Questions and answers

Question reference: S6O-05422

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 21 January 2026
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 28 January 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether the five National Performing Companies are essential infrastructure investment and whether the funding that it provides to them is sufficient.

Question reference: S6T-02850

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 19 January 2026
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 20 January 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to reports that grooming gangs are targeting children living in residential care homes in Scotland.

Question reference: S6W-42558

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 12 December 2025
Current Status: Answered by Graeme Dey on 9 January 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it made of whether the Ministerial Code applied to the Cabinet Secretary for Justice and Home Affairs’ statement to the Parliament regarding Professor Alexis Jay, in light of the correspondence received from Professor Alexis Jay on 26 September 2025.

As set out under the Scottish Ministerial Code, the First Minister is the ultimate judge of the standards of behaviour expected of a Minister. The First Minister's Independent Advisers on the Scottish Ministerial Code have considered this matter fully and their report is now available at: Ministerial code investigation: complaint about Cabinet Secretary for Justice and Home Affairs - gov.scot.

The First Minister has accepted the conclusions and recommendations of the report in full. A letter from the First Minister to the Justice Secretary can be found at: Ministerial Code investigation: First Minister letter to Justice Secretary - gov.scot.

Question reference: S6W-42560

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 12 December 2025
Current Status: Answered by Graeme Dey on 9 January 2026

To ask the Scottish Government whether the (a) First Minister and (b) Permanent Secretary considered whether the Cabinet Secretary for Justice and Home Affairs’ interpretation of Professor Alexis Jay’s comments met the requirements of the Ministerial Code, and what conclusion he reached.

As set out under the Scottish Ministerial Code, the First Minister is the ultimate judge of the standards of behaviour expected of a Minister. The First Minister's Independent Advisers on the Scottish Ministerial Code have considered this matter fully and their report is now available at: Ministerial code investigation: complaint about Cabinet Secretary for Justice and Home Affairs - gov.scot.

The First Minister has accepted the conclusions and recommendations of the report in full. A letter from the First Minister to the Justice Secretary can be found at: Ministerial Code investigation: First Minister letter to Justice Secretary - gov.scot.

Question reference: S6W-42913

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 08 January 2026
Current Status: Answer expected on 22 January 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether weaknesses in tackling cryptocurrency-enabled organised crime risk depriving communities of potential funding through the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002 that could otherwise be reinvested in Scotland.

Question reference: S6W-42914

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 08 January 2026
Current Status: Answer expected on 22 January 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what specialist capability exists in Scotland to trace, freeze and recover cryptocurrency assets linked to organised crime.

Question reference: S6W-42911

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 08 January 2026
Current Status: Answer expected on 22 January 2026

To ask the Scottish Government how much money has been recovered in Scotland through the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002 that originated from cryptocurrency or digital assets in each of the last five financial years.

Question reference: S6W-42912

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 08 January 2026
Current Status: Answer expected on 22 January 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the impact that any failure to seize and recover cryptocurrency-linked criminal assets has on the level of funding available for community programmes supported through receipts from the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002, including CashBack for Communities.

Question reference: S6W-42910

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 08 January 2026
Current Status: Answer expected on 22 January 2026

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide any data that shows how 20 new nationwide solicitor traineeships will address the reported workforce crisis in legal aid representation and ensure there is sufficient provision across the country in future.

Question reference: S6W-42461

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 09 December 2025
Current Status: Answered by Siobhian Brown on 6 January 2026

To ask the Scottish Government, regarding the Civil Litigation (Expenses and Group Proceedings) (Scotland) Act 2018, what work has been undertaken to date in relation to the statutory review of qualified one-way costs shifting (QOCS), including any (a) analysis, (b) internal correspondence and (c) scoping exercises since June 2023.

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