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-24096

Asked by: Meghan Gallacher, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 20 December 2023
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 16 January 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what guidance it has provided to schools regarding pupils changing their names and pronouns.

Question reference: S6W-24098

Asked by: Meghan Gallacher, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 20 December 2023
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 16 January 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what guidance it has provided regarding gender questioning children in single-sex schools.

Question reference: S6W-24094

Asked by: Meghan Gallacher, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 20 December 2023
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 10 January 2024

To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to make it a requirement for schools to provide single-sex toilets for pupils aged eight and over.

Question reference: S6W-24093

Asked by: Meghan Gallacher, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 20 December 2023
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 10 January 2024

To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to request that every school records the name and biological sex of every pupil in its admissions register.

Question reference: S6W-24095

Asked by: Meghan Gallacher, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 20 December 2023
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 10 January 2024

To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to make it a requirement for boarding and residential accommodation at schools to include single-sex sleeping arrangements.

Question reference: S6W-24097

Asked by: Meghan Gallacher, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 20 December 2023
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 10 January 2024

To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to make it a requirement for pupils to be segregated by sex when participating in physical education and sporting activities.

Question reference: S6O-02950

Asked by: Meghan Gallacher, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 20 December 2023
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 11 January 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what work it is undertaking to reduce the rates of male suicide in Scotland, in light of the issues raised in the Equality and Human Rights Commission’s Equality and Human Rights Monitor report for 2023.

Question reference: S6T-01686

Asked by: Meghan Gallacher, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 11 December 2023
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 12 December 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to appeal the decision of the Court of Session that the UK Government acted lawfully when enacting a section 35 order in relation to the Gender Recognition Reform (Scotland) Bill.

Question reference: S6W-22951

Asked by: Meghan Gallacher, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 15 November 2023
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 4 December 2023

To ask the Scottish Government how many hours teachers that are employed on temporary contracts have worked during the last full school term in (a) North Lanarkshire, (b) South Lanarkshire and (c) Falkirk.

Question reference: S6W-22854

Asked by: Meghan Gallacher, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 10 November 2023
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 4 December 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether training will be provided to (a) NHS and (b) school staff to become fluent in BSL, and what the reasons are for its position on this matter.

(a) The NHSScotland Staff Governance Standard includes the requirement for Health Boards to demonstrate that staff are appropriately trained and developed. There is an expectation that employers will ensure that resources are appropriately allocated to meet local training and development needs taking into account the current priorities of both the service and service users.

There are examples of Health Boards delivering on these expectations in relation to BSL. For example, NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde offer a suite of BSL professional learning opportunities including courses for staff to learn basic BSL. Public Health Scotland also offer professional learning to support NHS staff to increase their awareness of BSL and to reflect on their own practice.

(b) Under the Additional Support for Learning Act 2004, local authorities have duties to identify, provide for and review the additional support needs of their pupils, including those who are deaf. Local authorities are supported in implementing their duties under the 2004 Act through the statutory code of practice on additional support for learning. Where a teacher wholly or mainly teaches a pupil who is deaf, local authorities have a duty to ensure they are appropriately qualified.

The Scottish Government funds the Scottish Sensory Centre to provide advice and training to school staff on support for children and young people with specific communication and sensory needs. Education Scotland has also developed a professional learning resource which seeks to support staff to engage more effectively with BSL users.