Questions and answers

Question reference: S6W-41949

Asked by: Willie Rennie, MSP for North East Fife, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Monday, 17 November 2025
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 27 November 2025

To ask the Scottish Government how many schools (a) have closed between 2007 and 2025 and (b) are currently at risk of closure in the (i) North East Scotland and (ii) Highlands and Islands region.

a) In 2007 there were 299 schools open with pupils on the roll in North East Scotland. In 2024 there were 278, a reduction of 21 schools. In 2007 there were 434 schools open with pupils on the roll in the Highlands and Islands. In 2024 there were 366, a reduction of 68 schools.

Data on the number of schools open with pupils on the roll in 2025 by local authority is expected to be published in March 2025 as part of the pupil census supplementary statistics.

Schools open which had pupils on the roll, 2007-2024
Local Authority	2007	2008	2009	2010	2011	2012	2013	2014	2015	2016	2017	2018	2019	2020	2021	2022	2023	2024	2007-2024
Aberdeen City	72	68	67	64	64	64	63	63	63	64	63	61	61	61	61	61	61	61	11
Aberdeenshire	173	173	172	172	172	171	171	171	170	173	172	171	171	171	168	167	167	165	8
Angus	63	63	63	61	61	61	61	61	61	60	59	59	59	59	59	59	59	59	4
Argyll & Bute	98	98	97	96	95	96	96	95	94	93	92	93	92	91	89	88	88	88	10
Clackmannanshire	25	24	23	23	23	23	23	22	22	22	22	23	23	23	23	23	23	23	2
Dumfries & Galloway	123	123	122	120	120	120	119	119	119	116	116	115	114	114	114	114	110	107	16
Dundee City	51	48	48	48	47	46	46	46	46	45	44	43	43	43	43	43	43	43	8
East Ayrshire	63	62	61	61	60	60	58	58	58	58	57	55	55	54	53	53	54	54	9
East Dunbartonshire	50	49	49	48	48	48	48	48	48	47	46	43	44	44	44	43	43	42	8
East Lothian	41	41	41	41	41	41	41	41	41	41	41	41	40	40	40	40	43	41	0
East Renfrewshire	32	32	32	32	32	31	31	30	30	30	31	31	32	32	32	32	32	32	0
Edinburgh	128	127	126	122	122	122	124	122	123	123	122	122	122	123	123	123	123	124	4
Na h-Eileanan Siar	49	47	46	44	40	33	29	29	28	26	26	26	25	25	24	24	24	24	25
Falkirk	60	59	60	60	60	61	62	62	62	62	61	61	59	59	59	59	59	59	1
Fife	167	167	168	166	167	166	164	163	159	158	158	157	156	156	156	156	155	155	12
Glasgow City	238	227	218	214	206	198	194	193	193	194	193	191	191	192	193	193	192	192	46
Highland	219	218	218	217	215	209	209	210	208	205	202	203	203	203	203	199	198	196	23
Inverclyde	37	35	35	33	31	30	30	28	28	28	28	28	28	28	28	28	28	28	9
Midlothian	37	37	37	37	37	37	37	37	37	39	39	39	39	39	37	37	37	38	-1
Moray	54	54	54	54	53	53	53	53	53	54	53	53	53	53	53	53	52	52	2
North Ayrshire	66	66	66	66	66	66	65	63	63	63	62	62	62	62	59	59	59	60	6
North Lanarkshire	163	162	162	157	158	159	158	157	157	156	156	156	155	155	155	155	154	154	9
Orkney Islands	27	27	27	26	25	25	25	25	25	25	24	24	24	24	26	26	26	25	2
Perth & Kinross	88	87	87	86	84	84	84	84	84	84	82	82	82	82	82	82	81	81	7
Renfrewshire	65	65	64	63	63	63	63	63	63	62	62	62	62	62	63	63	63	63	2
Scottish Borders	74	74	74	73	73	72	72	72	72	70	70	69	68	68	68	67	67	66	8
Shetland Islands	41	41	41	40	40	39	39	37	37	35	35	35	35	35	35	34	34	33	8
South Ayrshire	55	55	55	53	51	51	51	51	51	51	51	51	51	51	51	51	50	50	5
South Lanarkshire	151	151	150	150	150	150	150	148	148	148	149	149	149	149	149	149	150	150	1
Stirling	51	51	51	49	48	48	48	48	48	47	47	46	46	46	46	46	46	46	5
West Dunbartonshire	42	43	42	42	42	42	42	42	41	41	41	40	40	40	40	40	40	40	2
West Lothian	82	82	82	82	82	82	82	82	83	83	83	83	83	83	84	85	86	85	-3
Grant Aided	9	9	9	9	9	9	9	9	9	9	9	9	9	9	9	9	9	9	0
North East Scotland*	299	295	293	290	289	288	287	287	286	291	288	285	285	285	282	281	280	278	21
Highlands and Islands*	434	431	429	423	415	402	398	396	392	384	379	381	379	378	377	371	370	366	68
Scotland	2694	2665	2647	2609	2585	2560	2547	2532	2524	2512	2496	2483	2476	2476	2469	2461	2456	2445	249

