Parliamentary questions
Stephen Kerr
2,595 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.
17 Mar 2025 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to ensure that NHS board executive pay reflects performance outcomes, such as waiting times and patient care quality.
Answer · Neil Gray: NHS Board Executive staff are required to set objectives annually which are aligned to the Board strategy and priorities. Executives must have objectives which demonstrate the contributions made to national and regional working, the delivery of the Health and…
17 Mar 2025 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many marketing campaigns it has commissioned and subsequently cancelled since 2019, and what the cost of these was.
Answer · Shona Robison: Please see FOI response below detailing the paid-for media marketing campaigns that were approved to be developed and had incurred costs before the decision was taken not to proceed to launch - between 2019 and the present.Advertising and public information c…
17 Mar 2025 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether NHS Scotland waiting times for all surgeries are in line with international best practices.
Answer · Neil Gray: We want patients to be treated as soon as possible. However, we know many are facing unacceptable waits and we are determined to do more. That is why we are targeting an additional £200 million to reduce waits and enhance capacity. We are also looking t…
17 Mar 2025 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many women have been waiting longer than two years for gynaecological procedures, broken down by NHS board.
Answer · Jenni Minto: Public Health Scotland (PHS) publishes quarterly data on the length of time patients wait to be seen as a new outpatient or admitted for treatment as an inpatient or day case. The latest statistics represent all patients covered by the national standards for …
17 Mar 2025 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the reported financial difficulties facing the higher education sector, what assessment it has made of any increases in the salaries of university principals.
Answer · Graeme Dey: Universities are autonomous institutions with responsibility for their own pay and remuneration decisions.However, the Scottish Government expects universities to exercise restraint in setting senior pay, and senior pay packages should be in step with the sal…
17 Mar 2025 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will publish in full all documents related to the reported safety concerns at Queen Elizabeth University Hospital, and what the timeline is for the resolution of the issues raised.
Answer · Neil Gray: The Scottish Hospitals Inquiry was established in 2020, to investigate planning, design, construction and maintenance of both the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital/ Royal Hospital for Children (QEUH/RHC) and the Royal Hospital for Children and Young People/…
17 Mar 2025 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will publish any data analysis that it has carried out on any regional differences in health outcomes for young women.
Answer · Jenni Minto: Our Women’s Health Plan Data Landscape Review examined the publicly available data on the health of women in Scotland and is available here: https://www.gov.scot/publications/womens-health-plan-review-data-landscape.This report highlights the data and d…
17 Mar 2025 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many NHS board areas currently have fewer than one NHS dentist per 1,000 people, and what measures it is taking to address any reported shortages.
Answer · Jenni Minto: Typically an experienced primary care dentist seeing mainly NHS patients will have a list of around 2,000 – 2,500 patients. While the total number of dentists includes those in Public and Hospital Dental Service settings, published figures indicate that…
17 Mar 2025 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many practising NHS dentists there are currently, broken down by NHS board area, and how this compares to (a) 2010, (b) 2015 and (c) 2020.
Answer · Jenni Minto: The Scottish Government does not hold this information centrally. However, we have been able to access the data held by National Records of Scotland (NRS) for the years 2010 and 2015. (Please see table attached). As at 31 March 2025, there are 2,938 GDS denti…
17 Mar 2025 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what information it holds on what proportion of (a) adults and (b) children in each NHS board area have seen an NHS dentist in each year since 2024, and how this compares with (i) 2010, (ii) 2015 and (iii) 2020.
Answer · Jenni Minto: This information is not held centrally. Public Health Scotland publish information on participation (contact with an NHS dentist) and this can be found at:NHS dental data monitoring report - Quarter ending March 2025 - NHS dental data monitoring report - Publ…
17 Mar 2025 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it has had any discussions with (a) educational organisations, such as School Leaders Scotland, and (b) teachers' unions regarding restricting mobile phone use by pupils in school.
Answer · Jenny Gilruth: In August 2024, I published refreshed guidance to schools on the use of mobile phones, as part of the joint action plan to respond to the Behaviour in Scottish Schools Research.This guidance was developed in collaboration with the Scottish Advisory Group on R…
17 Mar 2025 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what analysis it has conducted on whether the consolidation or merger of local authorities would lead to improved public service delivery and efficiency.
Answer · Shona Robison: The Scottish Government is committed to public service reform to enhance the sustainability of public services and improve their effectiveness. The Scottish Government has invited bids from local government as part of the Invest to Save Fund, and an announcem…
17 Mar 2025 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what its policy is on reducing the number of public bodies, in light of the UK Government’s decision to abolish NHS England and streamline health administration.
Answer · Ivan McKee: Scotland does not have an equivalent body to NHS England, health services are managed by NHS boards, which operate within Scotland’s devolved system of government.The UK Government’s decision to move the functions of NHS England to the relevant UK…
17 Mar 2025 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will review current laws on cyberbullying to ensure that teachers are adequately protected from online harassment, including AI-generated abuse.
Answer · Jenny Gilruth: I am aware of concerns about gaps in the law relating to illegal content that is distributed online, including where this amounts to harassment or abuse of an individual. The power to legislate on matters pertaining to the regulation of internet services is r…
17 Mar 2025 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the claim by the Institute for Fiscal Studies in its website article, Two-child limit mitigation in Scotland would help larger poor families but policy design could harm work incentives, which was published on 14 March 2025, that its proposed two-child…
Answer · Shirley-Anne Somerville: We have consistently called for the UK Government to remove the two-child cap at source. Fixing a broken Universal Credit system would be the best way to alleviate the impacts of the pernicious two-child cap, however it is clear that despite repeated calls on…
13 Mar 2025 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether the Scottish Education Exchange Programme (SEEP) currently supports (a) work placements and (b) vocational training exchanges, and if this is not the case, whether it has considered expanding the programme to cover such activities.
