Questions and answers

Question reference: S6W-35783

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 18 March 2025
Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 26 March 2025

To ask the Scottish Government how many mixed-sex hospital wards there are in each NHS board.

Question reference: S6W-35612

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 12 March 2025
Current Status: Answered by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 26 March 2025

To ask the Scottish Government how much it anticipates it will spend on disability-related benefits by 2030, and what steps it is taking to ensure the sustainability of Scotland’s devolved social security system.

Based on the latest Scottish Fiscal Commission forecasts, the Scottish Government anticipates to spend around £7.1 billion on disability-related benefits in 2029-30.

Of the £7.1 billion, around £6.7 billion (94% of the total) will be covered by the Social Security Block Grant Adjustment received from the UK Government with around £0.4billion (6% of the total)to be met from the Scottish Government’s Budget).

The Scottish Government is committed to ensuring that finances remain on a sustainable trajectory and that we continue to reach a balanced position each year, as we have done for the last 17 years. We will continue to take forward our programme of work for doing this, which will be updated in the next Medium-Term Financial Strategy due to be published later this year, alongside the Fiscal Sustainability Delivery Plan.

The UK government’s welfare reform proposals are an attempt to balance the books on the backs of disabled people. It is disappointing that the UK Government decided not to engage with the Scottish Government before this announcement.

Question reference: S6W-35613

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 12 March 2025
Current Status: Answered by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 26 March 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what proportion of its Budget is projected to be allocated to social security by the end of the decade, and whether it anticipates any need for future tax increases to cover any rising costs.

Based on the latest Scottish Fiscal Commission forecasts, it is estimated that the budget allocated to Social Security will be 14.8% of the Scottish Government’s total Resource Budget by 2029-30. The proportion of the budget which the Scottish Government has chosen to invest in to enhance our Social Security offering, compared to England and Wales (i.e. above the Social Security Block Grant Adjustment), is projected to be 2.6% of the total Scottish Government Resource Budget by 2029-30.

Alongside the 2025-26 Budget the Scottish Government published a Tax Strategy which sets out the next steps in the evolution of the tax landscape in Scotland. This set out that there would be no increases to Income Tax rates or new bands added to the tax system for the remainder of this Parliament.

Question reference: S6W-35991

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 20 March 2025
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 26 March 2025

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide a breakdown of the reported £19.5 million spent on consultants for the A83 Rest and Be Thankful upgrade.

The Scottish Government is committed to delivering a long-term solution to the landslip risks at the A83 Rest and Be Thankful and in December we made further progress by publishing draft Orders for the long-term solution and also for future phases of the medium-term solution to provide an improved diversionary route along the Old Military Road.

A breakdown of the £19.5 million spent on consultant’s fees can be found on the Scottish Government website at https://www.gov.scot/publications/foi-202500451605/.

These fees are associated with engineering design, environmental assessment (including environmental survey work), traffic and economic assessment, stakeholder engagement, and supervision of ground investigation works associated with the development of the medium and long term solutions as well as medium term solution construction works to the Old Military Road.

This expenditure is not unreasonable given the complexity and challenges of the scheme and the extent of the work being carried out to complete it.

Question reference: S6W-35715

Asked by: Oliver Mundell, MSP for Dumfriesshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 17 March 2025
Current Status: Answered by Angus Robertson on 26 March 2025

To ask the Scottish Government whether it is permissible for private businesses to fund the employment of assistant registrars to carry out marriage ceremonies.

There is no provision in the Registration of Births, Deaths and Marriages (Scotland) Act 1965 allowing for the private funding of assistant registrars to carry out marriage ceremonies.

Under Section 7 of the 1965 Act, every local registration authority (which is also the local authority) shall appoint an appropriately qualified district registrar of births, deaths and marriages for their registration district. A local authority may also appoint additional district, senior and assistant registrars of births, deaths and marriages, for its registration district as it considers necessary. The local authority must consult the Registrar General under the 1965 Act when appointing additional district and senior registrars.

Section 17 of the Marriage (Scotland) Act 1977 permits the Registrar General for Scotland to appoint as many district registrars as is thought necessary for the purpose of affording reasonable facilities for the solemnisation of civil marriages throughout Scotland. The Registrar General may also appoint assistant registrars to districts where a district registrar has been appointed under Section 17. Under the 1977 Act, only district registrars and assistant registrars employed by the local registration authority may conduct civil marriages in Scotland.

Question reference: S6W-35716

Asked by: Oliver Mundell, MSP for Dumfriesshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 17 March 2025
Current Status: Answered by Angus Robertson on 26 March 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what consideration has been given to digitalising the M10 Marriage Notice - Scotland form.

