Seòmar agus comataidhean

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

Criathragan Hide all filters

Displaying 2062 questions Show Answers

Order by |

Question reference: S6W-41873

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 13 November 2025
Current Status: Answered by Natalie Don-Innes on 27 November 2025

To ask the Scottish Government when the Minister for Children, Young People and The Promise last attended a meeting of the National Child Sexual Abuse and Exploitation Strategic Group.

Ministers are not members of the National Child Sexual Abuse and Exploitation Strategic Group and therefore do not attend meetings. However, Ministers are regularly informed on the Group’s discussions and the Minister for Victims and Community Safety and I met with the co-chairs of the Group in October 2025 where we were provided with an update on its priorities, work to date and considerations on group-based child sexual abuse. The Group most recently met on 25 November 2025 and minutes of this meeting will be published on the Scottish Government’s website: https://www.gov.scot/groups/national-child-sexual-abuse-and-exploitation-strategic-group/

Question reference: S6W-41874

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 13 November 2025
Current Status: Answered by Siobhian Brown on 27 November 2025

To ask the Scottish Government when the Minister for Victims and Community Safety last attended a meeting of the National Child Sexual Abuse and Exploitation Strategic Group.

Question reference: S6O-05234

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 26 November 2025
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 3 December 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the recently published Independent Review of Creative Scotland.

Question reference: S6W-41848

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 13 November 2025
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 26 November 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to prevent cases collapsing as a result of witness disengagement caused by repeated adjournments.

The progress of criminal cases through the courts is an independent matter for those involved in the cases directly including those who administer the running of the courts; namely Crown Office and Prosecutor Fiscal Service, the judiciary and Scottish Courts and Tribunals Service (SCTS).

Within this context, the criminal court backlogs generated by the pandemic in Scotland has largely been addressed and the position is that the number of scheduled trials across all criminal business types is below 20,000. Specifically, the total number of scheduled trials outstanding peaked at 43,606 in January 2022 and had reduced to 16,196 at the end of September 2025 (this represents more than 60% reduction). This significantly reduces the waiting time in which victims, witnesses and the accused await their trial.

While this demonstrates the success of the criminal court recovery programme, court modelling undertaken by SCTS shows that the level of business entering Scotland’s criminal courts has changed since before the pandemic. In particular there has been a sustained increase in solemn business levels (High Court and Sheriff and Jury cases) which now sit at twice their 2019-20 level. Work across all relevant interests continues to focus on reducing times for more serious cases of which, by their very nature, are more complex and tend to carry a more time-consuming process to conclude.

We have awarded £48 million to victims’ organisations, which includes £18 million for Victim Support Scotland for the period 2022-2025 under our Victim Centred Approach Fund as part of a commitment to putting victims and witnesses at the heart of the justice system. This fund will continue through 2025-27 where we will be providing £32 million to 23 organisations, including £12 million for specialist advocacy support for survivors of gender-based violence.

Question reference: S6W-41850

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 13 November 2025
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 26 November 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of any impact of single-year budgets on court backlog recovery.

The Scottish Government has considered the impact of single-year budgets on court backlog recovery and does not consider them to have constrained progress. Despite the challenges of annual settlements, the criminal court recovery programme has delivered substantial results, supported by over £181 million of targeted investment through our Recovery, Renewal and Transformation Fund since 2021.

The number of scheduled trials across all criminal business types is now below 16,000, compared to a peak of 43,606 in January 2022 - a reduction of over 64%.

While this demonstrates the success of recovery efforts, court modelling shows that criminal business has yet to stabilise. Solemn case volumes remain significantly higher than pre-pandemic levels, with current levels around twice those seen in 2019-20. COPFS plans to register approximately 600 indictments per month over the coming year, well above historic levels, further demonstrating the sustained increase in solemn business.

Future planning must also take account of major reforms, including the establishment of a standalone National Sexual Offences Court, which is expected to ease pressure on High Court and Sheriff and Jury courts.

Question reference: S6W-41849

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 13 November 2025
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 26 November 2025

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will introduce a multi-year funding model for the Scottish Courts and Tribunals Service (SCTS), in light of SCTS stating in its 2025-26 business plan that its current budget is insufficient to increase court capacity to meet demand.

The Scottish Government recognises the importance of sustainable funding for the Scottish Courts and Tribunals Service (SCTS) and is committed to supporting its work. While budgets are currently set annually through the Scottish Budget process, Scottish Ministers are committed to engaging with Parliament and stakeholders to shape our multi-year spending plans. In line with the approach taken last year, we aim to build broad support across Parliament for the 2026-27 Scottish Budget and will listen to stakeholders to ensure their views inform future spending plans.

We remain committed to improving the sustainability of the Scottish public finances, and our Fiscal Sustainability Delivery Plan published in June sets out how we plan to close the fiscal gap by the end of the forecast period in 2029-30.

We will provide further detail on this when we publish our multi-year Spending Review in January alongside the 2026-27 Budget. Our Public Service Reform Strategy published earlier this year sets out our commitment to public services over the longer term, ensuring people experience high-quality services while also ensuring they remain fiscally sustainable.

Question reference: S6W-41851

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 13 November 2025
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 25 November 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what data it holds on the number of court cases that fail or are discontinued because witnesses do not appear for rescheduled hearings due to delays.

Question reference: S6W-41745

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 06 November 2025
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 18 November 2025

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of a 42% increase in referrals to Prevent in Scotland in the last year, what it is doing to tackle each of the recorded types of concern.

National security and counter-terrorism, including Prevent, is reserved to the UK Government but is delivered in Scotland by devolved partners such as Education, Police, Local Authorities, Prisons and Health. The Scottish Government works closely with the Home Office and key delivery partners to ensure proportionate responses to a broad spectrum of threat. There are variations over time in the number of referrals to Prevent and the number of cases adopted to the programme. This is likely due to a combination of factors including improved training of frontline staff, increasing public awareness of terrorism, related events or high-profile incidents.

Prevent is focussed on early intervention to address all forms of ideology and does not target any one community, group, or individual. The Scottish Government’s work is centred on supporting partners, increasing awareness and improving access to training for professionals to tackle ideological causes. Our wider work to support resilient and safe communities in Scotland helps to stop people from becoming alienated or isolated, reduces susceptibility to radicalisation, and increases resilience to the narratives used to divide us.

Question reference: S6W-41746

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 06 November 2025
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 18 November 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to referrals to Prevent in Scotland increasing by 42% in the last year.

Question reference: S6W-41599

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 30 October 2025
Current Status: Answered by Siobhian Brown on 10 November 2025

To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to update the Marriage (Scotland) Act 1977.