Answer · Graeme Dey: In 2025-26, applications will be assessed on their ability to support the ambitions set out in Scotland’s Destination Scotland – inward attraction of international students, staff, and researchers - Scotland's international education strategy - go…
13 Mar 2025 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how students are selected to participate in Scottish Education Exchange Programme (SEEP) activities; whether there are criteria to determine eligibility for participation, and, if this is the case, what the criteria are.
Answer · Graeme Dey: It is at the discretion of the institutions to select the specific students who should participate in the SEEP test and learn projects.Inclusion and diversity in all fields of education are a priority for the Test and Learn Project. The Test and Learn Project…
13 Mar 2025 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what the total budget allocated to the Scottish Education Exchange Programme (SEEP) is for the financial year 2025-26.
Answer · Graeme Dey: Now in its third year (2025-2026), the SEEP Test and Learn project has been expanded to include Scottish Community Learning and Development (CLD) providers.In year three, the SEEP Test and Learn Project budget for Scottish college and universities projects is…
13 Mar 2025 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether any funding for the Scottish Education Exchange Programme (SEEP) is provided by external organisations or international partners.
Answer · Graeme Dey: Institutions are able to top up their project fund using additional funding provided by the project’s international partner. Twenty-two of the fifty-six projects funded to date planned to top up their project.An external evaluation due to be published l…
13 Mar 2025 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what proportion of current funding for the Scottish Education Exchange Programme (SEEP) is spent on (a) administration and overhead costs and (b) direct student support.
Answer · Graeme Dey: When applying for funding, colleges and universities submit a projected budget which provides a detailed breakdown of costs relating to the implementation and delivery of the project. However, the information is not recorded in the manner requested.An externa…
13 Mar 2025 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what the total budget allocated to the Scottish Education Exchange Programme (SEEP) was in 2024-25.
Answer · Graeme Dey: In 2024-25, the Scottish Government invested £535,000 in college and university led SEEP projects.Additional information on the year 2 projects can be found on the Scottish Government website: Scottish Education Exchange Programme: - Test and Learn: fun…
13 Mar 2025 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government which countries are currently involved in activities funded under the Scottish Education Exchange Programme (SEEP).
Answer · Graeme Dey: In the 2 years of SEEP Test and learn Scottish colleges and universities planned to collaborate with over 100 international partners across 38 countries. Please see a list below of countries partnered with in year one and year two.1.Argentina2.Australia3.Belg…
13 Mar 2025 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government when the Scottish Education Exchange Programme (SEEP) was officially launched, and how many students have participated in the programme to date.
Answer · Graeme Dey: The Scottish Education Exchange Programme (SEEP) Test and Learn Project was launched in 2023.In year 1 the project did not directly fund any student exchanges. Institutions prioritised staff mobility projects supporting the development of sustainable partners…
13 Mar 2025 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government (a) how many and (b) what proportion of Scotland-domiciled students, who have participated in an overseas exchange programme since the inception of the Scottish Education Exchange Programme (SEEP), have been funded through (i) SEEP and (ii) the UK-wide Turing scheme.
Answer · Graeme Dey: The Scottish Education Exchange Programme (SEEP) Test and Learn Project was launched in 2023. In year 1 the project did not directly fund any student exchanges. Institutions prioritised staff mobility projects supporting the development of partnerships betwee…
13 Mar 2025 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the concerns raised in the May 2020 Royal Society of Edinburgh paper, Developing Scotland’s Artificial Intelligence Strategy, how it will ensure that AI businesses are not subject to excessive regulatory complexity.
Answer · Richard Lochhead: Since the publication of the 2020 report by the RSE Scotland's artificial intelligence strategy - Royal Society of Edinburgh : Royal Society of Edinburgh I have commissioned an independent review into the opportunities for AI which was published last year AI+…
13 Mar 2025 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what funding commitments it has made to AI skills training, and how these compare with UK Government-led initiatives.
Answer · Richard Lochhead: The Scottish Government is committed to supporting the development of digital skills across the public sector, with the Scottish Digital Academy serving as the centre of excellence for digital capability. While there have been no specific funding allocations …
13 Mar 2025 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, in light of reported concerns regarding AI skills shortages across the UK and EU, what steps it is taking to ensure that Scotland has a strong AI talent pipeline.
Answer · Richard Lochhead: Scotland's current and future technology-enabled businesses depend on a strong and growing supply of people equipped with the appropriate skills for careers in AI.AI skills needs are diverse and, beyond the more obvious Science and Engineering specialisms, in…
13 Mar 2025 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what analysis it has conducted on the potential role of AI in the economy over the next decade, and what steps it is taking to ensure that Scotland competes globally in AI innovation.
Answer · Richard Lochhead: Soon, Scottish Enterprise will publish analysis which assesses the economic opportunities for AI in Scotland including Scotland’s AI strengths as well as how Scotland’s AI ecosystem compares to other countries. Scottish Government also regularly m…
13 Mar 2025 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how it plans to use AI to improve public services, while ensuring that regulation does not hinder the adoption of any new technologies.
Answer · Richard Lochhead: AI has a huge potential to help deliver better and more efficient public services and work is on-going across the Scottish Government to make best use of the opportunities AI presents.At the heart of good AI is good data. As part of the Open Government Action…
13 Mar 2025 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what engagement it has had with AI industry regarding the impact that any excessive regulation could have on (a) startups and (b) investment in the sector.
Answer · Richard Lochhead: Scottish Government works closely with the AI industry to ensure its policies are pro-innovation and meet the needs of businesses. Industry was a key partner in developing Scotland's 2021 Strategy, and our recently launched governance group includes senior bu…