year. This includes consideration of a wide range of factors, including international enrolments.

We need an immigration system that supports our higher education sector to deliver the best learning, research and student experience. That is why the First Minister announced proposals for a Scottish Graduate Visa - to support a clear pathway for international students to build their careers in Scotland and contribute to our economy and wider society.

Question reference: S6W-36862

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 15 April 2025
Current Status: Answered by Graeme Dey on 13 May 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what contingency planning it has undertaken to mitigate the impact of any reduced international student recruitment on university finances.

The Scottish Funding Council (SFC) has a statutory duty set out in the Further and Higher Education (Scotland) Act 2005 to secure the coherent provision by the post-16 education bodies (as a whole) of a high quality of fundable further education and fundable higher education. As autonomous institutions, universities have the key role in mitigating financial pressures and external risks.

The SFC monitors and assesses the financial health and the sustainability of universities through regular engagement and analysis of financial returns, which universities are required to submit to SFC each academic year. This includes consideration of a wide range of factors, including international enrolments.

Scotland’s first International Education Strategy (IES), published in February last year, highlighted the positive impact that international students make and sets out the actions that the Scottish Government will take to promote Scotland as a study destination and to attract and diversify our international student population.

Question reference: S6W-36875

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 15 April 2025
Current Status: Answered by Maree Todd on 13 May 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what it is doing to reduce any delays in care package approvals, in light of reported warnings that 90% of care homes have seen reductions in local authority-funded packages.

Under the Social Work (Scotland) Act 1968 local authorities and Health and Social Care Partnerships have a duty to assess the social care support needs of people and decide, in light of that assessment, arrange suitable services, if required.

We understand the pressures faced and addressing long waiting times for Social Care Assessment is one of the reasons that the 2025-26 Budget prioritised both the Local Government Settlement and the Health & Social Care portfolio with both receiving record funding allocations.

This includes almost £2.2bn for social care and integration – increasing investment by £1.2bn since 2021-22. On top of that, our Budget makes a record £15 billion available for councils for 2025-26.

Question reference: S6W-37044

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 06 May 2025
Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 13 May 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether the conduct of NHS Fife, in relation to the ongoing employment tribunal, is consistent with the principles of transparency and accountability in public service.

Question reference: S6W-37417

Asked by: Mark Ruskell, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 06 May 2025
Current Status: Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 13 May 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to protect marine life currently at risk from bottom-trawling, and whether these actions will include further enforcement of requirements to release unintended bycatch immediately, reinstating spatial limits on bottom-trawling in coastal areas, and improving vessel monitoring to identify hotspots of harm.

We are committed to working in partnership with our fisheries stakeholders and coastal communities to develop and deliver proportionate fisheries and marine conservation measures which align environmental protection with a flourishing and profitable fishing industry.

A range of measures are already in place to ensure that the marine environment is protected, including the use of quotas to support fishing within sustainable limits. We also support and encourage best practice within the fishing industry in relation to handling of sensitive marine species, including returning them to the sea unharmed where practical to do so. We will be taking further action through our Future Catching Policy to minimise and, where possible, eliminate bycatch of sensitive marine species as part of wider efforts to ensure the sustainability of our fisheries.

We are building on existing measures through a range of initiatives, including taking forward the outcomes of a consultation on requiring tracking and monitoring technology on all under 12 metre fishing vessels in Scottish waters. In addition, one of our top priorities is putting in place the remaining fisheries management measures for MPAs and the 11 priority marine features most at risk from bottom trawling. We consulted in October 2024 on the proposed fisheries management options for 20 protected areas in the offshore marine region. We remain committed to implementing measures for offshore MPAs in 2025 and we will also consult on measures for inshore MPAs once the statutory assessments are completed.

We know that some of our stakeholders would like to see the Scottish Government introduce a three-mile limit restricting mobile fishing gear. We have no plans to do so. Such blanket spatial restrictions are not consistent with an evidence-based approach, do not embrace the benefits of new technology and are inconsistent with the nuanced approach outlined in our 2020-2030 Fisheries Management Strategy.

Question reference: S6W-37400

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 06 May 2025
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 13 May 2025

To ask the Scottish Government how many registered sex offenders have changed their given name since 2023.

Following your topical question S6T-02471 on 22 April 2025 in relation to sex offender name change. I subsequently wrote to you about sex offender name change on 30 April 2025. In that response, I set out additional background, including that - as various names can be held in relation to the same individual: "instances of name change", is not necessarily the same as individuals who have changed their given name. I also highlighted to you that as the management of registration records of a Registered Sex Offender (RSO) is an operational matter for Police Scotland, they are therefore best placed to provide you with additional details on what their records do or do not show.

