Asked by: White, Tess (Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party - North East Scotland)
Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it has considered the implications of the High Court decision relating to Northumbria Police participating in Pride marches for the impartiality of school teachers in Scotland.
Answered by Gilruth, Jenny - Cabinet Secretary for Education and Skills
It is a legal requirement for all teachers in Scottish schools to be registered with the General Teaching Council for Scotland (GTCS), the independent regulator for teachers in Scotland.
Registered teachers must adhere to the GTCS Professional Standards and Code of Professionalism and Conduct, which require them to uphold values of integrity, trust, and respect, and to act impartially in their professional practice.
Asked by: Kerr, Stephen (Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party - Central Scotland)
Question
To ask the Scottish Government what procedures are in place to ensure that any statements by its ministers on international law are properly verified.
Answered by Robertson, Angus - Cabinet Secretary for Constitution, External Affairs and Culture
Ministers and officials take steps to ensure that their decisions, including where necessary in relation to international law, are informed by appropriate analysis of the legal considerations and implications.
Asked by: McArthur, Liam (Scottish Liberal Democrats - Orkney Islands)
Question
To ask the Scottish Government what action it has taken to support initiatives that encourage workplace policies and practices that contain the values of Equally Safe.
Answered by Stewart, Kaukab - Minister for Equalities
Under Equally Safe, Scotland’s strategy for preventing and eradicating violence against women and girls, we are progressing a range of activity to eradicate and prevent VAWG through the priorities identified in the Equally Safe Delivery Plan that we published last year. Included within the Delivery Plan is the commitment to develop a streamlined approach to trauma-informed workplace practices that will promote and enhance VAWG knowledge, skills and expertise.
The Delivery Plan contains the actions we are taking to achieve this, including that we will support and promote initiatives that exemplify and promote workplace policies and practices that take a gendered analysis of VAWG and embed the principles of Equally Safe, particularly in the public and third sectors.
Under this action we are continuing to support Close the Gap on the Equally Safe at Work employer accreditation programme, which helps employers in local government, the NHS and third sector to develop gender and VAWG sensitive workplace practices.
The Delivery Plan also contains the action to develop and implement a national framework that will inform an approach to trauma-informed VAWG training and workforce development across the public and the third sectors, which we fund Scottish Women’s Aid to lead on. We are working with them and key stakeholders to ready the framework for implementation across the public and third sectors in spring 2026.
There is no place for harassment or abuse in the workplace, and everyone deserves to be respected and to feel safe in their working environment no matter their job or industry. All employers have a duty of care to protect the health, safety and welfare of their workers.
While employment law is reserved to the UK Parliament we continue to use our Fair Work policy to drive up labour market standards for workers across Scotland. Fair Work First criteria in procurement and grants is the tool we use to raise employment standards in Scotland and to promote more diverse workforces. Our Fair Work First guidance encourages all employers to have in place robust workplace policies for handling issues such as bullying or harassment and it provides advice and signposting to our Equally Safe strategy and the Equally Safe at Work framework.
On 25 April 2025 we launched our Fair Work Resource Hub for employers where they can find all relevant guidance, advice, case studies, signposting and networking opportunities on removing barriers to Fair Work for many workers, including signposting to guidance on preventing sexual harassment at work.
Asked by: Regan, Ash (Alba Party - Edinburgh Eastern)
Question
To ask the Scottish Government, in light of its public appointments guide, which states that “terms of appointment vary from role to role and are usually between one and five years” and that “the total period of appointment in one role on one board may not exceed eight years”, for what reason a member of the Children’s Hearings Scotland (CHS) Board, appointed on 1 July 2017, has reportedly had their term extended until 30 September 2025, in apparent breach of this guidance; what action is being taken in response to any such non-compliance by CHS with this appointments policy, and on what grounds the decision was made to exceed the maximum term permitted.
Answered by None
Under the Children’s Hearings (Scotland) Act 2011, board members of Children’s Hearings Scotland are appointed through a public appointments process regulated by the Ethical Standards Commissioner (ESC). Appointments are typically made for a standard term of up to four years, with the possibility of reappointment for up to four more years. Where the legislation governing the body allows, and the ESC and the appointing minister are content, short-term extensions beyond the 8 years, such as the one specified here, can also be granted in exceptional circumstances. This is highlighted in The Code of Practice, under Section H.2:
In exceptional circumstances, the Scottish Ministers may make appropriate appointments (including reappointments or extensions), with the agreement of the Commissioner, to ensure the effective continuing governance of boards.
Due to a delay in the appointment process for new board members, an existing member of the Board had their appointment extended. This process was managed by the Scottish Government, with the agreement of CHS.