Note: These figures have been derived from published tables and show the number of schools which have pupils attending in each year from 2007 to 2024.
The figures in this table for 2007-2018 differ from what appear in the pupil census supplementary statistics as schools with no pupils on the roll used to be included for these years.
Through schools (e.g. schools that are both a primary and a secondary school) are treated as 2 schools in these figures.
*Based on the definition of local authority regions found here: https://www.publiccontractsscotland.gov.uk/Maps/LocalAuthorityRegions.aspx

b) The Scottish Government does not classify or collect data on schools that are at risk of closure. Local authorities are responsible for the management of the school estate and decisions about the closure of schools. If a local authority proposes to close a school they must carry out a statutory consultation under the provisions in the Schools (Consultation) (Scotland) Act 2010.

Question reference: S6W-41951

Asked by: Willie Rennie, MSP for North East Fife, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Monday, 17 November 2025
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 27 November 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what progress has been made on safety improvements at the A9 Dunkeld junction.

Road safety is of paramount importance to the Scottish Government. Transport Scotland assesses the safety performance of the trunk road network on an annual basis. The trunk road safety annual assessment process is a robust, evidence-based approach which ensures that the funding available can be prioritised to those locations that offer the possibility of delivering the greatest casualty accident savings across the country to support the effective delivery of the Scottish Government’s 2030 casualty reduction targets.

Through this process, Transport Scotland has undertaken, and continues to undertake where identified, road safety schemes related to the A9/A923/A822 Dunkeld junction. In November 2021, works were carried out to introduce solar road studs, refresh road markings, and upgrade local signage. In 2023, solar road studs and enhanced road markings were introduced on the section of the A9 between Bankfoot and Dalguise as part of the £5M A9 short-term measures announced by the then Transport Minister in December 2022.

Following engagement with the local community, Transport Scotland is currently reviewing signage associated with the A9/A923 Dunkeld junction and adjacent junctions. Any improvement works identified will be implemented during the 2026/27 financial year.

In 2024, following requests from the local community, a study was undertaken to assess the potential for a roundabout at the Dunkeld junction. A wide range of options were evaluated in terms of safety, operational performance, construction impacts on existing traffic, land requirements, environmental considerations, geotechnics, public utilities, construction programme, road geometry, public acceptability, and cost. The assessment concluded that roundabout options were costly, would likely be replaced by the A9 dualling in a few years, were disruptive to construct, and ultimately did not accommodate the traffic volumes at the junction.

As a result, and following discussions with the local community, Transport Scotland agreed to investigate traffic signalisation as an alternative. Our Operating Company BEAR Scotland has been instructed to examine the feasibility of introducing traffic signals and reducing the speed limit. This investigative work is scheduled for completion by the end of the 2025/26 financial year.

The A9/A923/A82 Dunkeld junction was identified in Transport Scotland’s 2026/27 Annual Road Safety Review report as a site requiring further investigation, which will take place during the 2026/27 financial year.

Question reference: S6W-41950

Asked by: Willie Rennie, MSP for North East Fife, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Tuesday, 18 November 2025
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 27 November 2025

To ask the Scottish Government how many school buildings in the Argyll and Bute Council area are currently assessed as not fit for purpose, and what the estimated cost of repair or replacement is associated with each such building.

It is the statutory responsibility of local authorities to manage and maintain their school estate, therefore, this would be a matter for Argyll and Bute Council. However, the condition ratings for all schools in Scotland are available within the School Estate Statistics 2025: Supporting documents - School estate statistics 2025 - gov.scot.

The Scottish Government continues to support Argyll and Bute Council in relation to its school estate. For example, through the £2bn Learning Estate Investment Programme, we will provide it with significant funding towards the school campus project on Mull.

