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-37599

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 assessment the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service has made of any impact of ingested fire contaminants being passed on to babies via their mother's breastmilk.

Question reference: S6W-37607

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 the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service's maternity policy, what its position is on whether 26 weeks of full pay restricts the numbers of women firefighters who want to breastfeed their child.

In recognition of the potential risks which could be caused by contaminants, it is Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) policy for firefighters who are breastfeeding to not undertake operational activity. In addition, employees who wish to continue to breastfeed upon their return to work following maternity leave are supported to do so, through the provision of appropriate facilities to express and store milk.

Question reference: S6W-37602

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 the reported 26 weeks of maternity pay is an obstacle to the recruitment and retention of women in the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service.

Question reference: S6W-37597

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 how many firefighters have accessed maternity leave in each of the last 10 years.

Question reference: S6W-37606

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 the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service's period of paternity leave should be increased to support women after having a baby.

Question reference: S6W-37601

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 the Fire Brigades Union’s campaign calling for all women firefighters to be able to access 52 weeks of paid maternity leave.

The terms and conditions of firefighters are negotiated on a UK wide basis through the National Joint Council. The Fire Brigades Union is the largest staff representative body at those negotiations and that is the appropriate avenue to change pay and conditions for firefighters. The Scottish Government is not part of those negotiations as that is rightly a matter for the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service as the employer.

Question reference: S6O-04678

Asked by: Katy Clark, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 14 May 2025
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 21 May 2025

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on what impact the National Strategy for Economic Transformation is having on the economy of the West Scotland region.

Question reference: S6T-02508

Asked by: Katy Clark, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 06 May 2025
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 6 May 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to reports that the number of new rape cases being reported to police has increased by more than a third since 2020-21.

Question reference: S6O-04636

Asked by: Katy Clark, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 30 April 2025
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 8 May 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what further action it can take to increase the stock of accessible housing.

Question reference: S6W-36412

Asked by: Katy Clark, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 02 April 2025
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 29 April 2025

To ask the Scottish Government when it plans to launch its consultation on the regulation of private (a) first aid event cover companies and (b) ambulance providers, in light of its previous commitments and the reported significant first aid demands of the forthcoming Commonwealth Games in Glasgow.

The Scottish Government is committed to implementing further regulation of independent healthcare, through a phased approach to ensure that Healthcare Improvement Scotland (HIS) has the capacity and appropriate staff in place to regulate the independent sector effectively.

The Scottish Government plans to engage with HIS and other relevant stakeholders during 2025-26 to ensure the proportionate scope of regulation of the private ambulance and the first aid sector. We anticipate completing the engagement with stakeholders prior to the Scottish parliamentary elections in 2026.

Once scoping is complete, a public consultation will be brought forward detailing proposals for regulation of the sector.