Questions and answers

Question reference: S6O-04666

Asked by: Stephanie Callaghan, MSP for Uddingston and Bellshill, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 07 May 2025
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 15 May 2025

To ask the Scottish Government, regarding the provision of vocational skills training, whether it will provide an update on its response to the 2025 ClimateXChange report, Training provision in Scotland’s onshore wind and solar industries.

Question reference: S6W-37392

Asked by: Stephanie Callaghan, MSP for Uddingston and Bellshill, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 06 May 2025
Current Status: Answer expected on 20 May 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with NHS Lanarkshire regarding the administration of duvyzat for patients with Duchenne muscular dystrophy, in light of reports that NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde is now administering the drug through the Early Access Programme, and what steps it has taken to identify and overcome any barriers faced by NHS boards, including NHS Lanarkshire, in administering the medication, in order to support safe, fair, and equitable access across Scotland.

Question reference: S6O-04625

Asked by: Stephanie Callaghan, MSP for Uddingston and Bellshill, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 30 April 2025
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 8 May 2025

To ask the Scottish Government when it last engaged with the UK Government, transmission operators and the National Energy System Operator, to explore the possibility of reviewing the Transmission Impact Assessment, in light of reports that this limits Scotland's solar energy development.

Question reference: S6O-04595

Asked by: Stephanie Callaghan, MSP for Uddingston and Bellshill, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 23 April 2025
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 1 May 2025

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide further detail on the approach it is taking to consider the recommendations set out in the independent report, Review of Data, Statistics and Research on Sex and Gender, also known as the Sullivan Review.

Question reference: S6W-35009

Asked by: Stephanie Callaghan, MSP for Uddingston and Bellshill, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 18 February 2025
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 4 March 2025

To ask the Scottish Government, in relation to mesh survivors in Scotland, when it last discussed the findings of The Hughes Report with the UK Government, and what information it has on when it anticipates that the UK Government will publish its response to the report, in light of it being a year since its publication.

The UK Government has stated its commitment to providing an update as soon as possible, and my officials continue to engage regularly with their UK Government counterparts regarding their plans. Additionally, I recently wrote to the UK Government to request a meeting to gain further insight into the options they are considering in relation to the report.

The Scottish Government remains dedicated to keeping the Scottish Parliament informed of any significant developments.

We also reaffirm our previous apology to all those who have been directly affected by pelvic mesh and sodium valproate, as well as to their caregivers.

Question reference: S6W-33455

Asked by: Stephanie Callaghan, MSP for Uddingston and Bellshill, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 21 January 2025
Current Status: Answered by Maree Todd on 3 February 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the Embrace Autism report, An Evaluation of Autistic-Led and Designed Pre- and Post-Diagnostic Support for Autistic Adults, including what action it is taking in response to the recommendation that (a) pre- and post-diagnostic support programmes are designed and delivered by autistic professionals and (b) professional autistic-led and designed pre- and post-diagnostic support is made more widely accessible across the country.

The Scottish Government welcomes the Embrace Autism report and work of the Embrace Autism programme, funded through the Scottish Government’s Autistic Adult Support Fund (AASF).

Through our AASF, the Scottish Government will continue to support organisations to deliver pre- and post-diagnostic support programmes designed and delivered by autistic people.

We have committed to multi-year funding of the AASF, which will avoid gaps in the provision of support programmes and will allow for funded organisations to better plan and deliver for the future. We will provide funding of £1 million per year.

Within the design of the AASF we prioritised the voice of lived experience, as the criteria we set out ensured organisations meaningfully involved autistic people in the development, design and delivery of their programmes.

The Autistic Adult Support Fund includes a range of national and local organisations providing different types of support. This includes in-person and virtual peer support groups, drop in sessions, one to one support and short term counselling.

Question reference: S6W-31407

Asked by: Stephanie Callaghan, MSP for Uddingston and Bellshill, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 18 November 2024
Current Status: Answered by Angus Robertson on 3 December 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what (a) action it has taken and (b) steps it is considering to support the urgent provision of humanitarian assistance to the people of Gaza, in light of reports of aid entering the region reaching a historic low and a persistent risk of famine, and Israel's parliament voting to ban the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) from operating in the region.

Over the past year, the Scottish Government has committed £1m for Gaza and the wider Middle East, including £750k for UNRWA and a further £250k to the Disasters Emergency Committee, Mercy Corps and SCIAF. This money will provide food, water, medical assistance and shelter to displaced people across the region.

Given the intolerable suffering in Gaza, the fact that humanitarian access continues to be systematically blocked is unconscionable. Israel's decision to ban UNRWA will undoubtedly further undermine living conditions in Gaza. We continue to call for an immediate ceasefire and unfettered access to vital humanitarian aid for civilians across Gaza.

Question reference: S6W-30845

Asked by: Stephanie Callaghan, MSP for Uddingston and Bellshill, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 24 October 2024
Current Status: Answered by Natalie Don-Innes on 12 November 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the declaration by Children First of a "childhood emergency", particularly regarding the impact of smartphones, social media and harmful online content on children's mental health and, in light of this, what (a) discussions it has had with (i) the UK Government and (ii) digital media providers and (b) actions has it taken to ensure online safety for children, in particular autistic children, who are reportedly more vulnerable to the negative consequences of online risks.

We want Scotland to be the best place in the world to grow up. As part of our approach, we recognise that online platforms, including social media, can have both a positive and negative impact on children and young people’s mental health and wellbeing and that it is important to support people to use social media in a healthy and balanced way.

