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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.

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Question reference: S6W-37082

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 06 May 2025
Current Status: Answered by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 21 May 2025

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will publish a full list of current government-funded initiatives and training materials that contain an interpretation of sex based on gender identity, and not only on biological sex.

Question reference: S6W-37160

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 08 May 2025
Current Status: Answered by Kaukab Stewart on 20 May 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what information it has on which Scottish local authorities are (a) currently and (b) not currently participating in the UK Government’s asylum dispersal programme.

UK Government announced full asylum dispersal policy in April 2022. Under the policy Home Office contractors can presume that asylum dispersal properties can be procured in any local authority area across the UK.

The Scottish Government is aware that over half of Scotland’s local authorities now have asylum dispersal accommodation in their area.

The Home Office regularly publishes statistical data relating to immigration and asylum including data relating to people seeking asylum in receipt of Home Office support by local authority. Latest data publication is available online: Immigration system statistics data tables - GOV.UK

Question reference: S6W-37161

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 08 May 2025
Current Status: Answered by Kaukab Stewart on 20 May 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on Glasgow City Council's reported view that the current level of asylum support funding is unsustainable.

Asylum is reserved, including provision of asylum accommodation and support provided to people seeking asylum who would otherwise be destitute while awaiting a decision on their asylum application from the Home Office.

In 2022 the Home Office introduced funding for local authorities for the first time, to recognise the contribution of local authorities like Glasgow who supported significant numbers of people seeking asylum and to encourage participation by new local authorities. This funding has only been confirmed annually and the level of funding provided does not adequately reflect local authority costs for service provision.

Funding for local authorities has been a positive step, but we support calls for a long- term commitment to enable better support for people seeking asylum as well as local communities.

Question reference: S6W-37162

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 08 May 2025
Current Status: Answered by Kaukab Stewart on 20 May 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what recent discussions it has had with the UK Government regarding the potential introduction of a statutory mechanism to ensure that all local authorities contribute to the asylum dispersal programme on an equitable basis.

Question reference: S6W-37080

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 06 May 2025
Current Status: Answered by Kaukab Stewart on 20 May 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what steps it will take to ensure that female-only sports, changing rooms and hospital wards are for biological women only, in light of the Supreme Court ruling regarding For Women Scotland Ltd v The Scottish Ministers.

The Scottish Government are not responsible for monitoring or enforcing compliance with the Equality Act 2010. That is the statutory role of the Equality and Human Rights Commission. Scottish public authorities must comply with the law, including the 2010 Act, and regulations made under that Act when carrying out their functions, shaping their policies and practices and in relation to their employees.

The Scottish Government will continue our work to review relevant policies, guidance and legislation impacted by the judgment to position us towards a state of readiness to take all necessary steps when the EHRC’s Code of Practice and updated guidance are published in the Summer.

Question reference: S6W-37430

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 09 May 2025
Current Status: Answered by Ivan McKee on 19 May 2025

To ask the Scottish Government, whether it will provide the (a) office seating capacity and (b) annual running cost of each building (i) 4 Atlantic Quay (Glasgow), (ii) 5 Atlantic Quay (Glasgow), (iii) Bothwell House (Hamilton), (iv) Cadzow Court (Hamilton), (v) Compass House (Dundee), (vi) Denholm House (Livingston), (vii) Alexander Fleming House (Elgin), (viii) Hadrian House (Falkirk), (ix) Tankerness Lane (Kirkwall), (x) Longman House (Inverness) (xi) Marine Scotland (Eyemouth), (xii) Marine Scotland (Peterhead) and (xiii) St Andrews House (Edinburgh).

The information requested is set out in the following table:

Office	Seating capacity	Annual running cost (2024-25)
4 Atlantic Quay (Glasgow) 1	670	£51,465.41
5 Atlantic Quay (Glasgow)	764	£1,507,095.13
Bothwell House (Hamilton) 2	12	£13,708.11
Cadzow Court (Hamilton)	32	£38,310.42
Compass House (Dundee)	22	£19,121.78
Denholm House (Livingston)	124	£95,660.21
Alexander Fleming House (Elgin)	23	£50,462.25
Hadrian House (Falkirk)	36	£38,435.06
Tankerness Lane (Kirkwall)	26	£51,360.40
Longman House (Inverness)	148	£127,877.81
Marine Scotland (Eyemouth)	2	£13,984.23
Marine Scotland (Peterhead)	20	£42,493.61
St Andrews House (Edinburgh)	1775	£1,601,075.15

1 – Office closed July 2024

2 – Office closed May 2025

The figures in the Annual running cost (2024-25) column take account of the following:

Facilities Management Hard Services fixed contract costs

Facilities Management Soft Services fixed contract costs

Utilities

Question reference: S6W-37412

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 08 May 2025
Current Status: Answered by Maree Todd on 19 May 2025

To ask the Scottish Government how many formal (a) warnings, (b) notices and (c) interventions regarding suicide risks linked to infrastructure in mental health units have been issued since 2022, broken down by NHS board.

Question reference: S6W-37278

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 01 May 2025
Current Status: Answered by Paul McLennan on 15 May 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the reasons for the reported 26% decline in new-build rental construction over the past year, and what actions are being taken to address this.

The Scottish Government is aware of the recent publication of industry figures on the operation of the Build to Rent sector. We are committed to improving conditions for housing investment at scale and will continue efforts to create a favourable environment, working with the sector, including the Housing Investment Taskforce, to achieve this.

Through our recently announced consultation, we are seeking views on proposed exemptions for certain types of property including mid-market rent and build to rent to be exempted from rent control and to specify circumstances where it might be appropriate for landlords to increase rent above the level of the rent cap, could be used.

Question reference: S6W-37148

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 02 May 2025
Current Status: Answered by Graeme Dey on 15 May 2025

To ask the Scottish Government whether it supports a UK-wide framework to safeguard universities against intellectual property and technology transfers to foreign military regimes.

Scottish Government officials are engaging closely with UK Government, via the Department for Education, Department for Science Innovation and Technology, and the Home Office, on the development of the Foreign Influence Registration Scheme due to come into force on 1 July.

Officials also continue to engage with the UK Government on UK-wide frameworks and guidance regarding the management of international partnerships.

Whilst national security is reserved to the UK Government, the Scottish Government expect universities, as autonomous bodies, to conduct due diligence on managing risks associated with international partnerships and comply with relevant legal requirements, including the National Security Act 2023, and National Security and Investment Act 2021.

The Scottish Government also expects that universities will carefully consider guidance published by Universities UK, and the UK Government’s Research Collaboration Advice Team, to support them in managing risks of international partnerships.

Question reference: S6O-04685

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 14 May 2025
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 21 May 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on the impact of its Scottish income tax policy on the median income in Scotland, in light of this estimated to be £29,750 in 2025-26, based on its current policy.