Stephen Kerr

16 Apr 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what proportion of the 463 flu-related deaths recorded to date in 2025 were in unvaccinated individuals who would previously have qualified for the flu vaccination, as part of the group aged from 50 to 64 years old.

Answer · Jenni Minto: The aim of the seasonal flu programme continues to be protecting those most at risk of severe illness from flu. Eligibility for the seasonal flu vaccination is based on the advice of the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI). The JCVI current…

16 Apr 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what information it holds on how many adults are currently being prescribed medication for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and how this figure compares with previous years.

Answer · Maree Todd: There is currently no standard dataset covering the number of people being prescribed medication for ADHD in Scotland, and consequently the Scottish Government does not hold figures for this year or for previous years.

16 Apr 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what proportion of people appearing before a court, who were aged between 19 and 25 years old, have cited attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) as part of their defence in each of the last three years.

Answer · Maree Todd: The Scottish Government does not collate data on the number of people who have cited ADHD as part of their defence.Having ADHD would not amount to a defence in law to a criminal charge, though it might be something a defence solicitor presents in mitigation o…

16 Apr 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the reasons for the high number of flu-related deaths that were recorded in the first 14 weeks of 2025.

Answer · Jenni Minto: Public Health Scotland (PHS) reports that the 2024-25 flu season in Scotland had the highest number of flu cases reported in recent years. Flu case numbers reached their highest levels between week 50 of 2024 and week 1 of 2025, and remained high in weeks 2 a…

16 Apr 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether the £22 million in liquidity support that was granted to the University of Dundee was conditional on the university avoiding any job losses.

Answer · Graeme Dey: I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-37056 on 6 May 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-committ…

16 Apr 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to reinstate eligibility for flu vaccination for people aged 50 to 64.

Answer · Jenni Minto: The Scottish Government’s decision-making for the flu vaccination programme continues to be guided by the expert clinical advice of the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI). The JCVI currently advises flu vaccination for those aged 65 …

16 Apr 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether the First Minister endorsed comments suggesting that the UK Government (a) would nationalise the Grangemouth oil refinery if it were located in England and (b) is "happy to see" the refinery "wither", and, if so, for what reason, and whether this reflects official Scottish Govern…

Answer · Gillian Martin: Yes, the Scottish Government does agree with this view and we continue to call upon UK Ministers to intervene at Grangemouth as it has done in other parts of the UK.

16 Apr 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, regarding any implications for Scotland’s public finances, and in relation to the recent decision to equalise the MSP element of minsters' salary with that of MSPs who are not currently serving ministers, whether it will publish a full list of current…

Answer · Ivan McKee: Ministerial pay is set and administered by the Scottish Parliament and the Scottish Government has no role in this. You may, therefore, wish to direct any detailed questions on pay to the Scottish Parliament. A breakdown on Ministerial salaries is provided on…

16 Apr 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the First Minister's reported endorsement of calls to nationalise the Grangemouth oil refinery and his reported view that the Scottish Government did not have adequate resources to nationalise the refinery itself, what its position is on what impact such comments may have on…

Answer · Gillian Martin: Given the nature of operating a refinery, significant regular operational expenditure would be required, alongside frequent capital expenditure, to enable the asset to continue operating - and we continue to urge the UK Government to leave no stone unturned w…

16 Apr 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what guidance it issues to charities that receive public funds on remaining politically neutral, and how it monitors compliance with any such guidance.

Answer · Shirley-Anne Somerville: Scottish Government grant funding is subject to standard terms and conditions, which state that:“No part of the Grant shall be used to fund any activity or material which is party political in intention, use, or presentation, or appears to be designed t…

16 Apr 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what recent discussions it has had with the Office of the Scottish Charity Regulator (OSCR) regarding political neutrality among publicly funded charities, and whether it is aware of any concerns that have been raised regarding so-called boycott, divestment and sanctions (BDS) …

Answer · Shirley-Anne Somerville: We have not held specific discussions with the Office of the Scottish Charity Regulator on the political neutrality of charities that receive public funding.We are not aware of concerns about any charities in relation to ‘boycott, divestment and sanctio…

16 Apr 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on the principle that charities should serve the public impartially and not become platforms for any ideological campaigning by internal activist groups.

Answer · Shirley-Anne Somerville: Scottish charity law says that an organisation set up to be a political party or to advance a political party cannot be a charity. However, under the law charities are permitted to campaign on political issues provided that:It is advancing their charitable pu…

16 Apr 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what due diligence or feasibility assessments it has conducted on the (a) costs, (b) risks and (c) implications of nationalising the Grangemouth oil refinery.

Answer · Gillian Martin: I refer the member to the answers provided in response to S6W-36894 and S6W-36895 on 13 May 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.sc…

16 Apr 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of any potential impact on investor confidence in (a) the Grangemouth oil refinery and (b) Scotland more broadly of the First Minister’s recent remarks regarding nationalisation of the refinery.

Answer · Gillian Martin: The Scottish Government is committed to doing all it can to bring forward investment at Grangemouth and across Scotland. We have given clear signals to investors and prospective developers at Grangemouth that we want to work with them to make the projects out…

16 Apr 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, in relation to its public service reform programme, what proportion of its planned £280 million savings by the end of 2024-25 will have come from reductions in pay costs for the board members of (a) public sector and (b) other non-departmental bodies.

