- Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 08 May 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Maree Todd on 19 May 2025
To ask the Scottish Government how many formal (a) warnings, (b) notices and (c) interventions regarding suicide risks linked to infrastructure in mental health units have been issued since 2022, broken down by NHS board.
Answer
The information requested could only be obtained at disproportionate cost as it is not held centrally.
- Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 09 May 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Ivan McKee on 19 May 2025
To ask the Scottish Government, whether it will provide the (a) office seating capacity and (b) annual running cost of each building (i) 4 Atlantic Quay (Glasgow), (ii) 5 Atlantic Quay (Glasgow), (iii) Bothwell House (Hamilton), (iv) Cadzow Court (Hamilton), (v) Compass House (Dundee), (vi) Denholm House (Livingston), (vii) Alexander Fleming House (Elgin), (viii) Hadrian House (Falkirk), (ix) Tankerness Lane (Kirkwall), (x) Longman House (Inverness) (xi) Marine Scotland (Eyemouth), (xii) Marine Scotland (Peterhead) and (xiii) St Andrews House (Edinburgh).
Answer
The information requested is set out in the following table:
Office | Seating capacity | Annual running cost (2024-25) |
4 Atlantic Quay (Glasgow) 1 | 670 | £51,465.41 |
5 Atlantic Quay (Glasgow) | 764 | £1,507,095.13 |
Bothwell House (Hamilton) 2 | 12 | £13,708.11 |
Cadzow Court (Hamilton) | 32 | £38,310.42 |
Compass House (Dundee) | 22 | £19,121.78 |
Denholm House (Livingston) | 124 | £95,660.21 |
Alexander Fleming House (Elgin) | 23 | £50,462.25 |
Hadrian House (Falkirk) | 36 | £38,435.06 |
Tankerness Lane (Kirkwall) | 26 | £51,360.40 |
Longman House (Inverness) | 148 | £127,877.81 |
Marine Scotland (Eyemouth) | 2 | £13,984.23 |
Marine Scotland (Peterhead) | 20 | £42,493.61 |
St Andrews House (Edinburgh) | 1775 | £1,601,075.15 |
1 – Office closed July 2024
2 – Office closed May 2025
The figures in the Annual running cost (2024-25) column take account of the following:
Facilities Management Hard Services fixed contract costs
Facilities Management Soft Services fixed contract costs
Utilities
- Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 01 May 2025
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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.
Answer
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.
- Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 02 May 2025
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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.
Answer
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.
- Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 14 May 2025
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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.
Answer
Taken in the Chamber on 21 May 2025
- Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 01 May 2025
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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.
Answer
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.
- Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 01 May 2025
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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.
Answer
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.
- Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 01 May 2025
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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.
Answer
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.
- Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 29 April 2025
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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.
Answer
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.
- Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 01 May 2025
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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.
Answer
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.
