- Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 12 March 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 26 March 2025
To ask the Scottish Government how much it anticipates it will spend on disability-related benefits by 2030, and what steps it is taking to ensure the sustainability of Scotland’s devolved social security system.
Answer
Based on the latest Scottish Fiscal Commission forecasts, the Scottish Government anticipates to spend around £7.1 billion on disability-related benefits in 2029-30.
Of the £7.1 billion, around £6.7 billion (94% of the total) will be covered by the Social Security Block Grant Adjustment received from the UK Government with around £0.4billion (6% of the total)to be met from the Scottish Government’s Budget).
The Scottish Government is committed to ensuring that finances remain on a sustainable trajectory and that we continue to reach a balanced position each year, as we have done for the last 17 years. We will continue to take forward our programme of work for doing this, which will be updated in the next Medium-Term Financial Strategy due to be published later this year, alongside the Fiscal Sustainability Delivery Plan.
The UK government’s welfare reform proposals are an attempt to balance the books on the backs of disabled people. It is disappointing that the UK Government decided not to engage with the Scottish Government before this announcement.
- Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 12 March 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 26 March 2025
To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to reported concerns that any increasing social security costs could reduce the funding available for other public services such as health and education.
Answer
Social security is an investment in the people of Scotland. Our priority is to ensure that people receive the support to which they are entitled and that in doing so they are treated with dignity, fairness and respect. The Scottish Government are investing around £6.9 billion in Social Security benefits in 2025-26, this is projected to increase to around £8.9 billion by 2029-30.
The Scottish Government is committed to ensuring that finances remain on a sustainable trajectory and that we continue to reach a balanced position each year, as we have done for the last 17 years. We will continue to take forward our programme of work for doing this, which will be updated in the next Medium-Term Financial Strategy due to be published later this year, alongside the Fiscal Sustainability Delivery Plan.
- Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 12 March 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 26 March 2025
To ask the Scottish Government what proportion of its Budget is projected to be allocated to social security by the end of the decade, and whether it anticipates any need for future tax increases to cover any rising costs.
Answer
Based on the latest Scottish Fiscal Commission forecasts, it is estimated that the budget allocated to Social Security will be 14.8% of the Scottish Government’s total Resource Budget by 2029-30. The proportion of the budget which the Scottish Government has chosen to invest in to enhance our Social Security offering, compared to England and Wales (i.e. above the Social Security Block Grant Adjustment), is projected to be 2.6% of the total Scottish Government Resource Budget by 2029-30.
Alongside the 2025-26 Budget the Scottish Government published a Tax Strategy which sets out the next steps in the evolution of the tax landscape in Scotland. This set out that there would be no increases to Income Tax rates or new bands added to the tax system for the remainder of this Parliament.
- Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 25 March 2025
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Current Status:
Answer expected on 22 April 2025
To ask the Scottish Government what its procedures are for vetting and reviewing ministerial memoirs.
Answer
Answer expected on 22 April 2025
- Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 12 March 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Graeme Dey on 25 March 2025
To ask the Scottish Government what analysis it has conducted of the long-term viability of its free university tuition policy, in light of the reported financial pressures being experienced by universities.
Answer
The Scottish Government is resolutely committed to free tuition, and the position that access to university should remain based on the ability to learn and not the ability to pay. This commitment to free tuition also means that, unlike elsewhere in the UK, Scottish students studying in Scotland do not incur additional debt of up to £27,750 and average student loan debt in Scotland is the lowest in the UK.
The Scottish Government fully appreciates the financial sustainability challenges being faced by many universities across the UK due to a range of factors, including the impact of UK Government immigration policies on international student recruitment, and the increase to employers’ National Insurance Contributions. While universities are autonomous institutions with responsibility for their own strategic and operational decision making, the Scottish Government and Scottish Funding Council will continue to offer support to individual institutions as they develop their own plans to mitigate financial challenges.
The Scottish Government listened closely to the university sector in the development of this year’s budget, which is why we are investing over £1.1 billion in university teaching and research in 2025-26. Since February we have also announced a further £25 million to support universities facing financial challenges.
- Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 12 March 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Graeme Dey on 25 March 2025
To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether the reported budget constraints at (a) the University of Edinburgh and (b) other institutions could (i) lead to job losses and (ii) damage Scotland’s international reputation for higher education.
Answer
While universities are autonomous institutions with responsibility for their own strategic and operational decision making, the Scottish Government and Scottish Funding Council will continue to offer support to individual institutions, including Edinburgh, as they develop their own plans to mitigate financial challenges.
In line with our Fair Work principles, the Scottish Government expects universities to work with trade unions and staff representatives to reach the right decisions and ensure workers are treated fairly; and for workers to have appropriate channels for maintaining constructive and meaningful dialogue with the University. The Scottish Government expects universities to make every effort to protect jobs. Compulsory redundancies should only be considered as a last resort, after all other cost saving measures have been fully explored.
