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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.

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Question reference: S6W-37278

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 01 May 2025
Current Status: Answered by Paul McLennan on 15 May 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the reasons for the reported 26% decline in new-build rental construction over the past year, and what actions are being taken to address this.

The Scottish Government is aware of the recent publication of industry figures on the operation of the Build to Rent sector. We are committed to improving conditions for housing investment at scale and will continue efforts to create a favourable environment, working with the sector, including the Housing Investment Taskforce, to achieve this.

Through our recently announced consultation, we are seeking views on proposed exemptions for certain types of property including mid-market rent and build to rent to be exempted from rent control and to specify circumstances where it might be appropriate for landlords to increase rent above the level of the rent cap, could be used.

Question reference: S6W-37148

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 02 May 2025
Current Status: Answered by Graeme Dey on 15 May 2025

To ask the Scottish Government whether it supports a UK-wide framework to safeguard universities against intellectual property and technology transfers to foreign military regimes.

Scottish Government officials are engaging closely with UK Government, via the Department for Education, Department for Science Innovation and Technology, and the Home Office, on the development of the Foreign Influence Registration Scheme due to come into force on 1 July.

Officials also continue to engage with the UK Government on UK-wide frameworks and guidance regarding the management of international partnerships.

Whilst national security is reserved to the UK Government, the Scottish Government expect universities, as autonomous bodies, to conduct due diligence on managing risks associated with international partnerships and comply with relevant legal requirements, including the National Security Act 2023, and National Security and Investment Act 2021.

The Scottish Government also expects that universities will carefully consider guidance published by Universities UK, and the UK Government’s Research Collaboration Advice Team, to support them in managing risks of international partnerships.

Question reference: S6O-04685

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 14 May 2025
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 21 May 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on the impact of its Scottish income tax policy on the median income in Scotland, in light of this estimated to be £29,750 in 2025-26, based on its current policy.

Question reference: S6W-37170

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 01 May 2025
Current Status: Answered by Maree Todd on 14 May 2025

To ask the Scottish Government how many hours of social care support could have been delivered with the £30 million that was reportedly spent on developing the National Care Service (Scotland) Bill.

We are delivering much needed social care reform through the National Care Service, and it is a complex programme of change. The reported £28m reflects the funding allocated to developing National Care Service proposals since August 2021. The vast majority of the allocation is funding for existing Scottish Government staff and co-design work.

To put the £28m spent on the NCS into context, that is just 0.2% of the total health and social care budget on a system that we agree isn’t currently working. This is not unreasonable or a waste of investment. It includes co-design and engagement work ensuring people with lived experience of accessing and delivering social care services, social work and community health are partners in developing the National Care Service proposals.

Question reference: S6W-36910

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 01 May 2025
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 14 May 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether wigs and other gender-affirming items should be provided at public cost to prisoners who have violated prison rules or engaged in threating or abusive behaviour while in custody, and what the reasons are for its position on the matter.

I have asked Teresa Medhurst, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service (SPS), to respond. Her response is as follows:

The Scottish Prison Service agree that those living in custody with protected characteristics, such as gender reassignment, should be supported wherever reasonably practicable.

The Management of Transgender People in Custody Policy 2023 indicates that in addition to local property entitlements, transgender people may need access to other property to assist them. This is considered on an individualised basis.

Entitlement to this property is made through assessment that forms part of a transgender person’s individual case management process and is consistent with SPS’s commitment to ensuring equality, diversity and human rights for all individuals living in prisons.

Any breach of discipline will be dealt with in accordance with the Scottish and Young Offenders Institutions (Scotland) Rules 2011. Any punishment awarded by the adjudicator will be proportionate to the charge and the evidence presented.

Question reference: S6W-37144

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 01 May 2025
Current Status: Answered by Graeme Dey on 14 May 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of any risks posed by Scottish universities maintaining research and commercial partnerships with Chinese institutions identified by UK national security agencies as being linked to the Chinese military or state.

