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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-36936

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 15 May 2025
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 29 May 2025

To ask the Scottish Government whether the productivity of civil servants working remotely has been formally evaluated.

All Civil Servants working for Scottish Government follow annual performance management procedures, including regular evaluation of performance and feedback wherever they work.

As part of a recent review of hybrid working, officials noted that there are few independent research empirical studies about hybrid working of a sufficient academic standing. Of those studies that were of a high standard and have been conducted recently, findings indicate that some form of hybrid working can lead to improved or the same performance levels compared to office working only.

Question reference: S6W-37788

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 21 May 2025
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 29 May 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what estimate it has made of how many barber shops in Scotland are linked to money laundering, and what steps are being taken to tackle any such incidences of financial crime.

Question reference: S6W-37025

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 16 May 2025
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 28 May 2025

To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to publish a detailed comparative analysis of any differences in post-S4 retention rates between Scotland and the rest of the UK.

Question reference: S6W-36929

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 15 May 2025
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 28 May 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether schools that have been assessed as having “inadequate” means of escape and “intolerable” housekeeping standards should remain open to pupils.

Although, it is the statutory responsibility of local authorities to manage their school estate, we expect them to provide safe learning environments for all school users.

If there were concerns raised to Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) regarding perceived high levels of risk to life from fire, the SFRS would undertake an urgent audit and ultimately could, if necessary, prohibit the use, or parts, of a school until the situation was satisfactorily rectified.

Question reference: S6F-04139

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 27 May 2025
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 29 May 2025

To ask the First Minister, in light of it being almost five years since the Scottish Government committed to spending £60 million to renew every play park in Scotland and of reports that less than half of the funding has been spent, what action the Scottish Government is taking to ensure that children do not miss out on renewed facilities.

Question reference: S6W-37634

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 15 May 2025
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 27 May 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what guidance or negotiations it has undertaken with COSLA to reduce teacher class contact time.

The Scottish Government remains committed to reducing class contact time, and we will continue to explore with COSLA and the teacher unions, through the Scottish Negotiating Committee for Teachers (SNCT), how best to deliver this commitment.

Local Government are also undertaking local scoping and modelling work to inform delivery of this commitment. This work is scheduled to be completed by summer 2025.

Question reference: S6W-37640

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 15 May 2025
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 27 May 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether local authorities are delivering additional support needs support to a consistent national standard.

The intention behind the Education (Additional Support for Learning) (Scotland) Act 2004 is that we have an inclusive approach to Education with a needs-led approach in Scotland.

The Scottish Government remains committed to the inclusive approach to meeting the needs of all young people, in-line with the principles of Getting it Right for Every Child.

The nature of ASN is individual to each child or young person, highly varied, and encompasses a wide range of needs; therefore, some variation should be expected in how this is reported. All children and young people with identified needs which require additional support are entitled to this, they do not require a diagnosis to receive this.

The Audit Scotland review into ASL recommended that the Scottish Government and councils fundamentally evaluate, both nationally and locally, how ASL is planned for, funded and staffed as part of core education provision.

In partnership with our local authority colleagues, we are giving careful consideration to the recommendations set out within the briefing and I am meeting with the Auditor General in the coming weeks to discuss in more detail.

Question reference: S6W-37661

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 15 May 2025
Current Status: Answered by Kaukab Stewart on 27 May 2025

To ask the Scottish Government which institutions and organisations bid to host the Anti Racism Observatory for Scotland, and who made the decision that it would be based at the University of Strathclyde.

Four organisations submitted a tender to host the Anti-Racism Observatory for Scotland:

1.Edinburgh Innovations Ltd and University of Edinburgh

2.Impact Funding Partners

3.University Court University of Glasgow

4.University of Strathclyde

The bids were evaluated in line with standard procurement processes.

The bid received from the University of Strathclyde, in partnership with the Coalition for Racial Equality and Rights, outlined that the Observatory would be hosted at the University of Strathclyde.

Question reference: S6W-36973

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 16 May 2025
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 27 May 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to ensure that any ideological language or policies do not undermine the professional judgment of staff working with vulnerable young people.

There are a range of approaches in place which support the prevention of harm to vulnerable young people by those who work with them.

If an organisation has employees or volunteers doing a regulated role, it has a legal duty to report harmful behaviour to Disclosure Scotland. This duty applies whether the person is a member of the PVG scheme or not.

There are also a range or regulatory organisations whose function are to maintain professional standards. For example, the General Teaching Council for Scotland.

We are committed to tackling the underlying issues which influence ideologies and seek to protect the rights of all young people. For example, in schools we have undertaken work, aligned to the implementation of the Equality Act to prevent discrimination; through challenging racism, misogyny, and bullying and through approaches such as LGBT Inclusive Education and Supporting Transgender Young people in Schools Guidance which makes clear the responsibility of schools to support young people who are considering or who have changed their gender identity in order to ensure that they do not experience discrimination within schools and can reach their full potential.

Question reference: S6W-37085

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 20 May 2025
Current Status: Answered by Ivan McKee on 27 May 2025

To ask the Scottish Government, regarding the reported ministerial pay rise of almost £20,000, whether it will publish the evidence base underpinning the reported comment by the Minister for Social Care, Mental Wellbeing and Sport that “it won’t cost the public purse a penny extra”.

The Scottish Government has already published the estimated financial contribution made to public spending by the voluntary Ministerial pay freeze since it was established on 1 April 2009. Between 1 April 2009 and 31 March 2025, Ministers made an estimated £2.2 million available for public spending from their own pay packets. This is public funding that would not have been available had Ministers not voluntarily decided to return a proportion of their pay. In 2024-25, Ministerial pay was 30.4% below where it would otherwise have been. From 1 April 2025, the MSP element of the pay of all Ministers except the First Minister was equalised with that of all other MSPs, while the freeze on the Ministerial element of their pay continues for a seventeenth consecutive year. In 2025-26, Ministers will make an estimated £166,000 available for public spending from their own pay packets and, as such, public funds this year will again be higher than they would have been without the pay freeze. This is the point that the Minister for Social Care, Mental Wellbeing and Sport was making.