Stephen Kerr

4 Aug 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of reports of rising economic inactivity among younger adults, what steps it is taking to improve workforce participation among this group. 

Answer · Richard Lochhead: To grow Scotland's economy, we must make full use of our potential workforce and remove barriers to employment.Economic inactivity is a complex issue, and this government is acting through a coordinated, system-wide and multi-sector approach. To address this …

4 Aug 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what its response it to reports of a recent trend of businesses increasingly relocating production from Scotland to other parts of the UK.

Answer · Kate Forbes: Thriving businesses are key to Scotland’s prosperity, and their success is critical to delivering the First Minister’s priorities.That’s why our Programme for Government includes measures that will make it easier to invest and do business by…

4 Aug 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what proportion of Scotland’s economic growth in the last two years has been attributable to (a) public and (b) private sector activity.

Answer · Kate Forbes: The statistics for Scotland’s gross domestic product (GDP) cannot be split precisely into separate contributions from the public and private sectors. This is because they are produced using data classified by industry and there are public sector bodies …

4 Aug 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to reports that Scotland has higher rates of long-term sickness and disability relative to the UK average, and what analysis it has made of any economic cost of this.

Answer · Richard Lochhead: The Scottish Government routinely analyses labour market data published by the Office for National Statistics (ONS).The latest ONS Annual Population Survey (APS) statistics for April 2024 – March 2025 show that the estimated economic inactivity rate for…

4 Aug 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the figures by KPMG, which reported that there was a 31% fall in job vacancies in Scotland in the three months to May 2025.

Answer · Richard Lochhead: The latest ONS data for Scotland indicates that there were approximately 47,900 new online job adverts posted in July 2025, down 1.1% over the year from July 2024. The data also indicate that the number of new online job vacancies posted in Scotland in July 2…

31 Jul 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many community safety or outreach patrols it funded in 2024-25 to support drug users.

Answer · Maree Todd: Scottish Government provide funding to local areas to allocate as appropriate based on local need. Decisions about the need for community safety or outreach patrols will be for local areas to take.Details of 2024-25 ADP funding and activity are set out in the…

31 Jul 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many oil and gas decommissioning firms it has supported financially in each of the last five years, and what the outcomes were.

Answer · Gillian Martin: Between 2020 and 2022, ten projects received funding from the Scottish Government’s Decommissioning Challenge Fund. The Fund, which ran from 2017 to 2022, supported infrastructure upgrades and innovation in salvage and transport methods at Scotland&rsqu…

31 Jul 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what new evidence it has considered in reaffirming its reported opposition to nuclear energy generation.

Answer · Gillian Martin: I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-39145 on 29 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/…

31 Jul 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many drug-related deaths have occurred in public places in the last year, broken down by local authority.

Answer · Maree Todd: Information on drug-related deaths in public places is not held centrally.Accredited statistics on drug-related deaths in Scotland are published annually by National Records of Scotland (NRS). The next publication on 2 September 2025, will cover deaths regist…

31 Jul 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it recently consulted businesses or trade unions before reiterating its reported opposition to nuclear energy.

Answer · Gillian Martin: The Scottish Government has met with trade unions regarding its policy position on nuclear energy.We regularly meet representatives from the nuclear industry.

31 Jul 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of any broader risks to Scotland's oil and gas supply chain from oil and decommissioning firm closures.

Answer · Gillian Martin: The Scottish Government continues to monitor and consider a range of evidence in relation to the energy sector. We have commissioned and published independent analysis on Scotland’s Energy System and Just Transition, which includes consideration of offs…

31 Jul 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what research it has commissioned into the effects of nitazenes and their prevalence in Scotland.

Answer · Maree Todd: No specific research has been commissioned into the effects of nitazenes and their prevalence in Scotland. However we do draw on the international evidence base through our public health surveillance system. Since the first detection of these substances in Sc…

31 Jul 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what estimate it has made of the economic opportunity cost of its reported anti-nuclear policy since 2016.

Answer · Gillian Martin: I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-38932 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/…

31 Jul 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will publish a full breakdown of how the £87 million transition fund related to Grangemouth refinery is being spent.

Answer · Gillian Martin: The Scottish Government has committed or already invested £87m in Grangemouth. This includes the newly established £25m Grangemouth Just Transition Fund which will support near term low carbon opportunities that have emerged following the conclusi…

31 Jul 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what urgent action it is taking to disrupt the supply of valium-type drugs containing lethal compounds.

Answer · Angela Constance: This is an operational matter for Police Scotland whose recent successes working with agencies in Scotland, the UK and internationally are helping to deliver on Scotland’s Serious Organised Crime strategy.Operations including UK-wide Operation Venetic h…

31 Jul 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will introduce drug testing of public waste water to better map so-called "hot spots".

Answer · Maree Todd: In April 2025, the Centre of Expertise for Waters published research into the feasibility of wastewater monitoring for psychoactive substances in Scotland. The research publication is available here: https://www.crew.ac.uk/publications/review-psychoactive-sub…

27 Jul 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-39106 by Ivan McKee on 8 July 2025, for what reason it chose to develop its own mobile app rather than co-opt the UK Government's mobile app for devolved public services.

