Asked by: Kerr, Stephen (Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party - Central Scotland)
Question
To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the figures by KPMG, which reported that there was a 31% fall in job vacancies in Scotland in the three months to May 2025.
Answered by Lochhead, Richard - Minister for Business and Employment
The latest ONS data for Scotland indicates that there were approximately 47,900 new online job adverts posted in July 2025, down 1.1% over the year from July 2024. The data also indicate that the number of new online job vacancies posted in Scotland in July 2025 were 32.5% lower than in July 2021, when online job adverts were at their highest July level following the Covid-19 pandemic.
Scotland’s labour market is resilient, despite economic challenges. The number of payrolled employees in Scotland remains relatively high with 2.45 million payrolled employees in July 2025 while unemployment remains low.
However, sectors like Construction continue to face recruitment difficulties. Business Insights and Conditions Survey (BICS) data for Scotland indicated that 31.0% of Construction sector businesses experienced recruitment difficulties in July, compared to 22.4% of all businesses in Scotland. These challenges will be exacerbated by the ongoing damage of Brexit. The changes introduced in the UK Government’s Immigration White Paper completely fail to meet Scotland’s economic and demographic needs, and the UK Government must work urgently with the Scottish Government to ensure that the immigration system works for our businesses, public services, and communities.
Asked by: Eagle, Tim (Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party - Highlands and Islands)
Question
To ask the Scottish Government when applicants to the Future Farming Investment Scheme will be informed whether their application has been approved.
Answered by Fairlie, Jim - Minister for Agriculture and Connectivity
There has been a significant and welcome interest in the Future Farming Investment Scheme. Applications received are currently being considered and applicants will be informed of the outcome as soon as practicably possible after assessment has been undertaken.
Once a grant offer has been made, successful applicants will have 14 days to accept the terms and conditions of their offer. After acceptance, payments will be issued within 30 days. Applicants will have nine months from being made the Offer of Grant to purchase all items listed in part 2 of Schedule 1 of the Offer of Grant letter and provide evidence of the investment to the Scottish Government Rural Payments and Inspections Division (SGRPID).
Asked by: Kerr, Stephen (Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party - Central Scotland)
Question
To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to compensate farmers for any damage caused by beaver activity.
Answered by Martin, Gillian - Cabinet Secretary for Climate Action and Energy
Through the Beaver Management Framework introduced when beavers were granted European Protected Status in 2019, NatureScot can provide licences to prevent serious damage to agriculture and NatureScot provide free advice and operate a mitigation scheme that can support a range of interventions primarily designed to support living with beavers in the landscape. However, there is no compensation available to land managers for costs incurred due to beaver activity.
Asked by: Kerr, Stephen (Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party - Central Scotland)
Question
To ask the Scottish Government what evaluation it has carried out of the reported decision to no longer have zero tolerance sentencing for knife possession.
Answered by Constance, Angela - Cabinet Secretary for Justice and Home Affairs
Sentencing in any given case is a matter for the independent court within the overall legal framework.
In 2016, Scottish Government legislation came into force that increased the maximum sentence for weapons possession from four years to five years. The average length of custodial sentence for weapons possession in 2022-23 was 332 days; this compares with 218 days in 2007-08 and represents an increase of 52%.
Asked by: Russell, Davy (Scottish Labour - Hamilton, Larkhall and Stonehouse)
Question
To ask the Scottish Government what information it has regarding (a) how many and (b) what proportion of care experienced people have enrolled in (i) the Open University and (b) other university education in each of the last 10 years.
Answered by Dey, Graeme - Minister for Parliamentary Business and Veterans
Care Experienced students entering undergraduate courses at The Open University and other Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) have been included below.
Further details on Care Experienced students in Scotland can be found in the annual Scottish Funding Council's Report on Widening Access (RoWA). https://www.sfc.ac.uk/publications/report-on-widening-access-2023-24/
Scottish Domiciled undergraduate entrants to Scottish universities, by Care Experienced status, 2014-15 to 2023-24
Academic year | Provider | Care Experienced | % of all UG entrants who are care experienced* |
2014-15 | The Open University | 45 | 1% |
Other HEIs | 230 | 1% | |
2015-16 | The Open University | 35 | 1% |
Other HEIs | 225 | 1% | |
2016-17 | The Open University | 45 | 1% |
Other HEIs | 250 | 1% | |
2017-18 | The Open University | 45 | 1% |
Other HEIs | 325 | 1% | |
2018-19 | The Open University | 35 | 1% |
Other HEIs | 425 | 1% | |
2019-20 | The Open University | 50 | 1% |
Other HEIs | 450 | 1% | |
2020-21 | The Open University | 55 | 1% |
Other HEIs | 600 | 1% | |
2021-22 | The Open University | 95 | 1% |
Other HEIs | 670 | 1% | |
2022-23 | The Open University | 185 | 2% |
Other HEIs | 710 | 2% | |
2023-24 | The Open University | 220 | 3% |
Other HEIs | 815 | 2% |
Source: HESA Student Data, SG Secondary Analysis
*Percentage is an estimate and could be influenced by the number of unknowns in the data and improved data quality in recent years.
