- 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 Angela Constance on 3 July 2025
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-38218 by Maree Todd on 17 June 2025, what analysis it has undertaken to explore to what extent the reported reduction in the number of people detained in police stations under a place of safety order may simply reflect missing data, rather than an actual reduction.
Answer
The Scottish Government does not hold data on the number of individuals detained in police custody under place of safety orders. This data is collected and held by Police Scotland.
The Scottish Government is taking steps to strengthen data collection and evaluation within the mental health and policing space. The development of a proportionate performance framework will support ongoing monitoring and help distinguish between actual improvements and issues related to data completeness. This reflects the broader commitments set out in the Framework for Collaboration and Collaborative Commitments to ensure that data is robust and suitable to support informed decision-making, and to improve pathways for people in mental health crisis.
- Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 18 June 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 3 July 2025
To ask the Scottish Government what monitoring is in place to ensure consistency and quality in school-based counselling services across local authority areas.
Answer
Our national guidance for local authorities sets out expectations for monitoring and reviewing the service. The guidance also makes clear that the operation of the counselling service within the school should be reviewed annually and any necessary improvements made.
The Scottish Government facilitates a quarterly Counsellors Network to provide a forum for local authority representatives co-ordinating the school counselling service to discuss practice and delivery.
Local authorities also provide annual reports to the Scottish Government on counselling services. These returns provide national oversight and inform ongoing engagement with local authorities. A summary of these reports can be accessed here: Access to counsellors in secondary schools and children and young people’s community mental health services – summary reports - gov.scot.
- Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 18 June 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Richard Lochhead on 3 July 2025
To ask the Scottish Government what role it has in overseeing financial agreements at Ferguson Marine; what its response is to reports that there was a “verbal agreement” with a subcontractor that led to the shipyard facing a bill for almost £48,000 in unpaid tax, and whether it was aware of any such deal.
Answer
The Framework Agreement that exists between Ferguson Marine and the Scottish Government, dated September 2024, outlines the role of the Scottish Government regarding the financial arrangements of the business. The agreement is available from the website of Ferguson Marine.
The Scottish Government was not made aware of the agreement made by the former CEO of Ferguson Marine, David Tydeman, with a subcontractor that resulted in unpaid tax until it was reported to the Chair, the Board of Ferguson Marine, and the sponsor department.
- Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Monday, 16 June 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Jim Fairlie on 3 July 2025
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide a breakdown of the number of buses ordered to date under the second phase of the Scottish Zero Emission Bus Challenge Fund (ScotZEB 2) by (a) manufacturer and (b) place of manufacture.
Answer
Through the second phase of the Scottish Zero Emission Bus Challenge Fund (ScotZEB) a consortium of companies was awarded £41.7 million capital from the Scottish Government to support the purchase of more than 250 vehicles and the installation of their supporting infrastructure.
ScotZEB 2 differs from previous rounds of support by extending the eligible vehicles to include zero-emission coaches. This programme is still in the delivery phase and the final totals of vehicles to be delivered are still subject to change. The consortium aims to deliver at least 252 vehicles by March 2026. The following table sets out the manufacturer. The Scottish Government does not collect data on the locations in which vehicles are manufactured.
- Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 16 June 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 3 July 2025
To ask the Scottish Government what information it holds on how many incidents of aggression or violence towards female teachers in schools have been recorded in the past five years.
Answer
The Scottish Government does not hold this information centrally as local authorities are the employer of school staff. Local authorities may hold this information.
- Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 26 June 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Neil Gray on 3 July 2025
To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the reported findings in the Royal College of Radiologists report, Clinical Oncology: Workforce Census 2024, that 80% of cancer centre leaders reported that staff shortages have led to delays in patients starting systemic anti-cancer therapy treatment and 100% reported that shortages have caused radiotherapy delays in their hospitals.
Answer
The Scottish Government has established the National Oncology Coordination Group to provide a coordinated and collaborative response to immediate and foreseeable service pressures. This group provides rapid real-time assessment of highest risk services and proactively develops risk mitigation proposals, in line with the overall strategic aim for cancer. Officials also meet with Boards’ Cancer Management Teams monthly to identify immediate challenges, explore solutions and share best practice to reduce delays and improve patient outcomes.