Answer · Ivan McKee: The UK Government App is available for all UK residents including those in Scotland providing access to information on GOV.UK. The Scottish Government App will focus on offering services provided by Scottish Government and Scottish public sector organisations…

27 Jul 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-39106 by Ivan McKee on 8 July 2025, on what date the proposed Scottish Government mobile app will be available. 

Answer · Ivan McKee: The development of a Scottish Government Mobile App is a Digital Public Services commitment within the Government's Public Service Reform Strategy published in June 2025.One or two services will be available via the proposed App as an MVP (Minimum Viable Prod…

27 Jul 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-39106 by Ivan McKee on 8 July 2025, what the projected cost is of the development of the Scottish Government mobile app.

Answer · Ivan McKee: The development of a Scottish Government Mobile App is a commitment under the Digital Public Services strand of the Government’s Public Service Reform Strategy, published in June 2025.The App is intended to serve as a single, secure gateway to personali…

27 Jul 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-39297 by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 24 July 2025, how many new cars registered in Scotland through the Accessible Vehicles and Equipment (AVE) Scheme in 2024 were electric, and what this figure is as a proportion of all new electric cars registered …

Answer · Shirley-Anne Somerville: As of year-end 2024 there were 4,648 new Electric Vehicles (EVs) registered in Scotland through the Accessible Vehicles and Equipment (AVE) Scheme. This represents 16.9% of EVs registered in Scotland in 2024, although this figure may not include cars purchase…

22 Jul 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it considers the potential development of special economic zones for AI data centres and related investment to be a devolved responsibility.

Answer · Richard Lochhead: The Scottish Government is working closely with local authorities and enterprise agencies to explore opportunities for AI-related investment.While certain aspects of economic zoning and investment policy may intersect with reserved matters, the planning, infr…

22 Jul 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what plans it is developing to support any workers who lose their jobs due to AI.

Answer · Richard Lochhead: While there are currently no dedicated programmes specifically for workers displaced by AI, the Scottish Government is taking steps to support individuals through broader digital and AI literacy initiatives.Programmes such as Living with AI aim to help people…

22 Jul 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the number of jobs in Scotland that could be lost due to AI over the next decade.

Answer · Richard Lochhead: While the impacts that AI will create are not yet fully understood, the Scottish Government will develop improved methods for assessing the potential impact of AI on jobs in Scotland, recognising the urgent need to understand both the risks and emerging oppor…

22 Jul 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-38738 by Ivan McKee on 3 July 2025, whether the total running costs provided include the total lease cost for each of its properties. 

Answer · Ivan McKee: The figures quoted in the answer provided to question S6W-38738 on 3 July 2025, included all associated costs for running each leased office building, covering January to December 2024. The total lease cost for each building was included in these figures.

9 Jul 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what information it has on what proportion of new cars registered in Scotland in 2024 were acquired through the Accessible Vehicles and Equipment Scheme.

Answer · Shirley-Anne Somerville: As of year-end 2024 there were 36,884 new cars registered in Scotland through the Accessible Vehicles and Equipment (AVE) Scheme, representing 22% of all cars registered in Scotland throughout the year. We are proud to have delivered vital mobility support to…

9 Jul 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how much funding it has provided to the International Commission of European Citizens (ICEC) in each of the last 10 years.

Answer · Angus Robertson: The Scottish Government has not provided any funding to the International Commission of European Citizens over the past 10 years.

3 Jul 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what its detailed forecasts are for social security spending beyond 2029-30.

Answer · Shirley-Anne Somerville: The Scottish Fiscal Commission published its most recent independent forecasts on 25 June 2025, which sets out its latest five-year economic and fiscal forecasts, and includes forecasts of Social Security benefits expenditure to 2030-31.The publication can be…

3 Jul 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how much of its £2 million investment for 2025-26 through the Scottish Empty Homes Partnership, including to support additional empty homes officers, is (a) new investment and (b) a reallocation of existing funds.

Answer · Mairi McAllan: The £2 million investment in 2025-26 through the Scottish Empty Homes Partnership (SEHP) to support local authorities to return more privately owned empty homes to use is a new investment. It is part of a two-year fairer funding pilot, with a further in…

3 Jul 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how it plans to address the reported skills shortages in the renovation and construction sectors, in light of its plans to bring empty homes back into use.

Answer · Mairi McAllan: Supporting the construction industry and its workforce is a priority for the Scottish Government. The Minister for Business and Employment chairs a Construction Leadership Forum that has oversight of a 2024 Transformation Action Plan and a skills and workforc…

3 Jul 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many police officers with second jobs also claim benefits, including in-work benefits.

Answer · Angela Constance: This information is not held by the Scottish Government as in-work benefits such as Universal Credit are reserved to the UK Government. Additionally, the recording of personal data relating to police officers with additional jobs or business interests are mat…