- Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 24 June 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Ivan McKee on 4 July 2025
To ask the Scottish Government which of its departments or directorates are being considered for (a) closure, (b) consolidation and (c) staffing reductions under the recently announced £1 billion annual savings plan for public services.
Answer
The Public Service Reform Strategy sets out a clear direction for modernising how we work, with workforce transformation at its core. It supports a shift in operating models, with a focus on efficiency, collaboration, and protecting frontline delivery, and will significantly increase our focus on delivering the most efficient and effective public services system, this includes the Scottish Government. We will be reviewing the service delivery landscape to make sure it is the right composition to deliver the services the people of Scotland need, this will include both public bodies and Scottish Government directorates. There are also plans in place to drive workforce reductions to meet the £1 billion target. Updates on the progress of this work will be provided to Parliament as part of regular updates on the wider PSR Strategy.
- Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 24 June 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Angela Constance on 4 July 2025
To ask the Scottish Government for what reason only 2% of victims were reportedly notified through the Victim Notification Scheme of the early release of prisoners in summer 2024.
Answer
I have asked Teresa Medhurst, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service (SPS), to respond. Her response is as follows:
The Scottish Government’s Victim Notification Scheme (VNS) in Scotland is an opt-in scheme, which affords victims the right to decide whether they choose to receive information, including but not limited to, the offender’s release date.
The SPS’ VNS Team hold the contact details for registered victims who have joined the VNS. Registered victims, where the offender was released early as part of Early Release, were notified by SPS’ VNS Team of the change to the offender’s release date, ahead of release.
In addition, temporary expediated processes were also introduced to enable victims who had not registered on the VNS but confirmed eligible to join, to find out themselves or through a named VSO, the release date of an offender.
- Asked by: Ariane Burgess, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Green Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 18 June 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Gillian Martin on 4 July 2025
To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking in relation to reports of land being sold at auctions as investment or lifestyle plots, despite being situated on crofting, arable or protected land, such as the Parallel Roads of Lochaber Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) at Achnabobane.
Answer
Owners and occupiers of land within an SSSI must apply to NatureScot for consent to carry out certain operations. When a planning application is submitted in relation to a development that may affect an SSSI, the planning authority must consult NatureScot and take its advice into account. Should any proposed future use of land require planning permission, that would be a matter for the planning authority to consider under relevant planning legislation and policy.
We are continuing to progress a Nature Conservation Order to prevent further damage to the Parallel Roads of Lochaber Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI), as per the answer to question S6W-37759 on 30 May 2025.
- Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 17 June 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Siobhian Brown on 4 July 2025
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-38261 by Angela Constance on 17 June 2025, what the change in budget in real terms is for 2025-26 once inflation has been taken into account.
Answer
The 2025-26 budget for the Scottish Violence Reduction Unit (SVRU) is £1.217 million, which represents a £47,000 uplift when compared to their 2024-25 budget, and a 1.3% real terms increase in funding. This increase will allow the SVRU to respond to emerging priorities, including violence among young people, investing in prevention and early intervention. This investment reflects our continued commitment to tackle violence and build safer communities for everyone.
- Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 17 June 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Tom Arthur on 4 July 2025
To ask the Scottish Government for what reason the budget for the Care Reform (Scotland) Bill in 2025-26 is £11 million, in light of its decision to withdraw plans for a national care service.
Answer
The Scottish Government is delivering improvement and reform of social care, social work and community health.
Financial information, including the National Care Service Programme 2025-26 budget position, has been provided to the Finance and Public Administration Committee. The Care Reform (Scotland) Bill is one element of our ambitious programme of social care reform that will be delivered through both legislative and non-legislative means, including the recent establishment of the non-statutory NCS Advisory Board.
- Asked by: Maggie Chapman, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Green Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 26 June 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Siobhian Brown on 4 July 2025
To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether the Scottish Civil Justice Council (SCJC) remains a competent body to review the rules governing legal expenses for Aarhus cases, in light of reports of the Aarhus Convention Compliance Committee (ACCC) granting admissibility to a complaint submitted by the Environmental Rights Centre for Scotland (ERCS) alleging that the SCJC breached the Convention's article 8 public participation requirements by failing to publicly consult on its review of court rules.
