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-39121

Asked by: Colin Smyth, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 02 July 2025
Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 17 July 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to ensure that patients in towns such as Gretna, Langholm, and Canonbie are not excluded from accessing contingency care staffing systems, such as Staffscanner, due to geographic location, and what steps are being taken to address any resulting disparity in care provision in border communities.

The Scottish Government recognise that there may be occasions where Health Boards require access to agency workers in order to supplement their workforce. In keeping with our national approach, such workers should only be deployed by exception.

Where such exceptions are met, the Scottish Government expects Health Boards to use one of the approved suppliers on the relevant National Procurement Framework (such as Staffscanner) to obtain temporary staff.

For care services, it the statutory responsibility of local Integration Joint Boards (IJBs) to ensure that appropriate social care support services are in place to provide people with the right care, in the right place and at the right time.

Question reference: S6W-39040

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 26 June 2025
Current Status: Answered by Richard Lochhead on 17 July 2025

To ask the Scottish Government how many employee-owned businesses there currently are in Scotland, and whether it is on track to meet its target of 500 employee-owned businesses by 2030.

According to the Employee-Owned Business Census Scotland 2024, undertaken by Co-operative Development Scotland, there were a total of 286 employee-owned businesses operating in Scotland as of 31 March 2024. This represents a 47% increase since 2022. A new Economic Democracy Group has formed to drive growth in social enterprises, co-operative business and employee owned firms. The Group held its first meeting in April and will take stock of the journey to the 2030 target, examining what action may be required.

Question reference: S6W-39158

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 04 July 2025
Current Status: Answered by Richard Lochhead on 17 July 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what estimate it has made of the cost to Scotland’s economy of poor mobile connectivity.

Telecommunications policy, which includes mobile connectivity, is currently reserved to the UK Government. Whilst the Scottish Government has not conducted any analysis on the economic impacts of poor mobile connectivity, we do recognise the social and economic importance of high-quality and reliable mobile services, particularly for our rural and island areas. Through our Scottish 4G Infill (S4GI) programme, we have invested £28.75 million to deliver and activate 55 mobile masts in areas that previously had no coverage.

Question reference: S6W-39085

Asked by: Beatrice Wishart, MSP for Shetland Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Monday, 30 June 2025
Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 17 July 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what recent discussions it has had with the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency regarding potentially expanding the available locations offered by the Scottish Driving Assessment Service for people who wish to commence, resume or continue driving after illness or injury, in light of the reported barriers to attendance for those in the Highlands and island areas.

The Scottish Government has had no recent discussions with the DVSA about the expansion of locations offered by the Scottish Driving Assessment Service.

The Scottish Driving Assessment Service is a matter for NHS Boards, and is hosted by NHS Lothian on behalf of NHS Scotland. The service is free for users and is currently funded through contributions from NHS Boards to NHS Lothian.

The NHS Directors of Planning Group has agreed to oversee a review of the Scottish Driving Assessment Service (SDAS) and present a paper to the NHS Boards Chief Executives group. A Working Group will oversee a detailed scoping exercise to understand the demand for driving assessment in Scotland, and how this is currently being met.

It is proposed that the review will conclude with an Option Appraisal, supported by NHS Ayrshire and Arran, enabling stakeholders from throughout Scotland to discuss and appraise potential future service delivery models for driving assessment in Scotland.

The Scottish Government is in regular contact with NHS Ayrshire and Arran, and the review is expected to conclude in late 2025.

Question reference: S6W-38975

Asked by: Alexander Burnett, MSP for Aberdeenshire West, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 25 June 2025
Current Status: Answered by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 17 July 2025

To ask the Scottish Government, regarding Scottish social security benefits, what discussions it has had with the UK Government regarding accessing the data available between the UK Department for Work and Pensions and HMRC records to identify older people on low incomes in Scotland who are likely to be eligible for pension credit, and what assessment it has made of how this data, along with data held by the Scottish Government and local authorities, could be used to target action to improve the uptake of both devolved and reserved social security payments in Scotland.

As responsibility for promoting the take-up of Pension Credit lies with the UK Government, the Scottish Government has not had any specific discussions with the UK Government regarding access to the Department for Work and Pensions or HM Revenue and Customs data for the purposes of promoting take up of Pension Credit.

However, I have wrote to the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions last year, highlighting the need for a targeted campaign to increase awareness of Pension Credit and offered our support in promoting take-up, which we will continue to do to ensure everyone receives the support they are entitled to.

