- Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 09 September 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Angela Constance on 16 September 2025
To ask the Scottish Government how many knife-related offences have been prosecuted in each year since 2015, and how many subsequent convictions there were.
Answer
The following table provides data on proceedings and convictions for ‘having an article with a blade or point’. It is not possible to disaggregate these figures by the specific type of weapon involved.
The most recent information on proceedings and convictions is available for the financial year 2022-23.
Number of people prosecuted in Scottish courts for crimes related to having an article with a blade or point, where main charge, 2013-14 to 2022-23.
| | 2013-14 | 2014-15 | 2015-16 | 2016-17 | 2017-18 | 2018-19 | 2019-20 | 2020-21 | 2021-22 | 2022-23 |
Restriction of offensive weapons | 2 | 3 | 1 | - | 1 | 1 | - | - | - | - |
Having in a public place an article with a blade or point | 1,256 | 1,118 | 1,118 | 1,075 | 1,091 | 1,155 | 1,267 | 861 | 1,138 | 1,266 |
Having in a prison an article with a blade or point | - | - | - | - | 3 | 1 | - | 1 | 2 | - |
Possession of an offensive weapon (not elsewhere specified) in a prison | 11 | 15 | 22 | 16 | 12 | 21 | 30 | 32 | 40 | 22 |
All | 1,269 | 1,136 | 1,141 | 1,091 | 1,107 | 1,178 | 1,297 | 894 | 1,180 | 1,288 |
Source: Scottish Government Criminal Proceedings database.
Number of people convicted in Scottish courts for crimes related to having an article with a blade or point, where main charge, 2013-14 to 2022-23.
| | 2013-14 | 2014-15 | 2015-16 | 2016-17 | 2017-18 | 2018-19 | 2019-20 | 2020-21 | 2021-22 | 2022-23 |
Restriction of offensive weapons | 2 | - | 1 | - | 1 | - | - | - | - | - |
Having in a public place an article with a blade or point | 1,053 | 942 | 941 | 917 | 958 | 1,009 | 1,119 | 795 | 1,020 | 1,103 |
Having in a prison an article with a blade or point | - | - | - | - | 3 | 1 | - | 1 | 2 | - |
Possession of an offensive weapon (not elsewhere specified) in a prison | 9 | 14 | 19 | 11 | 9 | 18 | 22 | 28 | 34 | 17 |
All | 1,064 | 956 | 961 | 928 | 971 | 1,028 | 1,141 | 824 | 1,056 | 1,120 |
Source: Scottish Government Criminal Proceedings database.
Please note: data for 2020-21, 2021-22 and 2022-23 are affected by the pandemic, subsequent court closures, reduced court capacity due to physical distancing measures and delays to cases where key participants were forced to self-isolate after testing positive for COVID-19, and the subsequent court recovery from the pandemic and may not be considered indicative of long term trends.
- Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 09 September 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Gillian Martin on 16 September 2025
To ask the Scottish Government how many jobs in Scotland it estimates will be lost if oil and gas production falls in the reported timescales suggested in a recent report by Offshore Energy UK suggesting that, without replacing the Energy Profits Levy in the next year with a profits-based mechanism to encourage investment and output, North Sea oil and gas production could disappear “within years, not decades”.
Answer
The Scottish Government is deeply concerned by any planned job losses in the North East.
We continue to monitor and consider a range of evidence in relation to Scotland’s energy sector. As part of this approach, we review reports on employment from industry, trade unions and other bodies. We have also commissioned and published independent analysis on Scotland’s Energy System and Just Transition. This analysis considers the economic impact of Scotland’s oil and gas industry, including in terms of employment, during the transition to net zero. A partial update of the baseline data underpinning this analysis was published in April 2025.
The fiscal regime for offshore oil and gas is reserved to the UK Government. However the Scottish Government have been calling on the current UK Government for an expedited end date to the EPL that was introduced by the previous UK Government. At the time of introduction we were clear that this levy singled out a key sector in the Scottish economy and could put jobs at risk.
- Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 09 September 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Neil Gray on 16 September 2025
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will introduce direct dermatology referral pathways from community optometry and pharmacy, where appropriate.