Keeping children and young people safe online is a priority for the Scottish Government and while we recognise that regulation of the internet remains a reserved matter, we have successfully engaged with the previous UK Government to strengthen protections for children in its Online Safety Act. The Minister for Victims and Community Safety and I met with the online safety regulator Ofcom in August to discuss their strategy for online safety in Scotland.

Following the appalling acts of violence and disorder seen elsewhere in the UK over the summer, the First Minister wrote to social media companies Misinformation, racism and hateful material online: letter to social media companies - gov.scot (www.gov.scot) asking them how they are combating the spread of misinformation and steps being taken to address racist/hateful speech across platforms, and officials are considering responses. Our commitment to this work was further set out by the First Minister recently in response to a question on this issue in Parliament Written question and answer: S6F-03493 | Scottish Parliament Website

We have provided over £400,000 to children and young people’s organisations since 2020, to fund a range of initiatives including the Young Scot Aye Feel online hub and the Mind Yer Time resource, with some of the work focusing on addressing social media usage amongst children and young to help them navigate online spaces and use screen time in a healthy and positive way.

Additionally, our national resource for parents - Parent Club - has a range of information and advice to support parents to manage their child’s screen time, and to have informed conversations with their children on screen time, social media and internet use. The Scottish Government funded public awareness campaigns in 2022 and 2023 to inform parents and carers about the risks of online harm and how to protect their children online which linked to Parent Club resources. In addition, the Scottish Government has recently published guidance for schools on the issue of mobile phones in schools, which supports education authorities and schools in their consideration of limiting access to mobile phones in schools.

In September 2021, the Scottish Government published the National Neurodevelopmental Specification for Children and Young People: Principles and Standards of Care: Children and young people - national neurodevelopmental specification: principles and standards of care - gov.scot (www.gov.scot) which sets out seven standards for service providers to ensure children and young people who have neurodevelopmental profiles receive support that better meets their needs. This recognises neurodevelopmental differences are estimated to affect around 10% of pupils in Scotland’s mainstream schools, and their additional support needs.

We are working with Health Boards and Local Authorities towards implementing the Specification in full. As part of this, we have provided over £1 million to fund five pilots which are focusing on various aspects of the Specification, including implementing our Getting It Right For Each Child approach and multi-agency working. We are working to share the learning from these with all appropriate stakeholders to support wider implementation of the specification across Scotland and inform future service improvements.

More broadly, every child and young person should be able to access support for their mental health and wellbeing when and where they need it. Since 2021, we have provided local authorities with £15 million per annum to deliver community-based mental health and wellbeing supports and services for 5-24 year-olds and their families.

Question reference: S6W-30765

Asked by: Stephanie Callaghan, MSP for Uddingston and Bellshill, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Friday, 18 October 2024
Current Status: Answered by Gillian Martin on 4 November 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what actions are being taken to promote a culture of responsible textile consumption and reuse to ensure that (a) clothes are designed for recycling and (b) recycling facilities have the necessary technologies to process them, and what impact the Circular Economy (Scotland) Act 2024 will have on promoting an economy where materials, including textiles, remain in use for as long as possible to reduce the household waste carbon impact.

The environmental impacts of current textile consumption can be damaging, and we recognise the need for a strategic approach to textiles, from production and consumption, through to recycling and end-of-life management, as set out in our draft Circular Economy & Waste Route Map.

The Route Map identifies a range of measures, including the intention to consult on kerbside collection of textiles. It also sets out that textiles are being considered as one of the priority products for our product stewardship plan, which will support the development of circular supply chains in Scotland by reducing the quantity of clothing that needs to be produced from raw materials.

The Circular Economy (Scotland) Act 2024 gives Scottish Ministers powers to make regulations to restrict the disposal of unsold goods and powers to make regulations that require businesses to report on waste and surplus for specified product types, both of which could include textiles.

Scottish Ministers will also develop a statutory Code of Practice for household recycling, co-designed with local government, and consider ways to prevent materials being put into waste streams by building a high performing service across Scotland that will provide a consistent supply of high-quality recyclable materials.

The Scottish Government's Let’s Do Net Zero website provides practical advice and links to raise awareness of how we can reduce, reuse and recycle more effectively https://netzeronation.scot/.

In addition, information and advice for consumers on how they can make fashion more sustainable is provided by Zero Waste Scotland in their guide on https://www.zerowastescotland.org.uk/resources/how-fast-fashion-failing-environment

Question reference: S6W-30662

Asked by: Stephanie Callaghan, MSP for Uddingston and Bellshill, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 14 October 2024
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 4 November 2024

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the ScotRail peak fares removal pilot ending, what measures it is taking to ensure that ScotRail remains an affordable transport option for students, and what consideration has been given to implementing a student discount on rail fares to support accessible and sustainable travel for young people.

The Young Scot National Entitlement Card (NEC), funded by the Scottish Government, offers young people concessionary travel on ScotRail services. This includes a third off most rail fares and 50% off weekly and monthly season tickets. There are no time restrictions on travel when using a Young Scot NEC to purchase a weekly or monthly season ticket.

We are also providing over £350m of support through our National Concessionary Travel Schemes (NCTS), allowing free bus travel for young people under 22. With over 3 million journeys every week, these schemes are helping people all across Scotland, including young people, to cut costs for essential, every day and leisure travel, making sustainable travel a more attractive option which will support our net zero ambitions.

Chamber and committees