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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-26984

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 24 April 2024
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 9 May 2024

To ask the Scottish Government how many school technicians were employed in Scotland in each of the last 10 years, broken down by local authority area.

Management information on the weekly hours of school support staff for 2020-2023 and of full-time equivalent school support staff for 2019, including technicians, can be found here: https://www.gov.scot/publications/school-support-staff-management-information/

Data on full time equivalent support staff for 2010 to 2016 (not comparable to the 2020-2023 management information), including technicians, can be found here: https://www.gov.scot/publications/teacher-census-supplementary-statistics/

Question reference: S6W-27078

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 26 April 2024
Current Status: Answered by Natalie Don on 9 May 2024

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-23633 by Jenny Gilruth on 21 December 2023, whether it has now completed the work to develop a clear picture of the scale and uptake of breakfast provision across Scotland, which was scheduled to be completed in spring 2024, and whether it will consider publishing, or otherwise making available, this work.

The Scottish Government has committed to develop plans to deliver free breakfasts to all primary and special school children.

As noted in the response to question S6W-22746 on 17 November 2023, the Scottish Government is currently working with Assist FM and Improvement Service to develop a clear picture of the scale, uptake and delivery models of breakfast provision across Scotland both at Local Authority and schools' level. We expect the data from that exercise to be submitted to Scottish Government in June 2024. This will then inform the government’s approach.

All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers .

Question reference: S6O-03427

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 08 May 2024
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 15 May 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions the constitution secretary has had with ministerial colleagues regarding the delivery of its commitment to invest at least £100 million more in culture and the arts by the financial year 2028-29.

Question reference: S6O-03411

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 01 May 2024
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 8 May 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions the housing minister has had with ministerial colleagues regarding the potential impact of the New Build Heat Standard on the completion of new homes.

Question reference: S6T-01955

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 29 April 2024
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 30 April 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the reported funding gap facing Scotland’s colleges.

Question reference: S6W-26483

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 26 March 2024
Current Status: Answered by Graeme Dey on 24 April 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the potential impact of any reduction in funding to Skills Development Scotland on the skills base for retrofitting homes in line with Scotland's Climate Change Plan.

In 2024-25 Skills Development Scotland (SDS) will receive around £200m in funding from The Scottish Government to deliver against our priorities, including our net zero ambitions as outlined in key strategies such as the upcoming Just Transition Plans and Green Industrial Strategy.

The impact assessments for the E&S portfolio were prepared collectively and reflected in the Education and Skills portfolio analysis section in Annex B of the Equality and Fairer Scotland statement available at this link Scottish Budget - gov.scot (www.gov.scot) .

Question reference: S6F-03053

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 22 April 2024
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 25 April 2024

To ask the First Minister what impact he anticipates the Scottish Government's decision to remove the target to reduce emissions by 75% by 2030 will have on infrastructure projects throughout Scotland.

Question reference: S6O-03340

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 17 April 2024
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 25 April 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what it anticipates the impact will be of reported reductions to college budgets in the north east.

Question reference: S6W-26336

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 21 March 2024
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 11 April 2024

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-08117 by Jenny Gilruth on 6 May 2022, whether all of the deliverables of the rail improvement project are expected to be completed by the end of 2026, and what has been achieved by the project since the previous question was answered in May 2022.

Given the extremely challenging financial climate, due to UK Government capital budget cuts, we need to consider the time over which the project can be completed. I have asked that a review is undertaken and will ensure that an update is provided to the Parliament in due course.

Regarding what has been achieved by the project, I refer the Member to the answers to S6W-25277 on 1 March 2024 and S6W-24106 on 30 January 2024 .

All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website:, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers

Question reference: S6O-03315

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 10 April 2024
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 18 April 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to figures showing that there has been a decrease in the number of new homes started in 2023 compared with 2022.