Answer
There are currently no plans to introduce direct dermatology referral pathways from community optometry and pharmacy.
Our Digital Dermatology programme has provided GPs across Scotland with access to a new app which allows them to securely use their own mobile device to attach an image to a dermatology referral. This has the potential to significantly reduce the dermatology waiting list by diverting 50% of patients each year either back to their GP with advice or direct to treatment through the creation of a digital triage process in secondary care.
- Asked by: Willie Rennie, MSP for North East Fife, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 09 September 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 16 September 2025
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-40340 by Fiona
Hyslop on 5 September 2025, whether it plans for battery-electric trains
procured for routes in Fife to be used in the operation of services in the
North East Fife constituency.
Answer
The battery-electric trains that will be procured for Fife, which will replace the current ScotRail diesel fleet that operates on Fife Circle services, will be deployed on services operating within the North East Fife constituency.
- Asked by: Stephanie Callaghan, MSP for Uddingston and Bellshill, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 05 September 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Gillian Martin on 16 September 2025
To ask the Scottish Government how it plans to support and accelerate economic growth across Scotland’s circular fashion and sustainable textiles sector; what consideration it has given to establishing a national industrial cluster for circular fashion and sustainable textiles, and what steps it will take to engage with Scottish operators, such as ACS Clothing, in its design and delivery of policies to support Scotland’s circular economy and net zero commitments.
Answer
The Scottish Government recognises the value of a thriving circular fashion and sustainable textiles sector in Scotland and is committed to pursuing opportunities to strengthen support across the sector.
We have been working with stakeholders across the supply chain to develop further actions to accelerate sustainable economic growth. Recognising ACS’s commitment to innovation and circular fashion, Scottish Government officials met with ACS on Friday 5th September to discuss their ideas for further circularity innovations and collaboration between organisations across the sector.
We have confirmed that textile products will be a key focus of our product stewardship plan and we will consider the textiles sector in our forthcoming Circular Economy Strategy. We have also been working with Defra as they draw up their Circular Economy Strategy for England to understand where we can collaborate on measures, and where action must be taken by the UK Government.
- Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 08 September 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 16 September 2025
To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to ensure that welfare policies incentivise work.
Answer
Our social security policies have been designed to provide much needed support for the most vulnerable in our society and people can be entitled to support whether they are in work or not.
For example, our Job Start Payment helps young people who are returning to work with the costs of starting a new job, support that is only available in Scotland. The Adult Disability Payment can help to reduce the barriers that prevent some disabled people from working and we recognise that it supports many disabled people to stay in employment. Additionally, findings from the evaluation of our Five Family Payments, published earlier this month, showed that for some recipients, the Scottish Child Payment is easing work costs related to travel and childcare and giving some families greater choice and flexibility to balance work, education, and caring responsibilities.
Through the Scottish Government’s No One Left Behind approach, person-centred employability services are available in every local authority area for people of all ages who experience structural barriers to participating in the labour market. Over 156,000 people have accessed these services since powers were devolved around aspects of employability support.
- Asked by: Mark Ruskell, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Green Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 05 September 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 16 September 2025
To ask the Scottish Government how many road accidents on the (a) A84 and (b) A85 have been reported between January 2023 and August 2025, broken down by (i) month and (ii) severity.
Answer
The following tables presents the total number of personal injury collisions on the A84 and A85 between 1 January 2023 and 13 August 2025 (latest date for which data is available for serious and slight collisions and 31 August 2025 for fatal collisions), broken down by month and severity. The Scottish Government does not hold information relating to damage only accidents (i.e. not involving an injury).
Personal Injury Accident Statistics: A84
Month | Fatal | Very Serious | Moderately Serious | Less Serious | Slight | Total |
Jan-23 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
Feb-23 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
Mar-23 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Apr-23 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
May-23 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Jun-23 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Jul-23 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 |
Aug-23 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Sep-23 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 |
Oct-23 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
Nov-23 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
Dec-23 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Jan-24 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Feb-24 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 3 |
Mar-24 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Apr-24 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
May-24 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
Jun-24 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Jul-24 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 |
Aug-24 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 |
Sep-24 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Oct-24 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Nov-24 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Dec-24 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 |
Jan-25 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Feb-25 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Mar-25 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
Apr-25 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
May-25 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Jun-25 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Jul-25 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Aug-25* | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Total | 2 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 12 | 21 |
*Data up to 13/8/2025 for serious and slight accidents provided from Transport Statistics Injury Road Collision database and fatal accidents up to 31/08/2025 provided from Transport Statistics Injury Road Collision database and Transport Scotland Fatal Accident Register.
