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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-39128

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 03 July 2025
Current Status: Answered by Gillian Martin on 29 July 2025

To ask the Scottish Government how many staff are currently employed in the nuclear sector in Scotland, and what alternative employment or training will be available following the closure of any nuclear facilities.

The Low Carbon and Renewable Energy Economy (LCREE) Survey, published by the Office of National Statistics, estimates that in 2023 there were 2100 direct Full-Time Equivalent (FTE) roles in the nuclear industry in Scotland.

Decommissioning of nuclear sites in Scotland will take decades and will require the retention of a highly skilled workforce. Independent analysis by Ernst & Young (EY) suggests, with the right support, there could be around 2000 direct and indirect jobs and just under £400 million of direct and indirect Gross Value Added (GVA) in nuclear decommissioning in Scotland by 2045.

Question reference: S6W-39134

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 03 July 2025
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 29 July 2025

To ask the Scottish Government whether independent schools are entitled to receive NHS-delivered services in the same way as state schools.

All children and young people in Scotland are entitled to receive the same level of access to NHS-delivered services, regardless of which school they attend.

Decisions around fees for hospital education services are a matter for local authorities and NHS Boards to consider in conjunction with independent schools. Where fees are applied, we would expect the independent schools to offer families the financial support needed in instances where there is a charge for the education services on offer.

Question reference: S6W-39140

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 03 July 2025
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 29 July 2025

To ask the Scottish Government how many former Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA) senior staff will transfer to the new body without needing to apply for a role as part of an open recruitment process.

Schedule 3 (Transfer of staff, property etc to Qualifications Scotland) Section 2 (Transfer of staff) of the Education (Scotland) Bill as passed sets out that all employees assigned to the Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA) at the point of Qualifications Scotland being established, will transfer to Qualifications Scotland in line with the Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment) (TUPE).

Question reference: S6W-39144

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 03 July 2025
Current Status: Answered by Gillian Martin on 29 July 2025

To ask the Scottish Government how many skilled jobs it estimates will be lost when Torness nuclear power station closes, and whether it will implement a transition plan.

Question reference: S6W-39185

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 28 July 2025
Current Status: Answer expected on 25 August 2025

To ask the Scottish Government how much of its £2 million investment for 2025-26 through the Scottish Empty Homes Partnership, including to support additional empty homes officers, is (a) new investment and (b) a reallocation of existing funds.

Question reference: S6W-39184

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 28 July 2025
Current Status: Answer expected on 25 August 2025

To ask the Scottish Government how it plans to address the reported skills shortages in the renovation and construction sectors, in light of its plans to bring empty homes back into use.

Question reference: S6W-39581

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 28 July 2025
Current Status: Answer expected on 25 August 2025

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-39297 by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 24 July 2025, how many new cars registered in Scotland through the Accessible Vehicles and Equipment (AVE) Scheme in 2024 were electric, and what this figure is as a proportion of all new electric cars registered in Scotland in 2024.

Question reference: S6W-39187

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 28 July 2025
Current Status: Answer expected on 25 August 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what its detailed forecasts are for social security spending beyond 2029-30.

Question reference: S6W-39584

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 28 July 2025
Current Status: Answer expected on 25 August 2025

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-39106 by Ivan McKee on 8 July 2025, for what reason it chose to develop its own mobile app rather than co-opt the UK Government's mobile app for devolved public services.

Question reference: S6W-39188

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 28 July 2025
Current Status: Answer expected on 25 August 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to reports that Scotland relies on base load nuclear generation and imports from England, in light of its policy against the building of new nuclear power stations under current technologies.