Questions and answers

Question reference: S6W-37550

Asked by: Oliver Mundell, MSP for Dumfriesshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 13 May 2025
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 16 May 2025

To ask the Scottish Government for what reason local councillors are not exempt from jury duty.

Jury service is an important civic duty, and I am grateful to all those who undertake it.

It is the view of the Scottish Government that the pool of potential jurors should be as wide as possible, to ensure that an accused person is being judged by their peers from all walks of life. This also prevents the burden of jury service falling on a narrower section of society than can reasonably be helped.

However, it is recognised that there will always be people who have difficulty in serving as jurors. Therefore, in addition to those eligible to be excused as of right as set out in Schedule 1 of the Law Reform (Miscellaneous Provisions) Scotland Act 1980, individuals may also apply for excusal.

Clerks of Courts will be as sympathetic as they can to requests for excusal, and will consider, amongst other things; commitments at work, the cancellation of which would cause abnormal inconvenience - while at the same time balancing the need to have sufficient numbers of prospective jurors from which to ballot a jury.

Question reference: S6W-37570

Asked by: Ariane Burgess, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 13 May 2025
Current Status: Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 16 May 2025

To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to review the legal framework that currently does not classify fish escapes from salmon farms as a statutory offence.

In our response to the recent report by the Rural Affairs and Islands Committee, we committed to prioritising progress to introduce penalties for fish farm escapes in 2026-2027 and to publishing a revised Technical Standard for Scottish Finfish Aquaculture in 2027-2028.

The escape of fish from a fish farm is not a statutory offence. However, the Fish Health Inspectorate assesses whether satisfactory measures are in place on farms for the containment of fish. Where they are not, Scottish Ministers may serve an enforcement notice and failure to comply with this is an offence.

Question reference: S6W-37396

Asked by: Sharon Dowey, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 06 May 2025
Current Status: Answered by Natalie Don-Innes on 16 May 2025

To ask the Scottish Government how many emergency beds were used within secure care accommodation for young people in (a) 2023, (b) 2024 and 2025 to date.

The information is not available in the format requested. Information on the use of emergency beds for 2023 and 2024 can be found in Table 2 of the Children's Social Work Statistics: Secure Care 2023-24.

In December 2024, the Care Inspectorate published a protocol and procedures for secure accommodation services on the use of registered emergency beds. (Secure Emergency Bedroom Protocol November 2024.pdf).

Question reference: S6W-37547

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 13 May 2025
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 16 May 2025

To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to introduce a judicial register of interests by the end of the current parliamentary session.

Consideration of introducing a judicial register of interests began during this parliamentary session. However, following the introduction of a revised statement on judicial ethics last year, which included more detailed declaration requirements for judicial office holders and a greater emphasis on judicial independence, the commitment was delayed to allow time for its impact to be assessed. Now that a year has passed since the revised statement was introduced, work has recently commenced on evaluating its effects. An update will be provided to Parliament at the appropriate time.

Question reference: S6W-36936

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 15 May 2025
Current Status: Answer expected on 29 May 2025

To ask the Scottish Government whether the productivity of civil servants working remotely has been formally evaluated.

Question reference: S6W-37634

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 15 May 2025
Current Status: Answer expected on 29 May 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what guidance or negotiations it has undertaken with COSLA to reduce teacher class contact time.

Question reference: S6W-37499

Asked by: Alexander Burnett, MSP for Aberdeenshire West, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 15 May 2025
Current Status: Answer expected on 29 May 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what COVID-19 vaccines are available for those who are immunocompromised and have a respiratory illness, in light of reports that VidPrevtyn, manufactured by Sanofi Paseur, is no longer available.

Question reference: S6W-36935

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 15 May 2025
Current Status: Answer expected on 29 May 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what proportion of its civil servants are currently working remotely on a full-time basis.

Question reference: S6W-37603

Asked by: Katy Clark, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 15 May 2025
Current Status: Answer expected on 29 May 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether increasing maternity pay for firefighters to 52 weeks would attract more women to join the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service.

Question reference: S6W-37497

Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 15 May 2025
Current Status: Answer expected on 29 May 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what measures it is taking to strengthen the regulatory framework governing salmon farming to prevent fish escapes and harm to wild salmon and other species, in light of reports that such incidents are not currently met with financial sanctions.

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