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.

Find out more about parliamentary questions

Filter your results Hide all filters

Displaying 738 questions Show Answers

Order by |

Question reference: S6W-39922

Asked by: Carol Mochan, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 15 August 2025
Current Status: Answer expected on 12 September 2025

To ask the Scottish Government how it tracks the Scottish Ambulance Service’s response time targets nationally to ensure that people are receiving the lifesaving care that they need.

Question reference: S6W-39794

Asked by: Carol Mochan, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 06 August 2025
Current Status: Answered by Siobhian Brown on 15 August 2025

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the finding in the Scottish Grocers’ Federation 2024 Crime Survey that 99.6% of retailers that responded reported that violence against staff occurs at least once a month, whether it will provide an update on what action it is taking to reduce violence against retail staff.

We have made £3 million available this year for Police Scotland specifically to work alongside retailers to tackle crime affecting their sector, which costs businesses millions each year and has a knock-on effect on the prices we pay in the shops. This forms part of a record investment of £1.64 billion for policing this year – an increase of £90 million on 2024-25.

Police Scotland’s action plan aims to tackle retail crime through a number of specific actions on how to prevent such incidents and pursue those responsible. The newly-established Retail Crime Taskforce will target repeat offenders of retail crime by using analytical data and intelligence to carry out proactive enforcement activities in areas most heavily impacted.

The team will also engage with retailers to identify ways in which they can enhance security and crime prevention measures in place and reduce incidents occurring.

The Scottish Government’s investment will also be used to develop diversionary programmes aimed at reducing reoffending and youth offending, with a focus on the role of organised crime.

We have also provided over £6 million to implement actions within the Violence Prevention Framework for Scotland, since 2023, which specifically seeks to prevent violence from happening and if and when it does occur, to reduce the harm.

Question reference: S6W-39667

Asked by: Carol Mochan, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 31 July 2025
Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 14 August 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the Lancet Commission’s research on liver cancer, and what action it plans to take in light of the research’s findings that three-in-five liver cancer cases could be prevented by reducing alcohol consumption and obesity, and by increasing uptake of the hepatitis vaccine.

The Scottish Government welcomes the Lancet Commission’s research, which highlights that up to 60% of liver cancer cases are preventable through reducing alcohol consumption, tackling obesity, and increasing hepatitis vaccination.

Preventing more cancers is a key ambition of our 10 year Cancer Strategy for Scotland 2023-2033 and Cancer Action Plan for Scotland 2023 – 2026. We are taking actions to reduce the consumption of alcohol, to promote healthy weight, increase hepatitis vaccinations and to address health inequalities – all key contributors to liver cancer risk.

These include delivering on the 20 actions within our Alcohol Framework which sets out our priorities for preventing alcohol-related harm, developing an implementation plan of preventative actions to improve Scotland’s food environment and continuing to target support for babies born to hepatitis B positive mothers. Encouragingly, Public Health Scotland (PHS) published data shows strong uptake of the hepatitis B vaccine in children (over 94%).

We are also working with PHS and NHS Boards to strengthen adult vaccination uptake, improve data systems, and reduce inequalities in access to vaccination.

Question reference: S6W-39668

Asked by: Carol Mochan, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 31 July 2025
Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 14 August 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to improve early detection for liver damage and cancer, in light of the findings in the Lancet Commission’s research on liver cancer.

Cancer remains a national priority, within the Scottish Government and across NHS Scotland. Our 10 year Cancer Strategy for Scotland 2023-2033 and Cancer Action Plan for Scotland 2023 – 2026 set out a comprehensive approach to improving cancer outcomes, with earlier and fast diagnosis a key ambition.

We are working in partnership with Alcohol and Drug Partnerships and NHS Boards to increase awareness of liver disease and support for early detection and treatment. This includes developing a nationwide model for the early detection of alcohol-related liver disease, building on learning from the innovative intelligent Liver Function Testing (iLFT) pilot pioneered by NHS Tayside and the Scottish Government through the National Centre for Sustainable Delivery (CfSD).

Question reference: S6W-39847

Asked by: Carol Mochan, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 12 August 2025
Current Status: Answer expected on 9 September 2025

To ask the Scottish Government how it supports charities like Nurture the Borders, based in Selkirk, which provides a variety of services for pregnant women who would not be able to access them otherwise.

Question reference: S6W-39849

Asked by: Carol Mochan, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 12 August 2025
Current Status: Answer expected on 9 September 2025

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide a six-month update regarding how many priority now actions of the miscarriage delivery framework shorter-term actions have been achieved.

Question reference: S6W-39846

Asked by: Carol Mochan, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 12 August 2025
Current Status: Answer expected on 9 September 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what support it is providing for women to access antenatal classes in remote areas like the Scottish Borders.

Question reference: S6W-39843

Asked by: Carol Mochan, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 12 August 2025
Current Status: Answer expected on 9 September 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what feedback it has received from NHS boards regarding implementation of the priority now actions from the miscarriage delivery framework.

Question reference: S6W-39844

Asked by: Carol Mochan, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 12 August 2025
Current Status: Answer expected on 9 September 2025

To ask the Scottish Government how it supports local authorities in their efforts to reduce isolation and improve access to services for refugees in rural communities.

Question reference: S6W-39402

Asked by: Carol Mochan, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 16 July 2025
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 8 August 2025

To ask the Scottish Government when it anticipates that Public Health Scotland will publish the framework to support out-of-home outlets to provide and promote healthy food.

We are working with Food Standards Scotland (FSS) and Public Health Scotland (PHS) to develop our Eating Out Eating Well Framework, one of the actions from our Out Of Home Action Plan https://www.gov.scot/publications/diet-and-healthy-weight-out-of-home-action-plan/. The new Framework is designed to help businesses serving food Out Of Home, such as restaurants and cafes, to provide healthier options for customers, and includes developing a Code of Practice for children’s menus.

PHS has recently completed a pilot for our new Eating Out Eating Well Framework. Papers for the pilot and more detail about the Framework have already been published and can be found at: https://eatingouteatingwell.publichealthscotland.scot/

We are also currently working with PHS and FSS to review learnings from the pilot. Once this review has been concluded and its recommendations considered, the Framework will be finalised and published.