- Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 04 June 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Graeme Dey on 17 June 2025
To ask the Scottish Government how students are selected to participate in Scottish Education Exchange Programme (SEEP) activities; whether there are criteria to determine eligibility for participation, and, if this is the case, what the criteria are.
Answer
It is at the discretion of the institutions to select the specific students who should participate in the SEEP test and learn projects.
Inclusion and diversity in all fields of education are a priority for the Test and Learn Project. The Test and Learn Project supports initiatives that promote social inclusion for individuals with fewer opportunities—such as people with disabilities, migrants, rural residents, and those facing socio-economic hardship or discrimination.
Funded projects should help reduce access barriers and foster inclusive, equitable environments that reflect the needs of diverse communities.
- Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 04 June 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Angela Constance on 17 June 2025
To ask the Scottish Government what information it has on how many police officers have had claims not accepted by the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority in each of the last five years.
Answer
The Scottish Government does not hold this information. I would further refer the member to the answer to question S6W-37841 on 5 June 2025. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at
- Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 04 June 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Angela Constance on 17 June 2025
To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with (a) Police Scotland and (b) the Scottish Police Federation, in light of reports that the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority is rejecting applications on the grounds that injury is part of the job.
Answer
This issue has not been raised with relevant Ministers or officials by the Chief Constable, Scottish Police Federation or the Association of Scottish Police Superintendents. I would further refer the member to the answer to question S6W-37841 on 5 June 2025. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at
- Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 04 June 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Graeme Dey on 17 June 2025
To ask the Scottish Government whether the Scottish Education Exchange Programme (SEEP) currently supports (a) work placements and (b) vocational training exchanges, and if this is not the case, whether it has considered expanding the programme to cover such activities.
Answer
In 2025-26, applications will be assessed on their ability to support the ambitions set out in Scotland’s and a separate strand will be assessed against Community Learning and Development priorities.
Projects within this criterion are able to provide opportunities for both staff mobility and vocational training exchanges.
Since SEEP began in 2003, opportunities have been provided for staff mobility and vocational training. Further information on funded projects can be found at: .
- Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 03 June 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Maree Todd on 17 June 2025
To ask the Scottish Government what the current staffing headcount is for civil servants working on the Care Reform (Scotland) Bill.
Answer
Currently there are 110 Full Time Equivalent (FTE) Civil Servants in the NCS Programme working on wider social care reform. Within the 110 (FTE) we have four staff working on the Care Reform (Scotland) Bill.
- Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 03 June 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Angela Constance on 17 June 2025
To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service regarding the number of police officers cited for court but not required to give evidence.
Answer
The citation of witnesses is a matter for the independent Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service. The Scottish Government is, however, supporting justice partners to drive reforms to improve our criminal justice system to make it more efficient and ensure that it works better for everyone.
That will include reducing the number of police witnesses who are required to attend court and reducing the length of time that cases take. It will also mean enabling more cases to be concluded earlier, and fewer victims and civil witnesses needing to come to court.
Two key programmes being rolled out across Scotland are the judicially led summary case management programme, which provides a new approach to summary criminal cases, and the digital evidence sharing capability programme, which allows digital evidence to be shared at the earliest opportunity including the evidence from Body Worn Video technology which is being rolled out by Police Scotland this year. It is anticipated that combined these will deliver benefits for both civil and professional witnesses.
- Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 03 June 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Gillian Martin on 17 June 2025
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-37624 by Kate Forbes on 22 May 2025, and
in light of the detailed Project Willow report by EY-Parthenon, what its
position is on whether Regional Growth Deals are necessary to enable the
delivery of the nine projects identified in the Project Willow report, and for
what reason it has "no current plans for any future growth deals".
Answer
Project Willow sets out a truly transformative future for Grangemouth and will be possible if the public and private sectors work together. The current 10 year Deal was signed in November 2024, so our focus is on delivering the Growth Deal, which commits £50 million of Scottish Government funding over ten years to projects in the area. The Deal will complement the aims of Project Willow and we will work with partners to progress both the Deal and Project Willow. As previously stated, there are no plans for a further Deal.
- Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 06 June 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Angela Constance on 16 June 2025
To ask the Scottish Government how many confiscation orders issued prior to 2016 remain unpaid in full or in part.
Answer
Data regarding confiscation orders is held by the Scottish Courts and Tribunals Service (SCTS). SCTS publish the Courts Data Scotland bulletin on a quarterly basis, which provides national level information on confiscation order penalties currently going back to 2020-21. The latest publication can be found at
- Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 02 June 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Angela Constance on 16 June 2025
To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the reported 600% increase in serious assaults by teenagers over the last five years.
Answer
I refer the member to the answer to question S6O-04747 on 4 June 2025 which is available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at /chamber-and-committees/official-report/search-what-was-said-in-parliament.
- Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 06 June 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Angela Constance on 16 June 2025
To ask the Scottish Government how it monitors compliance with confiscation orders, and whether this process is subject to independent audit.
Answer
Where a confiscation order has been made by the court, payment of the order is supervised by the Court which imposed it.