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-36163

Asked by: Carol Mochan, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 01 April 2025
Current Status: Answered by Graeme Dey on 28 April 2025

To ask the Scottish Government how it ensures that apprentices have equitable access to learning opportunities, and what its response is to reports that some roofing apprentices in East Ayrshire have a two-hour journey to and from college for training.

We are committed to ensuring that apprentices have equitable access to learning opportunities regardless of their background or circumstances. This commitment is reflected through various policies and initiatives aimed at promoting equality, diversity and inclusion.

Recognising the challenges apprentices in remote and rural areas face, the government remains committed to working with training providers, employers and local authorities to improve accessibility. While apprentices in East Ayrshire do not qualify for the rural uplift supplement, we acknowledge that travel costs can be a barrier for young people. To support them we continue to offer free bus travel for those under 22 years of age, to encourage the early adoption of bus travel and to expand access to social, education and employment opportunities, including apprenticeships.

Question reference: S6W-36796

Asked by: Carol Mochan, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 10 April 2025
Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 24 April 2025

To ask the Scottish Government how many applicants there were for health visitor training in 2024; what percentage were accepted onto a training programme, and how many completed their training.

Question reference: S6W-36181

Asked by: Carol Mochan, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 27 March 2025
Current Status: Answered by Jim Fairlie on 22 April 2025

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of its commitment in 2021 to do so, by what date it will publish a public consultation on ending the use of pig farrowing crates.

The proposed consultation on phasing out the use farrowing crates for pigs was originally intended to have been delivered jointly across all UK administrations. However, progress on a number of important pieces of animal welfare legislation have been significantly delayed or has ceased due to delays in UK Government timetabling, such as the Kept Animals Bill.

Regardless, the Scottish Government is pressing ahead on improving the welfare of all animals in Scotland, including pigs. This included updating and publishing the Scottish Government’s Guidance for the Welfare of Pigs.

We continue to listen and work with the industry and stakeholders on how best to achieve improvements in animal welfare as well as monitoring industry information to allow us to determine how to ensure best practice is delivered, and remain committed to consulting on ending farrowing crate use.

Question reference: S6W-36179

Asked by: Carol Mochan, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 27 March 2025
Current Status: Answered by Jim Fairlie on 22 April 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what engagement it has had with the UK Government regarding working jointly towards ending the use of pig farrowing crates.

Question reference: S6W-36180

Asked by: Carol Mochan, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 27 March 2025
Current Status: Answered by Jim Fairlie on 22 April 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to support pig farmers who wish to replace conventional farrowing crates with free farrowing systems.

The Scottish Government funds research into farm animal welfare research at Scotland's Rural College (SRUC), including the development of alternative farrowing systems enabling producers to make informed decisions when they are considering options for renewing their existing infrastructure. Within Scotland there is already a significant level of free farrowing units where sows are able to nest in hutches outdoors and farrow naturally.

The Scottish Government will continue to listen and work with the industry and stakeholders to find ways for producers to transition towards implementing improved animal welfare methods and practices.

Question reference: S6O-04544

Asked by: Carol Mochan, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 16 April 2025
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 23 April 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what it is doing to protect the ongoing viability of local and regional museums and galleries.

Question reference: S6W-35927

Asked by: Carol Mochan, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 20 March 2025
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 2 April 2025

To ask the Scottish Government how it is supporting health and social care partnerships to implement the recommendations in the Mental Welfare Commission for Scotland 2021 report on care and treatment for people with alcohol-related brain damage.

The Scottish Government supports Health and Social Care Partnerships with funding provided to Health Boards and local authorities to implement guidance, such as that published by the Mental Welfare Commission on alcohol-related brain damage.

That will be supplemented soon by the UK’s first comprehensive guidance for clinical treatment for alcohol conditions. The guidance will include requirements for the treatment of ARBD and we will support the adoption of the clinical guidance.

We recognise that the management and support required for people with ARBD is not limited to healthcare. Whether it is social care, mental health support, primary care or alcohol treatment and support - including rehabilitation - in communities or in residential settings, the person affected must be at the centre of the support pathway.

Question reference: S6W-35929

Asked by: Carol Mochan, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 20 March 2025
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 2 April 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to support the roll-out of alcohol-related brain damage services across Scotland to ensure equal access to support and treatment for all patients.

The Scottish Government is keen to see equal access to support for all alcohol conditions, including ARBD, and will continue to encourage local areas to base service provision on local needs.

We have committed to publishing a National Specification for alcohol and drug treatment and support services. The Specification will set out what services are required to implement the Charter of Rights for people affected by substance use, which includes those impacted by ARBD.

Question reference: S6W-35932

Asked by: Carol Mochan, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 20 March 2025
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 2 April 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to raise public awareness of alcohol-related brain damage.

Question reference: S6W-35933

Asked by: Carol Mochan, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 20 March 2025
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 2 April 2025

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will develop a specific standard for the provision of alcohol-related brain damage services in every health and social care partnership.

The Scottish Government has committed in our Cross Government Plan for tackling substance use harms to developing standards for alcohol and drug treatment and recovery.

In the development of those standards, ARBD is a particular condition that will be a focus of attention given the significant number of people it has affected. The standards will bring together a range of guidance, principles and other relevant standards to help ensure services are working together, which is particularly important for conditions such as ARBD which requires a range of support to be offered in one package.