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-38563

Asked by: Foysol Choudhury, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 10 June 2025
Current Status: Answered by Graeme Dey on 24 June 2025

To ask the Scottish Government how it is working to improve access to modern apprenticeships and employment for those completing pre-apprenticeship college courses.

The Scottish Government is working with Skills Development Scotland and other partners on post school education reform. This includes apprenticeship reform, improvements to careers information and advice and ensuring there are clear pathways for young people into apprenticeships, work and further learning.

We are investing £185 million this year to support apprenticeships - and looking at how we secure maximum benefit from this investment, including how public funding is utilised.

Colleges operate independently of government and therefore retain a degree of autonomy in how they support learners into apprenticeships. Access to Modern Apprenticeships, like all employment opportunities remains competitive, and can be influenced by a range of factors, including employer demand, sectoral priorities, and the suitability of individual candidates for specific roles.

Question reference: S6W-38862

Asked by: Foysol Choudhury, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 19 June 2025
Current Status: Answer expected on 17 July 2025

To ask the Scottish Government, in relation to action 44 of the Ministerial Scottish Nursing and Midwifery Taskforce report, Delivering Together for a Stronger Nursing and Midwifery Workforce, whether it has started a review of the package of financial support available to nursing and midwifery students, and, if so, when it expects to complete this review.

Question reference: S6W-38861

Asked by: Foysol Choudhury, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 19 June 2025
Current Status: Answer expected on 17 July 2025

To ask the Scottish Government, in relation to action 44 of the Ministerial Scottish Nursing and Midwifery Taskforce report, Delivering Together for a Stronger Nursing and Midwifery Workforce, whether it will provide an update on progress made towards identifying the barriers and enablers to attracting candidates to nursing and midwifery.

Question reference: S6W-38860

Asked by: Foysol Choudhury, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 19 June 2025
Current Status: Answer expected on 17 July 2025

To ask the Scottish Government, in relation to action 36 of the Ministerial Scottish Nursing and Midwifery Taskforce report, Delivering Together for a Stronger Nursing and Midwifery Workforce, whether it will provide an update on (a) progress made on the development of alternative entry routes into nursing and midwifery, including part-time routes and (b) any timeline that has been set for the roll-out of new entry routes.

Question reference: S6W-38216

Asked by: Foysol Choudhury, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 03 June 2025
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 17 June 2025

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-37589 by Jenni Minto on 27 May 2025, whether the figure of £6,252,000 forms part of recurring funding of up to £8.8 million per year for diabetes technology.

Question reference: S6W-38515

Asked by: Foysol Choudhury, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 09 June 2025
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 17 June 2025

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of Kidney Research UK’s report, Kidney Health Inequalities in the UK, what analysis it has conducted regarding access to kidney disease services among BAME communities in Scotland.

The Scottish Government is committed to ensuring that all people living in Scotland with long term conditions including Chronic Kidney Disease are able to access the best possible care and support, and benefit from healthcare services that are safe, effective and put people at the centre of their care.

We are running our public consultation on the Long Term Conditions Framework from 23 April to 20 July 2025. This is available at Health: Long Term Conditions Framework - Scottish Government consultations - Citizen Space.

We will take the results of the consultation into account when developing the framework which will include identifying areas where targeted condition-specific action will still be needed.

Detailed requirements were outlined by Scottish Government in DL23 (2024) providing guidance on the development of NHS Board Anti-Racism plans was issued to Health Boards on 9 September 2024. This guidance requires Health Board Anti-racism plans to focus on equity within the guidance to Health Boards and emphasises an anti-racism approach in addressing racialised healthcare inequalities.

The guidance challenges specific priorities, and aims to support aligned local and national actions, to tackle racialised health inequalities. By implementing these strategies and initiatives, the Scottish Government aims to create a more accessible, equitable, and patient-centred healthcare system for all, including Black and Minority Ethnic communities in Scotland.

Question reference: S6W-38516

Asked by: Foysol Choudhury, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 09 June 2025
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 17 June 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to improve equity in access to home dialysis for patients from minority ethnic backgrounds.

The decision to offer home dialysis to patients is primarily a matter for NHS Boards. As set out in my answer to S6W-38515 on 17 June 2025, NHS Boards are required to develop plans to address racialised healthcare inequalities.

Last year, we agreed a national policy to reimburse patients for the additional electricity costs of home dialysis so that patients are not exposed to the impact of high energy prices. It also removes the financial disincentive to making a choice for home dialysis over in-centre treatments, allowing personal choice in where and how to receive treatment.

All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers

Question reference: S6W-38204

Asked by: Foysol Choudhury, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 03 June 2025
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 13 June 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the Additional Support for Learning: Findings Report, published by the Scottish Assembly of Parents and Carers on 27 May 2025.

The Scottish Government is committed to ensuring that parents and carers are central to shaping the development of Additional Support for Learning (ASL) policy. As part of a wider review of ASL, Ministers will consider this publication and its recommendations in addition to other recent reports, which identify areas for improvement.

I have committed to a cross party roundtable with local government to discuss a wider review of the delivery and support for Additional Support Needs in Scotland’s schools. The scope and detail of the review will be informed by the outcome of the roundtable.

Our inclusive approach to education in Scotland is supported by a broad consensus that all children and young people should receive the support they need to thrive. Since the 2020 Morgan Review of ASL, we have delivered over 50 actions to improve educational experiences for children and young people with additional support needs (ASN), empowering them to become directly involved in decision making, increasing learning opportunities for educators and creating parent support groups.

We will continue to work at pace to deliver the remaining actions by the end of this Parliamentary term, including ensuring that parental voice informs the development of ASL policy.

Question reference: S6W-38514

Asked by: Foysol Choudhury, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 10 June 2025
Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 13 June 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to address any challenges associated with patient travel to in-centre dialysis appointments, in light of Kidney Care UK’s report, In-centre Dialysis Transport in Scotland, which was published in February 2024.

The Scottish Government is committed to ensuring that people living with kidney diseases are able to access the best possible care and support and that they benefit from healthcare services that are safe, effective, and put people at the centre of their care.

We are aware of the findings of Kidney Care UK in their 2024 report, and Ms Minto met with the group shortly after publication. In 2024 we published the transport to health plan to support work across Scottish Government, Health Boards and Transport partners.

Following engagement between Scottish Government and NHS Boards, a Short Life Working Group is set to be established across NHS Boards to consider in more detail the issues relating to transport access for patients attending for kidney care treatment. We look forward to the outcomes of this work.

Question reference: S6F-04173

Asked by: Foysol Choudhury, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 09 June 2025
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 12 June 2025

To ask the First Minister how the Scottish Government is working to ensure that patients are accurately informed of waiting times for NHS treatments following referrals to a specialist.