Although national security is reserved to the UK Government, the Scottish Government has continued to engage with UK Government regarding collaborations with Chinese state-linked institutions.

The Scottish Government expect universities, as autonomous bodies, to conduct due diligence on managing risks associated with international partnerships and comply with relevant legal requirements, including the National Security Act 2023, and National Security and Investment Act 2021.

Question reference: S6W-37083

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 30 April 2025
Current Status: Answered by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 14 May 2025

To ask the Scottish Government how it plans to protect freedom of speech for public servants, teachers and other professionals who hold or express gender-critical views, in light of the Supreme Court ruling regarding For Women Scotland v The Scottish Ministers.

There are existing protections for freedom of speech and the Equality Act 2010 protects people from discrimination or harassment at work or in other areas of their life, because of their religious or philosophical beliefs.

The Equality Act 2010 is mainly reserved to the UK Parliament and UK Government. The regulator, the Equality and Human Rights Commission, has issued guidance on avoiding discrimination and harassment in the workplace and there is a Statutory Code of Practice on Employment.

Freedom of speech is a qualified right and the ways in which a person’s religion or belief is manifested might not be protected if this impacts on the legal rights of others, including those with the protected characteristic of gender reassignment, not to be discriminated against or harassed.

Question reference: S6W-37169

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 01 May 2025
Current Status: Answered by Maree Todd on 14 May 2025

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the Scottish National Party 2021 manifesto commitment to abolish non-residential care charges, for what reason the number of local authorities introducing or raising such fees has reportedly increased since 2022.

Under Section 87(1A) of the Social Work (Scotland) Act 1968, a local authority may charge for the adult non-residential, non-personal care it provides such as day care, lunch clubs, meals-on-wheels, community alarm and help with shopping and housework.

Local authorities have the powers to develop their own charging policies for non-residential social care and support. These charging policies are designed with the primary objective of offsetting the costs of providing services at a local level.

COSLA produces annual guidance to help promote consistency in policies, however variation often exists due to local accountability and conditions. COSLA and the Scottish Government recognises that local authorities require autonomy and flexibility to adapt to their local circumstances.

COSLA guidance recommends that charges should be reasonable and must be no higher than the cost to the local authority of providing the service. In reality most charges are much lower than the cost of providing the service.

The Scottish Government recognises that the cost of care can be high for people particularly in the current financial climate. We are committed to working with COSLA to review non-residential charges.

Question reference: S6W-37166

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 01 May 2025
Current Status: Answered by Graeme Dey on 14 May 2025

To ask the Scottish Government whether it has issued any guidance or expectations to university governing bodies regarding executive pay restraint during periods of public funding pressure, in the last five years.

The Minister addressed the issue of executive pay and the need for restraint when he attended the Meeting of the Committee of Scottish University Chairs on 27 March 2025.

Universities are autonomous institutions with responsibility for their own pay and remuneration decisions.

However, the Scottish Government expects universities to exercise restraint in setting senior pay, and senior pay packages should be in step with the salary, terms and conditions offered to other university staff.

Universities are also required to comply with the terms of the Scottish Funding Council’s Financial Memorandum as a condition of grant funding. This includes compliance with the principles of The Scottish Code of Good HE Governance, such as the expectation that universities’ remuneration committees seek the views of student and staff representatives in relation to the remuneration packages of Principals and senior executive teams, represent the public interest and avoid any inappropriate use of funds.

Question reference: S6W-37077

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 29 April 2025
Current Status: Answered by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 14 May 2025

To ask the Scottish Government how many of its public agencies, including NHS boards and local authorities, currently operate single-sex services based on gender identity rather than biological sex, and what steps are being taken to address this.

The information requested is not held centrally by the Scottish Government and is a matter for individual public bodies. The Equalities and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) is the body responsible for regulating and enforcing the Equality Act 2010. The Scottish Government is already undertaking a review of existing policies, guidance and legislation impacted by the recent Supreme Court judgment but will require to fully consider the revised Guidance and Code from the EHRC when it is issued, along with the Supreme Court judgment itself, before any changes could be made.