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: S7W-04608

Asked by: Katy Clark, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 29 October 2026
Current Status: Holding Answer by Ivan McKee on 12 November 2026

To ask the Scottish Government whether it has sought advice regarding the extent to which it can apply its own policies on dealings with businesses involved in activities connected with illegal Israeli settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territories when determining eligibility to participate in public procurement exercises, including future ScotRail rolling stock procurements.

Question reference: S7O-00548

Asked by: Katy Clark, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 11 November 2026
Current Status: Due to be taken in the Chamber on 19 November 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with the UK Government and Network Rail concerning ending the outsourcing of rail infrastructure works.

Question reference: S7W-04607

Asked by: Katy Clark, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 29 October 2026
Current Status: Answered by Stephen Flynn on 11 November 2026

To ask the Scottish Government whether it has received advice on whether the inclusion of Construcciones y Auxiliar de Ferrocarriles (CAF) on the UN database of businesses involved in activities connected with Israeli settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territories could constitute grounds for excluding CAF from ScotRail procurement exercises and, if so, what the broad conclusions of that advice were.

Scottish Government procurement guidance makes clear that public bodies should consider the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights database alongside other available evidence when undertaking procurement due diligence. However, a company's inclusion on the database alone is not likely to constitute sufficient grounds for exclusion. Any decision regarding exclusion from a procurement exercise must be taken by the contracting authority in accordance with procurement legislation, the evidence available and relevant legal advice.

The Scottish Government has received assurance from Scottish Rail Holdings (which oversees the procurement being conducted by ScotRail Trains Limited) regarding the due-diligence processes applying to all bidders’ participation in the ScotRail Suburban Fleet procurement process. It is the position of Scottish Rail Holdings that grounds did not exist to exclude CAF from the procurement process at the pre-qualification stage.

Question reference: S7W-04606

Asked by: Katy Clark, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 29 October 2026
Current Status: Answered by Stephen Flynn on 11 November 2026

To ask the Scottish Government whether it has met with trade union representatives to discuss their concerns regarding the inclusion of Construcciones y Auxiliar de Ferrocarriles (CAF) on the shortlist of manufacturers invited to participate in the next stage of the procurement process for new ScotRail rolling stock.

Question reference: S7W-04609

Asked by: Katy Clark, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 29 October 2026
Current Status: Answered by Stephen Flynn on 11 November 2026

To ask the Scottish Government when it expects to receive advice regarding the inclusion of Construcciones y Auxiliar de Ferrocarriles (CAF) on the shortlist of manufacturers participating in the ScotRail rolling stock procurement process and whether the procurement process will remain paused until such advice is received.

Procurement decisions remain the responsibility of the contracting authority and must be taken in accordance with procurement legislation, legal advice and the evidence available.

The Scottish Government has received assurance from Scottish Rail Holdings regarding CAF's participation in the ScotRail Suburban Fleet procurement process. Having considered the evidence available, Scottish Rail Holdings advised that the grounds for excluding CAF were not met at the pre-qualification stage.

ScotRail's position remains that there are currently no grounds under the applicable procurement framework to justify CAF's exclusion from the competition.

Question reference: S7W-04384

Asked by: Katy Clark, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 21 October 2026
Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 5 November 2026

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide information on the campaign groups that will be involved in the panel of experts of the Independent Commission on the Criminalisation of the Purchase of Sex.

The Independent Commission on the Criminalisation of the Purchase of Sex in Scotland operates independently of the Scottish Government and is responsible for determining how it undertakes its work, including how it approaches stakeholder engagement. Ministers are considering recommendations from the Chair, Fiona Taylor QPM, regarding the appointment of expert panel members, and further information will be provided in due course.

The Commission's Terms of Reference make clear that its work will be informed by people with experience of prostitution. Decisions on which individuals, organisations or campaign groups are involved in, or engaged by, the Commission are matters for the independent Chair and Commission members, rather than the Scottish Government.

Question reference: S7W-04383

Asked by: Katy Clark, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 21 October 2026
Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 5 November 2026

To ask the Scottish Government when it expects the appointment of members to the Independent Commission on the Criminalisation of the Purchase of Sex's panel of experts to be completed.

Fiona Taylor QPM was appointed Chair of the Independent Commission on the Criminalisation of the Purchase of Sex in Scotland in March 2026 and has been undertaking extensive preparatory work to establish the Commission, including in regard to panel members.

Ministers are currently considering recommendations from the Chair regarding the appointment of expert panel members. No date has yet been set for completion of the appointment process. Further information on appointments will be provided in due course. The Commission will operate independently of the Scottish Government in accordance with its published Terms of Reference which determine how it carries out its work.

Question reference: S7W-04385

Asked by: Katy Clark, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 21 October 2026
Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 5 November 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what the composition of the Independent Commission on the Criminalisation of the Purchase of Sex's panel of experts will be.

The composition of the Independent Commission on the Criminalisation of the Purchase of Sex in Scotland’s expert panel has not yet been finalised. Ministers are currently considering recommendations from the Chair, Fiona Taylor QPM, regarding appointments to the panel, and information on its membership will be published once appointments have been confirmed.

While panel members are appointed by Ministers, the Commission operates independently of the Scottish Government. The Commission’s Terms of Reference provide that its work should be informed by people with experience of prostitution and by relevant expertise to support delivery of its remit and implementation.

Question reference: S7W-04303

Asked by: Katy Clark, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 15 October 2026
Current Status: Answered by Simita Kumar on 4 November 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the potential impact of its Public Service Reform plans on efforts to prevent violence against women and girls (VAWG).

The Scottish Government is committed to tackling all forms of violence against women and girls. Equally Safe, Scotland’s strategy to prevent and eradicate violence against women and girls recognises that coordinated action is required across government, public services, justice agencies, local authorities, specialist organisations and communities. Scotland’s Public Service Reform plans provide a focus on prevention, joined up services and efficiency in order to better deliver for people, which aligns with our approach to tackling violence against women and girls.

The Programme for Government 2026-2031 sets out our strongest proposals to date on tackling and preventing violence against women and girls and includes commitments to: ensure effective legal and justice responses that hold perpetrators to account and improve victims’ experiences of the justice system; introduce a Misogyny Bill to recognise misogyny as a distinct form of prejudice; embed the Equally Safe primary prevention framework; and developing a new multi-year fund for specialist organisations, responding to what organisations need to sustain vital services and deliver critical preventative activities. We cannot eradicate violence against women and girls without addressing women’s inequality, so our work to tackle poverty and the cost-of-living crisis, to increase economic opportunities, and to advance public service reform are all critical to tackling violence against women and girls. We will continue to assess the impact of public service reform plans on our approach to tackling violence against women and girls as they develop.

Further detail will be outlined in the Equally Safe Delivery Plan which will be published later this year.

Question reference: S7W-04720

Asked by: Katy Clark, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 03 November 2026
Current Status: Answer expected on 17 November 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to reduce variation in access to ovarian cancer surgery across NHS boards.