Chamber and committees

Questions and answers

Parliamentary questions can be asked by any MSP to the Scottish Government or the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body. The questions provide a means for MSPs to get factual and statistical information.

Written questions must be answered within 10 working days (20 working days during recess)
Other questions such as Topical, Portfolio, General and First Minister's Question Times are taken in the Chamber

Urgent Questions aren't included in the Question and Answers search. There is a SPICe fact sheet listing Urgent and emergency questions.

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Question reference: S6W-39397

Asked by: Carol Mochan, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 16 July 2025
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 6 August 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the research, The gendered impact of Covid-19 on health behaviours and mental health: Evidence from the UK, which reportedly shows that women’s mental and physical health were affected more negatively than men’s during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Recent research findings on the impacts of Covid-19 on women’s mental and physical health adds to the body of evidence of the importance of taking account the specific health needs of women and girls.

The Scottish Government remains committed to delivering our ambition that all women and girls enjoy the best possible health, throughout their lives as set out in the Supporting documents - Women's health plan - gov.scot published in 2021.

The Women’s Health Plan is a key element within a wider, ongoing programme of work to improve the health and wellbeing of women and girls across Scotland.

Women are among those prioritised within the Communities Mental Health and Wellbeing Fund, which has received £81 million of investment since 2021 with a further £15 million committed next year (2026-27) as part of the Scottish Government’s Fairer Funding Pilot.

In addition, significant work is being taken forward across the Scottish Government and beyond on women’s health.

On 17 June 2025, the Scottish Government and COSLA co-published a ten-year Scotland's Population Health Framework - gov.scot (PHF), setting out a refreshed cross-government and cross-sector approach to improve Scotland’s population health and reduce inequalities, with a focus on prevention.

The Framework commits to actions to create environments that support people to eat a varied and balanced diet, be physically active, and limit consumption of health-harming commodities, with actions to be assessed to ensure they impact positively on women and girls.

Question reference: S6W-39365

Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 15 July 2025
Current Status: Answered by Tom Arthur on 6 August 2025

To ask the Scottish Government which NHS board areas currently have a dedicated Maternity and Neonatal Psychological Intervention (MNPI) team in place, and what plans there are to ensure that everyone who requires such services can access psychological support from a MNPI team in their area.

The Scottish Government is committed to improving perinatal and infant mental health services across Scotland. Anyone who requires Maternity and Neonatal Psychological Intervention (MNPI) services should be able to access them as part of their maternity or neonatal care.

We are providing £123.5 million funding to Boards to improve the quality and delivery of mental health and psychological services for all. This funding includes provision for access to MNPI services across all 14 Boards. Continued investment since 2019 has resulted in a substantial increase in services across Scotland, leading to all Boards having access to MNPI services, either from a local MNPI team or, for very small Board areas, via pathways to MNPI care in larger maternity hospitals where the patient may deliver.

The way in which MNPI services are provided differs across Boards, depending on population size and birth rate. However, we expect those who need the services to be able to access them in all areas of Scotland. Some Boards will have independent MNPI teams, working closely with local perinatal mental health services, and agreed referral criteria and pathways into care; while smaller Boards, such as Island Boards should provide access to psychological therapies via local primary care, adult mental health or perinatal mental health clinical psychology, with pathways into specialist MNPI support in the maternity hospital where they deliver.

Question reference: S6W-39381

Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness and Nairn, Independent
Date lodged: Wednesday, 16 July 2025
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 6 August 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what the most recent statistics are on the level of immunisation in the relevant population for (a) measles, (b) whooping cough, (c) mumps, (d) polio, (e) meningitis and (f) rubella, broken down by NHS board area; what its position is on whether these levels of immunisation are acceptable, and, if it does not consider any levels to be acceptable, what action it is taking to address this.

Public Health Scotland provide quarterly updates of immunisation uptake rates for children in Scotland. The most recent release was published on 24 June 2025 and provides uptake statistics for all childhood vaccines, including: the measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine; the 6 in 1 vaccine (which protects against whooping cough, polio, tetanus, haemophilus influenzae type B and hepatitis B); and the meningitis B vaccine. The report can be found at the following link: Childhood immunisation statistics Scotland - quarter and year ending 31 March 2025 - Childhood immunisation statistics Scotland - Publications - Public Health Scotland

Quarterly childhood immunisation rates across Scotland remain high, reflecting both the hard work and commitment of our colleagues in the NHS and the recognition of the benefits of vaccination.

