- Asked by: Lorna Slater, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Green Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 17 December 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Mairi McAllan on 6 January 2026
To ask the Scottish Government when it will publish the responses to its consultation, Enhancing the accessibility, adaptability and usability of Scotland’s homes, which closed on 21 December 2023.
Answer
We expect to publish the consultation responses over the coming months, where respondents have consented to their comments being made public.
- Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 17 December 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Neil Gray on 6 January 2026
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-42212 by Neil Gray on 5 December 2025, whether performance frameworks are in place in all integration authorities to outline the key areas that require to be measured and monitored to evaluate service effectiveness, as covered by the revised Good Practice Guide on Providing Community Equipment that was published in August 2022.
Answer
Scottish Government Equipment and adaptations: guidance on provision - gov.scot in 2023 and expects all Integration Authorities to take steps to implement this guidance.
The revised Good Practice Guide on Providing Community Equipment was created to support and assist local community equipment services to effectively develop, deliver, manage, and monitor their services. Decisions on how the guide is utilised is the responsibility of Integration Authorities.
The Scottish Government uses its National Equipment and Adaptations Network to engage with local services and discuss service effectiveness.
- Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 15 December 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Jenni Minto on 6 January 2026
To ask the Scottish Government what estimate it has made of the cost of expanding the Young Patients Family Fund’s eligibility to include children and young people with cancer who are (a) day-case patients, and (b) aged 18-25.
Answer
The Young Patients Family Fund (YPFF) is just one of the means of financial support available to patients and their families. YPFF supports families to visit a child or young person aged under 18 while they are an inpatient. Financial assistance for attending hospital appointments, including outpatient and day treatments, is available through the patient travel reimbursement schemes.
These schemes provide financial assistance for eligible patients and authorised escorts, including for outpatient appointments and day treatments, and apply to travel both within and outside Scotland. All eligible patients aged 16 and under automatically qualify for an escort. NHS Boards are responsible for assessing eligibility and have the flexibility to consider individual circumstances and make decision in the best interests of patient care and wellbeing.
- Asked by: Alex Cole-Hamilton, MSP for Edinburgh Western, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Friday, 12 December 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 6 January 2026
To ask the Scottish Government, in light of reports that some Edinburgh Western constituents are yet to receive their Winter Heating Payments and have been told that they may need to wait until February to get them in their accounts, what the reasons are for some payments not having been allocated.
Answer
Winter Heating Payment is an automatic payment made during the winter months to help eligible people with heating costs.
It replaced the UK Government’s Cold Weather Payment for people in Scotland and is paid regardless of temperature – unlike the payment it replaced, which only applied if temperatures stayed at or below freezing for a week.
Social Security Scotland contacts clients before payment is issued. Most people will receive their payment by the end of December 2025, although payments will continue to be made until the end of February 2026.
As of 14 December 2025, more than 225,000 Winter Heating Payments had already been made. Further details are available on Social Security Scotland’s website at: Winter Benefits management information release to 14 December 2025.
- Asked by: Brian Whittle, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 12 December 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 6 January 2026
To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to address reported concerns that 40% of people with disabilities are worried their benefits will be removed if they are seen to be more active.
Answer
The Scottish Government strongly supports the Scottish Disability Sport (SDS) Call to Action to enable disabled people to engage in sport and physical activity and address the finding that 40% of disabled people in Scotland are worried about losing their benefits if they are seen to be active.
Devolved social security benefits provide financial support to disabled people to help mitigate the additional costs of being disabled. The Scottish Government is clear this support can help reduce barriers to equal participation in communities and increase life opportunities. Social Security Scotland actively encourages everyone who may be eligible to apply for these benefits to apply and work is in hand on a marketing campaign to increase take-up.
- Asked by: Ash Regan, MSP for Edinburgh Eastern, Independent
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Date lodged: Thursday, 11 December 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 6 January 2026
To ask the Scottish Government what policy, criteria and decision-making processes have governed the automatic rollover of Equality and Human Rights Fund awards in the last five years, and whether an automatic rollover will be implemented again for the next funding year.
Answer
The Equality and Human Rights Fund supports projects that work to promote equality and tackling discrimination and prejudice. It was originally intended as a three year Fund running from October 2021 to September 2024. The funding periods were amended to align to financial years to enable approvals as part of annual budget considerations.
The Fund Managers, Inspiring Scotland, assess and report on all organisations on a six monthly basis to ensure that projects continue to deliver. Ministers have continued to extend the Equality and Human Rights Fund as its original objectives continue to be relevant.
Decisions on grant funding for 2026-27 will be announced following the passing of the 2026 Budget Bill.
- Asked by: Jamie Greene, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Thursday, 11 December 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Neil Gray on 6 January 2026
To ask the Scottish Government how many people in Inverclyde have waited at least one hour for an ambulance in the most recent year for which data is available.
Answer
The Scottish Government does not hold this information. You may wish to request this information from the Scottish Ambulance Service directly.
