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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-37791

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 21 May 2025
Current Status: Answered by Graeme Dey on 3 June 2025

To ask the Scottish Government how many apprenticeships were started by young people aged 16-24 in each of the last five years.

Skills Development Scotland publish the number of Modern Apprenticeships starts aged 16-24 in their statistics release available here – https://www.skillsdevelopmentscotland.co.uk/publications-statistics/statistics/modern-apprenticeships.

SDS also publish Foundation and Graduate Apprenticeships. These will also contain some 16-24 year olds in their starts figures. The latest releases are available here – https://www.skillsdevelopmentscotland.co.uk/publications-statistics/statistics/foundation-apprenticeships– and here – https://www.skillsdevelopmentscotland.co.uk/publications-statistics/statistics/graduate-apprenticeships.

Question reference: S6W-37826

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 22 May 2025
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 3 June 2025

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of reported long waiting times for NHS hearing aid replacements, what consideration it has given to offering patients access to alternative providers.

The Scottish Government remains committed to the 2021 manifesto commitment to deliver a new community hearing service. We recognise the difficulties facing the audiology sector, as highlighted by the 2023 report on the Independent Review of Audiology. Given 80% of audiology care is serviced through the NHS, it is right that we consider Review recommendations in any future work and this, together with the wider financial context, has necessitated the rephasing of our manifesto commitment.

Alongside evidence from existing models across the UK, our decision making will be informed by working with the NHS, third sector, private providers and those with lived experience.

Question reference: S6W-37825

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 22 May 2025
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 3 June 2025

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will publish the current average waiting times for hearing aid replacements, broken down by NHS board.

Audiology is considered a clinical priority area and the Scottish Government remains committed to its vision for an integrated and community-based hearing service in Scotland.

The Scottish Government does not capture patients on waiting lists for hearing aid replacements specifically and it is the responsibility of Health Boards to manage these lists appropriately.

Scottish Government officials and the Centre for Sustainable Delivery national planned care team meet monthly with Chief Operating Officer and Health Boards to review performance and delivery across all Planned Care specialities, including ENT. In addition, Local Health Board Action Plans in relation to the Independent Review, which has been published online, are reported and monitored by the NHSS Planning and Delivery Board.

Question reference: S6W-37675

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 27 May 2025
Current Status: Answered by Ivan McKee on 3 June 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what training courses have been delivered by Total Politics Group in each of its directorates in each of the last five years, and how much each of these cost.

The Scottish Government spend with Total Politics Group in each of the last 5 financial years is detailed in the following tables. For FY2024-25 the spend has been broken down by Directorate.

Financial Year	Total spend
April 20-March 21	£-
April 21-March 22	£-
April 22-March 23	£-
April 23-March 24	£-
April 24-March 25	£11,106.00

Directorate	Course	Total Spend
Directorate for Agriculture & Rural Economy	Stakeholder Engagement and Partnership Working	£534.00
Directorate for Constitution	Women into Leadership Conference	£2,130.00
Directorate for Environment and Forestry	Ethnic Minorities into Leadership Conference	£708.00
Directorate for Environment and Forestry	Women into Leadership Conference	£2,130.00
Directorate for Safer Communities	Women into Leadership Conference	£1,770.00
Directorate for Social & National Care	Women into Leadership Conference	£3,834.00

Question reference: S6W-37851

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 27 May 2025
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 3 June 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what proportion of local authorities have completed a cyber risk audit within the past 12 months.

The Scottish Government does not collect this information. The local councils are independent corporate bodies, separate from the Scottish Government, and it is up to each council how it manages its risks. Under the Strategic Framework for a Cyber Resilient Scotland (2021), the Scottish Government strongly encourages all public bodies to seek appropriate and regular independent assurance of their critical technical controls.

Question reference: S6W-37782

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 21 May 2025
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 3 June 2025

To ask the Scottish Government how much it has spent on the (a) provision and (b) maintenance and servicing of free bikes, since May 2021.

From May 2021 to date, £9,419,808 has been spent on the provision, maintenance and servicing of free bikes. This figure includes the cost of accessories such as locks, lights and helmets, and includes the total cost of the project associated with free bike provision. This includes bikes distributed under the Free Bikes for School Children pilot programme between August 2021 and March 2023, the Free Bikes Partnership in financial year 2023-24, and under the Regional Transport Partnership-led People and Place programme in financial year 2024-25.

Due to reporting schedules, the final evaluation of the People and Place programme for financial year 2024-25 has not been completed at the time of writing. The free bikes data for 2024-25 may therefore be subject to change.

Question reference: S6W-37032

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 21 May 2025
Current Status: Answered by Gillian Martin on 3 June 2025

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the First Minister's reported endorsement of calls to nationalise the Grangemouth oil refinery and his reported view that the Scottish Government did not have adequate resources to nationalise the refinery itself, what its position is on what impact such comments may have on public and business confidence in its policies on this matter.

Given the nature of operating a refinery, significant regular operational expenditure would be required, alongside frequent capital expenditure, to enable the asset to continue operating - and we continue to urge the UK Government to leave no stone unturned when it comes to securing the future and the workforce of the site.

The public and business community should be confident that the Scottish Government is committed to attracting and securing investment in Grangemouth’s future, underpinned by our £25 million Grangemouth Just Transition Fund which will be utilised to support near term low carbon opportunities identified by the Grangemouth Investment Taskforce and Project Willow.

Question reference: S6W-37832

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 27 May 2025
Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 30 May 2025

To ask the Scottish Government whether the NHS pay deal will affect resource allocation to frontline services.

The Scottish Government recognise that workforce and pay costs driven by a period of prolonged high inflation are now contributing to significant budget pressures across health and social care, the wider Scottish Government budget and the whole of the public sector. This Government has been clear that the extent of these challenges will not be addressed in a single year and we will continue to make the tough choices necessary to support sustainable public finances, whilst also seeking to minimise the impact on frontline services as far as possible.

Question reference: S6W-37833

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 27 May 2025
Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 30 May 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what productivity measures it will introduce alongside the NHS pay deal.

Question reference: S6W-37679

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 16 May 2025
Current Status: Answered by Kaukab Stewart on 30 May 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what funding it has provided (a) directly and (b) indirectly to Refugee Festival Scotland in each of the last five years.

Refugee Festival Scotland is coordinated by Scottish Refugee Council. The Festival did not run in 2020 due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.

Direct Funding

The Scottish Government did not provide any direct funding for Refugee Festival Scotland between 2020-2025.

Indirect Funding

In August 2020, the New Scots partnership secured funding from the EU Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund (AMIF) for the New Scots Refugee Integration Delivery Project (NSRIDP) to enhance the delivery of the New Scots refugee integration strategy. The project was led by the Scottish Government in partnership with COSLA, Scottish Refugee Council and the UNESCO Chair in Refugee Integration through Languages and the Arts at the University of Glasgow.

A total of £6 million of EU funding was secured, for a £6.6 million project running between October 2020 and December 2023, with the Scottish Government required to provide 10% match funding for the project. The project ended following the UK’s withdrawal from the EU.

During the project lifespan, the following funding was included for Scottish Refugee Council to deliver Refugee Festival Scotland:

2020-21: £5,207.80
2021-22: £65,085.80
2022-23: £63,035.46
2023-24: £114,866.51