I have asked Alison Byrne OBE, Registrar General for Scotland and Chief Executive of National Records of Scotland, to respond. Her response is as follows:

Statutory forms relating to marriage are prescribed by the Registrar General for Scotland with the approval of the Scottish Ministers. The Marriage Notice form (M10) was last amended in 2023. There are currently no plans to review and amend the Marriage Notice form.

National Records of Scotland (NRS) remains committed to improving and modernising its services, evidenced by the increasing number of birth and death registrations now carried out remotely following implementation of the Coronavirus (Recovery and Reform) (Scotland) Act 2022. Further digital improvements will be considered by NRS in the future.

Question reference: S6W-35719

Asked by: Ross Greer, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Monday, 17 March 2025
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 26 March 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what measures other than existing patronage numbers are used when considering varying the frequency of rail services on particular routes.

Existing patronage data is the main measure used to determine the necessary frequency on a given line, however various other data sources are consulted to determine the right service level. ScotRail engage with Local Authorities, Regional Transport Partnerships, Housing Developers and the wider Business community to understand current and future markets which may inform varying the frequency of rail services.

Question reference: S6W-35674

Asked by: Roz McCall, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 14 March 2025
Current Status: Answered by Natalie Don-Innes on 26 March 2025

To ask the Scottish Government how it is working with the UK Government to ensure that reserved policy areas, such as social security and asylum, align with Scotland’s commitments under The Promise.

Scottish Government Ministers and officials regularly meet with counterparts in the UK Government to discuss reserved issues. Senior officials who lead on The Promise have recently engaged with their counterparts in both the UK and devolved governments regarding the Scottish Government’s work to keep the Promise.

I met with Angela Eagle, the UK Government Minister for Border Security and Asylum, on 11 December 2024 to discuss their shared interest in ensuring that unaccompanied asylum-seeking children (UAS children) are supported. Officials from the Scottish Government are in regular contact with UK Government officials on issues relating to UAS children, and are represented on the steering group of the UK Government’s UAS Children Task force.

While the Scottish Government has limited powers over Universal Credit, we have welcomed the UK Governments plans to carry out a complete review.

For too long Universal Credit has been failing those who need it most and the Scottish Government have repeatedly raised a number of issues which must be addressed, issues like the removal of the young parent penalty for example.

We have made it clear that we would welcome the opportunity to work with the UK Government to make these needed improvements and work towards creating a Social Security system which works for everyone, including our families and carers.

The Scottish Government continues to support access to, and understanding of the benefits provided by Social Security Scotland, and;

continue to support Kinship Care through the Best Start Grant Best Start Foods and Scottish Child Payment
provide continued mentoring, work experience and employment opportunities through the Social Security Corporate Parenting Plan
continue to work with people with care experience to design our services and support access to and understanding of the benefits provided by Social Security Scotland; provide mentoring, work experience and employment opportunities.

Question reference: S6W-35700

Asked by: Pam Gosal, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 14 March 2025
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 26 March 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what the average cost per offender was of (a) in-prison rehabilitation programmes and (b) the Caledonian System programme, in 2022-23.

There are many factors that influence the average cost per offender for in-prison rehabilitation programmes, meaning that it is not possible to provide an average cost. These factors may include but are not limited to: the duration of the Offending Behaviour Programme (OBP), grades of staff involved in delivery/treatment management, training costs involved for staff to be able to deliver the OBP, and materials involved for delivery.

The current funding distributed by the Scottish Government to local authorities for the purpose of delivery of Caledonian includes: £2,557,547 for the Men's Programme and £1,910,119 for the Women and Children’s Service. For 2025-26 the total budget is £4,467,666. It is not possible to quantify an average cost per man on the Caledonian System, or that of women and children being supported, due to several varying factors. This includes: variation in cost to run the Men’s programme, as mentioned above, along with the intensity of the programme required which is equated to individual need. The Women and children’s service again will vary in cost per client, as support is very much tailored to individual needs.

Question reference: S6W-35686

Asked by: Beatrice Wishart, MSP for Shetland Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Friday, 14 March 2025
Current Status: Answered by Jim Fairlie on 26 March 2025

To ask the Scottish Government when it anticipates that the final version of the Islands Connectivity Plan will be published.

The Islands Connectivity Plan (ICP) Strategic Approach and Vessels and Ports Plan were published for public consultation and community engagement last year, with the consultation report and Transport Scotland’s Initial Responses published in September 2024. Following the recent completion of the associated Strategic Environmental Assessment, it is anticipated that the final versions of these two documents will be published shortly.

Work on the ICP will continue through refreshed needs assessments for island and peninsula communities served by the Clyde & Hebrides and Northern Isles ferries. The first of these, for Cowal and Rosneath, was published last September. We intend to commission the remaining assessments in the coming year.

Other ICP workstreams, including those on fares, integration and low carbon are ongoing.

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