Questions and answers

Question reference: S6W-35429

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 05 March 2025
Current Status: Answered by Angus Robertson on 19 March 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what the payments made to the Australian Council for Educational Research in financial year 2023-24 were for.

Australian Council for Educational Research International UK (ACER UK) were awarded a contract to support the Scottish Government, in consultation with its partner country Governments, to provide a needs analysis in Malawi, Zambia and Rwanda to inform the design of our new Inclusive Education programmes, with a focus on improving access to education for the most marginalised – particularly girls and learners with disabilities. The total amount paid to ACER UK for their services in FY2023-24 was £54,172.

Support from the Scottish Government for Inclusive Education was a specific ask during discussions with all three partner countries of Malawi, Zambia and Rwanda, and is provided in line with commitments made in Scotland’s International Strategy: Delivering for Scotland and the Programme for Government in 2023.

In 2020-21, the Scottish Government carried out a review of its approach to International Development in light of COVID-19 which deepened pre-existing inequalities, exposing vulnerabilities in social, political and economic systems. The results of that Review were announced to the Scottish Parliament through a Ministerial Statement on 3 March 2021 which included agreeing priority focus areas for future international development programming, ensuring SG is supporting its partners to address the impacts of COVID-19; education was one of the priority areas.

Question reference: S6W-35670

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 14 March 2025
Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 19 March 2025

To ask the Scottish Government how many cases of skin cancer have been diagnosed in each year since records began.

Question reference: S6W-35443

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 06 March 2025
Current Status: Answered by Natalie Don-Innes on 19 March 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the impact of the third sector early intervention fund.

The third sector plays a critical role in the Scottish Government’s ambition to improve outcomes for children, young people, families and adult learners particularly given the ongoing cost of living crisis. Since 2016, the Children, Young People and Families Early Intervention and Adult Learning and Empowering Communities (CYPFEI & ALEC) third sector fund has supported 122 organisations with just over £112m in funding. Since 2022, the Scottish Government has supported a further 22 organisations, providing core funding of over £6m, through the Children, Young People, Families and Adult Learners (CYPFAL) third sector fund. Core funding delivered through these funds has helped to support a range of action to deliver on priorities including tackling child poverty, supporting Children’s Rights, Keeping the Promise and promoting positive mental and physical health and wellbeing.

The Scottish Government appointed a fund administrator – the Corra Foundation – to work closely with all 137 organisations to support delivery of the funding outcomes that were set out in grant offers. As part of the conditions of grant, funded organisations are required to report on their progress towards delivery of the agreed funding outcomes. In the most recent reporting period from April to September 2024 around 1.3 million people – children, families and adult learners - across Scotland were directly supported as a result of this funding. Some of the key benefits of the funding identified by the Corra Foundation through their support for organisations include high quality support for children and families; improved knowledge and confidence in children, families and adult learners; improved outcomes for families, and enhanced partnership working across the third sector.

Question reference: S6W-35619

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 12 March 2025
Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 19 March 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to improve the reporting and recording of sexual assaults in hospital wards, in light of reports of more than 250 assaults in five years.

NHS Boards have reporting systems to capture data on violence and aggression - including sexual assault. I strongly encourage staff to report any and all instances of violent and aggressive behaviour.

Health Improvement Scotland are working with all NHS boards and partner organisations to standardise the reporting of adverse events, and have developed a national framework which was published in February.

This details the importance of national standards of reporting and the requirement for monitoring and publishing of data. This will facilitate the collation of accurate data nationally.

The courts have extensive powers to deal robustly with sexual offending. All instances of such behaviour should be reported and escalated to Police Scotland as quickly as possible for consideration of necessary action.

Question reference: S6W-35423

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 05 March 2025
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 18 March 2025

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will publish a breakdown of all local government funding allocations since 2013-14, including real-terms reductions.

Local Government funding allocations are routinely published in Local Government Finance Circulars. The allocations in question are available at:

2013-14 - Circular 2/2013

2014-15 - Circular 2/2014

2015-16 - Circular 2/2015

2016-17 - Circular 1/2016

2017-18 - Circular 1/2017

2018-19 - Circular 4/2018

2019-20 - Circular 2/2019

2020-21 - Circular 4/2020

2021-22 - Circular 5/2021

2022-23 - Circular 1/2022

2023-24 - Circular 3/2023

2024-25 - Circular 2/2024

2025-26 - Circular 1/2025

Question reference: S6W-35422

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 05 March 2025
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 18 March 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to reports that local authorities have experienced a cumulative £7.8 billion reduction in core funding since 2013-14.

Question reference: S6W-35618

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 12 March 2025
Current Status: Answered by Ivan McKee on 17 March 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what measures it is taking to improve accountability and performance management within the civil service, and whether it is reviewing dismissal procedures for any underperformance.

Performance management procedures in place for Senior Civil Servants and for Civil Servants at delegated grades, are regularly reviewed and include procedure in relation to management of poor performance and dismissal.

While workforce and terms and conditions of employment for Scottish Government civil servants are delegated to Scottish Ministers, the terms and conditions of Senior Civil Servants (SCS) are reserved to the UK Government and any changes made by UK Ministers and their application will be considered by Scottish Ministers in due course.

Question reference: S6W-35430

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 05 March 2025
Current Status: Answered by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 17 March 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what funding has been made available to the Association of Chief Officers of Scottish Voluntary Organisations, and what the objectives associated with that funding were, for each of the last five financial years.

Please see the following table outlining the funding made available to the Association of Chief Officers or Scottish Voluntary Organisations and the objectives associated with that funding for each of the last five financial years.

