Stephen Kerr

15 Aug 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many unfilled officer posts remain in Police Scotland as of the latest reporting date. 

Answer · Angela Constance: As the recruitment and deployment of officers is a matter for the Chief Constable, the Scottish Government do not hold this information.The Scottish Government is investing a record £1.64 billion in policing in 2025-26, an increase of almost £90 m…

9 Aug 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether there are any constraints against the establishment of new data centres in Scotland; if there are, what it considers that those constraints are, and what action it is taking to mitigate any such constraints.

Answer · Richard Lochhead: “Data centres, and the associated digital infrastructure required to service them, are the backbone of a vibrant digital economy. Increased data centre presence in Scotland will help the country to fully embrace new and emerging technologies and opportu…

9 Aug 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what information it holds on which public sector organisations, including colleges and universities, have received Sanctuary Awards from City of Sanctuary UK in the last five years.

Answer · Kaukab Stewart: The Scottish Government holds no information on which public sector organisations have been awarded City of Sanctuary awards in the last 5 years. Some of this information is available in the Cities of Sanctuary UK 2024 Impact Report which is available on thei…

9 Aug 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how much funding it has provided to City of Sanctuary UK in each of the last five years.

Answer · Kaukab Stewart: City of Sanctuary UK is registered as an independent charity working across the UK and I can confirm that no funding has been provided from Scottish Government to City of Sanctuary in the last 5 years.

4 Aug 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether Forestry and Land Scotland conducted any valuefor money assessments before proceeding with the purchase of the Glen Prosenestate; if so, what the outcome was of any such assessments, and what impactthey had on the decision to purchase the estate.

Answer · Mairi Gougeon: Forestry and Land Scotland received independent professional advice prior to the purchase of Glen Prosen from their appointed advisers. That advice informed the decision to make an offer and its level.

4 Aug 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many current civil service posts have remained unallocated or functionless for more than six months.

Answer · Shona Robison: ‘Unallocated’ and ‘Functionless’ are not terms which are applied to the categorisation of roles within the Scottish Government.The Scottish Government continually monitors its operations to ensure its resources are deployed as effectiv…

4 Aug 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what its justification is for reportedly paying a civil servant for 18 months despite them having no formal duties.

Answer · Shona Robison: All Scottish Government staff are subject to SG Terms & Conditions and are managed & supported via our internal policies and processes. This is currently in a live legal process and we do not comment on any individual staffing matters or circumstances.

4 Aug 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what procedures it has in place to identify any employees without an active job description or reporting line.

Answer · Shona Robison: Organisational hierarchies are in operation for performance management, pay and finance purposes. Since October 2024 when the Scottish Government’s new HR and Finance system, Oracle Cloud, went live, the practice of Position Management is being utilised…

4 Aug 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many civil servants are currently on its payroll without a recognised job title or role.

Answer · Shona Robison: Prior to the implementation of Oracle Cloud, the Scottish Government’s previous HR Information System did not require Job Title to be a mandatory field for completion. This meant that individuals could be operational in substantive posts, but with missi…

4 Aug 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the reasons for the reported increase in patient falls recorded in hospitals since 2019.

Answer · Neil Gray: The Scottish Government wants all care delivered within the NHS in Scotland to be safe, effective and person-centred. As part of that, the Scottish Government established the Scottish Patient Safety Programme (SPSP), hosted by Healthcare Improvement Scotland,…

4 Aug 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether any material differences exist between the planning documents lodged by Flamingo Land, in relation to the proposed Lomond Banks development, and those relied upon in the final decision.

Answer · Ivan McKee: All the information submitted as part of the appeal, including everything submitted by the appellant, the national park authority and timeous representations submitted by interested parties is forwarded to Scottish Ministers along with the Reporter's report a…

4 Aug 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the percentage of total hospital buildings that currently fail basic modern safety standards for older and vulnerable patients.

Answer · Neil Gray: While the condition and suitability of the NHS estate is assessed, these assessments are not typically presented as a single percentage of buildings failing "basic modern safety standards," but rather through a detailed, risk-based classification system. The …

4 Aug 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government for what reason no public consultation or stakeholder engagement was carried out before the acquisition of the Glen Prosen estate.

Answer · Mairi Gougeon: Due to the off-market and confidentiality arrangements imposed by the seller Forestry and Land Scotland (FLS) were unable to consult with stakeholders prior to purchase. Full consultation with stakeholders, including the local community, has now be undertaken…

4 Aug 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will publish all (a) internal and (b) external correspondence relating to the Flamingo Land Lomond Banks planning process.

Answer · Ivan McKee: Scottish Ministers are committed to a fair, open and transparent process for all aspects of its planning appeal casework. There is no statutory requirement for the Planning and Environmental Appeals Division (DPEA) to publish any information relating to a cas…

4 Aug 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what procedures are in place to ensure that any statements by its ministers on international law are properly verified.

Answer · Angus Robertson: Ministers and officials take steps to ensure that their decisions, including where necessary in relation to international law, are informed by appropriate analysis of the legal considerations and implications.