Answer · Ivan McKee: The Scottish Government is committed to driving key efficiency programmes such as Scottish Single Estates, Commercial Value for Money (CVfM), Collaborative Procurement frameworks, the Intelligence Automation Centre of Excellence, and Digital programme. There …

16 Apr 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to publish a detailed comparative analysisof any differences in post-S4 retention rates between Scotland and the rest ofthe UK.

Answer · Jenny Gilruth: Due to differences in education systems and school-leaving ages across the different countries of the UK, direct comparisons are not possible.Analysis has been carried out for Scottish leavers and is available on the Scottish Government website. Infographic o…

16 Apr 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many public sector body board members currently hold appointments with more than one public sector body and, for each such board member, what the total amount is that they receive annually as a combined remuneration.

Answer · Shona Robison: The list of public appointments by public body, which was published on 25 March 2025, is an exhaustive list of Ministerial regulated public appointments only. Ministerial regulated public appointments are those governed by the Ethical Standards Commissioner a…

16 Apr 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what the reasons are for its reported position that an independent Scotland would be better able to mitigate the impact on Scotland of economic and financial uncertainty, and what evidence informed its position on the matter.

Answer · Angus Robertson: I refer the member to the publication, A stronger economy with independence, which sets out detailed proposals on how the Scottish Government would use the full powers of independence to build an inclusive, fair, wellbeing economy that works for everyone in S…

16 Apr 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the use of artificial intelligence-based tools to address any delays in cancer treatment and diagnosis.

Answer · Neil Gray: Scottish Government is committed to the trustworthy, ethical and inclusive use of artificial intelligence (AI) in health and social care, where it can help to transform lives, increase healthy life expectancy and reduce health inequalities across Scotland.The…

16 Apr 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it considers the current regulatory framework for battery energy storage systems to be fit for purpose, in light of recent reported public safety concerns.

Answer · Gillian Martin: Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS) in Scotland are covered by both devolved and reserved regulations, including planning and fire safety. There is a statutory structure that must be followed for all decision-making.In terms of planning, where new developme…

16 Apr 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will consider working jointly with the UK Government to develop a UK-wide cancer strategy, in light of reports of calls for such an approach by expert commentators in The Lancet Oncology.

Answer · Neil Gray: Cancer remains a national priority, within the Scottish Government and across NHS Scotland. That is why we recently published our 10 year Cancer Strategy for Scotland 2023-2033 along with an initial three year Cancer Action Plan for Scotland 2023 – 2026…

16 Apr 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether it is consistent with the prudent management of public finances for public body board members to earn more per day than some public sector workers earn in a week.

Answer · Shona Robison: Where Ministers have agreed that an appointee should be remunerated, the Daily Fee Framework for Chairs, Board Members and Public Appointments must be used to determine the appropriate Daily Fee. The framework does not mandate that a fee be paid.It is open to…

16 Apr 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what action it takes to ensure that public money is not allocated to charities that act in breach of their impartiality obligations under charity law.

Answer · Shirley-Anne Somerville: The Scottish Government can only comment on the funding we provide, rather than all ‘public money’. Any funding issued by the Scottish Government is done so in line with the Scottish Public Finance Manual, and Grant Offer Letters to all third sect…

16 Apr 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the performance and effectiveness of the public bodies under its control.

Answer · Ivan McKee: The quarterly review which forms part of the Scottish Government’s Assurance cycle to ensure public bodies are operating efficiently and effectively includes an assessment of performance and identifies any areas that may require to be monitored.

16 Apr 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will publish a full list of current board members of all public sector bodies, including their (a) daily rates, (b) number of days worked and (c) total annual remuneration.

Answer · Shona Robison: The list of public appointments by public body, which was published on 25 March 2025, is an exhaustive list of Ministerial regulated public appointments. Ministerial regulated public appointments are those governed by the Ethical Standards Commissioner and th…

16 Apr 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the reported increasing number of fires linked to lithium-ion batteries in domestic and industrial settings.

Answer · Siobhian Brown: The Scottish Government is aware of the increased number of fires linked to lithium-ion batteries, as highlighted by the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS). Lithium-ion battery use has increased, particularly as we transition to net zero emissions, and i…

16 Apr 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what measurable actions it has taken since the COVID-19 pandemic to discourage young people from leaving school early due to financial necessity.

Answer · Jenny Gilruth: The Scottish Government recognises the importance of supporting young people to remain in education and has taken a range of measurable actions since the COVID-19 pandemic to address the financial pressures that can contribute to early school leaving. These a…

15 Apr 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to review the size and location of its office footprint in response to changing working patterns.

Answer · Ivan McKee: The Scottish Government estate is under review to allow us to plan for affordable, inclusive, accessible, modern, secure, energy efficient buildings of the right size to meet our changing needs and net zero ambitions, as well as to ensure best value for taxpa…

15 Apr 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what the average daily desk occupancy rate has been across its estate in the last year.

Answer · Ivan McKee: The table below show the occupancy levels at Scottish Government (SG) core office buildings for which there is an available data set. The average daily desk occupancy rate has been calculated by dividing the number of unique building pass users recorded over …

15 Apr 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how it will address the environmental pressures reportedly contributing to salmon stock collapse, including pollution, blocked rivers and fish farm-related disease and parasites.

Answer · Mairi Gougeon: I refer the member to the answer to the question S6W-36988 on 30 April 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-…