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.

Find out more about parliamentary questions

Filter your results Hide all filters

Displaying 48973 questions Show Answers

Order by |

Question reference: S6O-05479

Asked by: Tim Eagle, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 28 January 2026
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 5 February 2026

To ask the Scottish Government when the Cabinet Secretary for Climate Action and Energy will meet with campaign groups regarding the Moray FLOW-Park project proposal.

Question reference: S6O-05464

Asked by: Alexander Burnett, MSP for Aberdeenshire West, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 28 January 2026
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 4 February 2026

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the work that it is doing to recognise rurality in local government finance settlements.

Question reference: S6O-05463

Asked by: Neil Bibby, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 28 January 2026
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 4 February 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with COSLA following the publication of its draft Budget 2026-27.

Question reference: S6O-05458

Asked by: Daniel Johnson, MSP for Edinburgh Southern, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 28 January 2026
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 4 February 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the Cities Outlook 2026 report and the performance of Scottish cities.

Question reference: S6O-05461

Asked by: Clare Adamson, MSP for Motherwell and Wishaw, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 28 January 2026
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 4 February 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what engagement it has had with COSLA regarding payroll practices in local authorities that can result in two wage payments in a single universal credit assessment period, and can lead to reduced entitlement and rent arrears, including in relation to support available for those affected.

Question reference: S6O-05451

Asked by: Davy Russell, MSP for Hamilton, Larkhall and Stonehouse, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 28 January 2026
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 4 February 2026

To ask the Scottish Government how its employability programmes support parents of children aged nine months to three years to return to work, in light of the lack of funded childcare for this age group.

Question reference: S6W-43212

Asked by: Sue Webber, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 21 January 2026
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 28 January 2026

To ask the Scottish Government how it is working with Network Rail and other stakeholders to increase capacity for rail freight in Scotland.

Transport Scotland works closely with Network Rail, and the wider industry, on a range of opportunities, plans and projects. Targeted infrastructure upgrades, network modernisation and operational enhancements can all help increase capacity for rail freight in Scotland.

Funded by Scottish Ministers Network Rail recently completed a £7 million upgrade at Mossend (which handles circa 80% of rail freight in Scotland). Additional investment of £250,000 at Mossend also increased yard entry and exit speeds from 5 to 15 miles per hour allowing freight trains to clear the line more quickly improving rail capacity.

Scotland’s rolling programme of electrification also benefits the rail freight industry as do freight specific performance and timetable measures. The rail industry is also working with the freight and logistics industry to develop a long-term plan for rail freight growth as specified by Scottish Ministers.

In addition in 2025 Scottish Ministers awarded two freight facilities grants including a grant of £3,000,000 to enable the construction of rail freight terminal near Inverness to facilitate the movement of finished goods to the UK market by rail.

Question reference: S6W-43227

Asked by: Brian Whittle, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 21 January 2026
Current Status: Answered by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 28 January 2026

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-42980 by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 21 January 2026, whether any training is provided to (a) benefits advisors, (b) benefits assessors and (c) any other staff at Social Security Scotland on the importance of disabled people remaining physically active.

As noted in the previous question, S6W-42980, Social Security Scotland makes it clear on their website that disabled people are encouraged to improve their wellbeing by being more physically active, in a way that suits them, without it impacting their eligibility for disability benefits.

Social Security Scotland staff receive training on disability awareness, equality and trauma-informed practice, with in-house health and social care practitioners focusing on how conditions affect daily living.

Social Security Scotland does not provide training on promoting physical activity, as it is not a healthcare provider.

Question reference: S6W-43200

Asked by: Beatrice Wishart, MSP for Shetland Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Tuesday, 20 January 2026
Current Status: Answered by Tom Arthur on 28 January 2026

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the findings of the joint report by the Auditor General for Scotland and the Accounts Commission, which highlights that unpaid carers are often involved too late in hospital discharge planning despite their legal rights under the Carers (Scotland) Act 2016, what steps it is taking to ensure that NHS boards receive clear training and guidance on involving unpaid carers from the point of admission, and how compliance with these duties will be monitored.

We have funded NHS Education for Scotland to develop three training modules for the health and social care workforce, to help them to identify, include and support unpaid carers. This includes highlighting carers’ right to involvement in hospital discharge decisions. These were launched in January 2024.

We have also funded Healthcare Improvement Scotland to improve practice on carer involvement across health, with a focus on carer involvement in hospital discharge.

The Discharge without Delay and the Home First approach is based on the Discharge without Delay Discussion Best Practice Guidance. This is the foundational document outlining how key interventions like Planned Date of Discharge should be implemented, and specifies the requirement to include unpaid carers in discharge conversations.

This is further demonstrated in our publicly available guidance on our Home First approach (https://www.nhsinform.scot/care-support-and-rights/access/home-first/), developed in collaboration with the DWD National Steering Group in 2024, makes clear that discharge conversations and assessments should include unpaid carers to ensure both the patient and carers are prepared for the next stage of the patient’s journey.

Question reference: S6W-43195

Asked by: Alex Cole-Hamilton, MSP for Edinburgh Western, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Tuesday, 20 January 2026
Current Status: Answered by Richard Lochhead on 28 January 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what updates have been made since 2021 to its (a) AI and (b) Digital Health and Care Strategy.

a) The Scottish Government will publish its new AI Strategy in March 2026. Building on the 2021 AI Strategy, it will outline the Scottish Government’s approach to harnessing the economic opportunities of AI.

As set out in its Programme for Government, the Scottish Government will also launch AI Scotland, a national transformation programme driven by collaboration between business, academia, government, and public agencies to help ensure that Scotland maximises the potential economic and social benefits of AI.

b) The Scottish Government has produced annual delivery plans for the Digital Health and Care Strategy following its publication in 2021. The delivery plans provide an update on progress and developments of projects and programmes to meet our vision and ambition for digital in health and social care. You can find the latest delivery plan on Gov.scot: https://www.gov.scot/publications/care-digital-age-delivery-plan-2025-2026/.

The Scottish Government also produces annual updates for the Data Strategy for Health and Social Care Since the original publication in 2023. These updates provide the latest developments of the Data Strategy. You can find the latest update on Gov.scot: Health and social care - data strategy: 2025 update - progress and priorities - gov.scot

Parliament dissolved ahead of election

Chamber and committees

Questions and answers

Filter your results Hide all filters

Answer

Answer

Answer

Answer

Answer

Answer

Answer

Answer

Answer

Answer