Parliamentary questions
Stephen Kerr
2,595 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.
27 Apr 2025 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the reasons for the reported 26% decline in new-build rental construction over the past year, and what actions are being taken to address this.
Answer · Paul McLennan: The Scottish Government is aware of the recent publication of industry figures on the operation of the Build to Rent sector. We are committed to improving conditions for housing investment at scale and will continue efforts to create a favourable environment,…
27 Apr 2025 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether any First Minister has ever (a) met and (b) requested to meet the Chairman of INEOS, Sir Jim Ratcliffe.
Answer · Gillian Martin: The First Minister most recently met the Chairman of the INEOS Group, Sir Jim Ratcliffe, on 25 April 2025 to discuss the challenges that the INEOS businesses at Grangemouth continue to face.
24 Apr 2025 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it owns the site of the former Carnbroe Mains Farm at Carnbroe Road, Shirrel, Bellshill, and, if (a) so, what its current plans are for the site and (b) not, for what reason the Scottish Vacant and Derelict Land Survey site register states that it does.
Answer · Ivan McKee: It has been confirmed via title search that the site of the former Carnbroe Mains Farm at Carnbroe Road, Shirrel, Bellshill is not under the ownership of Scottish Ministers. The site is privately owned by individuals. Steps are being taken to update the Vacan…
24 Apr 2025 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what its current plans are for the site of HMP Shotts.
Answer · Angela Constance: I have asked Teresa Medhurst, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service (SPS), to respond. Her response is as follows:HMP Shotts was fully redeveloped and completed during 2013-14 at a cost of £93.1m. The establishment remains a valuable part of th…
24 Apr 2025 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what its current plans are for the site of the former Braehead brickworks in Bargeddie, North Lanarkshire.
Answer · Fiona Hyslop: The site of the former Braehead Brickworks is within the operational land of the M8 M73 M74 Motorway Improvements Project and is maintained by the project contractor, Scottish Roads Partnership (SRP). SRP has no plans for the site.
24 Apr 2025 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many properties it currently owns.
Answer · Ivan McKee: The Scottish Government currently own 22 properties under the core estate.
24 Apr 2025 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide a list of all leases that are currently held by the Scottish public sector, broken down by (a) cost and (b) department or agency.
Answer · Ivan McKee: The Scottish Government does not hold information on all public sector leases centrally. The following table shows all current Scottish Government leased properties and the cost of each lease.PropertyTotal lease costDepartment10 Commerce Street (Fraserburgh F…
24 Apr 2025 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what its current plans are for the former RAF Dallachy site in Moray.
Answer · Ivan McKee: Dallachy Airfield is currently owned and managed by Crown Estate Scotland rather than the Scottish Government. Currently, there are a number of commercial leases in place at the site.Crown Estate Scotland has submitted a Call for Ideas representation to Moray…
24 Apr 2025 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it owns the site of the former hotel at Carrick Castle, and, if (a) so, what its current plans are for the site and (b) not, for what reason the Scottish Vacant and Derelict Land Survey site register states that it does.
Answer · Ivan McKee: The site of the former hotel at Carrick Castle, Lochgoilhead, is not owned by Scottish Government as per the Vacant and Derelict Land Register. This has been uploaded in error and steps are being taken to update the Register. The site is privately owned.
23 Apr 2025 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what costs are associated with the implementation of the Single Scottish Estate Programme and how many staff have worked on it during the 2024-25 financial year.
Answer · Ivan McKee: The specific spend from the Single Scottish Estate (SSE) programme budget during the 2024-25 financial year was £611,000. This budget covers a range of delivery matters for the programme, including funding 7 posts dedicated to the SSE work. The business…
22 Apr 2025 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on Glasgow City Council's reported view that the current level of asylum support funding is unsustainable.
Answer · Kaukab Stewart: Asylum is reserved, including provision of asylum accommodation and support provided to people seeking asylum who would otherwise be destitute while awaiting a decision on their asylum application from the Home Office.In 2022 the Home Office introduced fundin…
22 Apr 2025 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what recent discussions it has had with the UK Government regarding the potential introduction of a statutory mechanism to ensure that all local authorities contribute to the asylum dispersal programme on an equitable basis.
Answer · Kaukab Stewart: The Scottish Government has not had any discussions with the UK Government regarding a statutory mechanism for asylum dispersal.
22 Apr 2025 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what information it has on which Scottish local authorities are (a) currently and (b) not currently participating in the UK Government’s asylum dispersal programme.
Answer · Kaukab Stewart: UK Government announced full asylum dispersal policy in April 2022. Under the policy Home Office contractors can presume that asylum dispersal properties can be procured in any local authority area across the UK.The Scottish Government is aware that over half…
22 Apr 2025 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many retired police officers have died before receiving pension payments, due to administrative delays, in the last five years.
Answer · Ivan McKee: I have asked Stephen Pathirana, Chief Executive of the Scottish Public Pensions Agency, to respond. His response is as follows:No retired police officers have died before receiving pension payments.From 1 October 2023, officers who had retired before that dat…
22 Apr 2025 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many hours of social care support could have been delivered with the £30 million that was reportedly spent on developing the National Care Service (Scotland) Bill.
Answer · Maree Todd: We are delivering much needed social care reform through the National Care Service, and it is a complex programme of change. The reported £28m reflects the funding allocated to developing National Care Service proposals since August 2021. The vast major…
22 Apr 2025 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many meetings the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care has held with local authorities since 2023 to progress the removal of non-residential care charges for vulnerable residents.
