General Question Time – in the Scottish Parliament at on 2 October 2025.
Stephen Kerr
Conservative
Given the time, maybe I should speak slowly, Presiding Officer.
To ask the Scottish Government what measures it has in place to ensure that public body officials do not misuse their position for personal gain. (S6O-05016)
Ivan McKee
Scottish National Party
Public body officials must adhere to the Scottish public finance manual. Scottish Government-sponsored bodies must ensure compliance with any relevant provisions and arrange for procedures that are consistent with the guidance to be put in place.
Board members establish the values and standards of their organisation and ensure that the organisation adopts and complies with its code of conduct for staff. The Scottish Government ensures that board members are aware of their responsibilities through annual board induction events and the production of guidance. The Standards Commission for Scotland provides further detailed guidance through a model code of conduct and guidance on how it applies.
Stephen Kerr
Conservative
I am grateful to the Minister for his reply. In relation to the conduct of senior officials, given the on-going disclosures in the public interest at Historic Environment Scotland, Glasgow City Council and Techscaler on matters that would never have seen the light of day were it not for the courage of individuals in being prepared to speak out, often in the face of intimidation and the threat of retaliation, will the minister take the opportunity to commend the bravery of whistleblowers and to acknowledge the vital role that they play in safeguarding the public interest? Does he accept that it is often only the guarantee of anonymity that gives whistleblowers the courage to make a protected disclosure to a prescribed person in the first instance?
Ivan McKee
Scottish National Party
I am aware of the issues in connection with Historic Environment Scotland. Stephen Kerr knows that my colleague Angus Robertson, the Cabinet Secretary for Constitution, External Affairs and Culture, is seized of those matters. We are delighted that HES has a new and highly commended chairman in Sir Mark Jones, who will look closely at governance and other matters.
On the broader issue that Stephen Kerr raised, I absolutely commend the whistleblowing that takes place, because it is important in keeping the whole public sector system in check and in raising awareness of where there might be potential issues that need to be addressed.
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.
Ministers make up the Government and almost all are members of the House of Lords or the House of Commons. There are three main types of Minister. Departmental Ministers are in charge of Government Departments. The Government is divided into different Departments which have responsibilities for different areas. For example the Treasury is in charge of Government spending. Departmental Ministers in the Cabinet are generally called 'Secretary of State' but some have special titles such as Chancellor of the Exchequer. Ministers of State and Junior Ministers assist the ministers in charge of the department. They normally have responsibility for a particular area within the department and are sometimes given a title that reflects this - for example Minister of Transport.
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.