The Scottish Government recognises the pivotal role played by Scotland’s world-class universities in our economy and wider society. Ministers listened closely to the sector in the development of this year’s budget, and are investing over £1.1 billion in university teaching and research.
- Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 12 March 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Graeme Dey on 25 March 2025
To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether its current funding model for higher education is sustainable, in light of reports of universities’ increasing financial deficits.
Answer
The Scottish Government recognises the pivotal role played by Scotland’s world-class universities in our economy and wider society. Ministers listened closely to the sector in the development of this year’s budget and are investing over £1.1 billion in university teaching and research. Since February we have also announced a further £25 million to support universities facing financial challenges.
The Scottish Government fully appreciates the financial sustainability challenges being faced by many universities across the UK due to a range of factors, including the impact of UK Government immigration policies on international student recruitment, and the increase to employers’ National Insurance Contributions. While universities are autonomous institutions with responsibility for their own strategic and operational decision making, the Scottish Government and Scottish Funding Council will continue to offer support to individual institutions as they develop their own plans to mitigate financial challenges. The Scottish Government and Scottish Funding Council will also continue its engagement with Universities Scotland and individual institutions on a range of issues, including the future sustainability of the sector.
- Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 12 March 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Graeme Dey on 25 March 2025
To ask the Scottish Government what its assessment is of reports that the University of Edinburgh is planning £140 million of cuts, and what impact it anticipates this could have on (a) students, (b) staff and (c) research output.
Answer
While the University of Edinburgh is an autonomous institution with responsibility for its own strategic and operational decision making, the Scottish Government and Scottish Funding Council will continue to offer support to individual universities, including Edinburgh, as they develop their own plans to mitigate financial challenges. The Scottish Funding Council, as part of its regular engagement with the University of Edinburgh, will continue to monitor the impact on students, staff and research of the University’s cost-saving programme.
In line with our Fair Work principles, the Scottish Government expects the University of Edinburgh to work with trade unions and staff representatives to reach the right decisions and ensure workers are treated fairly; and for workers to have appropriate channels for maintaining constructive and meaningful dialogue with the University.
The Scottish Government would also expect students to be appropriately supported by the University throughout this period, and to receive timely information about the impact of any proposed changes to provision.
- Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 12 March 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Graeme Dey on 25 March 2025
To ask the Scottish Government how it determines which sectors are prioritised for apprenticeship funding, and what assessment criteria are used.
Answer
I refer the member to the answer to the question S6O-02021 on 16 March 2023 All answers to Oral Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at Official Report: search what was said in Parliament | Scottish Parliament Website
- Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 12 March 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Graeme Dey on 25 March 2025
To ask the Scottish Government how the recently announced apprenticeship funding compares with previous years in real terms, taking into account inflation and cost increases.
Answer
The recently announced £102 million apprenticeship funding for 2025-26 represents a projection of the funding Skills Development Scotland (SDS) will spend to support 25,500 new Modern Apprenticeship (MA) starts and 2,500 Foundation Apprenticeship (FA) starts, as well as MAs and FAs already in training.
The following tables include this projected spend for 2025-26, as well as projected outturn for 2024-25, and the actual value that SDS has spent in prior years on MA and FA provision, both in cash and real terms.
Table 1: Cash Terms | | Financial Year | 2019-20 | 2020-21 | 2021-22 | 2022-23 | 2023-24 | 2024-25 | 2025-26 | SDS spend on MA and FA delivery (£m) | 96 | 95 | 90 | 85 | 92 | 99* | 102* | Annual change | - | -1% | -5% | -6% | 8% | 8% | 3% | Source: Figures provided to the Scottish Government by Skills Development Scotland and HMT Deflators (as of December 2024), rounded to the nearest £, million | *Projected spend | | | | | | | |
Table 2: Real Terms (2025-26 prices) | | Financial Year | 2019-20 | 2020-21 | 2021-22 | 2022-23 | 2023-24 | 2024-25 | 2025-26 | SDS spend on MA and FA delivery (£m) | 120 | 112 | 107 | 95 | 96 | 101* | 102* | Annual change in real terms | - | -6% | -5% | -12% | 2% | 5% | 1% | Source: Figures provided to the Scottish Government by Skills Development Scotland and HMT Deflators (as of December 2024), rounded to the nearest £, million | *Projected spend | | | | | | | |
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Contribution rates have remained largely the same over this period of time and this should be taken into account when considering assumptions for real terms costs.
The Scottish Funding Council also support both Modern and Foundation Apprenticeships, and will provide 2,500 Foundation Apprenticeship opportunities this year.
