Portfolio Question Time – in the Scottish Parliament at on 17 September 2025.
Roz McCall
Conservative
To ask the Scottish Government whether it is planning to make any changes to Historic Environment Scotland. (S6O-04933)
Angus Robertson
Scottish National Party
The appointment process for a new chair of Historic Environment Scotland has been under way since May and an appointment will be announced in due course.
As one of our public bodies, HES is expected to regularly review its policies and priorities to ensure it delivers maximum impact for public investment. As part of public service reform work, we have given greater flexibility to HES to allow increased investment into our most nationally significant historic places.
Roz McCall
Conservative
It was recently revealed that Historic Environment Scotland directors were awarded pay increases of up to 18 per cent at the same time as the organisation faces a £3 million budget shortfall and has admitted to looking for further savings. Does the Cabinet secretary believe that those increases are acceptable? Does he agree that taxpayers’ money would be better used preserving Scotland’s historic sites rather than lining senior staff’s pockets?
Angus Robertson
Scottish National Party
I reiterate the point that I made a moment ago, which is very significant. Changes are taking place in the management of Historic Environment Scotland, and I am happy to update Roz McCall and colleagues in due course.
As she will appreciate, I cannot currently comment on the matters that she raised, but I want to give her confidence that I am seized of the matters at Historic Environment Scotland. It is really important that HES’s excellent work across Scotland can continue with a new chair, and I look forward to being able to confirm progress on that shortly.
Bill Kidd
Scottish National Party
Thanks to the changes to the framework, Historic Environment Scotland is now able to invest every penny from its commercial income into protecting our historic environment for future generations. How will that work enable Historic Environment Scotland to improve visitor experiences and preserve our heritage?
Angus Robertson
Scottish National Party
Building on the greater financial freedoms that are provided in the revised framework agreement, Historic Environment Scotland’s corporate plan for 2025 to 2028 will result in the organisation contributing to the achievement of key national outcomes and delivering for Scotland. By 2028, Historic Environment Scotland aims to have increased direct expenditure on its assets by 15 per cent; increased the number of people whom it has trained by 10 per cent; increased its contribution to Scotland’s gross domestic product by 10 per cent, from £1 billion to £1.1 billion; invested at least £40 million in local communities; and increased the additional funding that it generates from non-Government sources by at least 20 per cent, from £73.5 million to £87 million.
Neil Bibby
Labour
I join the Cabinet secretary and other members in welcoming to the gallery the chair of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association.
Given that, as I understand it, Scottish ministers instructed officials to attend Historic Environment Scotland board meetings back in May due to governance concerns, what assurances can the cabinet secretary give the public and members that HES will properly and robustly investigate claims that a HES director hosted an exclusive private dinner at Edinburgh castle in August?
Angus Robertson
Scottish National Party
Neil Bibby knows that I am seized of the importance of the matter, because I have spoken to him and other members of the Constitution, Europe, External Affairs and Culture Committee about it. I wish to give him confidence that changes are taking place in Historic Environment Scotland, and I will be happy to update him on them in due course.
A new chair of HES will be announced, but I cannot say more than that at the moment, because a number of administrative hoops need to be gone through. I have a very high level of confidence in the incoming chair’s ability to deal with any issues that need to be considered and to take any follow-up interventions that are needed. I encourage the new chair and anybody else who takes a role in Historic Environment Scotland to understand that the organisation has delivered significantly, as I outlined to Mr Kidd. I look forward to being able to make an announcement shortly, and I hope that the news will give Mr Bibby the confidence that it has already given me.
Question Time is an opportunity for MPs and Members of the House of Lords to ask Government Ministers questions. These questions are asked in the Chamber itself and are known as Oral Questions. Members may also put down Written Questions. In the House of Commons, Question Time takes place for an hour on Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays after Prayers. The different Government Departments answer questions according to a rota and the questions asked must relate to the responsibilities of the Government Department concerned. In the House of Lords up to four questions may be asked of the Government at the beginning of each day's business. They are known as 'starred questions' because they are marked with a star on the Order Paper. Questions may also be asked at the end of each day's business and these may include a short debate. They are known as 'unstarred questions' and are less frequent. Questions in both Houses must be written down in advance and put on the agenda and both Houses have methods for selecting the questions that will be asked. Further information can be obtained from factsheet P1 at the UK Parliament site.
The cabinet is the group of twenty or so (and no more than 22) senior government ministers who are responsible for running the departments of state and deciding government policy.
It is chaired by the prime minister.
The cabinet is bound by collective responsibility, which means that all its members must abide by and defend the decisions it takes, despite any private doubts that they might have.
Cabinet ministers are appointed by the prime minister and chosen from MPs or peers of the governing party.
However, during periods of national emergency, or when no single party gains a large enough majority to govern alone, coalition governments have been formed with cabinets containing members from more than one political party.
War cabinets have sometimes been formed with a much smaller membership than the full cabinet.
From time to time the prime minister will reorganise the cabinet in order to bring in new members, or to move existing members around. This reorganisation is known as a cabinet re-shuffle.
The cabinet normally meets once a week in the cabinet room at Downing Street.
