- Asked by: Douglas Ross, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 26 November 2025
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Current Status:
Taken in the Chamber on 3 December 2025
To ask the Scottish Government for what reasons it is choosing not to answer any questions on the court proceedings in relation to its policy on transgender prisoners, which allows biological male prisoners to be housed in women’s prisons, despite the Supreme Court’s recent ruling, in light of section 5 of the Contempt of Court Act 1981 allowing matters of general public interest to be discussed.
Answer
Taken in the Chamber on 3 December 2025
- Asked by: Ariane Burgess, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Green Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 17 November 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Richard Lochhead on 26 November 2025
To ask the Scottish Government what steps are being taken to improve broadband reliability in rural Scotland ahead of the switch-off of the Public Switched Telephone Network, in light of the fact that digital landlines depend on internet connectivity.
Answer
In the past decade, Scottish public sector-led digital infrastructure programmes have enabled over one million faster broadband connections. Through the Reaching 100% (R100) and Project Gigabit in Scotland (PGiS) programmes, we are continuing to accelerate access to future-proofed full fibre broadband for those who need it most, despite Scotland having some of the most challenging terrain in which to deploy digital infrastructure in Europe.
The switch-off of the Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) in the UK is industry-led, with oversight from the UK Government’s Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT), reflecting that telecoms legislation is reserved.
- Asked by: Sharon Dowey, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 20 November 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Siobhian Brown on 26 November 2025
To ask the Scottish Government how many of the 4×4 or multi-role vehicles procured by the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service in the last three years have entered operational service, and how many are currently awaiting deployment.
Answer
All vehicles listed in the answer to question S6W-42094 on 26 November 2025 have been deployed except for two of the Ford Ranger Multi-Role Units (which are at the final stage of commissioning work expected to be deployed by next month) and the Ford Ranger Ultra-Light Pumping Units. These units required additional configuration from the supplier. As present, five of eight are completed, and all eight units are expected to be deployed within the next few weeks. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers.
- Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 13 November 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Angela Constance on 26 November 2025
To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of any impact of single-year budgets on court backlog recovery.
Answer
The Scottish Government has considered the impact of single-year budgets on court backlog recovery and does not consider them to have constrained progress. Despite the challenges of annual settlements, the criminal court recovery programme has delivered substantial results, supported by over £181 million of targeted investment through our Recovery, Renewal and Transformation Fund since 2021.
The number of scheduled trials across all criminal business types is now below 16,000, compared to a peak of 43,606 in January 2022 - a reduction of over 64%.
While this demonstrates the success of recovery efforts, court modelling shows that criminal business has yet to stabilise. Solemn case volumes remain significantly higher than pre-pandemic levels, with current levels around twice those seen in 2019-20. COPFS plans to register approximately 600 indictments per month over the coming year, well above historic levels, further demonstrating the sustained increase in solemn business.
Future planning must also take account of major reforms, including the establishment of a standalone National Sexual Offences Court, which is expected to ease pressure on High Court and Sheriff and Jury courts.
- Asked by: Jackson Carlaw, MSP for Eastwood, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 13 November 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 26 November 2025
To ask the Scottish Government how many teachers have been promoted to a senior leadership position within secondary schools, including (a) headteachers, (b) deputy headteachers and (c) principal teachers, who have completed a formal management training programme to support them in the discharge of their increased responsibilities, in (i) each of the last three full financial years and (ii) 2025-26 to date, broken down by local authority.
Answer
Statistics on the overall number of teachers in promoted posts are published as part of the teacher census statistics, available on the Scottish Government website here: https://www.gov.scot/publications/teacher-census-supplementary-statistics/
The Scottish Government does not collect data on the number of teachers promoted to a senior leadership position within secondary schools.
While the Scottish Government does not hold data on the number of teachers who have completed a formal management training programme, we provide funding of over £800,000 per year for the Into Headship programme which aims to ensure aspirant head teachers are supported to develop and build the necessary knowledge, skills and understanding required in senior leadership roles, and the In Headship programme for headteachers early in post to support them to build the necessary knowledge, skills and understanding required of headteachers.
- Asked by: Carol Mochan, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Monday, 17 November 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Neil Gray on 26 November 2025
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answers to questions S6W-33389 and S6W-38959 by Neil Gray on 24 January 2025 and 1 July 2025 respectively, whether the business case for a new pre-hospital emergency critical care replacement service has been completed and submitted for consideration, and, if so, by what date the commissioning of a new pre-hospital service to replace Medic One will be completed.
Answer
The Scottish Government is awaiting the final business case from the Scottish Ambulance Service (SAS) for a new pre-hospital emergency critical care replacement service.
The development of this business case has been a complex process and work is now nearing completion.
Once received, it will be reviewed through the relevant governance processes. Until that review is complete, it is not possible to confirm a commissioning date for the new service to replace Medic One. Interim arrangements continue to provide critical care.