- Asked by: Douglas Lumsden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 11 December 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Gillian Martin on 6 January 2026
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-42085 by Gillian
Martin on 5 December 2025, what information it has regarding the dates that the
teams involved in Let’s Do Net Zero discussed the Heroes of Net Zero
communications campaign, whether formal or informal minutes, notes or other
records were taken of those discussions and, if so, whether it will publish
these, and what criteria and processes were applied in deciding not to take the
suggestion forward in 2025.
Answer
There are no records available to publish.
- Asked by: Ash Regan, MSP for Edinburgh Eastern, Independent
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Date lodged: Thursday, 11 December 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 6 January 2026
To ask the Scottish Government which organisations have received support from the Equality and Human Rights Fund in each of the last five years, broken down by (a) the amount awarded, (b) the duration of the funding and (c) whether the award was (i) a new allocation or (ii) the continuation of an existing funding arrangement.
Answer
The Equality and Human Rights Fund supports projects that work to promote equality and tackling discrimination and prejudice.
The following table, which is available on the gov.scot website, shows which organisations have received support from the Fund in the last five years. It also provides a breakdown of the amounts awarded to each organisation for relevant periods.
Funding to each organisation from October 2022 onwards has been a continuation of the arrangements established at the outset of the Fund.
Organisation | October 2021-September 2022 | October 2022-March 2023 | April 2023-March 2024 | April 2024-March 2025 | April 2025-March 2026 | Total Award |
Age Scotland | £396,404.00 | £201,625.50 | £406,743.50 | £406,743.50 | £406,743.50 | £1,818,260.00 |
Amina – the Muslim Women’s Resource Centre | £207,839.00 | £102,183.50 | £207,019.00 | £207,019.00 | £207,019.00 | £931,079.50 |
BEMIS Scotland | £215,000.00 | £107,500.00 | £215,000.00 | £215,000.00 | £215,000.00 | £967,500.00 |
Boots and Beards | £59,102.00 | £36,968.00 | £75,660.50 | £75,660.50 | £75,660.50 | £323,051.50 |
British Deaf Association | £224,507.00 | £113,964.00 | £230,182.50 | £230,182.50 | £230,182.50 | £1,029,018.50 |
Central Scotland Regional Equality Council | £72,686.00 | £37,114.00 | £75,077.00 | £75,077.00 | £75,077.00 | £335,031.00 |
Civil Rights First | £48,574.00 | £35,917.50 | £70,560.00 | £70,560.00 | £70,560.00 | £296,171.50 |
Close the Gap (SCIO) | £216,307.00 | £114,774.50 | £226,539.50 | £226,539.50 | £226,539.50 | £1,010,700.00 |
Coalition for Racial Equality and Rights | £142,599.00 | £71,624.50 | £144,479.50 | £144,479.50 | £144,479.50 | £647,662.00 |
Council of Ethnic Minority Voluntary Sector Organisations - Scotland | £199,100.00 | £99,550.00 | £199,100.00 | £199,100.00 | £199,100.00 | £895,950.00 |
Deafblind Scotland | £71,391.00 | £36,880.50 | £74,979.00 | £74,979.00 | £74,979.00 | £333,208.50 |
Disability Equality Scotland | £170,357.00 | £81,458.50 | £164,821.00 | £164,821.00 | £164,821.00 | £746,278.50 |
DISABILITY INFORMATION SCOTLAND | £164,525.00 | £83,190.00 | £167,737.50 | £167,737.50 | £167,737.50 | £750,927.50 |
Edinburgh Napier University - Equate Scotland | £311,596.00 | £169,871.50 | £355,626.00 | £355,626.00 | £355,626.00 | £1,548,345.50 |
Elect Her | £105,793.00 | £46,939.50 | £100,047.50 | £100,047.50 | £100,047.50 | £452,875.00 |
Engender | £346,980.00 | £177,623.50 | £359,806.50 | £359,806.50 | £359,806.50 | £1,604,023.00 |
Environmental Rights Centre for Scotland (ERCS) | £51,954.00 | £25,805.00 | £52,813.00 | £52,813.00 | £52,813.00 | £236,198.00 |
Equality Network Limited | £503,322.00 | £251,603.50 | £503,265.00 | £503,265.00 | £503,265.00 | £2,264,720.50 |
Ethnic Minorities Law Centre | £195,138.00 | £94,856.50 | £190,713.50 | £190,713.50 | £190,713.50 | £862,135.00 |
FENIKS Counselling, Personal Development & Support Service Ltd | £78,869.00 | £40,179.00 | £81,482.00 | £81,482.00 | £81,482.00 | £363,494.00 |
Generations Working Together | £201,388.00 | £101,887.50 | £206,930.75 | £206,930.75 | £206,930.75 | £924,067.75 |
