- Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 04 December 2025
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Current Status:
Holding Answer by Jenny Gilruth on 18 December 2025
To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with COSLA regarding the (a) feasibility and (b) funding implications of a restructured school week.
Answer
Holding Answer by Jenny Gilruth on 18 December 2025
- Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 04 December 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Mairi McAllan on 18 December 2025
To ask the Scottish Government whether it routinely cancels meetings with UK ministers at short notice, and, if so, what analysis it has undertaken of the impact on inter-governmental relations.
Answer
Scottish Ministers do not routinely cancel meetings with their UK Ministerial counterparts. Scheduling of meetings is subject to normal diary considerations.
- Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 04 December 2025
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Current Status:
Holding Answer by Jenny Gilruth on 18 December 2025
To ask the Scottish Government what analysis it has undertaken of the potential impact of its proposals for a restructured school week on (a) pupil supervision, (b) timetabling and (c) parental working patterns.
Answer
Holding Answer by Jenny Gilruth on 18 December 2025
- Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 04 December 2025
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Current Status:
Holding Answer by Jenny Gilruth on 18 December 2025
To ask the Scottish Government what consultation it undertook with the Scottish Negotiating Committee for Teachers prior to announcing proposals for changes to class contact time.
Answer
Holding Answer by Jenny Gilruth on 18 December 2025
- Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 04 December 2025
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Current Status:
Holding Answer by Jenny Gilruth on 18 December 2025
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will publish detailed modelling of the potential impact of a four-day teaching week on (a) learning hours and (b) attainment.
Answer
Holding Answer by Jenny Gilruth on 18 December 2025
- Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 04 December 2025
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Current Status:
Holding Answer by Jenny Gilruth on 18 December 2025
To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the potential impact on rural schools of any changes to the structure of the school week.
Answer
Holding Answer by Jenny Gilruth on 18 December 2025
- Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 04 December 2025
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Current Status:
Holding Answer by Jenny Gilruth on 18 December 2025
To ask the Scottish Government what funding it currently provides to local authorities to support safety and violence prevention in schools.
Answer
Holding Answer by Jenny Gilruth on 18 December 2025
- Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 04 December 2025
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Current Status:
Holding Answer by Jenny Gilruth on 18 December 2025
To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the feasibility of delivering a 90-minute reduction in class contact time without additional teachers.
Answer
Holding Answer by Jenny Gilruth on 18 December 2025
- Asked by: Richard Leonard, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 28 October 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Richard Lochhead on 18 December 2025
To ask the Scottish Government what information it has regarding the number of older and vulnerable people who will have their insurance policies for funeral costs withdrawn as a result of the termination of the Family Protection Plan by C Mutual and Maiden Life Försäkrings from 30 November 2025.
Answer
We understand that around 4,900 individuals across 71 UK credit unions will lose cover without compensation. The impact in Scotland is estimated to be c1,400 individuals across 29 credit unions in Scotland. Some of those may be eligible for alternative policies on similar terms however individuals over 81 years of age, or with pre-existing medical conditions, may be unable to secure alternative cover and may have insufficient funds to pay for their funeral. The Scottish Government has engaged with the Financial Conduct Authority and impacted credit unions in Scotland to understand the implications of the withdrawal and the support being provided to current policyholders.
The Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Local Government and I met with Paul Sweeney MSP and a representative of impacted credit unions on Tuesday 18 November and I have continued to engage with the credit union to discuss this further.
The regulation of financial services is fully reserved; however, the Cabinet Secretary wrote to Lucy Rigby, the Economic Secretary to the Treasury on 21 November to ask her to consider the requests of the coalition of Scottish Credit Unions with an offer to meet to discuss this issue.
We stand ready to work with the UK Government to avoid some of our most vulnerable people from being forced into funeral poverty or having to resort to debt to enable them and their families to have peace of mind at the end of their life.
- Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 04 December 2025
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Current Status:
Holding Answer by Jenny Gilruth on 18 December 2025
To ask the Scottish Government what measures it is taking to support any local authorities that are experiencing budget pressures that are putting (a) school safety and (b) child protection services at risk.
Answer
Holding Answer by Jenny Gilruth on 18 December 2025