Questions and answers

Question reference: S6W-31040

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 04 November 2024
Current Status: Answered by Siobhian Brown on 13 November 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on the reason why there has been a reported reduction in criminal aid solicitors, since 2007, from 1,459 to 966.

The Scottish Legal Aid Board doesn’t use the register of criminal legal aid solicitors as an indication of solicitor availability. A small number of solicitors register and do small amounts of work to meet ad hoc requests from individual clients. They often choose to eventually withdraw from the register rather than meeting the requirements for remaining on it. A better indication of solicitor supply is the number of active solicitors – those solicitors who have carried out criminal legal aid work in the last 12 months.

The number of solicitors actively involved in criminal legal assistance has remained relatively stable for the last four years, with activity heavily concentrated among the busier solicitors. Based on active solicitor numbers there has been a reduction of 23 active solicitors – or 3% - in last four years.

Question reference: S6W-30922

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 29 October 2024
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 11 November 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what the capacity is of the new HMP Glasgow, and whether each cell will accommodate one prisoner only.

Question reference: S6W-30923

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 29 October 2024
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 8 November 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what the capacity is of the new HMP Highland, and whether each cell will accommodate one prisoner only.

Question reference: S6W-30286

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 01 October 2024
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 29 October 2024

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-26191 by Jenny Gilruth on 9 April 2024, whether it will provide the latest timescales and developments regarding the establishment of a Centre for Teaching Excellence, including whether the co-production of the Centre concluded "by the summer [2024]" as planned, and in relation to the "formal process to determine hosting arrangements".

The Co-Production Group had their final meeting in June 2024. The group provided advice on the functions of the Centre and the principles that will underpin its operation.

The host of the Centre will be determined through a competitive grant process which will be assessed in two stages. The first stage of applications for interested Scottish education institutions to apply for funding to set up and host the Centre for Teaching Excellence opened on 9th September 2024 and closed on 7th October 2024. Applicants successful at that first stage will be invited to provide more information at stage two which opens in November 2024.

The intention is to appoint and announce a host of the Centre by the end of 2024.

Question reference: S6T-02150

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 28 October 2024
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 29 October 2024

To ask the Scottish Government for what reason it launched a court appeal against a ruling by the Scottish Information Commissioner, in light of this costing tens of thousands of pounds and it reportedly receiving legal advice that it was likely to fail.

Question reference: S6W-30285

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 01 October 2024
Current Status: Answered by Graeme Dey on 28 October 2024

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-21980 by Graeme Dey on 31 October 2023, whether it has concluded and published the findings of the Student Finance and Wellbeing Study, and, if not, when it will do so.

Question reference: S6O-03875

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 23 October 2024
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 31 October 2024

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on Police Scotland’s extension across Scotland of the north east pilot of not investigating "low-level" crime.

Question reference: S6O-04096

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Date lodged: Tuesday, 15 October 2024
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 24 October 2024

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on how it is supporting childcare providers.

Question reference: S6O-03840

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 02 October 2024
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 10 October 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what impact it anticipates that the planned closure of Grangemouth oil refinery will have on the Forties Pipeline System and associated jobs and businesses.

Question reference: S6W-29925

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 17 September 2024
Current Status: Answered by Graeme Dey on 1 October 2024

To ask the Scottish Government for what reason it reportedly removed funding for upskilling and reskilling Scotland's workforce in its Budget 2024-25; what assessment it has undertaken of any impact of this on (a) equalities and (b) the future economy, and whether it has any plans to reintroduce any such funding in the remainder of the current parliamentary session.

Despite facing the most challenging fiscal position since devolution, the 2024-25 Budget allocates around £2bn to both colleges and universities – supporting their delivery of high-quality education, training and research.

In this challenging fiscal environment, decisions have been made regarding specific individual funds, in the current and previous financial years, including the Flexible Workforce Development Fund (FWDF) and the Scottish Funding Council’s Upskilling Fund. These decisions were not taken lightly but aimed to minimise the impact on frontline allocations for learning, teaching, and support for students.

Colleges and universities can continue to deliver short courses to meet employer and business needs including those developed using FWDF and Upskilling Fund resources. Across all funded delivery, we fully expect that they will continue to prioritise actions to address inequality. Despite the ongoing fiscal challenges, the Scottish Government remains committed to ensuring equalities underpin all our work.

In taking forward our long term plans for reform of post-school education, a priority will be the need for accessible, high quality learning which meets our economic, environmental and social needs and ambitions.

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