Questions · Stephen Kerr

4 Jun 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what progress it has made on its pledge to eliminate delayed discharge from hospitals.

Answer · Neil Gray: The Scottish Government is committed to reducing delayed discharges and addressing the variation in delays across the country and this remains a priority for this Government. However, it is important to reflect that 97% of all discharges happen without delay.…

4 Jun 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to recover the £5 million reportedly owed in unpaid confiscation orders.

Answer · Angela Constance: When a confiscation order is made, payment of the order is supervised by the court. Where payment is not made within the time specified by the court, further action to recover the outstanding balance can be taken by the courts.

4 Jun 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will publish an annual update on unpaid confiscation orders and any enforcement action taken.

Answer · Angela Constance: The Scottish Courts and Tribunals Service (SCTS) publish the Courts Data Scotland bulletin on a quarterly basis, which provides national level information on confiscation order penalties.

4 Jun 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what safeguards are in place to ensure that (a) academic quality and (b) student experience are maintained in any universities that are undertaking major financial restructuring.

Answer · Graeme Dey: In line with its statutory responsibilities, the Scottish Funding Council (SFC) has oversight of the Tertiary Quality Enhancement Framework, with responsibility for ensuring that all the component parts work effectively and coherently to provide assurance on …

4 Jun 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how it will ensure that pupil support assistants receive adequate (a) training and (b) guidance on handling violent incidents.

Answer · Jenny Gilruth: Local authorities have responsibility for the delivery of education, which includes ensuring all employees receive adequate training.In August, we published our action plan on relationships and behaviour in schools, jointly with COSLA. This includes a specifi…

4 Jun 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what the reasons are for the reported continued delays to the M8 viaduct works in Glasgow, and what the revised completion date is.

Answer · Fiona Hyslop: The M8 Woodside Viaduct is a complex project, which involves constructing temporary propping in a constrained urban environment to enable repairs to the half-joints which support the motorway. Transport Scotland and their contractor, Amey, have been examining…

4 Jun 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government for what reason there is reportedly no 24/7 thrombectomy service for stroke patients at present, and when this will be addressed.

Answer · Jenni Minto: The Scottish Government remains committed to implementing a high quality and clinically safe thrombectomy service. We have invested £39 million to date on expanding access to thrombectomy. While we continue to face significant financial challenges, we a…

4 Jun 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what immediate action it is taking to protect classroom support staff, in light of reports that 100% have witnessed or experienced violence.

Answer · Jenny Gilruth: Violence towards pupils or staff is unacceptable.Responsibility for addressing concerns in specific local authority areas rests with the local authority, as the employer of school staff.In August, we published our action plan on relationships and behaviour in…

4 Jun 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to improve Scotland’s GDP growth rate, in light of reported figures stating that it has grown less than that of the rest of the UK.

Answer · Kate Forbes: Scotland’s economy remains one of the best performing parts of the UK with GDP per person in Scotland growing by 10.3%, compared to 6.1% in the UK and productivity has grown at an average rate of 1.1% per year compared to the UK average of 0.4% since 20…

4 Jun 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what economic assessment it has made of any impact of restricting the M8 in Glasgow to two lanes for six years.

Answer · Fiona Hyslop: An economic assessment was carried out based on the scenario of a prolonged full closure in order to inform decision making in managing these important viaducts, which indicated significant detriment to the Scottish economy if the viaducts had to be closed.An…

4 Jun 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what the total projected cost is of the M8 Woodside viaducts project, and how this compares with the original estimate.

Answer · Fiona Hyslop: The cost estimate for the propping works is £126 million to £152 million, as previously announced in May 2024. A cost range was used due to the complexities associated with a project of this scale in a constrained urban environment, with varying g…

4 Jun 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what it is doing to implement the commitments in the stroke improvement plan published in 2023.

Answer · Jenni Minto: Since the publication of the Stroke Improvement Plan, each NHS Board now has a named individual with responsibility for stroke care. The Minister for Public Health and Women’s Health chaired a roundtable meeting with these individuals in October 2024, o…

4 Jun 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how it plans to strengthen collaboration with UK counterparts to promote growth, jobs and productivity.

Answer · Kate Forbes: The Scottish Government regularly meets with UK Government counterparts at official and ministerial levels and on a bilateral and multilateral basis, to discuss shared priorities, including economic growth. The Scottish Government continues to build on this d…

4 Jun 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many additional deaths it estimates there could potentially be each year due to the reported absence of a 24/7 thrombectomy provision.

Answer · Jenni Minto: The Scottish Government does not hold this information.

4 Jun 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what the cumulative annual cost of benefits that it has introduced in Scotland since 2016 is projected to be by 2030.

Answer · Shirley-Anne Somerville: The following table shows the Social Security Assistance final outturn for each financial year since 2018, when the Scottish Government began to deliver devolved Social Security benefits, split by category.£ Million2018-192019-202020-212021-222022-23202…

4 Jun 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what funding it has allocated since 2021 to improve stroke services, and for what reason night-time care reportedly remains unavailable.

Answer · Jenni Minto: The Scottish Government has provided specific funding to NHS Boards for the development of a thrombectomy service to treat ischaemic stroke: £6.6 million in 2021-22; £7.2 million in 2022-23; £10.1 million in 2023-24 and £12.1 million i…

4 Jun 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether any penalties or additional payments have been made to contractors due to the reported delays on the M8 Woodside viaducts project.

Answer · Fiona Hyslop: The project is being delivered by Amey through the Network Management Contract as emergency works. As design and construction are progressing concurrently, there are few mechanisms to penalise later than expected completion under the terms of this contract.Tr…

4 Jun 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how it plans to fund the reported £8.9 billion of spending on social security that is forecast for 2029-30, and what (a) tax increases and (b) spending reductions it is considering to fund any such forecast spending on social security.

Answer · Shona Robison: The Scottish Government will continue to provide vital assistance to enable older people to heat their homes, to help disabled people live independent lives and will keep thousands of children out of poverty. The Scottish Fiscal Commission’s May 2025 fo…

4 Jun 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of any economic impact of Scotland’s reportedly widening tax gap with the rest of the UK.

Answer · Shona Robison: Scottish Income Tax is forecast to raise a record £20.5 billion in 2025-26 with the latest SFC forecast showing a positive contribution to the 2025-26 Scottish Budget of £616 million. This is additional revenue raised to support our investment in …

4 Jun 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on what role devolved policy choices have played in any limiting of economic growth.

Answer · Kate Forbes: The Scottish Government is working across the economy to maximise opportunities that prioritise economic growth, using our limited devolved powers.Scotland’s economy remains one of the best performing parts of the UK with GDP per person in Scotland grow…

3 Jun 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government for what reason £233,750 was provided to YWCA Scotland between 2017-18 and 2020-21 as part of the Promoting Equality and Cohesion Fund; what this funding was used for, and what the outcomes were of the (a) Empowering Pathways for Women and (b) Young Women Lead project.