We have mobilised an ambitious Oncology Transformation Programme and are working closely with NHS Boards and regional leaders from across the country to address longer-term pressures. We have also committed to further funding for chemotherapy and acute oncology services using a phased approach to ensure we build a sustainable workforce. The funding will reach up to £10 million per annum by 2027 and will support increased regional working, workforce recruitment, and maximise capacity across the existing workforce. £6.6 million has been provided in 2025-26 and will support NHS Boards to develop sustainable plans.
- Asked by: Tim Eagle, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 26 June 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Angela Constance on 3 July 2025
To ask the Scottish Government in what ways Police Scotland is working with the Royal Air Force to ensure the protection of RAF Lossiemouth, in light of the reported security breach at RAF Brize Norton.
Answer
Police Scotland does not have a primary role in providing security at military bases in Scotland. RAF Lossiemouth is protected by several units operating within the Royal Air Force (RAF).
However, the North East Division of Police Scotland has a long standing and close working relationship with RAF Lossiemouth and have been in close liaison following the incident at Brize Norton. As a result, there have been increased high visibility police patrols of the area around the base.
A number of other facilities within Scotland are protected by the Ministry of Defence Police (MDP), a specialized armed police force tasked with protecting the UK's defence assets, including military bases, nuclear facilities, and government sites.
Police Scotland have very occasionally assisted with security operations at or near military bases, but these have largely been related to major events or incidents.
- Asked by: Patrick Harvie, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Green Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 20 June 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Richard Lochhead on 3 July 2025
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will update its Fair Work First guidance to recognise that "Unions – not staff forums – are the legitimate voice of workers", as recommended in the Scottish Trades Union Congress (STUC) report, Freelance and Forgotten.
Answer
The Scottish Government is aware of the report and the (then) Minister for Employment and Investment held a roundtable meeting with the STUC and Creative Industries trade unions on 3 June, where a discussion on the report formed part of the agenda.
The Scottish Government recognises the vital role that trade unions play in providing effective worker voice and continues to highlight trade union recognition as a key example of good practice within the Fair Work First guidance.
Our Fair Work First policy has been designed to apply to, and be adaptable across, all organisations and sectors. It recognises the different mechanisms for achieving an effective voice will vary at collective and individual levels, and according to sectoral practices and worker choice. The guidance promotes trade union recognition as good practice, and also supports a range of worker voice mechanisms to reflect the diversity of workplaces across Scotland, and the different ways workers can choose to be represented.
There are no immediate plans to revise the Fair Work First guidance which was updated in November 2024 to streamline administrative processes and address points of clarity following consultation with key stakeholders, including the STUC.
- Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 20 June 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Angela Constance on 3 July 2025
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-38293 by Angela Constance on 18 June 2025, how (a) much has been spent on compensation payments to prisoners and (b) many such payments have been made, in each of the last five years.
Answer
I have asked Teresa Medhurst, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service (SPS), to respond. Her response is as follows:
Since 2020 SPS has paid 753 compensation payments to prisoners, resulting in a total expenditure of £1,443,627, broken down as follows:
| | Compensation Payments Made to Prisoners |
| | 2020-21 | 2021-22 | 2022-23 | 2023-24 | 2024-25 |
Number of payments | 149 | 140 | 154 | 164 | 146 |
Total Cost | 838,883 | 277,312 | 84,759 | 54,755 | 187,918 |
- Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Thursday, 19 June 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Gillian Martin on 3 July 2025
To ask the Scottish Government how many of the energy consents that it has issued since February 2023, when National Planning Framework 4 (NPF4) was adopted, include requirements for biodiversity enhancements, as set out in policy 3 of NPF4.
Answer
All information relating to determinations made by Scottish Ministers under the Electricity Act 1989, including any conditions, are publicly available on our Energy Consents website: https://www.energyconsents.scot/ApplicationSearch.aspx
NPF4 is a material consideration in the determination of applications, and it is read and applied as a whole. It is for the decision maker to determine what weight to attach to policies within NPF4 on a case-by-case basis. The weight to be applied to all material considerations and the need for conditions to be attached to any consent is a matter for the Minister taking the decision to consider on a case-by-case basis.
