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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-32033

Asked by: Murdo Fraser, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 06 December 2024
Current Status: Answered by Richard Lochhead on 11 December 2024

To ask the Scottish Government for what reason the 2025-26 draft Budget proposes reducing the digital budget of the portfolio of the Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Secretary for Economy and Gaelic by more than one half, and what areas of the digital budget this will impact on.

Following record investment in digital this financial year, the draft budget allocates £166 million for investment during 2025-26. This total includes income to the Scottish Government of around £68 million from legacy programmes and will support continued delivery of the Reaching 100% (R100) contracts and the Digital Strategy. The Scottish Government has also secured UK Government funding for investment in digital infrastructure through the Project Gigabit programme which will further increase planned digital spend in 2025-26.

Question reference: S6W-32112

Asked by: Murdo Fraser, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 10 December 2024
Current Status: Answer expected on 7 January 2025

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the UK Government’s reported commitment to a permanently lowered tax rate for grassroots music venues in England and Wales from 2026-27, whether it will commit to implementing any such relief in full in Scotland.

Question reference: S6W-32113

Asked by: Murdo Fraser, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 10 December 2024
Current Status: Answer expected on 7 January 2025

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the UK Government’s consultation on reforming its business rates system, whether it has any plans to undertake a similar consultation on potential changes to non-domestic rates in Scotland.

Question reference: S6W-32115

Asked by: Murdo Fraser, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 10 December 2024
Current Status: Answer expected on 7 January 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what consideration it has given to providing further financial support to grassroots music venues beyond the planned 40% rates relief in its draft Budget 2025-26.

Question reference: S6W-31217

Asked by: Murdo Fraser, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 21 November 2024
Current Status: Answered by Ruth Charteris on 10 December 2024

To ask the Scottish Government how much (a) has been and (b) is due to be paid to litigants from all concluded civil cases relating to prosecutions arising from the administration of Rangers FC, broken down by financial year.

The following table provides the details of how much has been paid to litigants from all concluded civil cases relating to prosecutions arising from the administration of Rangers FC, broken down by financial year.

Please note that the total sum to date which has been paid out in respect of all settlements and legal expenses for the Pursuers is £52.2m.

The action concerning Imran Ahmad v the Lord Advocate, settlement of £528,615 was paid out in 2024-25 however the matter of expenses to be awarded to Mr Ahmad is still pending. Accordingly, as this action is not deemed to be concluded, this payment has not been included in the table below. The final sum due to be paid is to Mr Ahmad in respect of expenses incurred as a result of the civil action. This matter is still currently being considered by Lord Harrower.

The final outstanding matter concerns expenses due to the Lord Advocate for the cost of defending the action raised by Mr Grier against the Lord Advocate. This matter is due to go to taxation to be considered by the Auditor in January 2025.

Compensation costs when paid out:	2016-17	2019-20	2020-21	2021-22	2022-23	2023-24	2024-25	Total
Civil Cases	67,043.67	310,000.00	24,045,250.00	11,037,825.05	16,231,398.28	13,643.39		51,705,160.39

Question reference: S6W-31216

Asked by: Murdo Fraser, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 21 November 2024
Current Status: Answered by Ruth Charteris on 10 December 2024

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide the details of all expenditure that has been paid to contest concluded civil cases relating to prosecutions arising from the administration of Rangers FC.

The following table provides the details of all expenditure that has been paid to contest concluded civil cases relating to prosecutions arising from the administration of Rangers FC. Figures correct as of 27 October 2024.

Category	2017-18	2018-19	2019-20	2020-21	2021-22	2022-23	2023-24	2024-25	Total
Staffing	81,864.40	220,466.14	356,360.78	275,002.43	436,555.03	370,761.36	728,689.14	700,742.61	3,170,441.89
Legal Costs	188,637.56	129,242.84	578,972.31	558,727.37	1,141,535.00	903,000.57	470,223.14	12,544.80	3,982,883.59
Legal advice for staff		36,473.13	95,807.29	166,860.29	255,855.12	148,440.26	63,875.10	16,349.60	783,660.79
Fees to Noters									-
Judicial Docs									-
Interpreters/Video/Satellite			695.94						695.94
Professional Services						1,491,639.55			1,491,639.55
Witness costs								0.00	-
Office costs	211.11		62.77				56.09		329.97
Total costs excl compensation	188,848.67	165,715.97	675,538.31	725,587.66	1,397,390.12	2,543,080.38	534,154.33	28,894.40	9,429,651.73

Question reference: S6W-32032

Asked by: Murdo Fraser, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 06 December 2024
Current Status: Answer expected on 20 December 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the impact of the proposal in its draft Budget 2025-26 to reduce the consumer policy and advice budget.

Question reference: S6W-32031

Asked by: Murdo Fraser, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 06 December 2024
Current Status: Answer expected on 20 December 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what measures in its draft Budget 2025-26 reflect the statement by the First Minister on 22 May 2024, in which he stated that one of his "priorities is to grow Scotland’s economy".

Question reference: S6W-32034

Asked by: Murdo Fraser, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 06 December 2024
Current Status: Answer expected on 20 December 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what impact the proposal in the draft Budget 2025-26 to reduce spending at Ferguson Marine by one quarter will have on employment at the yard.

Question reference: S6W-31533

Asked by: Murdo Fraser, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 21 November 2024
Current Status: Answered by Angus Robertson on 5 December 2024

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide a breakdown of the persons and organisations that will take part in its review of Creative Scotland.

I recognise that it is essential that the culture sector has an opportunity to engage in this work and I can confirm that this engagement will begin early next year with a short survey about the scope of the review.

I will write to the member when the survey is launched and would welcome his assistance in ensuring that as many of the sector have the opportunity to respond to the survey as possible.

This will be the first stages of engagement with the sector and there will be further opportunities as the review progresses.