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Parliament dissolved ahead of election

The Scottish Parliament is now dissolved ahead of the election on Thursday 7 May 2026.

During dissolution, there are no MSPs and no parliamentary business can take place.

For more information, please visit Election 2026

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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

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Dates of parliamentary sessions
  1. Session 1: 12 May 1999 to 31 March 2003
  2. Session 2: 7 May 2003 to 2 April 2007
  3. Session 3: 9 May 2007 to 22 March 2011
  4. Session 4: 11 May 2011 to 23 March 2016
  5. Session 5: 12 May 2016 to 4 May 2021
  6. Session 6: 13 May 2021 to 8 April 2026
Answer status
Question type

Displaying 543 questions Show Answers

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Question reference: S6W-41229

  • Asked by: Martin Whitfield, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
  • Date lodged: Friday, 10 October 2025
  • Current Status: Answered by Natalie Don-Innes on 7 November 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what proportion of the children’s services workforce is currently employed through temporary or agency contracts.

Question reference: S6W-41222

  • Asked by: Martin Whitfield, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
  • Date lodged: Friday, 10 October 2025
  • Current Status: Answered by Natalie Don-Innes on 7 November 2025

To ask the Scottish Government how many social worker vacancies currently exist within children and families services across Scotland.

Question reference: S6W-41268

  • Asked by: Martin Whitfield, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
  • Date lodged: Friday, 10 October 2025
  • Current Status: Answered by Natalie Don-Innes on 7 November 2025

To ask the Scottish Government how many complaints Disclosure Scotland has received regarding delays in issuing Protecting Vulnerable Groups (PVG) certificates in the last year.

Question reference: S6W-41245

  • Asked by: Martin Whitfield, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
  • Date lodged: Monday, 13 October 2025
  • Current Status: Answered by Natalie Don-Innes on 7 November 2025

To ask the Scottish Government how many referrals to social work have been made due to parental poverty or housing conditions since May 2021.

Question reference: S6W-41209

  • Asked by: Martin Whitfield, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
  • Date lodged: Friday, 10 October 2025
  • Current Status: Answered by Natalie Don-Innes on 7 November 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what information it holds on the proportion of early learning and childcare facilities that have no access to an outdoor play space.

Question reference: S6W-41184

  • Asked by: Martin Whitfield, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
  • Date lodged: Friday, 10 October 2025
  • Current Status: Answered by Ben Macpherson on 7 November 2025

To ask the Scottish Government how it plans to work with local authorities to develop a coordinated national strategy for youth work that aligns with its broader priorities and ensures equitable service provision.

Question reference: S6W-41201

  • Asked by: Martin Whitfield, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
  • Date lodged: Friday, 10 October 2025
  • Current Status: Answered by Ben Macpherson on 7 November 2025

To ask the Scottish Government how it supports local authorities in measuring and reporting on the impact of youth work on young people’s economic wellbeing.

Question reference: S6W-41188

  • Asked by: Martin Whitfield, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
  • Date lodged: Friday, 10 October 2025
  • Current Status: Answered by Ben Macpherson on 7 November 2025

To ask the Scottish Government whether it has conducted any research on the potential correlation between youth work participation and improved health outcomes for young people in Scotland.

Question reference: S6W-41216

  • Asked by: Martin Whitfield, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
  • Date lodged: Friday, 10 October 2025
  • Current Status: Answered by Natalie Don-Innes on 7 November 2025

To ask the Scottish Government how many children were waiting for adoption placements as of the latest date for which data is available, and what the longest waiting time currently is.

Question reference: S6W-41198

  • Asked by: Martin Whitfield, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
  • Date lodged: Friday, 10 October 2025
  • Current Status: Answered by Ben Macpherson on 7 November 2025

To ask the Scottish Government how it engages with youth workers to assess the effectiveness of its policies on youth work in supporting economic outcomes.