Personal Injury Accident Statistics: A85
Month | Fatal | Very Serious | Moderately Serious | Less Serious | Slight | Total |
Jan-23 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
Feb-23 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Mar-23 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 |
Apr-23 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 6 |
May-23 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
Jun-23 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 |
Jul-23 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
Aug-23 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 5 |
Sep-23 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 4 |
Oct-23 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Nov-23 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 4 |
Dec-23 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 4 |
Jan-24 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 |
Feb-24 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 |
Mar-24 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 4 |
Apr-24 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
May-24 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 5 |
Jun-24 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 |
Jul-24 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 4 |
Aug-24 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 5 |
Sep-24 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 |
Oct-24 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 |
Nov-24 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 3 |
Dec-24 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Jan-25 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 |
Feb-25 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 3 |
Mar-25 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 |
Apr-25 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
May-25 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 4 |
Jun-25 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
Jul-25 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 |
Aug-25* | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Total | 11 | 4 | 10 | 21 | 34 | 80 |
*Data up to 13/8/2025 for serious and slight accidents provided from Transport Statistics Injury Road Collision database and fatal accidents up to 31/08/2025 provided from Transport Statistics Injury Road Collision database and Transport Scotland Fatal Accident Register.
Source: Transport Statistics Injury Road Collision database /Transport Scotland’s Fatal Accident Register
Notes:
Statistics for Parliamentary Question
Date Period: 01/01/2023 – 13/8/2025 (for slight and serious) 31/8/25 (for fatal)
Date Extracted – 11/09/2025
Please note that the personal injury accident information provided above is based on the current figures available. The following are potential reasons for an accident not appearing on our system:
Transport Scotland only holds accident information which is provided to us by Police Scotland. Transport Scotland does not hold information relating to damage only accidents (i.e. not involving an injury).
Transport Scotland only holds accident information for the trunk road network. The accident information Transport Scotland holds is subject to change. For example, we receive late returns from Police Scotland, who are responsible for recording details of injury accidents.
Annual Scottish accident figures are published by Transport Scotland on a yearly basis and can be found by entering Reported Road Casualties Scotland into your search engine.
From summer 2019, Police Scotland introduced a new system for recording traffic collisions. Due to improved recording and categorisation processes, it is expected that there will be an increase in the number of casualties and accidents on Scottish roads that are classified as serious.
Statisticians within the Department for Transport have devised a method for adjusting the road casualty figures to ensure that they can be compared over time on a consistent basis. Transport Scotland’s Key Reported Road Casualties and Reported Road Casualties statistics publications will present both adjusted and unadjusted figures.
- Asked by: Mark Griffin, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Monday, 15 September 2025
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Current Status:
Answer expected on 29 September 2025
To ask the Scottish Government what funding is available to support Strathclyde Partnership for Transport (SPT) in delivering the next steps of its franchise framework assessment, and whether it will commit to ensuring that adequate resources are provided to support this work.
Answer
Answer expected on 29 September 2025
- Asked by: Alex Cole-Hamilton, MSP for Edinburgh Western, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Monday, 15 September 2025
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Current Status:
Answer expected on 29 September 2025
To ask the Scottish Government what support VisitScotland provided to the DP World Tour Nexo Championship, which was held at the Trump International Golf Links, Aberdeenshire, in August 2025, including any deliverables agreed.
Answer
Answer expected on 29 September 2025
- Asked by: Sharon Dowey, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 15 September 2025
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Current Status:
Answer expected on 29 September 2025
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the implementation of the Bail and Release from Custody (Scotland) Act 2023.
Answer
Answer expected on 29 September 2025