Answer · Neil Gray: I meet regularly with local authorities and key stakeholders to discuss a range of social care issues. Conversations I have include ongoing work to remove non-residential social care charges for vulnerable residents. These discussions form part of broader eff…
22 Apr 2025 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it has issued any guidance or expectations to university governing bodies regarding executive pay restraint during periods of public funding pressure, in the last five years.
Answer · Graeme Dey: The Minister addressed the issue of executive pay and the need for restraint when he attended the Meeting of the Committee of Scottish University Chairs on 27 March 2025.Universities are autonomous institutions with responsibility for their own pay and remune…
22 Apr 2025 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the Scottish National Party 2021 manifesto commitment to abolish non-residential care charges, for what reason the number of local authorities introducing or raising such fees has reportedly increased since 2022.
Answer · Maree Todd: Under Section 87(1A) of the Social Work (Scotland) Act 1968, a local authority may charge for the adult non-residential, non-personal care it provides such as day care, lunch clubs, meals-on-wheels, community alarm and help with shopping and housework.Local a…
22 Apr 2025 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many former police officers are currently awaiting resolution of their pension scheme choice following the 2015 pension changes.
Answer · Ivan McKee: I have asked Stephen Pathirana, Chief Executive of the Scottish Public Pensions Agency (SPPA), to respond. His response is as follows:SPPA is in the process of providing retired police officers with a remediable service statement (RSS) in order to allow them …
22 Apr 2025 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will offer compensation to any retired police officers who have been financially disadvantaged due to delays in implementing pension entitlements.
Answer · Ivan McKee: I have asked Stephen Pathirana, Chief Executive of the Scottish Public Pensions Agency, to respond. His response is as follows:The legislative provisions of the McCloud remedy ensure that where there is an uplift in pension benefits as a result of an officers…
22 Apr 2025 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how it plans to prevent further closures of nightclubs and live music venues in Scotland, in light of reports of a 30% decline in the UK since 2020.
Answer · Angus Robertson: The Scottish Budget continues to support businesses, including nightclubs and music venues, with a number of measures including maintaining the Small Business Bonus Scheme which remains the most generous scheme of its kind in the UK, and a freeze to the Basic…
22 Apr 2025 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to ensure that all retired police officers receive their full pension entitlements without any undue delay.
Answer · Ivan McKee: I have asked Stephen Pathirana, Chief Executive of the Scottish Public Pensions Agency, to respond. His response is as follows:The overall programme to deliver the 2015 remedy in Scotland is being managed by the Scottish Public Pensions Agency (SPPA). This is…
22 Apr 2025 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will publish comparative data on senior pay levels across all publicly funded Scottish universities annually.
Answer · Graeme Dey: The Scottish Government does not hold comparative data on senior pay levels across publicly funded Scottish Universities and therefore has no plans to publish this information.Universities are autonomous institutions with responsibility for their own pay and …
22 Apr 2025 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to reported concerns that rural nursery closures will force families to travel long distances or give up work due to a lack of childcare.
Answer · Natalie Don-Innes: The Scottish Government recognises that high quality, accessible and affordable early learning and childcare is vital in rural and island areas to support children’s outcomes and to enable parents or carers to train, work, or study.At a national level, …
22 Apr 2025 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many nurseries are projected to close over the next academic year.
Answer · Natalie Don-Innes: The Scottish Government does not produce projections of nursery closures.As with other sectors of the economy the childcare sector – which operates as a mixed economy model with services delivered by public, private and third sector services, including …
22 Apr 2025 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what information it holds on how many nurseries have been mothballed or closed since 2020.
Answer · Natalie Don-Innes: The Scottish government does not hold information on the number of nurseries which are closed or mothballed.Decisions relating to local ELC provision are for local authorities to make, in consultation with the local community. Mothballing should only be for a…
22 Apr 2025 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether any decrease in police budgets has had an impact on retail crime levels and worker safety.
Answer · Angela Constance: The Scottish Police Authority Budget has not decreased. We have increased police funding year-on-year since 2016-17, investing more than £14.6 billion since the creation of Police Scotland in 2013. This includes a record £1.64 billion investment i…
22 Apr 2025 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to reports that only around a quarter of assaults on shop workers in 2023 have resulted in a conviction.
Answer · Siobhian Brown: Assaults committed against anyone including retail workers are unacceptable and law enforcement has a range of powers available in dealing with such behaviour.Criminal Proceedings in Scotland statistics define a conviction rate as the proportion of people pro…
22 Apr 2025 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of any potential cost savings and efficiency gains that could result from merging Scotland’s NHS boards into regional structures.
Answer · Neil Gray: Our programme of Public Service Reform is addressing all opportunities to remove duplication from the public sector landscape, including consolidation of public bodies where appropriate and where a value for money case can be made. This work is part of our wi…
22 Apr 2025 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government for what reason For Women Scotland was reportedly only offered a brief 15-minute meeting with the Cabinet Secretary for Social Justice, following the Supreme Court ruling on For Women Scotland Ltd v The Scottish Ministers.
Answer · Shirley-Anne Somerville: A number of stakeholders with an interest in the outcome of the court case were offered 15-minute meetings with myself immediately following the ruling. For Women Scotland declined a meeting at that time. They subsequently attended a meeting with myself on 22…