Question reference: S6W-38974

Asked by: Alexander Burnett, MSP for Aberdeenshire West, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 25 June 2025
Current Status: Answered by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 17 July 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what consideration it has given to how reserved social security payments could be integrated into its updated Benefit Take-Up Strategy due in 2026, alongside devolved payments, to maximise the incomes of older people.

As set out in the Social Security (Scotland) Act 2018, Scottish Ministers have a statutory duty to promote take-up of devolved benefits across the Scottish social security system. Reserved benefits remain the responsibility of the UK Government and the Scottish Government has no formal role in the administration of these payments. We continue to urge the UK Government to more actively promote reserved benefits and to follow Scotland's example by developing a Benefit Take-Up Strategy.

Welfare rights advice services, supported by Scottish Government investment, continue to assist people to take up benefits they may be entitled to, including reserved payments. In 2025-26, we are allocating over £15 million for provision of free income maximisation support, welfare and debt advice services.

Question reference: S6W-38878

Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 20 June 2025
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 17 July 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what support is available for patients who have been prescribed naloxegol and are affected by the reported widespread shortages of the drug.

The Scottish Government issued a Medicine Supply Alert Notice (MSAN) relating to supply disruption of the medicine naloxegol on 25 April 2024. The anticipated resupply date for the medicine has since been moved to 15 August 2025 and the medicine is unavailable throughout the UK. The Scottish Government appreciates the frustration and concern that this continued shortage will be having on patients prescribed this medication and while medicines supply continues to be reserved matter for the UK Government, we continue to press for a lasting solution in our engagement with the UK Government’s Department of Health and Social Care.

Question reference: S6W-38879

Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 20 June 2025
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 17 July 2025

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answers to questions S6W- 32914 and S6W- 32915 by Jenni Minto on 16 January 2025, and following the issuing of a Medicines Supply Alert Notice on 25 April 2024, whether it will provide an update on what progress has been made with securing adequate supplies of naloxegol.

The supply of medicines and the associated legislation are a reserved matter for the UK Government and the Scottish Government continues to engage with them on all medicine supply issues. The UK Department of Health and Social Care have stated that while the medication is currently unavailable, the anticipated resupply date is mid-august 2025. An alternative medication named Naldemedine (Rizmoic) remains available in 200 microgram tablets and can support increased demand. Those affected by the shortage are encouraged to discuss alternative treatments with their clinical team.

Scottish Government officials continue to monitor the situation for any further developments and are maintaining a close dialogue with all Health Boards to help manage this medicine supply disruption.

Question reference: S6W-39037

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 26 June 2025
Current Status: Answered by Richard Lochhead on 17 July 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what oversight mechanisms are in place to ensure accountability and value for money from Scottish Development International.

Ensuring accountability and value for money is a key priority for the Scottish Government and Scottish Development International (SDI).

To support this, several oversight mechanisms are in place for export and investment support policies, with all programmes designed to support the Scottish Government’s growth strategies, i.e. our Inward Investment Plan and A Trading Nation. These include:

1.Regular Performance Reporting: Mutually agreed bimonthly and quarterly reporting tracking both quantitative and qualitative metrics e.g. number of businesses supported, markets accessed, and the forecasted return on investment of these. As part of this there are project management reviews and programme boards at both operational and strategic levels.

2.Independent Evaluation: Partner and delivery agencies, including SDI’s performance were assessed through external independent evaluations of both Trade and Inward Investment, which was published in 2023.

3.Transparent Reporting: Annual results, research and insight reports, including case studies, are published on Scottish Enterprises website.

The Scottish Government will continue to actively evaluate its trade and investment support programmes through structured internal assessments and independent evaluations to ensure that our package of support remains effective, impactful, meets business need and provides value for money. Updated evaluations have already been commissioned for both inward and export support/promotion and are expected to be completed this financial year.

Question reference: S6W-38847

Asked by: Ash Regan, MSP for Edinburgh Eastern, Alba Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 19 June 2025
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 17 July 2025

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of Healthcare Improvement Scotland reportedly stating that the endometriosis pathway for Scotland is over 500 days past its review date, when it plans to complete its review of the pathway.

The Endometriosis Pathway was published by the Centre for Sustainable Delivery (CfSD) in January 2023. Following changes to the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guidance a review of the pathway will be part of the 2025/26 workplan for the CfSD Gynaecology Specialty Delivery Group. CfSD have confirmed that the current pathway is clinically safe and should be used until the revised version is published.