- Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 04 April 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Alasdair Allan on 24 April 2025
To ask the Scottish Government whether it considers the level of funding for the Social Housing Net Zero Heat Fund to be adequate to meet its stated targets.
Answer
The Social Housing Net Zero Heat Fund has supported over 13,000 social homes since its launch, investing approximately £70 million in energy efficiency and clean heat projects.
While public funding and support will continue to play a big part in the clean heat transition for social housing, decarbonising Scotland’s buildings will require a mix of both public and private finance with the recent Green Heat Finance Taskforce Part 2 report exploring how to attract greater private investment. The Scottish Government will respond to the Taskforce report in the coming months.
- Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 04 April 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Alasdair Allan on 24 April 2025
To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with the UK Government regarding the provision of additional financial support for housing decarbonisation.
Answer
The Scottish Government has regular discussions with the UK Government about heat decarbonisation. For example, we continue to press the UK Government to align delivery of the Energy Company Obligation and Great British Insulation Schemes with Local Heat and Energy Efficiency Strategies.
While heat and energy efficiency are devolved, however, we need to see further and urgent action by the UK Government in reserved areas. These actions, which include market reforms designed to make electricity cheaper to use than gas, will be vital to ensure that the transition is fair and affordable.
- Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 04 April 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Neil Gray on 24 April 2025
To ask the Scottish Government what engagement it has had with NHS (a) boards, (b) frontline staff and (c) patients regarding the latest satisfaction survey.
Answer
Through our work on NHS renewal we are continuing to collect views through a series of engagements with a wide range of stakeholders. This builds on the feedback and understanding gained through the Health and Care Experience Survey and other channels. We are translating this into action and transformation through our ongoing work with NHS Boards, supporting staff to help deliver against the recently published Operational Improvement Plan, and building through the forthcoming population health framework and health and social care renewal framework
- Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 10 April 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Neil Gray on 24 April 2025
To ask the Scottish Government what proportion of the 2025-26 social care budget will be used to support essential frontline services, as opposed to administrative overheads or bureaucracy.
Answer
The 2025-26 Scottish Budget includes almost £2.2 billion for social care and integration – exceeding our commitment to increase funding by 25% by almost £350 million.
However, While the Scottish Government has overall responsibility for health and social care policy in Scotland, it is for local authorities and health boards to work with the Health and Social Care Partnerships (HSCPs) to ensure that social care support services are in place to provide people with the appropriate support.
Decisions on how best to deliver services to local communities are ultimately for integration authorities and locally elected representatives to make.
- Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 03 April 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Siobhian Brown on 24 April 2025
To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to ensure that non-harassment orders are effectively enforced in all circumstances, including when the offender has legal title to the shared home.
Answer
A non-harassment order is an order requiring the person against whom it is made requiring them to refrain from such conduct in relation to another person as may be specified in the order. A civil court can make a non-harassment order under section 8 or section 8A of the Protection from Harassment Act 1997. A criminal court can make a non-harassment order under section 234A of the Criminal Procedure (Scotland) Act 1995 and, in domestic abuse cases, section 234A as modified by section 234AZA of that Act.
Breach of a non-harassment order is a criminal offence and alleged breaches can be reported to Police Scotland.
- Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 03 April 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Tom Arthur on 24 April 2025
To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to reduce the number of young people in Scotland who are classified as not in education, employment or training (NEET), in light of reports suggesting that almost one in eight 16- to 24-year-olds in the UK are classified as being in this category.
Answer
No One Left Behind is the Scottish Government’s shared approach with Local Government and wider partners to delivering an all-age, place-based, person-centred model of employability support in Scotland. Services are delivered locally, ensuring individuals, including young people, receive tailored support to help them progress into sustainable employment.
Reaching people who are classed as economically inactive requires services to do things differently. Employability support must be tailored to an individual’s circumstances and recognise that progress towards employment might not be linear. That is why we are working collectively with Local Government, the wider public sector, and third sector partners to enhance the reach and awareness of the support we provide.
Skills Development Scotland (SDS) provides an all-age career service in every local authority with an SDS Careers Adviser in every mainstream secondary school to highlight the wide range of career options available. Developing the Young Workforce (DYW) Regional Groups, School Coordinators, and third sector organisations also play an important role in supporting young people’s transitions to work, including those for whom the barriers are greater.
- Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 03 April 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Shona Robison on 24 April 2025
To ask the Scottish Government what the justification is for the reported 70% increase in civil service employment since 2013.
Answer
The Scottish Government expanded its workforce to deliver on the new powers devolved from the 2012 and 2016 Scotland Acts, including establishing the Social Security Agency, and to respond to EU Exit and the COVID-19 pandemic.
Since 2022, enhanced recruitment controls were introduced that have controlled growth in the total workforce. From March 2022 to December 2024, the total workforce has reduced by 4%.
- Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 03 April 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Ivan McKee on 24 April 2025
To ask the Scottish Government how many public sector lease agreements it is currently reviewing as part of its property rationalisation programme, and what criteria are being used to determine value for money.
Answer
Under the Single Scottish Estate Programme, all leases that are in the name of Scottish Ministers are reviewed as they approach a break clause or lease end to ascertain whether renewal is necessary.
- Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 01 April 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Shona Robison on 24 April 2025
To ask the Scottish Government whether the updated list of public appointments by public body, which was published on 25 March 2025, is an exhaustive list of all public appointments.
Answer
The list of public appointments by public body, which was published on 25 March 2025, is an exhaustive list of Ministerial regulated public appointments only. Ministerial regulated public appointments are those governed by the Ethical Standards Commissioner and the Code of Conduct for Public Appointments (2022).
The list is intended to be updated regularly so that it reflects recently made appointments. It was corrected on 25 March 2025 following the identification of errors.
Details added to the spreadsheet should be correct at the point of the appointment commencing. These details may change over time and become out of date. A process is underway to update the spreadsheet to ensure accuracy, including rectification of any other errors identified, and it will be re-published when complete.
- Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 08 April 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Richard Lochhead on 24 April 2025
To ask the Scottish Government what contingency planning it has undertaken to mitigate the economic consequences of any tariffs being placed on Scotch whisky in foreign markets.
Answer
The Scottish Government continues to provide support to the entire food and drink sector to help businesses with their economic growth ambitions. This includes £10 million funding for the period 2023-2025 to support the implementation of Scotland's food and drink strategy “Sustaining Scotland, Supplying the World” which outlines how we are driving growth for businesses across various sectors, including the drinks industry. In addition, we have invested over £7 million in the Scotland Food and Drink Export Plan since 2014, helping Scottish businesses to capitalise on key global market opportunities. Specifically in relation to whisky the Scottish Government continues to actively engage with the UK Government to strike a good deal for whisky in the proposed India Free Trade Agreement, which is the largest market for whisky in the world.
