Chamber and committees

Questions and answers

Parliamentary questions can be asked by any MSP to the Scottish Government or the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body. The questions provide a means for MSPs to get factual and statistical information.

Written questions must be answered within 10 working days (20 working days during recess)
Other questions such as Topical, Portfolio, General and First Minister's Question Times are taken in the Chamber

Urgent Questions aren't included in the Question and Answers search. There is a SPICe fact sheet listing Urgent and emergency questions.

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Question reference: S6O-03340

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 17 April 2024
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 25 April 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what it anticipates the impact will be of reported reductions to college budgets in the north east.

Question reference: S6W-26336

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 21 March 2024
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 11 April 2024

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-08117 by Jenny Gilruth on 6 May 2022, whether all of the deliverables of the rail improvement project are expected to be completed by the end of 2026, and what has been achieved by the project since the previous question was answered in May 2022.

Given the extremely challenging financial climate, due to UK Government capital budget cuts, we need to consider the time over which the project can be completed. I have asked that a review is undertaken and will ensure that an update is provided to the Parliament in due course.

Regarding what has been achieved by the project, I refer the Member to the answers to S6W-25277 on 1 March 2024 and S6W-24106 on 30 January 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-committees/written-questions-and-answers

Question reference: S6O-03315

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 10 April 2024
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 18 April 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to figures showing that there has been a decrease in the number of new homes started in 2023 compared with 2022.

Question reference: S6W-26191

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 15 March 2024
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 9 April 2024

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-24425 by Jenny Gilruth on 22 January 2024, whether it will provide an update on whether it has established the cost of (a) consulting on, (b) establishing, (c) launching and (d) the ongoing running of the Centre for Teaching Excellence (CTE); whether it will publish any updates regarding the work to establish the CTE by the Education Reform Programme, and, in light of its previous answer confirming that the costs had not been established at that stage, on what basis it determined that there will be sufficient funding for the CTE through "repurposing investment currently directed to Regional Improvement Collaboratives".

The Scottish Government has been engaging with stakeholders since the intention to establish a Centre for Teaching Excellence was announced in October last year. The Co-Production Group has also now been established and stakeholders are involved in detailed discussion around the role and remit of the Centre. The group met on 27 February and 26 March. Minutes of meetings and other material will be published on the Scottish Government website. The only anticipated cost of the co-production process are the staffing costs for the team working on the Centre’s development.

The Centre for Teaching Excellence is initially being resourced through funding previously allocated to the Regional Improvement Collaboratives. The Scottish Government is working with the Co-Production Group to ensure the Centre maximises its impact and complements wider work across the education sector. It is anticipated that the co-production of the Centre will conclude by the summer, following which there will be a formal process to determine hosting arrangements.

Question reference: S6W-26483

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 26 March 2024
Current Status: Answer expected on 24 April 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the potential impact of any reduction in funding to Skills Development Scotland on the skills base for retrofitting homes in line with Scotland's Climate Change Plan.

Question reference: S6W-26168

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 14 March 2024
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 26 March 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on introducing guidance in schools on prohibiting the use of mobile phones throughout the school day, which is equivalent to the UK Government's Mobile Phones in Schools guidance, and, if it is the case that it plans to introduce such an initiative, what the timescale is for doing so.

In December I announced plans to provide 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. The existing guidance was produced in 2013 and it is right that this is reviewed in light of the evidence provided by the Behaviour In Scotland's Schools Research 2023 and PISA. I have committed that the refreshed guidance will be developed in consultation with the Scottish Advisory Group on Relationships and Behaviour in Schools. The updated guidance will be published in Spring 2024.

Question reference: S6W-26174

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 14 March 2024
Current Status: Answered by Paul McLennan on 21 March 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether a survey report, as provided for in schedule 1 of the Housing (Scotland) Act 2006 (Prescribed Documents) Regulations 2008, should contain an assessment of the presence or otherwise of reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete in the subject building.

The Home Report single survey is based on a visual inspection of the home by a chartered surveyor. It provides information about the home, its condition, its accessibility and any repairs needed. Any defects identified during the property inspection would be noted in the survey report as well as any limitations to the inspection carried out. The Home Report is not a guarantee of the condition of the property, but it does provide buyers with important information about the property before they make an offer. Buyers are free to instruct their own surveyor to review the report or commission a more detailed survey before making an offer on a property.

The identification of RAAC usually involves a specialist survey, which often involves invasive investigation techniques and which is completed by a suitably qualified surveyor who is experienced with this type of construction.

Question reference: S6W-25962

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 04 March 2024
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 15 March 2024

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-20705 by Jenny Gilruth on 19 September 2023, whether it will provide a breakdown by local authority of the change in the number of pupil support assistants in schools between 2018 and 2024.

Question reference: S6W-25755

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 23 February 2024
Current Status: Answered by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 9 March 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what support it has provided to Aberdeen City Council to assist the local authority's investigatory works in relation to reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC).

As primarily a building maintenance issue it is the responsibility of building owners to maintain their properties. Local authorities manage their own budgets and allocate financial resources on the basis of local needs and priorities, having first fulfilled their statutory obligations and jointly agreed national and local priorities. The Cross Sector Working Group and its Housing and Management sub-groups have representation from across multiple public and private sectors and provide forums for stakeholders such as Aberdeen City Council to help facilitate engagement, develop connections (including with construction industry bodies), raise awareness, share information and discuss good practice.

Question reference: S6W-25754

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 23 February 2024
Current Status: Answered by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 8 March 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what funding it (a) has allocated and (b) plans to allocate to Aberdeen City Council to assist with the local authority's investigatory works in relation to reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC).