Questions and answers

Question reference: S6W-34834

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 19 February 2025
Current Status: Answered by Natalie Don-Innes on 27 February 2025

To ask the Scottish Government on what dates the First Minister has held meetings regarding the commitment to keeping The Promise for care-experienced children since May 2024; who attended; what was discussed, and what the outcomes were.

The Scottish Government is fully committed to keeping The Promise by 2030. Given the cross Governmental scope of the activity related to The Promise, the First Minister regularly discusses the commitment and has undertaken various engagements with the care community, meeting with children and young people with care experience, and the workforce who support them. To mark the recent 5th anniversary of the Promise the First Minister wrote to the care experienced community re-enforcing his commitment to The Promise and met with students with care experience at Glasgow University to discuss their experiences. The First Minister also chairs the Cabinet Sub-Committee on the Promise which was established to guide and support the cross-portfolio focus needed to deliver The Promise.

Question reference: S6W-34844

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 19 February 2025
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 27 February 2025

To ask the Scottish Government how much it allocated to public health campaigns for stroke awareness in each of the last five years.

Question reference: S6W-35043

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 18 February 2025
Current Status: Answered by Paul McLennan on 27 February 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what action it will take to ensure that older people in South Lanarkshire continue to receive the necessary housing support services they require to live safely and independently.

The Scottish Government recognises the importance of housing support services. These services can enable older residents to live as independently as possible in their own communities.

Housing support is commissioned at a local level by Local Authorities and Health and Social Care Partnerships who are best placed to assess and respond to local needs. South Lanarkshire Council, along with South Lanarkshire University Health and Social Care Partnership, are responsible for identifying need and ensuring that their residents receive any necessary housing support services.

Question reference: S6W-35045

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 18 February 2025
Current Status: Answered by Paul McLennan on 27 February 2025

To ask the Scottish Government whether it has had any discussions with South Lanarkshire Council regarding the potential impact of any reduction in funding for housing support services and whether it will intervene to ensure the continuation of these services.

The Scottish Government has not had any recent discussions with South Lanarkshire Council regarding funding for housing support services. As I understand, South Lanarkshire Council have engaged directly with both RSLs to help them prepare for this proposed transition, and their engagement with both RSLs will continue beyond any savings proposals being approved by South Lanarkshire Council. It is for South Lanarkshire Council, along with South Lanarkshire University Health and Social Care Partnership, to determine how much funding is allocated towards housing support services to meet the needs of their residents.

Question reference: S6W-35044

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 18 February 2025
Current Status: Answered by Paul McLennan on 27 February 2025

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will publish an assessment of the potential increase in NHS and social care costs resulting from any reductions in local authority-funded housing support services.

Housing support is commissioned at a local level by Local Authorities and Health and Social Care Partnerships who are best placed to identify local needs. Any Local Authority who is considering a reduction in funding to housing support services should determine and assess any potential impacts which may result from their decision. South Lanarkshire Council have conducted an Integrated Impact Assessment, which is available at: HTR01 - Financial Savings 2025-26 - Sheltered Housing - Housing Support Funding to Registered Social Landlords Plans and policies - South Lanarkshire Council.

Question reference: S6W-34871

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 17 February 2025
Current Status: Answered by Paul McLennan on 27 February 2025

To ask the Scottish Government whether it anticipates that it will be able to meet its target to build 110,000 new affordable homes by 2032, in light of the Housing Statistics for Scotland Quarterly Update, which shows a 12% decline in new housebuilding starts in the year to September 2024.

Affordable housing has a clear priority in this year’s Programme for Government. We are investing nearly £600 million in affordable housing in 2024-2025, which includes the additional £40 million capital for acquisitions and voids announced earlier this year. The 2025-2026 draft budget of £768 million is an increase of over £200 million when compared to the current financial year’s original published budget and reinforces our commitment to delivering affordable housing.

In the year to September 2024, Official Statistics: Housing statistics quarterly update: new housebuilding and affordable housing supply - gov.scot show an 8% decline in new build starts through the Affordable Housing Supply Programme (AHSP) and an 8% decline in all starts through the AHSP. We remain focused on delivering 110,000 affordable homes by 2032, with at least 70% of these for social rent and 10% in rural and island areas, including new build, rehabilitation and acquisitions. We continue to work with partners to increase the delivery of more affordable homes, the majority of which will be for social rent, including supporting acquisitions of existing properties. This includes meeting the existing commitment to the targeted use of £80 million for acquisitions and voids over this and next year.

We have also committed £100 million over the longer term to grow institutional investment to at least £500 million and support the construction of around 2,800 mid-market rent homes.

Since 2007, we have supported the delivery of more than 135,000 affordable homes, over 95,000 of which were for social rent, including 26,000 council homes. Of these, between 23 March 2022 and end of September 2024, we have delivered 24,382 affordable homes towards the 110,000 target, of which over 18,000 have been homes for social rent. We continue to work closely with partners to deliver the right homes in the right places.

Question reference: S6W-34486

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 05 February 2025
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 24 February 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what guidance has been issued to the Scottish Prison Service regarding the use of common good funds in prisons.

I have asked Teresa Medhurst, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service (SPS), to respond. Her response is as follows:

The use of common good funds (CGF) within Scottish prisons aligns with the Scottish Public Finance Manual (SPFM) and is governed via the SPS Financial Policy and Guidance Manual.

The SPS Financial Policy Guidance Manual itself details accountability, sources of income and approved areas of expenditure on the use of the CGF.

Compliance with this guidance is mandatory and only Governors in Charge (GICs) are authorised to approve expenditure, which must benefit all, or groups, of prisoners within their establishment.

Question reference: S6W-34534

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 06 February 2025
Current Status: Answered by Kaukab Stewart on 20 February 2025

To ask the Scottish Government when it will publish the minutes of each meeting of the Future Anti-Racism Observatory for Scotland: Design Advisory Group.

The Design Advisory Group (DAG) was working with Scottish Government to help develop plans for the Anti-Racism Observatory for Scotland. As the group was working independently, it took responsibility for minuting its own meetings.

We understand that due to some resourcing and capacity issues within the group, there has been a delay in finalising and publishing the minutes. However, the DAG, like the Scottish Government, is committed to transparency and accountability and will aim to publish the minutes by the end of March 2025.

Question reference: S6W-34846

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 19 February 2025
Current Status: Answer expected on 5 March 2025

To ask the Scottish Government how many non-departmental public bodies there are, and how this compares with May 1999.

Question reference: S6W-34824

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 19 February 2025
Current Status: Answer expected on 5 March 2025

To ask the Scottish Government how the reported additional £13.6 million investment in general practice in 2024-25 is being allocated, and what proportion will be directed towards recruitment and retention initiatives.

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