Glasgow Council for the Voluntary Sector | £247,709.00 | £121,348.00 | £245,945.00 | £245,945.00 | £245,945.00 | £1,106,892.00 |
Glasgow Disability Alliance | £333,325.00 | £166,667.50 | £333,337.50 | £333,337.50 | £333,337.50 | £1,500,005.00 |
Glasgow Women's Library Ltd | £123,395.00 | £61,747.50 | £125,056.00 | £125,056.00 | £125,056.00 | £560,310.50 |
Grampian Regional Equality Council Ltd. | £28,667.00 | £14,160.00 | £28,445.00 | £28,445.00 | £28,445.00 | £128,162.00 |
Inclusion Scotland | £850,000.00 | £412,500.00 | £825,000.00 | £825,000.00 | £825,000.00 | £3,737,500.00 |
Intercultural Youth Scotland (IYS) | £203,379.20 | £104,985.60 | £216,095.70 | £216,095.70 | £216,095.70 | £956,651.90 |
JustRight Scotland SCIO | £95,567.00 | £48,450.50 | £97,442.00 | £97,442.00 | £97,442.00 | £436,343.50 |
Kairos Women+ | £50,754.00 | £21,520.50 | £46,444.50 | £46,444.50 | £46,444.50 | £211,608.00 |
Leadership Equality and Active Participation (LEAP) in Sports Scotland | £70,043.00 | £35,257.50 | £71,402.50 | £71,402.50 | £71,402.50 | £319,508.00 |
Legal Services Agency Ltd. | £129,748.00 | £66,367.50 | £137,156.50 | £137,156.50 | £137,156.50 | £607,585.00 |
LGBT Healthy Living Centre | £171,053.00 | £93,310.00 | £189,932.00 | £189,932.00 | £189,932.00 | £834,159.00 |
LGBT Youth Scotland | £281,930.00 | £143,982.00 | £290,870.50 | £290,870.50 | £290,870.50 | £1,298,523.50 |
Minority Ethnic Carers of People Project | £148,828.00 | £75,306.50 | £152,409.00 | £152,409.00 | £152,409.00 | £681,361.50 |
Multi-Cultural Family Base | £44,892.00 | £22,719.50 | £45,717.00 | £45,717.00 | £45,717.00 | £204,762.50 |
Neighbourhood Networks in Scotland | £94,461.00 | £46,512.50 | £93,956.50 | £93,956.50 | £93,956.50 | £422,843.00 |
Outside the Box Development Support Ltd | £56,995.00 | £29,422.00 | £59,027.00 | £59,027.00 | £59,027.00 | £263,498.00 |
Romano Lav | £82,583.00 | £38,421.50 | £73,597.50 | £73,597.50 | £73,597.50 | £341,797.00 |
Scottish Ethnic Minority Deaf Charity | £79,860.00 | £38,565.50 | £78,655.00 | £78,655.00 | £78,655.00 | £354,390.50 |
Scottish Trades Union Congress (Scottish Pensioners' Forum) | £47,819.00 | £23,831.00 | £48,913.00 | £48,913.00 | £48,913.00 | £218,389.00 |
Scottish Women's Budget Group | £72,062.00 | £37,127.00 | £74,383.00 | £74,383.00 | £74,383.00 | £332,338.00 |
Scottish Women's Convention | £196,666.00 | £98,333.00 | £196,667.00 | £196,667.00 | £196,667.00 | £885,000.00 |
STEP | £157,725.00 | £83,772.00 | £171,137.50 | £171,137.50 | £171,137.50 | £754,909.50 |
Stonewall Equality Limited | £103,992.00 | £52,594.00 | £106,505.00 | £106,505.00 | £106,505.00 | £476,101.00 |
The Poverty Alliance | £116,101.00 | £69,862.50 | £133,988.50 | £133,988.50 | £133,988.50 | £587,929.00 |
The Scottish Older People's Assembly | £49,100.00 | £24,550.00 | £49,100.00 | £49,100.00 | £0.00 | £0.00 |
West of Scotland Regional Equality Council (WSREC) | £140,906.00 | £73,440.00 | £147,660.50 | £147,660.50 | £147,660.50 | £657,327.50 |
YWCA Scotland | £107,477.00 | £83,782.00 | £144,652.00 | £144,652.00 | £144,652.00 | £625,215.00 |
Total | | | | £8,292,078.95 | £8,242,978.95 | £36,843,807.15 |
- Asked by: Clare Haughey, MSP for Rutherglen, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 11 December 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 6 January 2026
To ask the Scottish Government when it anticipates that all eligible recipients of the Pension Age Winter Heating Payment will receive payments in 2025-26.
Answer
Pension Age Winter Heating Payment will support at least 880,000 pensioners with their heating bills this winter.
As of 14 December 2025, over 837,000 payments of our Winter Benefits have been made to help households with heating costs, including more than 568,000 Pension Age Winter Heating Payments. This payment replaces the Department for Work and Pensions’ Winter Fuel Payment in Scotland and is set at a higher rate than the equivalent support elsewhere in the UK.
Payments commenced in November, and we expect the vast majority of payments to be issued by the end of December. Work will continue throughout the rest of the winter to finalise any remaining payments.
Eligible people of State Pension age will receive a payment between £101.70 and £305.10 depending on their circumstances. Most will get their payment automatically–no application is needed.