The news release announcing this extension states that it was regulated by the Ethical Standards Commissioner, and can be accessed publicly here: https://www.gov.scot/publications/public-appointment-member-appointment-extended-on-the-childrens-hearings-scotland-board/
Asked by: Sweeney, Paul (Scottish Labour - Glasgow)
Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether the King’s and Lord Treasurer’s Remembrancer (KLTR) will publish a list of all the ownerless property that it currently holds within the Glasgow City Council area by virtue of (a) ultimus haeres (estates of people who died without heirs or a will) and (b) bona vacantia (property last owned by dissolved companies).
Answered by Brown, Siobhian - Minister for Victims and Community Safety
The King’s and Lord Treasurer’s Remembrancer (KLTR) has an administrative function only and he does not hold or own property which has fallen to him as bona vacantia or ultimus haeres.
The KLTR already publishes a list of properties which have fallen to the Crown as bona vacantia which are (or were) suitable for consideration through the KLTR’s Ownerless Property Transfer Scheme (OPTS). These properties, including those currently under consideration within the Glasgow City Council area, can be viewed on the KLTR’s website at: Cases | KLTR.
The OPTS was launched in March 2024. During this process, the KLTR circulates information on properties to public bodies, local authorities and communities to ascertain if there is a local interest in taking ownership. The OPTS then provides for the property to be transferred to the applicant at a nominal value where there is a public interest in doing so. OPTS Guidance can be viewed on the KLTR’s website at: OPTS Guidance | KLTR
The KLTR’s website also includes a list of estates which the KLTR has administered (or is presently administering) which appear to have fallen to the Crown as ultimus haeres in the absence of a will or identifiable heirs. This can be viewed at Find an estate | KLTR
Asked by: Carlaw, Jackson (Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party - Eastwood)
Question
To ask the Scottish Government when it last reviewed The Primary Medical Services - (Premises Development Grants, Improvement Grants and Premises Costs) Directions 2004, and whether there are plans to update the existing directive.
Answered by Gray, Neil - Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care
Barring a minor and temporary amendment during the pandemic, the Scottish Government has not changed the Primary Medical Services (Premises Development Grants, Improvement Grants and Premises Costs) Directions 2004 since 2004.
Plans to revise the directions are being discussed with the Scottish GP Committee as part of our current contract negotiations.
Asked by: McArthur, Liam (Scottish Liberal Democrats - Orkney Islands)
Question
To ask the Scottish Government when a national framework of trauma-informed training and workforce development on violence against women and girls will be implemented across the (a) public and (b) third sector.
Answered by Stewart, Kaukab - Minister for Equalities
I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-39915 on 3 September 2025. 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.
Asked by: Carlaw, Jackson (Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party - Eastwood)
Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether any formal requirement is placed on NHS boards to record the age of all GP premises in their geographical regions as part of preparing property strategies for investment prioritisation and for this information to be directly communicated to ministers.
Answered by Gray, Neil - Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care
NHS boards record the age and condition of their estates as a matter of standard practice.
Asked by: Eagle, Tim (Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party - Highlands and Islands)
Question
To ask the Scottish Government what specialist equipment the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service has to extinguish fires that originate in the nacelles of wind turbines, and whether it can provide details of how widely available any such equipment is.
Answered by Brown, Siobhian - Minister for Victims and Community Safety
Fires within wind turbine nacelles are rare, but they present significant challenges due to height, access limitations, and associated electrical and mechanical hazards.
The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) does not hold specific specialist equipment to extinguish nacelle fires. SFRS adopts a defensive strategy that prioritises public and firefighter safety, containment of the incident, and protection of the environment. Firefighting operations are not undertaken within the nacelle or tower itself. This approach is consistent with UK-wide national operational guidance.
Asked by: Carlaw, Jackson (Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party - Eastwood)
Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will amend The Primary Medical Services - (Premises Development Grants, Improvement Grants and Premises Costs) Directions 2004 to introduce guidance for NHS boards to consider marking projects as a priority for funding based on (a) the age of an existing premises, for example, if a building is more than 100 years old and (b) population growth related to any increase in house building that is placing a strain on local practices and necessitating the delivery of expanded or new-build medical facilities.
Answered by Gray, Neil - Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care
Paragraph 8 in part 2 of the Primary Medical Services (Premises Development Grants, Improvement Grants and Premises Costs) Directions 2004 sets out that:
Health Boards must have in place a plan for the development of premises to support the provision of Primary Medical Services. This plan must be approved in consultation with the local Area Medical Committee. This plan should be updated annually and be consistent with the Health Board’s wider Property Strategy.
The Scottish Government does not believe that including guidance in the directions that NHS boards should make projects a priority for funding based on the age of existing buildings and population growth would be a material improvement on the general requirement for NHS boards’ wider property strategies to cover the needs of primary medical services.