- Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 20 March 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Kate Forbes on 3 April 2025
To ask the Scottish Government how many ministerial interventions have been made in the management and operations of Ferguson Marine since its nationalisation.
Answer
The Framework Agreement that exists between the Scottish Government and Ferguson Marine sets out the relationship between the business and Scottish ministers, including matters requiring Scottish Government approval such as the appointment of the Chair, the Board of Directors and approval of the remuneration of the chief executive officer.
Since the nationalisation of Ferguson Marine ministers have not intervened directly in the management and operations of Ferguson Marine.
- Asked by: Meghan Gallacher, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 19 March 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Alasdair Allan on 3 April 2025
To ask the Scottish Government what recent assessment it has made of whether the target for all (a) properties of private landlords reaching a minimum standard equivalent to an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) rating of at least band C by the end of 2028, (b) properties of homeowners reaching a minimum standard equivalent to an EPC rating of at least band C by the end of 2033, (c) building owners ending their use of polluting heating by 2045 and (d) buildings owned by a public authority using clean heating systems by the end of 2038, remains achievable.
Answer
As set out in Parliament today, we intend to bring forward a Heat in Buildings Bill in Year 5 of this Parliamentary session.
We intend this Bill to introduce a statutory clean heating target for all buildings in Scotland to be decarbonised by 2045, as far as possible.
We know that improving energy efficiency is vital in reducing heat demand in buildings, and that it makes buildings warmer and easier to heat, and can reduce bills. For this reason, we also intend to include powers in the Heat in Buildings Bill to introduce regulations in the future for non-domestic and domestic owner-occupied buildings to reach a minimum energy efficiency standard, should this be appropriate.
To accompany this, we intend to progress now with a minimum energy efficiency standard in the private rented sector using existing primary powers in the Energy Act 2011. This means that all privately rented homes in Scotland would be required to meet energy performance certificate band C, on reformed energy performance certificates, as far as possible, by a specific date. This date is yet to be finalised but will not be as soon as 2028. This is to reflect the need to give the sector sufficient notice ahead of making required changes. Any proposed regulations will be consulted on, and engagement with stakeholders will be prioritised, to ensure regulations are achievable.
In terms of the public sector, where available, the public sector will be required to take action to connect to heat networks in line with build-out of the heat network. For the rest of the public sector estate, the target date of 2045 will apply. This is to account for any potential additional challenges of decarbonising buildings outside of heat network zones, for example in more remote areas.
- Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 20 March 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Jenni Minto on 3 April 2025
To ask the Scottish Government how many women have been waiting longer than two years for gynaecological procedures, broken down by NHS board.
Answer
Public Health Scotland (PHS) publishes quarterly data on the length of time patients wait to be seen as a new outpatient or admitted for treatment as an inpatient or day case. The latest statistics represent all patients covered by the national standards for these stages of treatment to 31 December 2024. Individual patients are counted more than once if they are waiting to attend more than one scheduled hospital appointment or admission, so the official statistics shown here do not reflect the actual number of individuals involved but the number of waits.
Table 1. sets out the number of ongoing waits over 2 years for a Gynaecology inpatient or day-case admission as of 31 December 2024:
Table 1.
NHS Board of Treatment | Over 104 week waits |
NHS Borders | 12 |
NHS Dumfries & Galloway | 0 |
NHS Fife | 1 |
NHS Forth Valley | 0 |
NHS Grampian | 314 |
NHS Greater Glasgow & Clyde | 673 |
NHS Highland | 42 |
NHS Lanarkshire | 124 |
NHS Lothian | 10 |
NHS Orkney | 0 |
NHS Shetland | 0 |
NHS Tayside | 186 |
NHS Western Isles | 0 |
NHS Ayrshire & Arran | 11 |
TOTAL | 1,373 |
Table 2. sets out the number of ongoing waits over 2 years for a Gynaecology new outpatient appointment as of 31 December 2024:
Table 2.
NHS Board of Treatment | Over 104 week waits |
NHS Golden Jubilee | 0 |
NHS Ayrshire & Arran | 0 |
NHS Borders | 0 |
NHS Dumfries & Galloway | 0 |
NHS Fife | 0 |
NHS Forth Valley | 0 |
NHS Grampian | 195 |
NHS Greater Glasgow & Clyde | 0 |
NHS Highland | 5 |
NHS Lanarkshire | 0 |
NHS Lothian | 31 |
NHS Orkney | 0 |
NHS Shetland | 0 |
NHS Tayside | 32 |
NHS Western Isles | 0 |
TOTAL | 263 |
We know many people are still waiting too long and this is not good enough. We are determined do more. In 2024-25, we allocated over £450,000 to gynaecology from our £30 million targeted investment in planned care, delivering around 3,500 additional new outpatient appointments.
The 2025-26 Budget will provide a record £21.7 billion for Health & Social Care, including a commitment to provide £200 million to help reduce waiting times and improve capacity, and gynaecology is being targeted as a key priority area for additional funding.
- Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 20 March 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Kate Forbes on 3 April 2025
To ask the Scottish Government how much it has spent on consultancy and external reviews regarding the viability of Ferguson Marine as a state-owned shipbuilder.
Answer
The Scottish Government has created a webpage on www.gov.scot dedicated to documents relating to Ferguson Marine (https://www.gov.scot/collections/ferguson-marine-documents/). This webpage contains links to consultancy documents produced when Ferguson Marine became a state-owned shipyard in 2019 and the ‘Ferguson Marine: Commercial advice information pack’ which was published in February 2025.
- Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 20 March 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Alasdair Allan on 3 April 2025
To ask the Scottish Government what engagement it had with businesses, including in the renewable heating sector, before making the decision to not proceed with the proposed Heat in Buildings Bill.
Answer
As I have set out in my statement to Parliament earlier today, we intend to introduce a Heat in Buildings Bill in Year 5 of this Parliamentary session. In this statement I set out government’s rationale for the format of the Bill. We will continue to engage with stakeholders from all sectors as we do so, building on the discussions that began with our consultation and have been continuing since then.
- Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 20 March 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Graeme Dey on 3 April 2025
To ask the Scottish Government to what extent universities rely on international students to help their financial stability, and what impact this has on admissions policies.
Answer
The Scottish Government welcomes the valuable contribution that international students make to our society, culture, and economy. Our commitment to Scotland's universities is demonstrated through our long-term commitment to Scotland’s universities, investing over £1 billion every year in the sector since 2012/13. This is continued in the 2025-26 budget which provides over £1.1bn of investment in teaching and research in Scotland’s universities.
Universities are autonomous institutions, and the share of international student fee income compared to other income sources will differ between each institution. However, universities are responsible for their own admissions policies but should consider their long-term stability by actively diversifying their international student intake and seeking alternative funding sources. Neither international nor rUK students are able to access funded places which have been set aside for Scottish students.
We need an immigration system that supports our higher education sector to deliver the best learning, research and student experience. That is why the Scottish Government announced proposals for a Scottish Graduate Visa - to support a clear pathway for international students to build their careers in Scotland and contribute to our economy and wider society.
- Asked by: Meghan Gallacher, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 19 March 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Alasdair Allan on 3 April 2025
To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on legislating to give (a) it and (b) local authorities the power to require buildings in a heat network zone to end their use of polluting heating systems by a certain date, with a minimum notice period.
Answer
As I have set out in my statement to Parliament earlier today, we intend to introduce a Heat in Buildings Bill in Year 5 of this Parliamentary session.
The final decision on the provisions of the Bill will be made collectively by Cabinet ahead of its introduction. This decision will take account of the analysis of responses received in reply to our public consultation on proposals for a Heat in Buildings Bill, but it is our strong intention that this Bill will help build the investment case for new district heating projects in Heat Network Zones.
- Asked by: Meghan Gallacher, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 19 March 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Alasdair Allan on 3 April 2025
To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on requiring (a) occupiers of non-domestic properties to provide information about unused heat on the premises and (b) buildings with unused heat to provide this to a heat network zone.
Answer
As I have set out in my statement to Parliament earlier today, we intend to introduce a Heat in Buildings Bill in Year 5 of this Parliamentary session. The consultation on the Bill included a range of proposals regarding the use of waste heat by heat networks. The final decision on the provisions of the Bill will be made collectively by Cabinet ahead of its introduction.
- Asked by: Emma Roddick, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 20 March 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Graeme Dey on 3 April 2025
To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the findings and recommendations in the Shelter Scotland report, In Their Own Words: Children’s Experiences in Temporary Accommodation, whether it will improve guidance on Education Maintenance Allowance policies so that children experiencing homelessness do not lose this benefit when their ability to fulfil the terms of their learning agreement, such as on attendance, is compromised by their housing situation.
Answer
The Education Maintenance Allowance (EMA) guidance is revised annually to set guidelines for local authorities and colleges to deliver the programme effectively and fairly; whilst using their own discretion in line with both local and national policy. It encourages flexibility in the local administration arrangements for vulnerable young people including those experiencing homelessness.
The Scottish Government encourages delivery partners to continue working collaboratively when considering a young persons’ personal circumstances and their eligibility to receive an EMA award. However, in light of this report, the Scottish Government will ensure the next version issued for AY 2025-26 includes strengthened guidance on applying flexibility in attendance specifically for those who are experiencing homelessness.
- Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 20 March 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Graeme Dey on 3 April 2025
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will publish a breakdown of total university funding per student, including teaching grants and other financial support, in each of the last 10 years.
Answer
As part of the annual budget process the funding for the Scottish Funding Council (SFC), is announced. The 2025-26 Budget includes over £1.1bn of investment in teaching and research in Scotland’s universities.
It is the role of the SFC to allocate these funds to individual institutions. The SFC publish details as part of their annual Final Allocation publication. This provides details of the funding for controlled and non-controlled subjects and funded places to each university, as well as the subject price groups.
