Stephen Kerr

14 Nov 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many board meetings of Architecture & Design Scotland the Cabinet Secretary for Constitution, External Affairs and Culture has attended since May 2021, and on what dates.

Answer · Angus Robertson: Scottish Ministers do not routinely attend Architecture & Design Scotland board meetings and I have not attended any board meetings of the body since May 2021. Most recently, I met with the Architecture & Design Scotland Chair and Chief Executive in N…

10 Nov 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the meeting between the First Minister and the leader of Plaid Cymru (PC) at Bute House on 30 October 2025, at which the First Minister commented that, "I will be delighted to work with my friends in Plaid Cymru to show the people of Scotland and Wales that there is a positiv…

Answer · Kate Forbes: The Scottish Government is committed to forging a constructive relationship with nations across the UK and collaborating on issues of mutual interest. The First Minister meets a range of people from across the UK and abroad and is supported in doing so by civ…

10 Nov 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with local authorities regarding the sustainability of education budgets over the next three years.

Answer · Shona Robison: The vast majority of funding allocated to councils by Scottish Government is provided by means of a block grant. It is then the responsibility of individual local authorities to manage their own budgets and to allocate the total financial resources available …

10 Nov 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what analysis it has undertaken of the long-term financial sustainability of the free tuition model for higher education.

Answer · Ben Macpherson: The Scottish Government is clear that we will not reintroduce tuition fees. Access to higher education must be based on the ability to learn, not the ability to pay. State funded tuition is a collective investment in our society and economy.Within the clear a…

10 Nov 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of any economic impact of greater fiscal devolution for city regions.

Answer · Kate Forbes: As outlined in the Programme for Government, we are committed to further regional devolution through Regional Partnerships. We see empowering regions as a key lever to strengthen Scotland’s economy – and we will provide more detail on how we plan …

10 Nov 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with the UK Government and law enforcement agencies regarding the role of organised crime in money laundering through retail premises in Scotland.

Answer · Angela Constance: The Scottish Government regularly liaises with the UK Government and law enforcement partners about money laundering.As I referred to in my answer to S6W-41770 on 24 November 2025, Operation Machinize has had successful results in relation to disrupting activ…

10 Nov 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how it measures value for money and accountability of existing City Region and Growth Deal investments.

Answer · Kate Forbes: The Scottish Government assesses value for money and accountability on all City Region and Growth Deal projects. Each project must develop a robust business case, aligned with HM Treasury’s Green Book which is reviewed by Government officials to ensure …

10 Nov 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what estimate it has made of any loss of tourism income resulting from restricted access at Historic Environment Scotland properties.

Answer · Angus Robertson: The Scottish Government does not hold an estimate of any loss of tourism income resulting from restricted access at Historic Environment Scotland properties. Under the Historic Environment Scotland Act 2014, responsibility for managing these properties, inclu…

10 Nov 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what specific outcomes have been achieved from the Glasgow City Region Deal since its inception in 2014.

Answer · Kate Forbes: The Deal publishes both Annual and Quarterly Performance Reports to Governments and the City Region Cabinet, which are publicly available and report on delivery of the Deal.Our investment has delivered significant outcomes to date including 34.9 hectares of e…

10 Nov 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to ensure all youth organisations receiving public funds have robust safeguarding standards.

Answer · Natalie Don-Innes: Scottish Government’s grant conditions require all funded youth organisations to comply with the clauses as set out in their grant letter. Clause 4.7 requires them to: have robust safeguarding policies and procedures in place to protect vulnerable adult…

10 Nov 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the prevalence of organised crime involvement in small retail businesses across the country.

Answer · Angela Constance: The Scottish Government has not carried out an assessment of the prevalence of organised crime in small retail businesses.The Scottish Government works with members of the Serious Organised Crime Taskforce (SOCT) to detect and disrupt organised crime in Scotl…

10 Nov 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how it will ensure that local authority budget decisions do not undermine national education policy objectives.

Answer · Shona Robison: I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-41790 on 20 November 2025. 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-committ…

10 Nov 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what additional funding universities will receive to offset any loss of international student income.

Answer · Ben Macpherson: Decisions around the Scottish Government’s Budget are being considered over the coming months. The Scottish Government will continue to work collaboratively with Universities Scotland on developing a framework for the sustainability of universities, inc…

10 Nov 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many (a) barber shops, (b) vape stores and (c) mini-markets have been investigated for money laundering or other criminal activity since 2022.

Answer · Angela Constance: The Scottish Government does not hold this information. Money laundering is investigated by Police Scotland alongside other partners including His Majesty’s Revenue and Customs and the National Crime Agency.

10 Nov 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how it monitors the effects of local authority savings measures on (a) schools, (b) nurseries and (c) educational support services.

Answer · Shona Robison: I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-41790 on 20 November 2025. 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-committ…

10 Nov 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will review its funding formula for local authorities in light of reported regional development disparities.

