Questions and answers

Question reference: S6W-43146

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 19 January 2026
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 2 February 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on the finding of the Child Sexual Abuse and Exploitation (CSAE) Workforce Learning and Development Subgroup in its initial deep dive report that there is “little evidence that training in Scotland adequately equips professionals with the skills needed to respond to CSAE".

The National Child Sexual Abuse and Exploitation (CSAE) Group has been established to increase cross-sectoral coordination and capability to address the risks and harms of CSAE in Scotland. This includes a focus on better equipping frontline staff with the skills and knowledge to identify and disrupt harm and continued training on interagency referral discussions to better share information.

Reflecting this continuing focus, the Group agreed that the Workforce Learning and Development short life working group sub-group should become a permanent sub-group working at pace to implement progress towards the recommendations from their report.

In direct response to the recommendations on improving training standards, the Scottish Government has provided £42,000 to develop a pilot for the Centre for Expertise on Child Sexual Abuse ‘Practice Leads Programme’ in Scotland to further equip professionals to respond to sexual harm. This funding is part of the additional £220,000 to be invested this financial year to enhance support for victims and families impacted by sexual offending and improve access to training for professionals to respond to sexual harm.

Professor Alexis Jay chaired a meeting of the National CSAE Group on 28 January where an update was provided by the workforce subgroup on its engagement with frontline workers. The subgroup intends to provide specific recommendations to the National Group at a future meeting which will inform our approach to any actions required to improve practice and skills which may include further developing or updating training standards to address CSAE and related harms.

In December 2025, I announced the Independent National Review of local responses to group-based CSAE. This work will be led by four independent national inspectorates and will include scrutiny of local areas’ understanding, skills and response to CSAE, including that of frontline workers. This rigorous work is expected to also support identification of further opportunities to enhance workforce knowledge and practice on CSAE.

These activities sit alongside the ongoing improvement work led by the Scottish Government on workforce skills and responsibilities, including continued implementation of the National Guidance for Child Protection in Scotland 2021 which was most recently updated in 2023 to provide further information and resources to local areas on approaches to identify, prevent and address children at risk of, or experiencing CSAE.

Question reference: S6W-43169

Asked by: Ariane Burgess, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Monday, 19 January 2026
Current Status: Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 2 February 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what independent audit processes exist to ensure that losses recorded as culls or stock adjustments are not excluded from external reporting at salmon farms.

The Scottish Government does not collect and publish complete information on the number of fish culled fish on salmon farms.

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-43168 on 2 February 2026. 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

The Scottish Government’s Scottish Finfish Production Survey is a long running Scottish Government statistical publication produced to appropriate professional standards. Data may be checked against case information held by the Fish Health Inspectorate, including any movement records, to ensure information is consistent.

Question reference: S6W-43147

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 19 January 2026
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 2 February 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what specific changes to national Child Sexual Abuse and Exploitation (CSAE) training standards have been implemented since September 2025, in response to the CSAE Workforce Learning and Development Subgroup's initial deep dive report.

Question reference: S6W-43168

Asked by: Ariane Burgess, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Monday, 19 January 2026
Current Status: Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 2 February 2026

To ask the Scottish Government whether it collects complete data on the number of fish culled on salmon farms and, if so, (a) where and (b) how such figures are published in relation to mortality data.

The Scottish Government does not collect complete data on the number of fish culled at salmon farms as this information is primarily a result of commercial decisions and is not required for the Fish Health Inspectorate’s surveillance programme for aquatic animal disease. Some information relating to culled fish is provided through the voluntary mortality reporting mechanism and it may be collected during Fish Health Inspectorate visits. Culling stock may be required under the Aquatic Animal Health (Scotland) Regulations 2009, such as in response to the confirmation of a listed disease

The Scottish Government’s Scottish Finfish Production Survey collects and publishes information on farmed salmon production losses as part of official statistics. It reports data on survival to harvest, representing the proportion of fish harvested for human consumption from the original input population. The proportion not harvested for human consumption are recorded as aggregate losses, which includes fish culled.

Question reference: S6W-42973

Asked by: Dr Alasdair Allan, MSP for Na h-Eileanan an Iar, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 12 January 2026
Current Status: Answered by Ben Macpherson on 2 February 2026

To ask the Scottish Government how many students from Scotland have received free university tuition since 2007-08.

Question reference: S6W-43170

Asked by: Ariane Burgess, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Monday, 19 January 2026
Current Status: Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 2 February 2026

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will introduce mandatory publication of site-level cull numbers, alongside mortality figures, within a fixed reporting timeframe at salmon farms.

The Scottish Government has no plans to introduce further mandatory reporting and publication of losses of farmed salmon as the data already available are sufficient for regulatory purposes.

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-43168 on 2 February 2026. 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: S6W-43477

Asked by: Stuart McMillan, MSP for Greenock and Inverclyde, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Friday, 30 January 2026
Current Status: Answer expected on 13 February 2026

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-42434 by Ivan McKee on 22 December 2025, whether the independent review of the valuation of licensed hospitality properties will have a resource budget to commission independent research on relevant matters.

Question reference: S6W-43490

Asked by: Richard Leonard, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Date lodged: Friday, 30 January 2026
Current Status: Answer expected on 13 February 2026

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will outline the work that is being done in the development of Employment Injury Assistance to consider whether all current qualifying prescribed conditions for Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefit will remain and if other conditions will be added.

Question reference: S6W-43491

Asked by: Richard Leonard, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Date lodged: Friday, 30 January 2026
Current Status: Answer expected on 13 February 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what consultation and involvement it has had with trade unions in the development of Employment Injury Assistance.

Question reference: S6W-43474

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 30 January 2026
Current Status: Answer expected on 13 February 2026

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-39235 by Angela Constance on 30 July 2025, whether Malcolm McMillan has concluded his consideration of the conclusions of the peer review; if so, when; if not, and in light of it being six months later, what efforts it has made to assist him in his consideration; what its position is on whether there is "any further action needed"; when the paper will finally be published, and for what reason its expectation that it would be published "no later than the end of [2025]" was not met.

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