Stephen Kerr

26 May 2026 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the Scottish National Party 2026 manifesto commitment to ensure that every child who needs it can access Bairns’ Hoose within five years, by what date it expects this commitment to be fully implemented.

Answer · Siobhian Brown: At this early stage of the new Parliament, it is not possible to provide a specific date for full implementation beyond the existing commitment. Progress is, however, well underway: twenty partnerships are in development and seven Bairns’ Hooses are alr…

26 May 2026 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the Scottish National Party 2026 manifesto commitment to introduce a legal aid reform bill in the first year of the parliamentary session, on what date it plans to introduce the bill.

Answer · Kirsten Oswald: The Scottish Government recognises that reform of the legal aid system is needed, which is why we have committed to launching a consultation on a Legal Aid Reform Bill within our first 100 days.Work continues at pace, including engagement with key stakeholder…

26 May 2026 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the Scottish National Party 2026 manifesto commitment to fund a public health campaign on safe and healthy social media, screen time and online time, when it plans to implement this campaign.

Answer · Siobhian Brown: As set out by the Cabinet Secretary for Education, Culture and Gaelic in her statement on 2 June 2026, we will launch a public health campaign promoting safe and healthy use of social media and screen time, recognising that this work must form part of a wider…

26 May 2026 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what estimate it has made of the additional cost to the public purse of retaining elements of HMP Barlinnie as part of a listed structure.

Answer · Neil Gray: I refer the member to the answer to question S7W-00406 on 2 June 2026. 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/w…

26 May 2026 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the Scottish National Party 2026 manifesto commitment to extend specific legal protections against assault and abuse to public transport workers, when it plans to implement this commitment.

Answer · Stephen Flynn: As the member will be aware, the Rail Enforcement Powers Working Group published its final report and recommendations on 11 February 2026. This contained an output which recommended that the Scottish Government explore whether primary or secondary legislation…

26 May 2026 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what portfolio responsibilities are held by the Cabinet Secretary for Justice currently.

Answer · Neil Gray: Information about the responsibilities of the Cabinet Secretary for Justice is publicly available online and can be found on the Scottish Government website at https://www.gov.scot/about/who-runs-government/cabinet-and-ministers/cabinet-secretary-for-justice/.

26 May 2026 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the Scottish National Party 2026 manifesto commitment to ban the use of technology to create and possess deepfake intimate images, when it plans to introduce legislation to implement this ban.

Answer · Neil Gray: The Scottish Government is currently consulting on proposals to criminalise creating or requesting the creation of purported intimate images of another person without their consent and to criminalise the production, supply and the offering to supply of digita…

26 May 2026 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the Scottish National Party 2026 manifesto commitment to increase police powers to confiscate and retain e-bikes and e-scooters being used antisocially or criminally, when it plans to implement these powers.

Answer · Kirsten Oswald: We are working at pace with Police Scotland to explore how to ensure we implement this manifesto commitment in the right way to effectively tackle the antisocial and criminal use of vehicles, including illegally modified e-bikes and e-scooters. The Scottish G…

26 May 2026 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the Scottish National Party 2026 manifesto commitment to change the law to give cohabitants better financial rights and extend the simplified divorce procedure to amicable cases involving children where there are no disputes, when it plans to introduce legislation to implemen…

Answer · Kirsten Oswald: Our public consultation on a range of family law matters closed to responses on 21 April this year. These matters included the Scottish Law Commission's Report and draft Bill on the reform of cohabitants' financial rights on separation, cohabitants rights whe…

26 May 2026 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many women in each NHS board area are currently waiting more than 12 weeks for (a) gynaecology, (b) menopause and (c) chronic pain services, and what action is being taken to reduce these waits.

Answer · Maree Todd: Gynaecology - Waiting to access gynaecology related treatment can cause women anxiety and delays are unacceptable. Last year we allocated £13 million of additional funding to health boards to target long waits for gynaecology. We are beginning to see th…

26 May 2026 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to increase domestic food production, and reduce dependence on imported food, fertiliser and agricultural inputs.

Answer · Jim Fairlie: The Scottish Government is absolutely committed to supporting active farming and sustainable food production through direct payments, regardless of choices made elsewhere. The 2026 payments strategy aims to maintain the recent years payment timings for Direct…

26 May 2026 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many children are living in households where no adult is in sustained employment.

Answer · Tom Arthur: The Office for National Statistics (ONS) publish estimates of the number of children living in workless households by region from the ONS Annual Population Survey (APS) household datasets. A workless household is defined as a household containing at least one…

26 May 2026 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to ensure that environmental regulation does not unnecessarily delay practical river restoration and flood prevention work.

Answer · Gillian Martin: Undertaking river restoration and flood protection activities may require authorisation from the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) under the Environmental Authorisations (Scotland) Regulations 2018 (EASR). From November 2025, these regulations cre…

26 May 2026 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many whole-time equivalent NHS podiatrists have been employed in each of the last five years, broken down by NHS board, and what plans there are to increase staffing levels.

Answer · Angela Constance: The information requested on how many whole-time equivalent NHS podiatrists have been employed in each of the last five years, broken down by NHS board can be found on the TURAS NHS Education for Scotland workforce statistics site at: NHS Scotland workforce |…

26 May 2026 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what information it holds regarding the number of incidents involving possession, misuse or adverse health consequences associated with prescription stimulants among (a) pupils and (b) students.