Answer · Shona Robison: The local government finance funding formula provides a complex but objective assessment of need and uses the most up to date information for the full range of indicators, including factors such as population, rurality, road data and deprivation.The needs-bas…

10 Nov 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how it plans to maintain research quality in universities under the current funding model.

Answer · Ben Macpherson: Scotland hosts world-class research and innovation, with each of our unique universities conducting cutting edge, collaborative research across a broad range of disciplines. A suite of innovation activity occurs within Scottish research organisations and busi…

10 Nov 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how it plans to promote collaboration between local authorities, enterprise agencies and the UK Government on regional growth.

Answer · Kate Forbes: As outlined in the Programme for Government this year, we are considering how best we can empower regional partnerships, so that local authorities can work together more with enterprise agencies, businesses, and the third sector at regional scale to drive gro…

10 Nov 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with Universities Scotland regarding the future of higher education finance.

Answer · Ben Macpherson: I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-41771 on 24 November 2025. 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-committ…

10 Nov 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what oversight it has of the Scottish Youth Parliament’s safeguarding and complaints procedures.

Answer · Natalie Don-Innes: The Scottish Government currently provides Scottish Youth Parliament (SYP) with £341,250 core grant funding per year through the Children and Young People Early Intervention Fund to support Members of the Youth Parliament (MSYP). Scottish Government&rsq…

10 Nov 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what engagement it has had with the Scottish Youth Parliament following reports of harassment and inappropriate behaviour.

Answer · Natalie Don-Innes: The Scottish Government currently provides Scottish Youth Parliament (SYP) with £341,250 core grant funding per year through the Children and Young People Early Intervention Fund to support Members of the Youth Parliament (MSYP) to become confident and …

3 Nov 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide the dates, agendas and minutes of allmeetings between Alexander Dennis and (a) the Deputy First Minister, (b)Scottish Government ministers and (c) Scottish Government officials, since 12September 2025.

Answer · Kate Forbes: Scottish Government officials met with representatives of Alexander Dennis on 12 September and 14 September. The First Minister then visited the Alexander Dennis site at Larbert on 15 September to announce Scottish Government support for the company’s f…

30 Oct 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether Police Scotland has raised any concerns regarding resource diversion linked to participation in inquiries.

Answer · Angela Constance: The Scottish Government has increased police funding to £1.64 billion in 2025-26, an increase of £90 million on 2024-25.As Public Inquiries are independent of Ministers, it is for the Chair to direct how an Inquiry carries out its duties whilst be…

30 Oct 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it has considered introducing statutory limits on inquiry (a) expenditure and (b) duration.

Answer · Siobhian Brown: The Scottish Government are awaiting the outcome of the Scottish Parliament Finance and Public Administration Committee (FPAC) inquiry on the cost-effectiveness and timescales of public inquiries in Scotland before making any legislative and non-legislative c…

30 Oct 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how it plans to address reports of “intolerable workloads” and teacher burnout in Scotland’s schools.

Answer · Jenny Gilruth: The Scottish Government acknowledges the challenges teachers face, including in managing excessive workload.That is why we are working with COSLA and the teaching unions to develop a plan to reduce class contact time for teachers, which is supported by increa…

30 Oct 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what the reasons are for the reported delay in implementing its pledge to increase teacher numbers and reduce class contact time.

Answer · Jenny Gilruth: We remain committed to sustained investment to strengthen provision of education in Scotland and we are providing local authorities with £185.5m in this year’s budget to maintain teacher numbers.We remain committed to working with the teacher unio…

30 Oct 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will publish a full timetable for meeting its 2021 election commitments on teacher workload reform.

Answer · Jenny Gilruth: The 2021 SNP manifesto included a commitment to give teachers more time out of the classroom to prepare lessons, undertake professional development and tackle the challenges of closing the attainment gap.We remain committed to delivering a reduction in teache…

30 Oct 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of teacher numbers in 2025 compared with 2021, in the context of its contact time reduction pledge.

Answer · Jenny Gilruth: Teacher numbers increased by 12 between 2021 (2020 census baseline) and 2024. Teacher numbers for 2025 will be published with the teacher census statistics in December 2025.The Scottish Government commissioned the report: Pupil projections and implications fo…

30 Oct 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it has met with the Educational Institute of Scotland (EIS) to discuss action to avert the proposed industrial action related to teacher workload.

Answer · Jenny Gilruth: The Scottish Government regularly meets with representatives of teacher trade unions, including the Educational Institute of Scotland.In recent meetings, with teacher unions, we have discussed the Government’s ongoing commitment to deliver a 90-minute r…

30 Oct 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many additional teachers would be required to implement the pledge to reduce class contact time by 90 minutes per week.

Answer · Jenny Gilruth: The Scottish Government commissioned the report: Pupil projections and implications for teacher resourcing needs: education workforce modelling and research - gov.scot, which was published on 7 May 2024.This independent research has informed our engagement wi…