Answer
The Aarhus Convention Compliance Committee (ACCC) has indicated that communication ACCC/C/2025/216, which alleges a failure on the part of the Scottish Civil Justice Council to publicly consult on amendments to the rules governing Protective Expenses Orders contained in the Act of Sederunt (Rules of the Court of Session 1994 Amendment) (Protective Expenses Orders) 2024, has been found to be admissible on a preliminary basis. Further procedure is to be followed before a decision is taken on admissibility by the ACCC and it would be inappropriate to comment further at this stage.
The Scottish Civil Justice Council was established under the Scottish Civil Justice Council and Criminal Legal Assistance Act 2013. It is an independent statutory body with responsibility for preparing draft rules of procedure for the civil courts, and advises the Lord President on the development of the civil justice system in Scotland.
The Scottish Government has every confidence in the work of the Scottish Civil Justice Council.
- Asked by: Meghan Gallacher, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 20 June 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Mairi McAllan on 4 July 2025
To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on which clean heating solutions are most effective for reducing fuel poverty in rural and remote areas.
Answer
The Scottish Government will introduce a revised Heat in Buildings Bill that will set a new target for decarbonising heating systems by 2045, alongside continuing work to reduce fuel poverty. This includes introducing a minimum energy efficiency standard in the private rented sector, where fuel poverty rates are at 44%. The worst levels of fuel poverty are associated with the lowest energy performance certificate bandings.
The revised Heat in Buildings Bill will take a technology-neutral approach to decarbonising Scotland’s buildings, recognising that different properties and people will require different heating solutions. It is important that a whole-house approach is taken to ensure that whichever heating solution is chosen for the property can run effectively, and this might involve installing energy efficiency measures as well as a heating system.
While not appropriate for most homes, which will be suitable for heat pumps or heat networks, bioenergy – as a low carbon, renewable energy source – may be the best solution for decarbonising homes in some remote and rural communities. We intend to ensure sustainable bioenergy and biofuels remain an option for these communities. Support for households in, or at risk of, fuel poverty is available through our Warmer Homes Scotland scheme, including those in rural and remote areas.
- Asked by: Meghan Gallacher, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 20 June 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Mairi McAllan on 4 July 2025
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will make an assessment of any potential merits of the use of renewable liquid gases in properties where a heat pump cannot be fitted.
Answer
While not appropriate for most homes, bioenergy, including renewable liquid biofuels, is a low carbon, renewable energy source which can prove the best solution to decarbonising heating in some remote and rural communities. We intend to ensure that sustainable bioenergy and biofuels remain an option for these communities, and the provisions of our proposed Heat in Buildings Bill will take a technology-neutral approach so that building owners are able to choose the technology which is right for them.
We are currently consulting on proposals for a Heat and Energy Efficiency Technical Suitability Assessment (HEETSA). The consultation will remain open until 29 August 2025. The HEETSA will include a technical suitability assessment methodology that allows for the comparative assessment of different clean heat options in a property and provide information on when the installation of a system would not be suitable.
- Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 18 June 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Tom Arthur on 4 July 2025
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answers to questions S6W-38221 and S6W-38222 by Marie Todd on 17 June 2025, whether its answer means that fewer than five people under 18 have been subject to a place of safety order in each of the last five years, and, if this is not the case, in which of the last five years there were more than five people under 18 who were made subject to a place of safety order.
Answer
The Mental Welfare Commission publish an annual monitoring report on the use of the Mental Health Act which breaks down the percentage of individuals subject to a place of safety order by age. The publication does not provide the number of people subject to a place of safety order by age.
The requested information is not held by the Scottish Government. As it is a matter for the Mental Welfare Commission, you may wish to contact them directly at: mwc.enquiries@nhs.scot.
- Asked by: Tim Eagle, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 17 June 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 4 July 2025
To ask the Scottish Government what the percentage mortality was of naturally produced (a) salmon ova, (b) alveins, (c) fry, (d) parr and (e) smolts in each year since 2021.
Answer
The Scottish Government does not hold this information.
