Chamber and committees

Tables responding to this request have been placed in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre under the bib number 65672.

As part of the commitment to be an open and transparent government, we promote the disclosure of names and salary details of senior public sector staff. Since October 2010, Scottish non-departmental public bodies have been asked to list the names and salary details of members of their senior leadership teams. You can find links to each body’s website at National public bodies: directory or on the Public Sector pay website at Pay transparency - Public sector pay.

The highest salary currently paid is £240,000 for the Chief Executive of the Scottish National Investment Bank. This is also the figure published in the Bank’s Annual Report 2024. Senior salary information can be found for individual public body’s on their websites. You can find links to each body’s website at National public bodies: directory.

As with the answer to S6W-34511 on 6 March 2025, I will update parliament at the appropriate time on the work towards a future credit rating and bond issuance during the course of the 2025-26 financial year.

All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers

I am aware of the reported proposal to withdraw some services in Aberdeenshire and, while statutory responsibility for these decisions does not rest with Ministers, I expect Aberdeenshire Health and Social Care Partnership to closely monitor the impact of any decisions and take action as required.

No. The Scottish Government is not responsible for monitoring or enforcing compliance with health and safety legislation, which is a reserved matter.

Since 2016, the Farming Opportunities for New Entrants (FONE) Group has helped facilitate entry to over 80 new entrants across more than 8,000 hectares of publicly owned land in Scotland.

Instigated by the FONE Group and funded by the Scottish Government, the Scottish Land Matching Service (SLMS) provides a platform for opportunities for the next generation of farmers and crofters, by engaging with those seeking or offering joint venture arrangements in relation to land and facilities. To date the SLMS has facilitated over 300 individuals and formally matched over 50 joint-ventures, some of which includes publicly owned land.

Questions regarding day-to-day operational matters of Historic Environment Scotland, including queries relating to staff appointments, are best answered directly by Historic Environment Scotland.

I have asked Historic Environment Scotland to respond directly to the member with a full reply to his question in writing.

The Nature Investment Partnership continues to engage with a range of investors, land managers and local communities to identify the most suitable approach for each potential investment site. No private finance has yet been directed through the Partnership into on-the-ground projects. More information about the Partnership is available on its webpage: Nature Investment Partnership | NatureScot.

The most recent Instrumental Music Survey published in January 2025 shows the number of pupils accessing free instrumental music tuition was the highest on record since the survey began in 2012.

Since 2021-22 we have provided dedicated funding to local authorities to support the removal of fees for instrumental music and in 2025-26 we will provide £12m to support this policy.

Local authorities are responsible for delivering education and so it is for individual councils to make choices about levels and means of provision that meet their local circumstances and the needs of pupils. No Council has charged for IMT since 2020-21.

The Scottish Government has been engaging closely with EIS and a range of partners to implement our commitments on instrumental music tuition and will continue to do so.