Stephen Kerr

8 Sep 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what proportion of devolved welfare spending is allocated to means-tested benefits.

Answer · Shirley-Anne Somerville: The Scottish Government do not currently provide means-tested benefits, although certain benefits, notably 5-family payments, are targeted to those in receipt of relevant qualifying reserved benefits, and Carer Support Payment is available to eligible unpaid …

8 Sep 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the economic impact of beaver introductions on (a) farmland and (b) crop yields.

Answer · Gillian Martin: The economic impact of beavers have been the subject of various reports to date with a focus on impacts on farmers in Tayside. This includes a collation of impacts on land use in the Tayside Beaver Study Group final report 2015 and a Commissioned Report 805: …

8 Sep 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what evaluation it has carried out of the reported decision to no longer have zero tolerance sentencing for knife possession.

Answer · Angela Constance: Sentencing in any given case is a matter for the independent court within the overall legal framework.In 2016, Scottish Government legislation came into force that increased the maximum sentence for weapons possession from four years to five years. The averag…

8 Sep 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government for what reason it reportedly can no longer ensure that no patient waits longer than one year for NHS treatment by March 2026.

Answer · Neil Gray: Our position is unchanged on waiting times – by March 2026 no one will wait more than 12 months for a new outpatient appointment or inpatient/daycase treatment.We are investing more than £110 million this year to cut waits, and we expect to see th…

8 Sep 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the financial risks of Social Security Scotland not recovering overpaid benefits.

Answer · Shirley-Anne Somerville: Social Security Scotland has a statutory responsibility under the Scottish Public Finance Manual to ensure public resources are used economically, efficiently and effectively. The agency has developed a Debt Management Strategy to guide its approach to recove…

8 Sep 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to ensure that welfare policies incentivise work.

Answer · Shirley-Anne Somerville: Our social security policies have been designed to provide much needed support for the most vulnerable in our society and people can be entitled to support whether they are in work or not.For example, our Job Start Payment helps young people who are returning…

8 Sep 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what engagement it has with (a) farmers and (b) landowners before authorising wildlife releases.

Answer · Gillian Martin: Under the Scottish Code for Conservation Translocations, it is the responsibility of those applying to translocate/release wildlife to consult with a) farmers, and b) landowners, on these proposals.NatureScot’s guidance for beaver translocations recomme…

8 Sep 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what its forecast is for devolved welfare spending for the next five years.

Answer · Shirley-Anne Somerville: The Scottish Fiscal Commission (SFC) published its most recent independent forecasts on 25 June 2025, which sets out its latest five-year economic and fiscal forecasts to 2030-31.The publication can be found on the SFC’s website: Scotland’s Econom…

8 Sep 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to compensate farmers for any damage caused by beaver activity.

Answer · Gillian Martin: Through the Beaver Management Framework introduced when beavers were granted European Protected Status in 2019, NatureScot can provide licences to prevent serious damage to agriculture and NatureScot provide free advice and operate a mitigation scheme that ca…

8 Sep 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how much Social Security Scotland has written off in overpaid benefits since 2018.

Answer · Shirley-Anne Somerville: Social Security Scotland is committed to recovering overpaid benefits wherever it is reasonable and economical to do so, in accordance with the Scottish Public Finance Manual.Since 2018, approximately £7.7 million in overpaid benefits has been written o…

8 Sep 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how much it plans to raise through taxation to fund the reported welfare spending increase.

Answer · Shona Robison: I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-39149 on 22 July 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-committees/…

8 Sep 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many recipients of Social Security Scotland support owe overpaid benefits, and what proportion of these debts is more than one year old.

Answer · Shirley-Anne Somerville: Social Security Scotland has established a Debt Management Service to oversee the recovery of overpayments, ensuring that recovered funds are redistributed in line with Scottish public spending priorities. Recovery processes are carried out with respect for c…

8 Sep 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how much it has invested in (a) specialist staff and (b) facilities to deliver thrombectomy treatment since 2021.

Answer · Jenni Minto: The Scottish Government has invested £33 million in specialist staff and £11.3 million on facilities to deliver thrombectomy treatment since the financial year 2020-21.

8 Sep 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what cost-benefit analysis of 24/7 thrombectomy provision it carries out.

Answer · Jenni Minto: The Scottish Government has not undertaken a cost-benefit analysis of 24/7 thrombectomy provision.Research suggests that, on average, every patient treated with a thrombectomy procedure could save the NHS £47,000 over five years, due to the reduction in…

8 Sep 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the impact of early release on knife crime rates.

Answer · Angela Constance: There has been no direct assessment made about the impact of early release of prisoners on knife crime rates.The Scottish Government's work to address violence in Scotland is set out in the Violence Prevention Framework for Scotland (May 2023). This framework…

8 Sep 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many NHS patients have died while waiting for treatment since 2020.

