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-39801

Asked by: Katy Clark, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 06 August 2025
Current Status: Answered by Siobhian Brown on 21 August 2025

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to the fourth supplementary to question S6O-02531 by Siobhian Brown on 20 September 2023, in light of the minister’s comment that Scotland is “maintaining frontline services by having a higher number of firefighters than there is in other parts of the UK”, whether it can confirm how many firefighters there are in Scotland, and how this compares with the rest of the UK, also broken down by how many firefighters from (a) Scotland and (b) the rest of the UK are currently available for operational service and are employed (i) in a full-time equivalent (FTE) role or (ii) on a retained duty system (RDS), and how it ensures that, when calculating these figures, it does not double-count firefighters in Scotland who hold dual contracts with the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service as both FTE and RDS staff.

In answering Parliamentary Questions in relation to firefighter numbers, the Scottish Government uses nationally available Official Statistics from the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) and for comparative numbers, the Welsh and UK Governments.

Current Official Statistics for the SFRS in 2023/24 (statistics for 24/25 will be published on 29 August 2025) show that at 31 March 2024 there were 3,419 wholetime operational staff, 55 Retained full-time and 166 Operational Control staff all of whom are considered to be wholetime firefighters. There were 2,708 Retained Duty and 269 Volunteer firefighters which are considered to be On-Call firefighters. Both the wholetime and on-call firefighter numbers are added together to show the total number of firefighters in Scotland. The full Scottish Statistics can be found at FSOS2023-2024Statistics.pdf. Comparable statistics for Wales and England are available at Personnel (headcount) by employment type and Fire and Rescue Service area and Fire statistics data tables - GOV.UK.

SFRS statistics count individual staff who are on dual contracts twice, once in their wholetime operational role and once in their On Call role as they are two distinct and separate jobs with separate contracts. Scottish Government does not hold details on Scottish or UK firefighters that are currently available for operational service and employed on an FTE or RDS role.

Question reference: S6W-38720

Asked by: Katy Clark, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 16 June 2025
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 3 July 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what the cost is of the five-month extension to the time charter of the MV Alfred for CalMac ferry services to Arran.

Question reference: S6W-38876

Asked by: Katy Clark, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 20 June 2025
Current Status: Answered by Siobhian Brown on 27 June 2025

To ask the Scottish Government whether it has reviewed its reported decision to pause the implementation of provisions in the Fireworks and Pyrotechnic Articles (Scotland) Act 2022 regarding (a) the implementation of a licensing system for those wishing to use fireworks and (b) restricting the days on which fireworks can be supplied and used.

Four out of six key measures provided for within the Fireworks and Pyrotechnic Articles (Scotland) Act 2022, have been implemented and two have been paused, as outlined to the Criminal Justice Committee. The decisions to pause the implementation of a licensing system for those wishing to use fireworks and restricting the days on which fireworks can be supplied and used, are being kept under review. The Scottish Government is keeping abreast of developments being made by the UK Government including the consideration of the Private Members’ Fireworks Bill seeking to restrict and limit the use and sale of fireworks.

Question reference: S6W-38875

Asked by: Katy Clark, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 20 June 2025
Current Status: Answered by Siobhian Brown on 27 June 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with the UK Government regarding fireworks regulations.

Question reference: S6O-04860

Asked by: Katy Clark, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 18 June 2025
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 26 June 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what it plans to do to ensure that children in care are not excluded from school, as set out in The Promise.

Question reference: S6W-37604

Asked by: Katy Clark, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 20 May 2025
Current Status: Answered by Tom Arthur on 3 June 2025

To ask the Scottish Government, regarding its public sector pay policies and its commitment to fair work, what its position is on whether statutory maternity pay is adequate for a family to live on.

Powers over maternity leave and pay are reserved to the UK Government and we know that in comparison to OECD countries, maternity payment rates in the UK are amongst the lowest, with less than one-third of gross average earnings replaced by the maternity benefit.

The Scottish Government recognise that families with a child under the age of one are at greater risk of poverty and that families will see a considerable reduction in their earned incomes following the first 6 weeks of Statutory Maternity Pay. Support through Statutory Maternity Pay is also only payable for 39 weeks, which can leave a period where parents receive no support if they decide to stay home with their baby.

Tackling child poverty is a key priority for the Scottish Government. Our investment in Scottish Child Payment has seen more than £786 million worth of Scottish Child Payments already issued by 30 June 2024; that is money directly in the pockets of those families who need it most.

Our Best Start Grant which aims to help tackle the impacts of child poverty by giving eligible families additional money at key stages in children’s early years, adding to the family budget and avoiding the need for borrowing. Between launching on 10 December 2018 and 30 June 2024, Best Start Grant has provided over £107 million to those families who need it most.

As an employer, the Scottish Government is fully committed to providing support and flexibility to parents. This includes providing full pay for 27 weeks followed by statutory maternity pay up to 39 weeks which far exceeds statutory entitlements.

We continue to use our Fair Work policy to drive up labour market standards for workers across Scotland to tackle poverty by using all the levers at our disposal to encourage employers to adopt inclusive and family friendly workplace practices to support pregnant workers and new parents.

Question reference: S6W-37598

Asked by: Katy Clark, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 20 May 2025
Current Status: Answered by Siobhian Brown on 29 May 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service has made of any impact that fire contaminants may have on the health of an unborn child.

Question reference: S6O-04755

Asked by: Katy Clark, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 28 May 2025
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 4 June 2025

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on what it is doing to address violence in schools.

Question reference: S6W-37600

Asked by: Katy Clark, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 15 May 2025
Current Status: Answered by Siobhian Brown on 22 May 2025

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of reports that maternity pay for firefighters in Scotland is £16,400 less than other regions of the UK, whether this is compatible with its commitment to fair work.

The pay and conditions of firefighters are negotiated through well-established collective bargaining arrangements at a UK wide level. The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) Maternity Policy provides maternity leave for 26 weeks at full pay and 13 weeks at Statutory Maternity Pay in line with the current terms and conditions agreed at the National Joint Council.

SFRS is committed to the national collective bargaining arrangements for the sector and therefore this remains the Service's preferred route to agree changes to terms and conditions.

As SFRS is complying in full with the terms and conditions negotiated with trade unions in 2024, it is compatible with its commitment to fair work.

Question reference: S6W-37605

Asked by: Katy Clark, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 15 May 2025
Current Status: Answered by Siobhian Brown on 22 May 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether there is any increased risk to a mother's mental health as a result of returning to work 26 weeks after having a baby.