Answer · Maree Todd: The Scottish Government does not hold data regarding the number of incidents involving possession, misuse or adverse health consequences associated with prescription stimulants among pupils or students.The ‘Alcohol and Drugs Strategic Plan’, publi…

26 May 2026 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what immediate measures it is considering to reduce the impact of rising business rates on hospitality and town centre businesses that are facing higher operating costs.

Answer · Hannah Mary Goodlad: The 2026 Scottish Budget supports businesses and communities with a decrease to the three property rates and a package of reliefs forecast to save ratepayers over £870 million, in 2026-27. This includes the Small Business Bonus Scheme which remains the …

26 May 2026 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many reported incidents of suspected drink spiking have there been in each of the last five years resulted in charges and convictions, and what action is being taken to increase the number of cases resulting in prosecution.

Answer · Neil Gray: Reported incidents of drink spiking are likely to be recorded by the police as either (i) crimes of administering a substance for sexual purposes under section 11 of the Sexual Offences (Scotland) Act 2009, or (ii) drugging (assault). The former is recorded w…

26 May 2026 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what targeted interventions are being delivered in the most deprived communities to reduce the incidence of chronic illness among women before retirement age.

Answer · Maree Todd: We want women and girls in Scotland to experience the best possible health, throughout their lives. However, it remains an unwelcome reality that communities across Scotland experience health, quality of life and even life expectancy differently depending on …

26 May 2026 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many (a) rooms, (b) wards and (c) clinical areas at the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital are affected by flooring defects, mould or associated remedial work and what timetable exists for completion.

Answer · Angela Constance: Since the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital (QEUH) opened in 2015, NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde has faced challenges linked to the original build quality.The Board has a range of ongoing legal proceedings against the main contractor as a result of these si…

26 May 2026 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what specific contingency planning is in place to protect the food supply in the event of major disruption to international supply chains, including shortages of imported fertiliser, fuel or food products.

Answer · Stephen Flynn: Scotland’s food system is resilient but faces growing risks from global and domestic shocks. While Scotland benefits from diverse supply chains and strong domestic production, recent events in the Middle East have highlighted vulnerabilities to disrupti…

26 May 2026 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what barriers identified by farmers and food producers are preventing greater domestic food production, and what action it is taking to remove these.

Answer · Jim Fairlie: Scottish ministers have committed in the Rural Support Plan to providing certainty, preparation, and investment over the next five years, ensuring that our farmers and crofters have the confidence to invest and prepare for changes. Scottish Ministers remain c…

26 May 2026 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what work is being carried out with (a) regulators, (b) schools and (c) universities to deal with the online availability of prescription medicines being used by young people to enhance academic performance.

Answer · Angela Constance: All pharmacies in Great Britain, including those providing on-line services, must be registered with the General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC) and meet their standards for registered pharmacies. These standards cover areas such as governance arrangements, saf…

26 May 2026 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what support is available to town and city centre businesses experiencing (a) declining footfall, (b) rising antisocial behaviour and (c) increased operating costs.

Answer · Hannah Mary Goodlad: The Scottish Government offers a range of support to businesses facing declining footfall, antisocial behaviour and rising costs. In the Scottish Budget, property rates have been reduced in 2026-27 alongside a package of reliefs forecast to save ratepayers ov…

26 May 2026 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to reduce the number of children living in households where no adult is in sustained employment.

Answer · Tom Arthur: The Scottish Government recognises that one of the most effective ways of tackling child poverty is by enabling parents and carers to enter sustainable work, supporting them to increase their income from employment.We have therefore committed to investing &po…

26 May 2026 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what the anticipated cost is of remedial works relating to flooring, mould and associated building defects at the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital and what proportion it expects to recover from contractors or insurers.

Answer · Angela Constance: I refer the member to the answer to question S7W-00360 on 8 June 2026. 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/w…

26 May 2026 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what specific replacement employment opportunities it expects to be created for workers affected by the Grangemouth refinery closure, including what the anticipated (a) job numbers, (b) salary levels and (c) delivery timescales are.

Answer · Stephen Flynn: The Scottish Government is committed to creating 500 new jobs in Grangemouth by the end of this Parliament. Our investment of up to £7,732,078, announced in December 2025, in MiAlgae and Celtic Renewables will support the creation of 279 jobs at Grangem…

26 May 2026 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what maximum waiting time standard applies to podiatry referrals for patients at risk of diabetic foot complications, and how many patients are currently waiting longer than that standard.

Answer · Maree Todd: We recognise that diabetic foot screening is a proven way to determine the chance of an individual with diabetes has of developing a future foot ulcer that may lead to amputation. Foot screening is also one of the key processes for good diabetes care.Clinical…

19 May 2026 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to integrate the use of artificial intelligence into the stroke pathway, particularly for the diagnosis of strokes.

Answer · Angela Constance: The Scottish government acknowledges the important role that artificial intelligence can play in supporting the diagnosis and management of stroke and the procurement of the national solution reflects the intention to include the use of artificial intelligenc…

19 May 2026 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what procurement it has undertaken regarding the use of artificial intelligence in stroke diagnosis.

Answer · Angela Constance: Procurement is underway for a national artificial intelligence solution to support rapid identification of patients who would benefit from a thrombectomy procedure. A further update will be provided following the conclusion of the procurement process.

18 May 2026 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions ministers or officials have had with the chair of the public inquiry into Sam Eljamel regarding reported concerns raised by patients and families about delays to proceedings.

Answer · Angela Constance: The Scottish Government fully recognises the pain and distress experienced by people impacted by Mr Eljamel’s practice. That is why we established the statutory public inquiry into the actions of Mr Eljamel and NHS Tayside to ensure patients obtain answ…