4 Aug 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what engagement it has had with UK regulators and industry bodies regarding any licensing delays for North Sea development.

Answer · Gillian Martin: The licensing regime for offshore oil and gas is a matter currently reserved to the UK Government, with the North Sea Transition Authority as its regulator.The Scottish Government is clear in our support for a just transition for Scotland’s valued oil a…

4 Aug 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what protocols exist to distinguish personal political statements by its ministers from official government positions.

Answer · Kate Forbes: The Scottish Ministerial Code is clear on the need for Ministers to make a distinction between their roles as Ministers and their roles as Members of the Scottish Parliament. Chapter 9 of the Code sets out the requirements of Ministers in relation to the pres…

4 Aug 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what legal advice it received before its ministers publicly stated its position that Israel is committing genocide.

Answer · Angus Robertson: The Scottish Government has received appropriate legal and policy advice on the position in Gaza, and does not comment on legal advice.

4 Aug 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what share of recorded patient falls occurred in NHS facilities known to be in poor condition or scheduled for replacement.

Answer · Neil Gray: The Scottish Government does not hold the information on the reasons for patient falls. Each NHS board is responsible for recording, assessing and investigating (if necessary), the reason for a patient fall. This investigation would include whether the condit…

4 Aug 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it has assessed any legal and diplomatic risks of using the term "genocide" regarding Gaza, in relation to live international conflicts.

Answer · Angus Robertson: The Scottish Government has considered the legal and diplomatic risks. The International Court of Justice has held that actions of Israel in Gaza amount to a prima facie case for genocide and the International Courts are investigating those matters.

4 Aug 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to support retraining for any oil and gas workers who have lost their jobs as a result of the energy transition.

Answer · Gillian Martin: Scotland’s valued and highly skilled oil and gas workers must be at the heart of a just energy transition, and the Scottish Government is supporting the workforce with the powers available to us.In its first two years our Just Transition Fund for the No…

4 Aug 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what safeguards exist to ensure impartiality in ministerial planning decisions for nationally significant developments.

Answer · Ivan McKee: The Scottish Ministerial Code ensures impartiality in ministerial planning decisions, including avoiding conflicts of interest and maintaining transparency. Ministers must separate their roles as decision-makers and elected representatives, and must recuse th…

4 Aug 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what accountability mechanisms are in place for land acquisitions made through Forestry and Land Scotland.

Answer · Mairi McAllan: The framework document agreed between Forestry and Land Scotland (FLS) and Scottish Ministers details how FLS will carry out Scottish Ministers’ functions under the Forestry and Land Management (Scotland) Act 2018.It details the key roles and responsibi…

4 Aug 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what strategic objectives were used to justify the purchase of the Glen Prosen estate.

Answer · Mairi Gougeon: The strategic objectives of acquiring the additional land at Glen Prosen was to create a contiguous area of 10,000 ha of land in public ownership that could provide an opportunity for the development of an exemplar of integrated land management that furthers …

4 Aug 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will suspend any further decisions on the Flamingo Land Lomond Banks development until all reported concerns about potential document falsification are resolved.

Answer · Ivan McKee: Reported claims of document falsification are entirely unfounded. We are committed to processing the appeal in a fair, transparent, and lawful manner. Baseless speculation to the contrary is unhelpful and damages public trust in the planning system.

4 Aug 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what analysis it has undertaken of the causes of the reported loss of more than 13,000 oil and gas jobs in the last 12 months.

Answer · Gillian Martin: The Scottish Government continues to monitor and consider a range of evidence in relation to the energy sector.As part of this approach, we commissioned and published independent analysis on Scotland’s Energy System and Just Transition found here: Publi…

4 Aug 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government for what reason it reportedly approved the purchase of the Glen Prosen estate without a published management plan.

Answer · Mairi Gougeon: The Forestry and Land Management (Scotland) Act 2018 grants FLS the powers to enter arrangements, acquire land by agreement, and/or compulsory purchase land.Following acquisition, FLS has undertaken extensive public and stakeholder consultation, and environme…

4 Aug 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what return on investment it anticipates from the £17.6 million spent on the Glen Prosen estate.

Answer · Mairi Gougeon: Investment in Glen Prosen will result in a wide range of environmental, social and economic benefits through the opportunity it provides for landscape scale habitat restoration and a more joined up approach to land management substantially within the Cairngor…

4 Aug 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether its current tax and regulatory approach is compatible with private sector job creation, and what the reasons are for its position on this matter.

Answer · Kate Forbes: We are using every lever at our disposal to create well paid, skilled jobs here in Scotland. Our Programme for Government 2025-26 sets out what we are doing to deliver certainty and stability and make it easier to do business. This includes no further diverge…

4 Aug 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of how Scotland’s income tax divergence with the rest of the UK impacts on talent attraction and retention.

Answer · Shona Robison: Scottish Income Tax is forecast to raise a record £20.5 billion in 2025-26, £763 million more than they forecast at the Scottish Budget last year. We continue to use the additional revenue raised to support our investment in public services.Latest…