Seòmar agus comataidhean

Questions and answers

Parliamentary questions can be asked by any MSP to the Scottish Government or the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body. The questions provide a means for MSPs to get factual and statistical information.

Written questions must be answered within 10 working days (20 working days during recess)
Other questions such as Topical, Portfolio, General and First Minister's Question Times are taken in the Chamber

Urgent Questions aren't included in the Question and Answers search. There is a SPICe fact sheet listing Urgent and emergency questions.

Find out more about parliamentary questions

Criathragan Hide all filters

Displaying 1434 questions Show Answers

Order by |

Question reference: S6W-36521

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 03 April 2025
Current Status: Answered by Ivan McKee on 11 April 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what percentage of the Scottish Budget is currently allocated to civil service pay and administration, and how this compares with 2013.

The Total Operating Cost (TOC) budget for 2025-26 is set at £801.7 million, accounting for 1.3 percent of the overall Scottish Budget, as measured by Total Managed Expenditure.

In 2019-20, a change in approach to operating costs was implemented, which means a comparable figure for 2013 cannot be provided. Previously, costs, including staffing, were held centrally as part of the administration budget and also as part of portfolio budgets for staff who were implementing and delivering specific public services. Since 2019-20, Total Operating Costs have been aligned with the portfolio budgets they support, replacing the dual system where both administration and portfolio budgets funded operating costs.

Question reference: S6W-36466

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 03 April 2025
Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 11 April 2025

To ask the Scottish Government whether it considers the (a) capital and (b) maintenance funding available to NHS boards is adequate to ensure that mental health facilities are safe and comply with Health and Safety Executive standards.

The Scottish Government is committed to ensuring that all NHS facilities, including mental health units, provide a safe and therapeutic environment that complies with Health and Safety Executive (HSE) standards, though the size, age and complexity of the NHS estate means this is a challenging issue to manage. The Scottish Government believe that current levels of capital and maintenance funding allocated to NHS boards are adequate to meet these essential requirements, as it is allocated on a risk-based approach and is there to support boards in maintaining their existing estate, addressing backlog maintenance, and investing in necessary upgrades and new developments for mental health services.

Question reference: S6W-36273

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 01 April 2025
Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 11 April 2025

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-34827 by Neil Gray on 28 February 2025, what plans there are to restart the work on the National Treatment Centre in Livingston.

The draft 2025-26 Scottish Budget provides additional investment of £139 million for NHS infrastructure. This provides increased core capital funding for NHS Boards and, as a first step to lifting the capital pause, allows work on the replacement of some acute facilities to resume, as well as providing funding to address NHS Boards’ priority areas for infrastructure investment.

Despite this additional investment, the capital funding position remains challenging and there remains uncertainty in the longer-term funding position, as we await the outcome of the UK Government’s spending review. All due consideration will be given as to which projects are affordable, deliverable and provide best value, following the outcome of that review, this will include the National Treatment Centre in Livingston.

Question reference: S6W-36227

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 28 March 2025
Current Status: Answered by Ivan McKee on 11 April 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what percentage of public procurement contracts awarded in the last two years have gone to businesses located outside of Scotland.

Question reference: S6W-36225

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 28 March 2025
Current Status: Answered by Jamie Hepburn on 11 April 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what information it has on how many people are currently registered to vote in Scottish Parliament elections, and how many of those registered are foreign nationals.

At 1 December 2023:

the total number of people registered to vote in Scottish Parliamentary and local government elections was 4,241,800;
just under 189,500 qualifying foreign nationals resident in Scotland were registered to vote in Scottish Parliamentary and local government elections.

Updated information on the electoral register at 1 December 2024 is due to be published on the National Records of Scotland website: People registered to vote - National Records of Scotland (NRS) at 9.30am on 24 April 2025.

Question reference: S6W-36272

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 01 April 2025
Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 11 April 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what the original budget for each of the national treatment centres was.

Question reference: S6W-36820

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 10 April 2025
Current Status: Answer expected on 8 May 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what immediate steps it is taking to respond to SEPA's warning of early signs of water scarcity in Scotland.

Question reference: S6W-36822

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 10 April 2025
Current Status: Answer expected on 8 May 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what proportion of agricultural land is classified as at risk from water scarcity, and how this is being monitored.

Question reference: S6W-36814

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 10 April 2025
Current Status: Answer expected on 8 May 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether mobile phone use by pupils during the school day is compatible with the principles of responsible citizenship promoted by the curriculum for excellence.

Question reference: S6W-36819

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 10 April 2025
Current Status: Answer expected on 8 May 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on reported calls for a cap or oversight mechanism on senior salaries in publicly funded bodies, including local authorities.

Fiscal Year (Apr-Mar)	Total Number Awards	Outside Scotland % of Contracts Awarded
2023-2024	12,506	31%
2024-2025	10,247	32%