Parliamentary questions
Murdo Fraser
2,062 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.
7 Jan 2025 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many working-age adults in Scotland who are currently in receipt of income support have not been in work for at least a year.
Answer · Shirley-Anne Somerville: This information is not held by Scottish Government as Income Support is a reserved benefit administered by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP). Please redirect your request to the DWP.
6 Jan 2025 · Portfolio Question
To ask the Scottish Government when it estimates that ScotRail will end the use of short-formed trains that run on rail services between Fife and Edinburgh.
6 Jan 2025 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-25901 by Fiona Hyslop on 4 March 2024, what progress has been made on holding a public consultation in relation to section 8 of the Transport (Scotland) Act 2019.
Answer · Fiona Hyslop: Officials continue to develop a public consultation on Section 8 of the Transport (Scotland) Act 2019. However, it is important that any proposed secondary legislation is in line with the UK Government’s Parking Code of Practice, which sets standards fo…
19 Dec 2024 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-32031 by Kate Forbes on 18 December 2024, whether any of the measures that it is taking to grow the economy in its draft Budget 2025-26 reduce any regulatory or tax burdens on business.
Answer · Kate Forbes: Further to the response to S6W - 32031, the Scottish Government has taken a number of measures within the draft budget to help grow the economy.The budget freezes the Non-Domestic Rates Basic Property Rate at 49.8p (for properties with a rateable value up to …
19 Dec 2024 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-32031 by Kate Forbes on 18 December 2024, whether it is taking any measures in its draft Budget 2025-26 to reduce the cost of doing business in Scotland, and, if so, what those measures are.
Answer · Kate Forbes: Further to the response to S6W–32031 of 18 December, the Scottish Government has taken a number of measures within the draft budget to reduce the cost of doing business in Scotland in 2025-26Scotland’s Tax Strategy provides certainty and stability…
17 Dec 2024 · Portfolio Question
To ask the Scottish Government how it supports music venues.
10 Dec 2024 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what guidance it will provide to the grassroots music venue industry regarding its plans for business rates relief in the years beyond the draft Budget for 2025-26.
Answer · Ivan McKee: Decisions on non-domestic rates for 2026-27 will be considered in the context of the Scottish Budget 2026-27.The Scottish Budget 2025-26 announced a new 40% relief for hospitality premises, including grassroots music venues with a capacity of up to 1,500, whi…
10 Dec 2024 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the UK Government’s reported commitment to a permanently lowered tax rate for grassroots music venues in England and Wales from 2026-27, whether it will commit to implementing any such relief in full in Scotland.
Answer · Ivan McKee: I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-31342 on 26 November 2024. 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…
10 Dec 2024 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the UK Government’s consultation on reforming its business rates system, whether it has any plans to undertake a similar consultation on potential changes to non-domestic rates in Scotland.
Answer · Ivan McKee: I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-31342 on 26 November 2024. 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…
10 Dec 2024 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what consideration it has given to providing further financial support to grassroots music venues beyond the planned 40% rates relief in its draft Budget 2025-26.
Answer · Angus Robertson: The Scottish Government fully values the importance of the music industry to Scotland’s culture, and the role grassroots music venues play in the talent pipeline.The Scottish Government has demonstrated our commitment to the culture sector with an incre…
5 Dec 2024 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the impact of the proposal in its draft Budget 2025-26 to reduce the consumer policy and advice budget.
Answer · Ivan McKee: The Scottish Government has taken the decision to realign funding for scams prevention and awareness, with the requisite funding reallocated from its consumer policy and advice budget to Consumer Scotland’s budget. Consumer Scotland also now receives an…
5 Dec 2024 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what impact the proposal in the draft Budget 2025-26 to reduce spending at Ferguson Marine by one quarter will have on employment at the yard.
Answer · Kate Forbes: Following the successful handover of the MV Glen Sannox in November 2024, the draft budget for 2025-26 includes the capital funds required for the completion of Glen Rosa (vessel 802). There are also capital funds included, subject to Parliamentary approval a…
5 Dec 2024 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what measures in its draft Budget 2025-26 reflect the statement by the First Minister on 22 May 2024, in which he stated that one of his "priorities is to grow Scotland’s economy".
Answer · Kate Forbes: The Draft 2025-26 Budget invests in the long-term prosperity of Scotland’s people, places and businesses.The expanded package puts money firmly behind the Programme for Government’s priorities for economic growth, investing:over £321 million…
5 Dec 2024 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government for what reason the 2025-26 draft Budget proposes reducing the digital budget of the portfolio of the Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Secretary for Economy and Gaelic by more than one half, and what areas of the digital budget this will impact on.