Question reference: S6W-41948

Asked by: Willie Rennie, MSP for North East Fife, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Monday, 17 November 2025
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 27 November 2025

To ask the Scottish Government how many subject-specific secondary school teaching posts are currently filled by non-specialist teachers in each local authority area.

The recruitment and deployment of teachers in schools is a matter for individual Councils, who have a statutory responsibility to provide a complement of staff in schools which best meets the needs of each of their schools and pupils.

It is important that local authorities and schools offer a broad range of subject choices and classes that meet their pupils' needs and aspirations.

We recognise there are recruitment challenges in some subject areas and that is why our Teaching Bursary Scheme provides bursaries to career changers, wishing to undertake a one-year Postgraduate Diploma in Education (PGDE), in the hardest to fill teaching subjects; including STEM and modern languages.

In addition, we are providing £186.5m to local authorities in 2025-26 to restore overall teacher numbers across the country to 2023 levels and maximise the number of teaching posts available.

Question reference: S6W-41933

Asked by: Emma Roddick, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 17 November 2025
Current Status: Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 27 November 2025

To ask the Scottish Government, further to its recent commitment to develop official guidance on the welfare of farmed fish, what steps it will take to ensure that the development process is fair, inclusive of all stakeholders and does not give preferential treatment to industry interests.

The Scottish Government takes the welfare of farmed fish seriously and robust legislation, policies and industry standards are already in place to safeguard fish health and welfare. In addition, much of Scotland’s fish farming is undertaken in accordance with leading independent welfare accreditation schemes, which provides further assurance of welfare standards being applied within Scottish production.

The Scottish Government has committed to progressing fish welfare standards further by introducing official guidance under Section 38 of the Animal Health and Welfare (Scotland) Act 2006. We are currently determining next steps for development of official guidance for the welfare of farmed fish, including stakeholder engagement. Consultation will involve a variety of stakeholders to ensure the development of guidance is well informed by a range of expertise, robust and operationally feasible, and that it ensures high welfare standards.

.

Question reference: S6W-41929

Asked by: Carol Mochan, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 17 November 2025
Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 27 November 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to improve NHS boards' performance against the 62-day target for those diagnosed with prostate cancer.

We recognise the challenges in meeting the 62-day target and are taking action to support NHS Boards to reduce waiting times. Scottish Government has directed £14.23 million of the additional £135.5 million planned care funding to NHS Boards in 2025-26 towards Cancer Waiting Times. This is focussed on our most challenged pathways, which includes urology services that diagnose and treat prostate cancer.

NHS Boards have developed delivery plans for 2025-26 to support waiting list reductions and improve productivity. The Scottish Government and Centre for Sustainable Delivery are engaging with NHS Boards regularly and continue to scrutinise improvement plans to ensure they are deliverable, whilst considering how available funding may support additional activity.

Question reference: S6W-41947

Asked by: Willie Rennie, MSP for North East Fife, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Monday, 17 November 2025
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 27 November 2025

To ask the Scottish Government how many teaching posts are currently vacant in each local authority area.

Question reference: S6W-42000

Asked by: Alex Cole-Hamilton, MSP for Edinburgh Western, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Wednesday, 19 November 2025
Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 27 November 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what the (a) average and (b) longest recorded time for an NHS 24 111 callback was in each of the last five years.

Question reference: S6W-41998

Asked by: Alex Cole-Hamilton, MSP for Edinburgh Western, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Wednesday, 19 November 2025
Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 27 November 2025

To ask the Scottish Government how many patients have spent more than (a) four, (b) eight, and (c) 12 hours on a trolley while waiting for (i) treatment and (ii) admission in each of the last five years.

Question reference: S6W-41995

Asked by: Alex Cole-Hamilton, MSP for Edinburgh Western, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Wednesday, 19 November 2025
Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 27 November 2025

To ask the Scottish Government whether it collects data on the number of callers who report being unable to access care after multiple attempts to contact NHS 24 or other health services.

The Scottish Government does not collect data on the number of callers who report being unable to access care after multiple attempts to contact NHS 24.

The Scottish Government continues to support NHS 24, including revising performance indicators to better reflect demand and improve service delivery. Over the past two financial years, NHS 24 has received £28.3 million in additional funding, enabling the recruitment of 22 extra clinicians and achieving its highest-ever treatment capacity.

Chamber and committees