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: S7W-04168

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 09 October 2026
Current Status: Answer expected on 6 November 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what representations it received from Alexander Dennis regarding the anticipated impact of replacing the additional ScotZEB2 funding with ScotZEB3 on its order book and Scottish manufacturing operations, and on what dates these were received.

Question reference: S7W-04169

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 09 October 2026
Current Status: Answer expected on 6 November 2026

To ask the Scottish Government whether it considered revising the conditions of the Alexander Dennis furlough support scheme following the change in funding arrangements from ScotZEB2 to ScotZEB3, and what reasons it recorded for its decision.

Question reference: S7W-03691

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 25 September 2026
Current Status: Answered by Ivan McKee on 8 October 2026

To ask the Scottish Government, regarding posts within its directorates, agencies and non-departmental public bodies, how many people have been appointed following a recruitment process in which the interview was conducted exclusively online in each of the last three years, broken down by (a) employing body, (b) job title or role and (c) the percentage of all appointments that this represented.

The Scottish Government does not centrally capture information on the number of people appointed following recruitment processes in which the interview was conducted exclusively online. Consequently, the information requested, including a breakdown by employing body, job title or role and the percentage of all appointments represented, is not held.

All recruitment undertaken by the Scottish Government is conducted in line with the UK Civil Service Recruitment Principles, which require appointments to be made on merit following fair and open competition. Recruitment processes are designed to ensure candidates are assessed consistently, fairly and objectively against the requirements of the role.

Hiring Managers are supported through comprehensive recruitment guidance and policy frameworks which set out the requirements for planning and conducting assessment exercises, including interviews. In addition, managers involved in recruitment activity have access to training and support covering assessment methods, interviewing techniques, objective decision making, equality, diversity and inclusion considerations. This helps to ensure that recruitment decisions are evidence-based, consistent and aligned with Civil Service standards regardless of whether interviews are conducted online, in person or through a blended approach.

Question reference: S7W-03694

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 25 September 2026
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 7 October 2026

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S7W-03048 by Angela Constance on 21 September 2026, how many of the child patients and their families who arrived in Scotland in Autumn 2025 have returned home to date.

The children and families who arrived under the Gaza medevac scheme in Autumn 2025 received 24-month Leave Outside the Immigration Rules (LOTR) visas from the UK Government. We are not aware that any of the arrivals have returned home to date.

It is right that Scotland has welcomed these child patients and Scottish Government will continue to urge UK Government to provide clarity on their options to remain in Scotland, should they wish to do so beyond the duration of their initial visas.

Question reference: S7W-03974

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 05 October 2026
Current Status: Answer expected on 2 November 2026

To ask the Scottish Government how many bed bug infestations have been recorded on ScotRail trains in each of the last five years.

Question reference: S7W-03977

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 05 October 2026
Current Status: Answer expected on 2 November 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what the age profile is of the ScotRail rolling stock.

Question reference: S7W-03975

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 05 October 2026
Current Status: Answer expected on 2 November 2026

To ask the Scottish Government whether there is a renovation plan for ScotRail trains.

Question reference: S7W-03976

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 05 October 2026
Current Status: Answer expected on 2 November 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what recent assessment has been made of the condition of ScotRail carriages.

Question reference: S7W-03933

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 02 October 2026
Current Status: Answer expected on 30 October 2026

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S7W-02880 by Angela Constance on 17 September 2026, when it plans to integrate prison healthcare IT systems with GP IT systems following the completion of the rollout of the Vision system, which is expected by mid-2027.

Question reference: S7W-03935

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 02 October 2026
Current Status: Answer expected on 30 October 2026

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S7W-02875, by Neil Gray on 17 September 2026, what opportunities have been identified to further support officers transitioning into operational roles, and when the Scottish Prisons Service (SPS) plans to implement these changes.