1) When interpreting figures relating to care experienced students it is important to note that the reporting of students from care experienced backgrounds has been given more focus in recent years, with increased efforts made to encourage students to declare themselves as being care experienced.
2) Those on short part-time courses are more likely to include unknown information.
3) Numbers may differ slightly from other published sources due to the way data has been aggregated. This includes 2020-21 where SFC published a slightly higher number of Care Experienced students due to post-data collection changes.
4) Numers are rounded to the nearest 5.
Asked by: Griffin, Mark (Scottish Labour - Central Scotland)
Question
To ask the Scottish Government how the £2 million investment in Discretionary Housing Payments will be allocated, and what criteria will be used to determine eligibility for support in accessing settled homes in the private rented sector.
Answered by McAllan, Màiri - Cabinet Secretary for Housing
The investment in discretionary housing payments (DHPs) announced as part of the Housing Emergency Action Plan on 2 September will be made available to local authorities experiencing the most sustained temporary accommodation pressures via a distribution methodology agreed with COSLA.
This further DHPs will target eligible households in temporary accommodation who are interested in a settled home in the private rented sector but who are concerned about affordability. Local authorities will use DHPs to cover any shortfall between the housing benefit people receive – determined by the UK local housing allowance (LHA) rates – and the actual cost of private rent.
While this additional £2 million investment will be targeted at households in temporary accommodation, local authorities retain discretion to support other households facing shortfalls between their rent and LHA rates. Many local authorities already use this flexibility to help people secure and sustain tenancies in the private rented sector, spending £3.1 million in 2024-25.
Asked by: Kerr, Stephen (Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party - Central Scotland)
Question
To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the economic impact of beaver introductions on (a) farmland and (b) crop yields.
Answered by Martin, Gillian - Cabinet Secretary for Climate Action and Energy
The economic impact of beavers have been the subject of various reports to date with a focus on impacts on farmers in Tayside. This includes a collation of impacts on land use in the Tayside Beaver Study Group final report 2015 and a Commissioned Report 805: Tayside beaver socio-economic impact study carried out by SRUC (2015).
These reports point to most of the negative impacts occurring in intensively farmed lowland areas, with the costs being variable from a few hundred pounds to £10,000.
The Tayside beaver socio-economic impact study sought to establish a method for assessing the costs and benefits associated with beaver presence. Questionnaire responses from 111 land managers collated costs incurred to farmland and crops.
The study also collated modest figures for economic benefits largely around eco-tourism and found the non-use values may be considerable. They concluded ‘Taking these estimates in aggregate, the benefits of beaver tolerance are likely to outweigh the costs incurred, which can themselves be lowered by appropriate management and mitigation measures’.
Asked by: Mochan, Carol (Scottish Labour - South Scotland)
Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-38735 by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 1 July 2025, what its response is to the new research on the welfare benefits system and premenstrual dysphoric disorder published in the report, Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder: The Welfare State: Recommendations for Reform.
Answered by Minto, Jenni - Minister for Public Health and Women's Health
As the report sets out, Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder (PMDD) has a huge impact on the welfare of many in Scotland. We therefore welcome this report and will take its recommendations into account as we develop the next phase of the Scottish Government’s Women’s Health Plan.
We have already established a dedicated working group and action has been taken to raise awareness and support better understanding of PMDD among healthcare professionals. This work sits alongside our ongoing commitment to deliver a social security system with dignity, fairness and respect at its core.
In contrast to the UK Government, the Scottish Government is committed to protecting and enhancing social security benefits. We will carefully consider the report’s findings alongside the recommendations made by the Independent Review of Adult Disability Payment, which we have committed to respond to by January 2026.
Asked by: Kerr, Stephen (Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party - Central Scotland)
Question
To ask the Scottish Government what engagement it has with (a) farmers and (b) landowners before authorising wildlife releases.
Answered by Martin, Gillian - Cabinet Secretary for Climate Action and Energy
Under the Scottish Code for Conservation Translocations, it is the responsibility of those applying to translocate/release wildlife to consult with a) farmers, and b) landowners, on these proposals.
NatureScot’s guidance for beaver translocations recommends as a minimum this should include ‘All land managers likely to be impacted and their representative bodies - National Farmers Union for Scotland and Scottish Land and Estates’.
NatureScot would expect to see evidence of the nature and findings of this engagement submitted with an application. In their role as licensing Authority, NatureScot have carried out further engagement with neighbouring farmers and land managers in a few cases where concerns had been raised. This has allowed them to better understand the likely scale and nature of impacts and how they may be mitigated and has informed their decision making.
Asked by: Kerr, Stephen (Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party - Central Scotland)
Question
To ask the Scottish Government how much it has spent on mitigation measures relating to beaver activity since 2020.
Answered by Martin, Gillian - Cabinet Secretary for Climate Action and Energy
NatureScot’s direct spend on beaver advice and mitigation since 2020 is as follows:
Financial Year | 2019-20 | 2020-21 | 2021-22 | 2022-23 | 2023-24 | 2024-25 (forecast) |
Operating costs | 72,000 | 36,800* | 91,500 | 160,000 | 100,000 | 63,000 |
Total: £523,300
This does not include staff costs.
* The 2020-21 figure reflects NatureScot’s ability to deliver onsite mitigation being affected by COVID restrictions.