Answer · Neil Gray: This is a matter for Public Health Scotland who collate and manage this data.

8 Sep 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how much it has spent on mitigation measures relating to beaver activity since 2020.

Answer · Gillian Martin: NatureScot’s direct spend on beaver advice and mitigation since 2020 is as follows:Financial Year2019-202020-212021-222022-232023-242024-25 (forecast)Operating costs72,00036,800*91,500160,000100,00063,000Total: £523,300This does not include staff …

8 Sep 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how it is working with UK defence contractors to safeguard Scotland’s role in shipbuilding supply chains.

Answer · Kate Forbes: The shipbuilding sector plays a vital role in supporting jobs and driving economic growth across Scotland. We are committed to promoting manufacturing and innovation, and Ministers continue to engage with businesses in the sector as part of that commitment.

8 Sep 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what advice it has issued to (a) landlords and (b) tenants regarding any risks associated with Large Panel System concrete.

Answer · Mairi McAllan: Building owners should refer to the existing guidance on Large Panel System (LPS) buildings, which has been available for several years. This guidance supports the investigation of the building’s condition and structural performance, and where necessary…

8 Sep 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many high-rise residential buildings are currently assessed as high-risk due to Large Panel System construction.

Answer · Mairi McAllan: The Scottish Government does not hold this information. Ensuring the safety of Large Panel System buildings is a shared responsibility, where there are multiple property owners in a shared residential block they hold joint accountability.While building owners…

8 Sep 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will consider introducing legislation restricting mobile phone use in schools.

Answer · Jenny Gilruth: The Scottish Government cannot unilaterally ban mobile phones in schools. The statutory responsibility for the delivery of Education in Scotland rests with Local Authorities, under the Education (Scotland) Act 1980.In August 2024 we published updated guidance…

8 Sep 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of any link between mobile phone use and safeguarding risks in schools, including exposure to harmful content.

Answer · Jenny Gilruth: The Scottish Government’s guidance on the use of mobile phones in schools, published in August 2024, sets out the features of a respectful and responsible use of mobile technology policy, including consideration of digital etiquette (standards of conduc…

8 Sep 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the effectiveness of buyback schemes in addressing the reported housing shortage.

Answer · Mairi McAllan: Having delivered 139,203 affordable homes between April 2007 and March 2025, we now remain focused on our new target of delivering 110,000 affordable homes by 2032, with at least 70% of these for social rent and 10% in rural and island areas, including new bu…

8 Sep 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many homes have been bought back by local authorities since the Right to Buy scheme ended.

Answer · Mairi McAllan: I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-03151 on 1 October 2021.Whilst we hold information on the number of off the shelf properties supported through the Affordable Housing Supply Programme, we do not hold information on whether those properties are…

8 Sep 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what evidence it has assessed regarding any impact of mobile phone use in classrooms on educational attainment.

Answer · Jenny Gilruth: Data from the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) 2022 provides some insights into the use of digital devices and mobile phones in schools for learning. The evidence shows that moderate use of digital devices in lessons is positively linked …

8 Sep 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what guidance it has issued on engaging with elected representatives in schools, and ensuring that there is a balanced representation of views.

Answer · Jenny Gilruth: It is important that our pupils understand the democratic process in Scotland, the UK and further afield. Local authorities have a role in ensuring that teachers in their schools can engage confidently with election issues and that balance and impartiality ar…

8 Sep 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what proportion of new housing starts are classified as affordable homes.

Answer · Mairi McAllan: The Scottish Government remains focused on delivering 110,000 affordable homes by 2032, with at least 70% of these for social rent and 10% in rural and island areas, including new build, rehabilitation and acquisitions.We report on all homes delivered through…

8 Sep 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to accelerate planning approvals for affordable housing.

Answer · Ivan McKee: It is an important principle of the planning system that each application is determined on its own merits, in line with the Development Plan and taking account of material considerations.As part of the Development Plan, National Planning Framework 4 (NPF4) in…

8 Sep 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to identify all residential buildings containing Large Panel System concrete.

Answer · Mairi McAllan: The Scottish Government takes matters of building safety seriously. While building owners have responsibility for their properties, the matter of Large Panel System buildings has been considered by the Ministerial Working Group on Building and Fire Safety and…

8 Sep 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to ensure the safety certification of all Large Panel System buildings.

Answer · Mairi McAllan: Scotland does not have a legislative provision for safety certification of Large Panel System buildings. Local authorities in Scotland have statutory powers under the Building (Scotland) Act 2003 to address buildings that pose a risk to public safety due to s…