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Questions and answers

Parliamentary questions can be asked by any MSP to the Scottish Government or the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body. The questions provide a means for MSPs to get factual and statistical information.

Written questions must be answered within 10 working days (20 working days during recess)
Other questions such as Topical, Portfolio, General and First Minister's Question Times are taken in the Chamber

Urgent Questions aren't included in the Question and Answers search. There is a SPICe fact sheet listing Urgent and emergency questions.

Find out more about parliamentary questions

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Question reference: S6W-35553

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 12 March 2025
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 20 March 2025

To ask the Scottish Government on what date the projected cost of HMP Glasgow was revised to £998.4 million; when the Cabinet Secretary for Justice and Home Affairs was advised of this figure, and whether it expects this to be the final cost.

Following a period of negotiation with the contractor Kier on the construction contract price, the total project cost of £998.4 million was confirmed in November 2024.

I received regular updates on the pricing and commercial process of the HMP Glasgow construction contract from the Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service over the course of 2024. On 13 January 2025 Cabinet Secretary for Justice and Home Affairs received formal advice confirming the total project cost £998.4m.

The construction contract is fixed price and the total project cost includes contingency for risk.

Question reference: S6W-35562

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 12 March 2025
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 20 March 2025

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will legislate to split the dual role of the Lord Advocate before the end of the current parliamentary session.

Question reference: S6W-35568

Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 11 March 2025
Current Status: Answered by Siobhian Brown on 20 March 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on the reported calls for the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) to maximise any potential revenue return from the development of its proposed new fire station at Stewart Street in Cowcaddens, Glasgow, by developing a revised design concept that enables the sale or lease of the air rights above the proposed station to a development partner for a high-density mixed use residential development, instead of an isolated low-amenity two-storey building, and whether it will request that the SFRS adopts this proposal.

To deliver maximum value to the public purse, it is appropriate for the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) to attempt to maximise the potential revenue return from any sale of excess assets. It is normal to seek outline planning consent in advance of any potential sale of land and SFRS is working with Glasgow City Council to achieve that.

The development of the proposed new fire station at Stewart Street is a matter for SFRS and Glasgow City Council.

Question reference: S6W-35539

Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 11 March 2025
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 20 March 2025

To ask the Scottish Government how many times police have been called to incidents at (a) primary and (b) secondary schools in each year since 2004.

Question reference: S6W-35563

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 12 March 2025
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 20 March 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what information it has regarding what proportion of prisoners released under each early release programme in each of the last five years has an outstanding warrant for arrest, also broken down by what proportion has left the UK.

The information requested is not held centrally by the Scottish Government and could only be obtained at a disproportionate cost. Outstanding warrants are an operational matter for Police Scotland and other relevant authorities.

Emergency early release regulations have been utilised twice within the last five years (May 2020 and June/July 2024).

Any individuals who were identified during the assessment process as having any outstanding warrants, or court processes, were not eligible for release during either emergency process.

Question reference: S6W-35586

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 12 March 2025
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 20 March 2025

To ask the Scottish Government (a) how many and (b) what percentage of police cars are fitted with telematics technology, also broken down by Police Scotland division.

Question reference: S6W-35556

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 12 March 2025
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 20 March 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether police officer numbers will return to at least their level at the beginning of the first COVID-19 pandemic lockdown of 17,431, which was set on 31 March 2020, and, if it anticipates that they will, by when.

The recruitment and deployment of police officers is a matter for the Chief Constable. In 2023, Police Scotland restructuring led to a new establishment figure of around 16,500 to 16,600 officers. The Scottish Government’s record investment of £1.55bn in 2024-25 has enabled Police Scotland to undertake the highest level of recruitment since its inception, bringing officer numbers up to 16,508 at 31 December 2024.

Police Scotland’s three-year Business Plan 2024-2027 aims to make maximum impact with a workforce that has the right skills and capacity to keep people safe. Through workforce modernisation, they will reduce back-office duplication and create capacity to deal with new and increasing threats by moving more officers to frontline roles.

The Chief Constable has been clear that the context of frontline strength goes beyond an overall officer headcount and that of a police workforce which includes police staff.

Question reference: S6W-35595

Asked by: Ariane Burgess, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 12 March 2025
Current Status: Answered by Gillian Martin on 20 March 2025

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of its statement in the National Marine Plan 2 (NMP2) consultation documents that "zonal planning for fisheries in NMP2 is not currently appropriate as there are a range of policies in development", for what reason it proposes to separate fisheries from zonal marine planning, and how the range of policies in development will interact with NMP2.

The National Marine Plan 2 (NMP2) is a planning tool that informs and provides guidance on marine use decisions covering where, when, if and how development takes place. The regulation and management of marine activities including fishing are covered by sector specific regulations outside of planning.

The NMP2 will support the outcomes set out in the fisheries management strategy, and guide decision makers to consider how fisheries management will interact with decisions. This includes supporting improvements in the collection of spatial data, and the requirements for consideration of this data in planning decisions.

Question reference: S6W-35588

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 12 March 2025
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 20 March 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on the effectiveness of police cars being fitted with telematics technology.

Question reference: S6W-35373

Asked by: Carol Mochan, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 10 March 2025
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 20 March 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with community justice teams regarding offering support to those who provide help to people experiencing alcohol problems in the justice system.

The Scottish Government regularly engages with stakeholders including Social Work Scotland, COSLA, the Community Justice Voluntary Sector Forum and Community Justice Scotland, to discuss a range of matters arising in the delivery of justice services. With regard to specific interventions, however, community justice is primarily based on a local model, with local areas providing or commissioning services according to local need, and working in collaboration with relevant health services to ensure that any necessary support and treatment is provided.

Justice organisations are also represented on Alcohol and Drug Partnerships (ADPs) which are funded to work with a range of partners at a strategic, operational and service level. ADPs commission a range of activity which can provide support for those in the justice system, such as referrals to treatment services, harm reduction interventions, alcohol interventions and alcohol use treatment needs screening.

The Scottish Government is currently working on a National Treatment Specification for Alcohol and Drug Treatment in Scotland. This document will be informed by numerous sources including the forthcoming UK Clinical Guidelines for Alcohol Treatment, the recently published Public Health Scotland review into Alcohol Brief Interventions as well as key independent reports such as Scottish Health Action on Alcohol Problems’ (SHAAP) paper on alcohol use disorder in the justice system.

We are also investing an additional £11 million in 2025-26 to support a range of community justice services, including diversion from prosecution, alternatives to remand and community sentencing. This brings our total budget for community justice to £159m, recognising the key role that such services play in our justice system, including in supporting people with alcohol problems or other underlying needs.