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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-39133

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 04 July 2025
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 29 July 2025

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will publish any terms for enhanced benefits that were requested by unions representing its civil service as part of any agreement on increased office attendance.

Question reference: S6W-39150

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 what its position is on reports that some deaf children who attend private school are not being provided with the required support from local authorities.

All children and young people should receive the support they need to reach their full potential. Independent schools have a duty under the Equality Act 2010 to make reasonable adjustments for pupils with disabilities. The Scottish Government encourages parents to discuss any reasonable adjustments that may be required for their child with their school in the first instance. Where there are concerns that a disabled pupil is being discriminated against in school, families have recourse to the First-tier Tribunal for Scotland.

Under the Education (Additional Support for Learning) (Scotland) Act 2004, education authorities have a duty to identify, provide for and review the additional support needs of pupils for whose education they are responsible. These duties apply when an education authority has placed a child or young person at an independent school.

Where a child or young person has been placed in an independent school by their family, education authorities have a discretionary power, rather than a duty, under the 2004 Act to provide support. In these circumstances, it is a matter for individual education authorities to decide whether support should be provided. Education authorities are supported in implementing the 2004 Act through the statutory Code of Practice, Supporting Children's Learning, 3rd edition.

Question reference: S6W-39145

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 whether it has modelled any potential energy security risks for Scotland as a result of completely removing nuclear from the energy mix.

The Scottish Government commissioned a report into the security of supply of Scotland’s electricity system. This report, Electricity system security of supply in Scotland, was published on the ClimateXChange website in December 2023.

The report found that the technology pathway to net zero in Scotland by 2045 would see the reduction in traditional firm generation capacities. The report also found that the generation capacity losses from this reduction would be offset by vast increases in wind and solar installed capacity, which along with the installation of storage technologies would provide security of supply in Scotland.

Although the Scottish Government commissioned this report, security of supply is a reserved matter that the National Energy Systems Operator (NESO) is responsible for.

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-39131

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

To ask the Scottish Government what information it has on what proportion of private landlords who exited the sector in 2024-25 were small investors with only one property.

The Scottish Government does not hold the data requested as exits from the Scottish Landlord Register and changes in portfolio size are not tracked.

The following table shows active registrations on the Register in March 2024 and March 2025.

Date	Number of Registrations	Landlords with 1 Property	Total Properties
31 March 2024	242,265	162,428	357,417
31 March 2025	239,666	159,374	358,931

The Landlord Registration system is an administrative system used primarily to manage the registration of landlords and rental properties, and has not been designed to produce robust statistical figures on the sector.

Please note that the number of landlords with 1 property will include joint owners of properties, and will therefore not exactly correspond to the number of properties.

Question reference: S6W-39130

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

To ask the Scottish Government what estimate it has made of the number of tenancies that have been lost as a result of landlord exits from the market since November 2024.

Question reference: S6W-39155

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 15 July 2025
Current Status: Answered by Kate Forbes on 29 July 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on the importance of naval contracts for shipyards in Scotland, and how it reconciles this with its policy to not use public money to support the manufacture of munitions or weapons.

The shipbuilding sector plays a vital role in supporting jobs and driving economic growth across Scotland. We are committed to promoting manufacturing and innovation, and Ministers continue to engage with businesses in the sector as part of that commitment.

Scotland has significant naval shipbuilding expertise and we would expect that any future UK Government contracts will provide a substantial contribution to the Scottish economy.

The Scottish Government’s long-standing policy position is that it does not use public money to support the manufacture of munitions.

Question reference: S6W-39192

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 11 July 2025
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 29 July 2025

To ask the Scottish Government how many police officers have been refused permission to work second jobs in the past five years.

The Scottish Government does not hold this information. The assessment of requests and permission for officers seeking additional jobs or business interests are matters for the Chief Constable.

The Scottish Government values the dedication shown by police officers in Scotland. That’s why our police officers remain the best paid in the UK recognising the hard work and valuable contribution they make daily as well as our commitment to investing in policing.

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).