Financial Year	Grant name/amount	Objectives/Outcomes of Grant
20-21	ACOSVO Core Grant Funding £164,773	The main objectives / expected outcomes of the Grant are: Inspire: Champion Third Sector Leadership Excel: Build Skills and Confidence for Excellent Leadership Develop: Develop and Sustain ACOSVO as an Organisation which is an Example of Leadership and Governance Good Practice Support the government and communities in responding to Covid-19, as required.
20-21	Resilient Leadership Study £8,000	To support the study of “Resilient leadership in the third sector in Scotland” To expand intelligence gathering amongst third sector leadership to support this To deploy learning in support of leadership exchange work, the Scottish Leaders Forum and other priorities as agreed.
21-22	ACOSVO Core Grant Funding £219,697	The main objectives / expected outcomes of the Grant are: Inspire: Champion Third Sector Leadership Excel: Build Skills and Confidence for Excellent Leadership Develop: Develop and Sustain ACOSVO as an Organisation which is an Example of Leadership and Governance Good Practice Support the government and communities in Covid-19 recovery and renewal and responding to the end of the EU Exit transition as required.
21-22	Cyber Resilience – Voluntary Sector “Be Better Informed” Project £5,200	Increase access to, and use of, threat intelligence to inform understanding of risk Promote the use of NCSC’s Cyber Information Sharing Platform (CISP) Include information on cyber threat and risk in advice and guidance from third sector advisory and regulatory bodies Promote the range of cyber security standards and regulations available to support clearer choices for the Third sector based on their exposure to risk and their risk appetite.
22-23	ACOSVO Core Grant Funding £219,697	The main objectives / expected outcomes of the Grant are: Inspire: Champion Third Sector Leadership Excel: Build Skills and Confidence for Excellent Leadership Develop: Develop and Sustain ACOSVO as an Organisation which is an Example of Leadership and Governance Good Practice Support the government and communities in Covid-19 recovery and renewal and responding to the end of the EU Exit transition as required.
23-24	ACOSVO Core Grant Funding £228,485	SUPPORT, DEVELOP & INSPIRE voluntary sector leaders at all stages in their journey ADVANCE thinking, ideas and resilience for the future STRENGTHEN connections, organisations, governance, sustainability and partnerships.
23-24	£44,000	The expected outcomes of the Grant are: Implementing the recommendations of ACOSVO EDI survey on Learning and development; Transition and succession planning; and Participating in Delivering Equally Safe at Work The targets/milestones against which progress in achieving objectives/expected outcomes shall be monitored are: Monitoring of progress against outcomes and objectives is expected to be a joint and shared process. We will develop with the Grantee a proportionate approach to monitoring and reporting, via enabling relationships based on partnership, a focus on outcomes, and mutual learning, that takes forward our shared thinking, and can inform future policy.
24-25	ACOSVO Core Grant Funding £228,485	Outcome 1. SUPPORT, DEVELOP & INSPIRE voluntary sector leaders at all stages in their journey Outcome 2. ADVANCE thinking, ideas and resilience for the future Outcome 3. STRENGTHEN connections, organisations, governance, sustainability and partnerships.
24-25	£44,000	The expected outcomes of the Grant are: Implementing the recommendations of ACOSVO EDI survey on Learning and development; Transition and succession planning; and Participating in Delivering Equally Safe at Work The targets/milestones against which progress in achieving objectives/expected outcomes shall be monitored are: Monitoring of progress against outcomes and objectives is expected to be a joint and shared process. We will develop with the Grantee a proportionate approach to monitoring and reporting, via enabling relationships based on partnership, a focus on outcomes, and mutual learning, that takes forward our shared thinking, and can inform future policy.

Question reference: S6W-35420

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 05 March 2025
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 17 March 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to address reports of burnout and low morale among police officers in Scotland.

This is an operational matter for Police Scotland. The Chief Constable stated to the Criminal Justice Committee that the wellbeing of police officers and staff is one of her main priorities. Police Scotland has made a £17 million investment in wellbeing, which includes their 24-7 employee assistance programme that will focus on providing support wherever and whenever it is needed, and enhanced occupational health services to support officers and staff wellbeing.

The Chief Constable has provided reassurance that Police Scotland has a healthy recruitment pipeline, and more recruits have been taken on this (financial) year than at any time since 2013.

Question reference: S6W-35445

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 06 March 2025
Current Status: Answered by Ivan McKee on 17 March 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what items were covered under the heading "Catering; Bar Equipment and Accessories" in the information provided under freedom of information (FOI) release FOI/202500450646 (Scottish Government office equipment spend).

FOI/202500450646 contained the spend category, Catering; Bar Equipment and Accessories. The following items are within this category -

Items for sample processing (knives, potato peelers, chopping boards, scoops, mills)

Protective clothing (disposable aprons/lab coats)

Storage boxes, plastic trays and jugs

Catering trolleys

Mops and cleaning chemicals

Water boilers to sterilise sample processing equipment

Freezers

Servicing of mills, and replacement of parts

Dishwashers

Compact Mobile Trolley

Vacuum Milk Jug

Replacement boiler for crew mess

Fridges

Crockery and cutlery

Chefs whites

Pots and sauce pans

Miscellaneous kitchen equipment

Bed sheets and linen for crew cabin areas

Milk Fridge, including materials, Powder/Hotwater/ Tank and maintenance agreement

Coffee Machine

Water Filter, Filter Cartridge

Cleaning Container and Carriage

Glass Rack 16 compartment x 5

Glass Rack 16 compartment x 4

Folding table,

Turbofan Convection Oven

Catering supplies for family and witness rooms

Kettle

Flasks for Tea/Hot Water

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