All answers to Topical Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at Official Report: search what was said in Parliament | Scottish Parliament Website

Question reference: S6W-37040

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 06 May 2025
Current Status: Answered by Angus Robertson on 13 May 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what the reasons are for its reported position that an independent Scotland would be better able to mitigate the impact on Scotland of economic and financial uncertainty, and what evidence informed its position on the matter.

I refer the member to the publication, A stronger economy with independence, which sets out detailed proposals on how the Scottish Government would use the full powers of independence to build an inclusive, fair, wellbeing economy that works for everyone in Scotland, and will allow us to replicate the success of many neighbouring countries which are more prosperous, productive and fairer than the UK.

Question reference: S6W-37224

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 28 April 2025
Current Status: Answered by Ivan McKee on 13 May 2025

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide a list of all leases that are currently held by the Scottish public sector, broken down by (a) cost and (b) department or agency.

The Scottish Government does not hold information on all public sector leases centrally. The following table shows all current Scottish Government leased properties and the cost of each lease.

Property	Total lease cost	Department
10 Commerce Street (Fraserburgh Fishery Office)	£14,674.00	Scottish Government
28 Cunzie Street (Anstruther Fishery Office)	£12,223.00	Scottish Government
40 Hall Street (Campbeltown Fishery Office)	£8,839.00	Scottish Government
5 Atlantic Quay	£543,546.00	Scottish Government
7 Ferry Terminal Building (Kirkwall Fishery Office)	£2,500.00	Scottish Government
AB1 Building	£49,607.00	Scottish Government
Alexander Fleming House	£48,559.00	Scottish Government
Alexandra Buildings (Lerwick Fishery Office)	£26,392.00	Scottish Government
Bothwell House (Ground and First Floors)	£23,165.00	Scottish Government
Brooms Road - Dumfries	£259,827.00	Scottish Government
Bute House	£87,500.00	Scottish Government
Bute House Car Park	£8,250.00	Scottish Government
Caley Building (Peterhead Fishery Office)	£24,688.00	Scottish Government
Charlotte House	£83,645.00	Scottish Government
Compass House	£45,634.00	Scottish Government
Culag Pier (Lochinver Fishery Office)	£7,502.00	Scottish Government
Custom House (Stornoway Fishery Office)	£18,817.00	Scottish Government
Denholm House	£107,818.00	Scottish Government
Fishmarket Building (Eyemouth Fishery Office)	£10,688.00	Scottish Government
Garage No.2 Lockup, North St, Fraserburgh	£15,260.00	Scottish Government
Hadrian House	£96,061.00	Scottish Government
Harbour Buildings (Mallaig Fishery Office)	£4,037.00	Scottish Government
Inchbraoch House	£5,983.00	Scottish Government
James Street	£503.00	Scottish Government
Kinlochbervie Fishery Office - Number 7	£2,609.00	Scottish Government
Ocean Trade Centre	£141,572.00	Scottish Government
Office at Tarbert Fish Market	£788.00	Scottish Government
Russell House	£285,238.00	Scottish Government
Kinlochbervie Fishery Office - Number 5	£1,400.00	Scottish Government
Saughton House - land	£160,000.00	Scottish Government
Scotland House - Brussels	£373,930.00	Scottish Government
Scotland House - London	£439,230.00	Scottish Government
St Ola House (Scrabster Fishery Office)	£20,000.00	Scottish Government
Strathearn House	£393,722.00	Scottish Government
The Douglas Centre (Buckie Fishery Office)	£5,767.00	Scottish Government
The Island Centre, Crossapol	£6,300.00	Scottish Government
The Links, Golspie	£16,845.00	Scottish Government
The Zoology Building	£162,441.00	Scottish Government
Unit 4, Seagate, Peterhead	£5,946.00	Scottish Government
Unit 4B Kinlochleven Business Park	£5,416.00	Scottish Government
Unit 5, Old Quay - Campbeltown	£1,000.00	Scottish Government
West Shore Street (Ullapool Fishery Office)	£6,750.00	Scottish Government

Question reference: S6T-02523

Asked by: Tess White, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 12 May 2025
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 13 May 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the announcement that NHS Grampian has been escalated to stage 4 of NHS Scotland's National Performance Framework for finance, leadership and governance.

Question reference: S6T-02522

Asked by: George Adam, MSP for Paisley, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 12 May 2025
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 13 May 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of any implications for Scotland’s public services of the UK Government’s proposed reforms to the immigration system.

Chamber and committees