Parliamentary questions
Stephen Kerr
2,595 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.
10 Jun 2025 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what modelling it has conducted on any potential impact of the Building Safety Levy (Scotland) Bill on house prices.
Answer · Ivan McKee: The Business and Regulatory Impact Assessment published alongside the Building Safety Levy (Scotland) Bill sets out Scottish Government’s assumptions on the likely impact of a Building Safety Levy in Scotland.New build house sales make up just 9% of all…
10 Jun 2025 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what percentage of rape cases reported in the past five years have resulted in a conviction.
Answer · Angela Constance: It is not possible to provide this information.The most recent available data on conviction rates for rape and attempted rape were published in Criminal Proceedings in Scotland, 2022-23. The figures for the most recent available five years are set out in Tabl…
10 Jun 2025 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what policies are in place to address the reported disproportionate dropout rate among early-career female teachers.
Answer · Jenny Gilruth: The Strategic Board for Teacher Education is developing a Teacher Education and Development Framework to support teacher development throughout their careers. This includes a specific focus on improving support and mentoring for early career teachers.
10 Jun 2025 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what analysis it has undertaken of any regional inequalities in cancer care capacity across NHS boards.
Answer · Neil Gray: The Scottish Government Cancer Quality Performance Indicators (QPI) programme are vital in ensuring people have access to safe, effective, and person-centred care across Scotland and provides regular assessments of various aspects of cancer care. We work with…
10 Jun 2025 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many vacancies currently exist in (a) radiology and (b) oncology posts.
Answer · Neil Gray: The information requested on how many vacancies currently exist in (a) radiology and (b) oncology posts can be found on the TURAS NHS Education for Scotland workforce statistics site at: NHS Scotland workforce | Turas Data Intelligence (Vacancy tab).
10 Jun 2025 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many cybercrime units in Police Scotland are dedicated to tackling child sexual exploitation.
Answer · Natalie Don-Innes: The Scottish Government does not hold information on the number of cybercrime units within Police Scotland as this is an operational matter for the Chief Constable.We recognise the crucial role that Police Scotland officers and staff play in keeping our commu…
10 Jun 2025 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it has assessed the economic impact of cybercrime losses on households.
Answer · Angela Constance: Assessing the total economic impact of cybercrime losses on households in Scotland is challenging, as a significant proportion of these crimes are not reported to the police. In recognising the value of improving the evidence base on this topic, new questions…
10 Jun 2025 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what budget it has allocated to fund any additional safer drug consumption rooms beyond Glasgow.
Answer · Maree Todd: The Scottish Government has not received any formal proposals for additional sites for additional SDCF beyond the Glasgow pilot therefore no budget is currently allocated for this.Any future consideration on funding will be contingent on the submission of rob…
10 Jun 2025 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how it will assess the impact of the safer drug consumption pilot in Glasgow before considering a wider roll-out.
Answer · Maree Todd: The Glasgow Safer Drug Consumption Facility (SDCF) will undergo a comprehensive, independent evaluation, led by a collaboration of academic institutions, including the University of Glasgow, Glasgow Caledonian University, and other expert research partners.Th…
10 Jun 2025 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what its long-term workforce plan is for addressing any shortages in clinical cancer specialists.
Answer · Neil Gray: The Scottish Government recognises that NHS Scotland’s oncology capacity has been increasingly tested due to steady, long-term increases in demand driven by new medicines approvals, increasing complexity of treatment, an ageing population, more treatmen…
10 Jun 2025 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the reported view of Scottish Land and Estates that the Land Reform (Scotland) Bill risks being unworkable and punitive.
Answer · Mairi Gougeon: We are aware that Scottish Land and Estates have voiced concerns with the proposed measures in the Bill, whereas other stakeholders would like the measures to go further and faster. It is important that our Land Reform policies take a proportionate and balanc…
10 Jun 2025 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many diagnostic appointments have been cancelled due to staff shortages in each of the last three years.
Answer · Neil Gray: The Scottish Government does not hold this information. More detailed information on cancelled appointments will be held locally by NHS boards.
10 Jun 2025 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to reports that more than 400 children a day are targeted by online predators in Scotland.
Answer · Natalie Don-Innes: Protecting children from harm is a key priority for the Scottish Government. Child sexual abuse and exploitation are abhorrent crimes and have a devastating impact on victims and their families. In Scotland, we are working closely with partners to deliver a c…
10 Jun 2025 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether the reported current radiology vacancy rate in NHS Scotland exceeds safe service thresholds.
Answer · Neil Gray: Whilst the Scottish Government sets the strategic policy direction for the NHS in Scotland, operational matters including staffing are in the first instance the responsibility of the relevant NHS board.Decisions will depend on the service needs of each board …
10 Jun 2025 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on the reported finding of the Royal College of Radiologists that a shortage of radiologists risks making cancer treatment delivery “impossible”.
Answer · Neil Gray: The Scottish Government recognises that NHS Scotland’s oncology capacity has been increasingly tested due to steady, long-term increases in demand driven by new medicines approvals, increasing complexity of treatment, an ageing population, more treatmen…
10 Jun 2025 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many prosecutions for online child sexual abuse have taken place in each of the past five years.
Answer · Dorothy Bain: There is no available data on the number of prosecutions for online child sexual abuse that have taken place in each of the past five years.COPFS uses a live, operational database to manage the processing of reports submitted to Procurators Fiscal by the poli…
10 Jun 2025 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how it will evaluate local consent for the establishment of any new safer drug consumption rooms in communities.
Answer · Maree Todd: The Scottish Government recognises the importance of securing local consent in the establishment of any new Safer Drug Consumption Facilities (SDCFs). Evaluation of such consent would need to be undertaken by any Health Board area wishing to propose establish…
10 Jun 2025 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it has run any recent public awareness campaigns targeting online scams.
Answer · Ivan McKee: The Scottish Government is working hard to crack down on scammers and deliver better support for those targeted by scams.We provided funding of £500,000 in 2021-22 to various members of Scotland’s Scams Prevention, Awareness & Enforcement Stra…
10 Jun 2025 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how it is supporting schools to include online safety and scam awareness in the curriculum.
Answer · Jenny Gilruth: Digital technology is a vital aspect of modern education and the Scottish Government is committed to ensuring online safety is appropriately recognised in Scottish education and wider child protection policies.It is crucial that schools prepare our young peop…
10 Jun 2025 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what immediate action it is taking to address the Royal College of Radiologists’ view that there is a “ticking timebomb” in cancer care due to a shortage of specialists.
Answer · Neil Gray: Scottish Government recognises the challenges facing oncology services and our workforce as demand increases across NHS Scotland. We are working with NHS Scotland to address staffing as a matter of urgency, working closely with NHS Board and clinical leaders …
10 Jun 2025 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many cybercrime cases have been reported directly to Police Scotland in the past three years.
Answer · Angela Constance: The following table shows the estimated number of police recorded cyber-crimes during 2021-22 to 2023-24. These estimates are based on a review of crime records, whereby a random sample of cases was drawn across Scotland for those types of crime that could in…
10 Jun 2025 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking in response to a reported 1,090% rise in cybercrime scams since 2021.
Answer · Angela Constance: The Scottish Government, Police Scotland and the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) are working together to help protect organisations from cyber criminals, by identifying fraudulent websites, preventing phishing emails, blocking phone numbers and ultimate…
10 Jun 2025 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it has assessed any administrative burden that the Land Reform (Scotland) Bill could place on small and family farms.
Answer · Mairi Gougeon: We have carefully considered the impact that the proposals in Part 1 of the Land Reform Bill will have on landowners across Scotland. The 1000 hectare threshold means that only the largest 1.4% of Scotland’s farms are expected to be in scope, according …
10 Jun 2025 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will publish any clinical evidence underpinning its decision to centralise neonatal services in Aberdeen.
Answer · Jenni Minto: Under the new model Neonatal Intensive Care will be delivered in three Units - the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital in Glasgow, Edinburgh Royal Infirmary and Aberdeen Maternity Hospital. The change was recommended in the Best Start report published in 2017…
10 Jun 2025 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what impact assessment it has conducted of NHS staff capacity at Aberdeen Royal Infirmary, in light of proposed changes to neonatal services affecting Glasgow and Wishaw.
Answer · Jenni Minto: Scottish Government commissioned Consulting firm RSM UK Consulting LLP to undertake detailed modelling work to fully map the capacity requirements across the system to inform capacity building and implementation of the new model. The report was published on t…
10 Jun 2025 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the reasons for the reported 30% increase in road deaths from 2023, and what its position is on whether its current road safety strategy is effective.
Answer · Fiona Hyslop: The Key Reported Road Casualties Scotland 2024 publication shows that while overall casualties decreased in 2024, the number of fatalities increased by 9%.This performance is not something we can accept, nor am I prepared to accept it. Every road death is one…
10 Jun 2025 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what recent analysis it has carried out of any correlation between excessive teacher workload and staff retention.
Answer · Jenny Gilruth: The Scottish Government values the teaching profession and the important work that teachers do is one of the key strengths of our education system.We will continue to work with COSLA and the teaching unions to address concerns around teacher workload.We are c…
10 Jun 2025 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many lives it estimates could be saved annually by completing the dualling of the (a) A9 and (b) A96.
Answer · Fiona Hyslop: It is estimated that completion of the A9 Dualling Programme between Perth and Inverness will result in an average of three fewer fatalities annually with early analysis of dualling the A96 between Inverness and Aberdeen estimating an average of one fewer fat…
10 Jun 2025 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many families per year are expected to be transferred to the Aberdeen Neonatal Unit under the proposed changes to move neonatal services.
Answer · Jenni Minto: Under the new model, neonatal intensive care will be delivered in three Neonatal Units in Scotland, the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital in Glasgow, Edinburgh Royal Infirmary and Aberdeen Maternity Hospital.Of the 44,835 births in the year to 31 March 2024…
10 Jun 2025 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many specialist neonatal cots will be removed from hospitals in the Central Belt as a result of the proposed redesign of neonatal services.
Answer · Jenni Minto: Scottish Government commissioned Consulting firm RSM-UK to undertake detailed modelling work to fully map the capacity requirements across the system to inform capacity building and implementation of the new model. The report looked at current establishment a…