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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Displaying 2239 questions Show Answers
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Question reference: S6W-40995
- Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
- Date lodged: Friday, 03 October 2025
- Current Status: Answer expected on 31 October 2025
To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the recent report by Audit Scotland, Scotland’s Colleges 2025, what action it is taking to ensure that the Scottish Funding Council has the capacity to meet any future increase in liquidity support requests from colleges.
Answer
Question reference: S6W-41001
- Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
- Date lodged: Friday, 03 October 2025
- Current Status: Answer expected on 31 October 2025
To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the finding in the recent report by Audit Scotland, Scotland’s Colleges 2025, that a credit-based funding model is output driven, how it will ensure that such a model does not incentivise colleges to prioritise cheaper-to-deliver courses over those most needed by employers and communities.
Answer
Question reference: S6W-40993
- Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
- Date lodged: Friday, 03 October 2025
- Current Status: Answer expected on 31 October 2025
To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the economic impact of the 20% real-terms funding reduction for colleges since 2021-22, as reported by Audit Scotland in its recent report, Scotland’s Colleges 2025.
Answer
Question reference: S6W-41002
- Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
- Date lodged: Friday, 03 October 2025
- Current Status: Answer expected on 31 October 2025
To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the recent report by Audit Scotland, Scotland’s Colleges 2025, which noted that colleges supported fewer students from deprived backgrounds to access university in 2022-23, what action it will take to address the decline in the number of students from the most deprived backgrounds progressing from college to university.
Answer
Question reference: S6W-41008
- Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
- Date lodged: Friday, 03 October 2025
- Current Status: Answer expected on 31 October 2025
To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to reverse the reported 12.4% decrease in college enrolments in 2023-24 compared with 2022-23, as highlighted by Audit Scotland in its recent report, Scotland’s Colleges 2025.
Answer
Question reference: S6W-40997
- Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
- Date lodged: Friday, 03 October 2025
- Current Status: Answer expected on 31 October 2025
To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the findings on the college sector workforce in the recent report by Audit Scotland, Scotland’s Colleges 2025, how many teaching and support staff left Scotland’s colleges through (a) voluntary and (b) compulsory severance in 2023-24.
Answer
Question reference: S6W-41006
- Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
- Date lodged: Friday, 03 October 2025
- Current Status: Answer expected on 31 October 2025
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide inflationary uplifts to college budgets, in light of Audit Scotland’s finding in its recent report, Scotland’s Colleges 2025, that no such uplifts have been applied to budgets in 2025-26 despite rising costs.
Answer
Question reference: S6W-40996
- Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
- Date lodged: Friday, 03 October 2025
- Current Status: Answer expected on 31 October 2025
To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the long-term sustainability of the college estate, in light of the recent report by Audit Scotland, Scotland’s Colleges 2025, which notes that estimated costs for maintenance and meeting net zero emission targets may approach £1 billion.
Answer
Question reference: S6W-41011
- Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
- Date lodged: Friday, 03 October 2025
- Current Status: Answer expected on 31 October 2025
To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to expand the provision of English for speakers of other languages (ESOL) in colleges, in light of Audit Scotland’s finding in its recent report, Scotland’s Colleges 2025, that demand for such courses is high.
Answer
Question reference: S6W-40992
- Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
- Date lodged: Friday, 03 October 2025
- Current Status: Answer expected on 31 October 2025
To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the recent report by Audit Scotland, Scotland’s Colleges 2025, which notes that the demand for modern apprentice places exceeds funded placements, how it plans to support colleges to meet local and national skills needs in sectors such as engineering, construction, digital, healthcare and renewables.
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