- Asked by: Jamie Greene, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 03 June 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Kate Forbes on 13 June 2025
To ask the Scottish Government from which line of the Scottish Budget 2025-26, as passed by the Scottish Parliament, the funds will be sourced to meet the request from Ferguson Marine Port Glasgow, reportedly of £25 million, to complete the construction of the Glen Rosa vessel, in light of comments made by the Scottish Government's Director-General Economy to the Public Audit Committee on 21 May 2025 that "there is insufficient capital allocated to Ferguson Marine to accommodate that", and, if this is the case, from which other budget line or by which means the funds would be found.
Answer
The Scottish Government is working with Ferguson Marine and CMAL to understand fully the basis of the revised delivery plan for MV Glen Rosa. All requests for an additional budget for capital projects require detailed scrutiny processes before they can be approved and decisions taken on sources of funding within the overall Scottish Budget.
- Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 03 June 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 13 June 2025
To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on proposals to introduce congestion charging schemes in local authorities.
Answer
Local authorities have existing discretionary powers to introduce local road user charging schemes under the Transport (Scotland) Act 2001, which was brought into statute by a previous Parliament.
We have committed, in our recently published 'Achieving Car Use Reduction in Scotland: A Renewed Policy Statement', to take the opportunity to conduct a regulatory check of the secondary legislation, given the passage of time since they were brought into statue to ensure that these existing discretionary powers remain fit for purpose. Once the necessary regulations and guidance are in place, it will be a decision for local authorities or RTPs whether and how to implement schemes.
We welcome local authorities’ commitment to local measures which support delivery of car use reduction in Scotland. We will continue to work with COSLA and local authorities to support equitable measures which encourage active travel and accompany greater investment in public transport for a fairer and greener transport system to ensure a just transition to net zero. Local authorities are best placed to determine whether a local road user charging scheme supports the objectives set out in their local transport strategy.
- Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 30 May 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 13 June 2025
To ask the Scottish Government how many (a) primary and (b) secondary school-aged children have been home educated in each year since 1999.
Answer
Scottish Government does not collect the information on the number of children and young people in receipt of home education.
Local authorities hold responsibility for ensuring the safety and wellbeing of children being home educated, and that the education they are receiving is suitable for their age and ability. In line with the Scottish Government's home education guidance, it is recommended that local authorities should make contact on an annual basis with those families who are known to be home educating within that local authority area.
As part of the update to this guidance, Scottish Government will work with local authority partners to consider options for collecting an aggregate number of children and young people home educating in their area.
- Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 30 May 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Mairi McAllan on 13 June 2025
To ask the Scottish Government what appointments the Minister for Housing had in the two weeks to 23 May 2025.
Answer
Information on Ministerial engagements is routinely published on the Scottish Government website and can be found at: www.gov.scot/collections/ministerial-engagements-travel-and-gifts/. The engagements for May 2025 will be published three months in arrears, in line with the Scottish Ministerial Code.
- Asked by: Martin Whitfield, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Friday, 30 May 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Natalie Don-Innes on 13 June 2025
To ask the Scottish Government what baseline data was used to determine the scale of need for play park renewal prior to distributing the £60 million of funding.
Answer
I refer the member to S6W-38037.
The £60m Scottish Government funding for play park renewals was distributed among the 32 local authorities based on population of 0-14 year olds and rurality. In the first year, the formula was:
1.95% on population 0-14
2.5% on rurality
From 2022/23, the formula was:
1.93% on population 0-14
2.7% on rurality
- Asked by: Jamie Greene, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 03 June 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 13 June 2025
To ask the Scottish Government how many P1 to P3 pupils were in class sizes of (a) zero to 18, (b) 19 to 25, (c) 26 to 30 and (d) 31 or more pupils, in each year since 2022.
Answer
Statistics on the class sizes of P1 to P3 pupils are published in the pupil census supplementary statistics, available on the Scottish Government website at:
https://www.gov.scot/publications/pupil-census-supplementary-statistics/
- Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Thursday, 05 June 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Neil Gray on 13 June 2025
To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether the inclusion of a right to palliative care is within the scope of the Assisted Dying for Terminally Ill Adults (Scotland) Bill.
Answer
The Assisted Dying for Terminally Ill Adults (Scotland) Bill was introduced to the Scottish Parliament on 27 March 2024 by Liam McArthur MSP (Liberal Democrats). As such, this is a Member's Bill, not a Scottish Government Bill.
As with all Bills, at Stage 2 of the Bill’s passage through Parliament it is for the Convener of the lead Committee to make a decision on the admissibility of any amendment put forward.
At Stage 3, it would be for the Scottish Parliament’s Presiding Officer to make decisions on admissibility.
- Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Thursday, 05 June 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Neil Gray on 13 June 2025
To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to engage in the development of amendments to the Assisted Dying for Terminally Ill Adults (Scotland) Bill.
Answer
The Scottish Government is currently considering its position on the Assisted Dying for Terminally Ill Adults (Scotland) Bill moving forward, in light of Parliament’s decision to support the general principles of the Bill. In doing so, we will be taking care to ensure that any future steps are informed, balanced and respectful of the views expressed across the Chamber and the country. As part of this, we are carefully reflecting on the conclusions of the Health, Social Care and Sport Committee in their Stage 1 report.
- Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Thursday, 05 June 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Kate Forbes on 13 June 2025
To ask the Scottish Government whether it is aware that Ferguson Marine reportedly undertakes sub-contract work for BAE Systems on the Type 26 frigate programme, and how this sits with its reported policy of not funding munitions.
Answer
The aerospace, defence, and shipbuilding sectors play a vital role in supporting jobs and driving economic growth across Scotland. We are committed to promoting manufacturing and innovation, and Ministers continue to engage with businesses in these sectors as part of that commitment. Ferguson Marine's (FMPG) work for BAE Systems is consistent with the Scottish Government’s policy that public money is not used to support the manufacture of munitions.
- Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 30 May 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 13 June 2025
To ask the Scottish Government how many self-employed counsellors have been contracted by each local authority to work in schools in each year since 1999.
Answer
Local Authorities have the statutory responsibility for education therefore the Scottish Government does not hold this information centrally. Local authorities may hold this information.
As part of the Scottish Government’s commitment to invest in access to school counselling services, since 2021 local authorities have reported on key measures of their counselling provision. A summary of these reports can be found at: Access to counsellors in secondary schools and children and young people’s community mental health services – summary reports - gov.scot (www.gov.scot)