However, the Scottish Government is aware that there are decreases in uptake compared with previous years, a trend which has been observed globally. We are working with Public Health Scotland and Health Boards to increase vaccination uptake, address health inequalities and support those eligible for vaccination.

Question reference: S6W-39245

Asked by: Carol Mochan, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 09 July 2025
Current Status: Answered by Maree Todd on 6 August 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what it is doing to ensure that the best opportunities for recovery are available to people immediately after an alcohol-related brain damage diagnosis when the most improvement can often be made, in light of reports that some people are waiting in hospital for months for guardianship applications to be processed before they can be moved.

The Scottish Government supports all work being done in primary care, in acute care, in mental health settings, in specialist settings and in residential care, as well as by social care services, public protection chief officers and by social workers to ensure the best opportunities for recovery are available to anyone diagnosed with alcohol-related brain damage.

We are engaging widely on the creation of a new approach to care and support for people impacted by alcohol. That new approach will include plans for a national specification setting out the interventions required to reduce harm. This will include recommendations for the recovery support required for alcohol-related brain damage.

Question reference: S6W-39267

Asked by: Martin Whitfield, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 09 July 2025
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 6 August 2025

To ask the Scottish Government how support staff were consulted in the development of the guidance, Fostering a positive, inclusive and safe school environment, published in June 2025.

The fostering a positive, inclusive and safe school environment guidance was developed with a range of key stakeholders, including headteachers and teaching unions.

Support staff views were captured through the Behaviour in Scottish Schools Research, which informed the development of the guidance. The guidance responds to a direct ask from school staff, including support staff, for clarity and support in responding to behaviour and reflects a range of evidence from teaching unions on this issue.

In addition, UNISON is represented on the Scottish Advisory Group on Relationships and Behaviour in Schools, which oversaw the development of the guidance. The Advisory Group also contains representation from a range of perspectives including EIS, NASUWT, Education and Parents organisations.

Question reference: S6W-39394

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 16 July 2025
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 6 August 2025

To ask the Scottish Government when it will publish the 2024-25 edition of the Annual Report: Inspectors of Burial, Cremation and Funeral Directors.

Section 93 of the Burial and Cremation (Scotland) Act 2016 requires each Inspector to prepare and publish an annual report. The time period for each report is dependent on the appointment date of each Inspector. The current Inspector’s appointment began on 1 October 2024, and the current report is due no later than 12 months after that appointment. Once published, the report will be laid before the Scottish Parliament in accordance with the requirements of the Act.

Question reference: S6W-39340

Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 14 July 2025
Current Status: Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 6 August 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what the expected timeline is for the conclusion of NatureScot's review of the Scotland's Great Trails brand and purpose.

Question reference: S6W-39418

Asked by: Colin Smyth, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 17 July 2025
Current Status: Answered by Tom Arthur on 6 August 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what the current average waiting time is for an attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) assessment in each NHS board.

The Scottish Government does not hold this information centrally.

However, we acknowledge that work is needed to improve the quality of data on neurodevelopmental support and services, including a better understanding of current levels of need and the level of support people currently receive.

We are working with Health Boards and local authorities to improve our understanding of available data, and how this could be used to support improvements for adults, children and families.

Question reference: S6W-39756

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 05 August 2025
Current Status: Answer expected on 2 September 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what accountability mechanisms are in place for land acquisitions made through Forestry and Land Scotland.

Question reference: S6W-39735

Asked by: Alex Cole-Hamilton, MSP for Edinburgh Western, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Tuesday, 05 August 2025
Current Status: Answer expected on 2 September 2025

To ask the Scottish Government whether there has been a review of the guidance released in April 2022 by the National Autism Implementation Team on prescribing ADHD medication to adults following private sector diagnosis, and, if this is not the case, when any such review may take place.