- Asked by: Rachael Hamilton, MSP for Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 13 November 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Ivan McKee on 26 November 2025
To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the Scottish Retail Consortium’s suggestion in its Scottish Budget 2026–27 recommendations paper that the business rate levied on shops liable for the higher property rate has resulted in them collectively paying £93 million more in rates over the past decade than their counterparts in similar sized stores in England.
Answer
The Scottish Government continues to offer a competitive non-domestic rates regime and the 2025-26 Budget delivered the lowest Basic Property Rate in the UK for the seventh year in a row.
Over 95% of shops in Scotland are liable for the lowest rate in the UK, and this is estimated to have saved them £11.5m over the same timeframe compared with what they would have been liable for under English rates (note that this is a gross estimate and has not been adjusted for any reliefs).
In addition, the Small Business Bonus Scheme remains the most generous scheme of its kind in the UK, and the retail sector continues to be one of its main beneficiaries, with 30,000 shops receiving SBBS relief, reducing their collective rates bill by £86 million as at June 2025. Overall, 34,000 shops receive rates relief, worth over £110 million. Half of all shops in Scotland pay no rates.
These figures relate to the ‘shops’ property class, as defined by the Scottish Assessors. Property class is a classification used by Scottish Assessors to describe the type of property and does not necessarily accurately reflect the actual use of a property.
- Asked by: Rachael Hamilton, MSP for Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 13 November 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Ivan McKee on 26 November 2025
To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the Scottish Retail Consortium’s suggestion in its Scottish Budget 2026–27 recommendations paper that the business rate levied on shops liable for the higher property rate makes it more expensive for them to operate and trade profitably on high streets in Scotland than for similar sized stores in England.
Answer
In its 2025-26 Budget, the Scottish Government maintained a competitive non-domestic rates regime delivering the lowest property rate in the UK for the seventh year in a row, ensuring that over 95% of non-domestic properties continue to be liable for a lower property tax rate than anywhere else in the UK.
The retail sector continues to be one of the main beneficiaries of the Small Business Bonus Scheme (SBBS) with 30,000 shops receiving SBBS relief, reducing their collective rates bill by £86 million as at June 2025. Overall, 34,000 shops receive rates relief, worth over £110 million and half of all shops in Scotland pay no rates.
These figures relate to the ‘shops’ property class, as defined by the Scottish Assessors. Property class is a classification used by Scottish Assessors to describe the type of property and does not necessarily accurately reflect the actual use of a property.
Tax policy decisions are made annually at budget in line with prevailing economic decisions and Government priorities.
- Asked by: Sharon Dowey, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 20 November 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Siobhian Brown on 26 November 2025
To ask the Scottish Government what 4×4 or multi-role vehicles the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service has procured in the last three years, and, for each type of vehicle, what the (a) cost, (b) number ordered, (c) number delivered and (d) intended operational role is.
Answer
In the past three years, SFRS has procured the following 4x4 and multi-role vehicles:
- 10x Ford Ranger Wildfire Units for dedicated wildfire management @ £44,050 each (£440,500);
- 4x Iveco Daily Wildfire Support Units for supporting and providing additional equipment to Wildfire Units @ £95,394 each (£381,576);
- 10x Polaris Ranger 4x4 All-Terrain Vehicles for dedicated wildfire management @ £33,450 each (£334,500);
- 21x Ford Ranger Multi-Role Units for use in rural communities, adverse weather, towing, and off-road access as needed @ £35,402.93 each (£743,461.53); and
- 8x Ford Ranger Ultra-Light Pumping Units for wildfire management at volunteer stations, road traffic accidents, and other operational activities as needed @ £123,043.40 each (£984,347.20).
- Asked by: Rachael Hamilton, MSP for Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 13 November 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Ivan McKee on 26 November 2025
To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the Scottish Retail Consortium’s suggestion in its Scottish Budget 2026–27 recommendations paper that the business rate levied on the 2,400 shops liable for the higher property rate results in them collectively paying £9 million more each year in rates than counterparts in similar sized stores in England.
Answer
While some shops, and other rateable non-domestic properties, are liable for the Higher Property Rate, the Scottish Government continues to offer a competitive non-domestic rates regime and the 2025-26 Budget delivered the lowest Basic Property Rate in the UK for the seventh year in a row.
This ensures that over 95% of shops in Scotland are liable for a lower rate than anywhere else in the UK. In addition, the Small Business Bonus Scheme remains the most generous scheme of its kind in the UK, and the retail sector continues to be one of its main beneficiaries, with 30,000 shops receiving SBBS relief, reducing their collective rates bill by £86 million as at June 2025. Overall, 34,000 shops receive rates relief, worth over £110 million, and half of all shops in Scotland pay no rates.
These figures relate to the ‘shops’ property class, as defined by the Scottish Assessors. Property class is a classification used by Scottish Assessors to describe the type of property and does not necessarily accurately reflect the actual use of a property.
