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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-38417

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 06 June 2025
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 16 June 2025

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will publish an annual update on unpaid confiscation orders and any enforcement action taken.

Question reference: S6W-38082

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 02 June 2025
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 16 June 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what guidance it has issued to Police Scotland on the recording of sex and gender in criminal justice processes.

The Office of the Chief Statistician published guidance for public bodies in Scotland on the collection of data on sex and gender in 2021. The Scottish Government has committed to reviewing this guidance on collecting data on sex and gender by the end of 2026. The Scottish Government has not issued other specific guidance to Police Scotland on the recording of sex and gender in criminal justice processes. These are operational matters for the Chief Constable, who is responsible for ensuring compliance with legal obligations and for maintaining accurate and consistent recording practices.

Question reference: S6W-38413

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 06 June 2025
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 16 June 2025

To ask the Scottish Government how many confiscation orders issued prior to 2016 remain unpaid in full or in part.

Data regarding confiscation orders is held by the Scottish Courts and Tribunals Service (SCTS). SCTS publish the Courts Data Scotland bulletin on a quarterly basis, which provides national level information on confiscation order penalties currently going back to 2020-21. The latest publication can be found at https://scotcourts.gov.uk/media/puudlhmh/courts-data-scotland-fines-edition-64-workbook.xlsx

Question reference: S6W-38416

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 06 June 2025
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 16 June 2025

To ask the Scottish Government how it will ensure that any funds recovered through confiscation orders are returned to the affected communities in a timely manner.

Recovered monies from confiscation orders are remitted to the Scottish Consolidated Fund which goes towards the Cashback for Communities Programme.

The Scottish Government has committed £156m to the Programme since 2008, which supports young people at risk of entering the criminal justice system and the communities most affected by crime through various projects, including youth work, employability support, creative arts, and sports projects.

The Programme prioritises young people living in the bottom 20% of the Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation (SIMD) or with protected characteristics which may increase risk of being drawn into anti-social or offending behaviour.

Question reference: S6W-38415

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 06 June 2025
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 16 June 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what legal or enforcement powers are available to ensure the payment of confiscation orders.

Question reference: S6W-38083

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 02 June 2025
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 16 June 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether the recording of biological sex by public bodies is necessary for (a) accurate crime statistics and (b) public transparency.

The Scottish Government strongly supports the production of accurate statistics, based on the transparent recording of information. In terms of crime-related Official statistics in Scotland, it is a matter for relevant public bodies that collect information on sex to establish the best approach in their individual institutional settings. For all Official statistics, producers are required to follow the Code of Practice for Statistics, which states that organisations should commit to releasing their statistics in an open and transparent manner that promotes confidence. In 2021, the Office of the Chief Statistician published guidance on the collection of data on sex and gender for public bodies in Scotland. This guidance recommends that statistics producers should collect and publish data that best serves the needs of users in their specific context, an approach that aligns with the guidance published by the Office for Statistics Regulation in 2024. The Scottish Government has committed to reviewing its guidance on collecting data on sex and gender by the end of 2026 as part of the Non-Binary Equality Action Plan.

Question reference: S6W-38093

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 02 June 2025
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 16 June 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the reported 600% increase in serious assaults by teenagers over the last five years.

Question reference: S6W-38678

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 13 June 2025
Current Status: Answer expected on 27 June 2025

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will ringfence any Barnett consequential funding relating to winter fuel spending in England and Wales for the support of pensioners in Scotland.

Question reference: S6W-38134

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 02 June 2025
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 13 June 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with NHS boards regarding the implementation of early access to givinostat for eligible patients with Duchenne muscular dystrophy.

It is a matter for Health Boards to consider the implementation of any new medicine to meet the needs of their local population. However, in response to concerns raised regarding access to givinostat in Scotland, the Cabinet Secretary has met with the four health boards who provide regional services across Scotland for children and adults with neuromuscular disorders, including Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD). He has asked them to set out their timelines and approaches to the families who have children with DMD, and this is now underway. In addition, the Chief Pharmaceutical Officer (CPO) has been assured that the consultants have reviewed all those who eligible to ensure fair and equitable access across Scotland.

Question reference: S6W-38094

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 02 June 2025
Current Status: Answered by Natalie Don-Innes on 13 June 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what data it has on the number of diversion from prosecution decisions made in relation to violent youth offenders in each of the last five years.

The Scottish Government collects and publishes data on the total number of diversion from prosecution cases commenced for people aged under 18, this is published in the Justice Social Work Statistics in Scotland: 2023-24 - Part 1.

Over the past five years a total of 3,444 diversion from prosecution cases were started for individuals under 18. However, information on the specific alleged offence in each case is not available.

Year	2019-20	2020-21	2021-22	2022-23	2023-24
Number of diversion cases commenced for under 18s	650	590	692	659	853