Answer · Richard Lochhead: Following record investment in digital this financial year, the draft budget allocates £166 million for investment during 2025-26. This total includes income to the Scottish Government of around £68 million from legacy programmes and will support …
20 Nov 2024 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide a breakdown of the persons and organisations that will take part in its review of Creative Scotland.
Answer · Angus Robertson: I recognise that it is essential that the culture sector has an opportunity to engage in this work and I can confirm that this engagement will begin early next year with a short survey about the scope of the review.I will write to the member when the survey i…
20 Nov 2024 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on when its review of Creative Scotland will commence.
Answer · Angus Robertson: As part of the budget announcement on 4 December, the Scottish Government announced that engagement with the culture sector will begin early next year with a short survey about the scope of the review. The Scottish Government will aim to announce the independ…
20 Nov 2024 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government when it will update the Parliament on its review of Creative Scotland.
Answer · Angus Robertson: On 4 December, I provided an update to the Constitution, External Affairs & Culture Committee on progress in relation to the Review of Creative Scotland as part of my response to their recommendations regarding the pre-budget scrutiny. I will send the Mem…
20 Nov 2024 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide a provisional timeline for the completion of its review of Creative Scotland.
Answer · Angus Robertson: The Scottish Government will aim to have the independent Chair of the Creative Scotland review in post early next year and for them to publish their recommendations by summer 2025. The Scottish Government will then work to consider these recommendations.
20 Nov 2024 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how much it has budgeted for its review of Creative Scotland.
Answer · Angus Robertson: The Scottish Government budget for 2025-2026 includes £0.25m to support the delivery of the Programme for Government 2024-25 commitment to review the way in which the culture sector is supported and funded, which includes the review of Creative Scotland.
20 Nov 2024 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide a breakdown of any engagement that it has had with Creative Scotland since the planned review of the organisation was announced on 4 September 2024.
Answer · Angus Robertson: The Scottish Government carry out regular engagement with Creative Scotland as part of the normal sponsorship relationship between the Scottish Government and public bodies and my officials have regular contact with Creative Scotland. The last formal meeting …
18 Nov 2024 · Topical Question
To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to reported comments from the Institute for Fiscal Studies that its income tax increases on the highest earners may have reduced the revenue raised.
13 Nov 2024 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what action it has taken to improve productivity in the public sector, and how it measures any progress on this.
Answer · Ivan McKee: The Scottish Government’s Public Service Reform (PSR) Programme sets out Scottish Government’s approach to driving efficiency and effectiveness, and to delivering service change to prioritise prevention.An update on the PSR programme was shared wi…
13 Nov 2024 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what steps it has taken to improve the (a) collection and (b) availability of information on (i) underemployment and (ii) its causes.
Answer · Tom Arthur: Data on underemployment and its causes is collected for Scotland by the Office for National Statistics’ (ONS) Labour Force Survey (LFS) and Annual Population Survey (APS).The Scottish Government publishes its own analysis on underemployment in Scotland …
13 Nov 2024 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what steps it has taken to improve the (a) collection and (b) availability of information on (i) economic inactivity and (ii) its causes.
Answer · Tom Arthur: Data on economic inactivity and its causes is collected for Scotland by the Office for National Statistics’ (ONS) Labour Force Survey (LFS) and Annual Population Survey (APS).The Scottish Government publishes its own analysis on economic inactivity in S…
12 Nov 2024 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how much (a) has been and (b) is due to be paid to litigants from all concluded civil cases relating to prosecutions arising from the administration of Rangers FC, broken down by financial year.
Answer · Ruth Charteris: The following table provides the details of how much has been paid to litigants from all concluded civil cases relating to prosecutions arising from the administration of Rangers FC, broken down by financial year.Please note that the total sum to date which h…
12 Nov 2024 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide the details of all expenditure that has been paid to contest concluded civil cases relating to prosecutions arising from the administration of Rangers FC.
Answer · Ruth Charteris: The following table provides the details of all expenditure that has been paid to contest concluded civil cases relating to prosecutions arising from the administration of Rangers FC. Figures correct as of 27 October 2024.Category2017-182018-192019-202020-212…
5 Nov 2024 · Portfolio Question
To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service in relation to its handling of malicious and vexatious criminal complaints.
4 Nov 2024 · First Minister's Question
To ask the First Minister what the Scottish Government's response is to the concerns expressed by the Citizen Participation and Public Petitions Committee regarding funding to complete the dualling of the A9 between Perth and Inverness by the new target date of 2035.
29 Oct 2024 · General Question
To ask the Scottish Government what support it provides to local authorities to help secure the future of community libraries.
1 Oct 2024 · Portfolio Question
To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether Creative Scotland is fit for purpose as an arts funding body.