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 9435 questions Show Answers

Order by |

Question reference: S7W-02384

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 10 August 2026
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 1 September 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what is its view on the conclusion of the report Scottish Government Bonds and Investing in Ourselves that, by diverting interest payments to foreign investors, its proposed wholesale bond programme is in direct contradiction with the principles of the Community Wealth Building (Scotland) Act 2026.

The Scottish Government does not agree that a wholesale bond issuance is inconsistent with the principles of the Community Wealth Building (Scotland) Act 2026.

The Scottish Government Bonds Programme was developed following a recommendation from the independent Investor Panel that Scotland should consider issuing debt in capital markets to strengthen investor engagement, raise Scotland's profile with investors and establish a market track record. The Outline Business Case concluded that a multi-year wholesale bond programme could represent value for money and identified potential economic benefits associated with increased investor engagement and investment in Scotland.

Question reference: S7W-02385

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 10 August 2026
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 1 September 2026

To ask the Scottish Government if, as part of its assessment of the case for issuing Scottish Government bonds, as set out in the document, Scottish Government Bonds Programme: Summary Outline Business Case, it considered whether, by mitigating against potential interest payment leakage from the domestic economy, issuing retail bonds would be more beneficial to the Scottish economy and its Community Wealth Building goals than issuing wholesale bonds.

Question reference: S7W-02318

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 06 August 2026
Current Status: Answered by Maree Todd on 31 August 2026

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to the question S7W-01610 by Maree Todd on 5th August 2026, whether, and on what timeline, it will publish the recommendations provided by the six Long Term Conditions Advisory Groups.

As indicated in Parliamentary Question S7W-01610 on 5 August 2026, the Long Term Conditions Advisory Groups, were established under the previous government to provide recommendations to inform our way forward for long term conditions. It is for Scottish Ministers to decide whether and to what extent any of the recommendations become government policy. We are carefully considering these recommendations as we develop this work.

We are grateful to all members of the Advisory Groups for their involvement in developing these recommendations and continue to engage with the Advisory Groups as this work develops.

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: S7W-02292

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 05 August 2026
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 28 August 2026

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the £10 million Travel Fund for children and young people with cancer being introduced in England in 2027, and the Welsh Government's announcement that work has begun on an equivalent fund in Wales, whether it will ensure that equivalent support regarding the costs of travelling to treatment is available for children and young people with cancer in Scotland, whether by expanding the eligibility criteria of the Young Patients Family Fund or through a separate scheme.

Question reference: S7W-02667

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 27 August 2026
Current Status: Answer expected on 25 September 2026

To ask the Scottish Government, as part of its commitment to reduce child poverty, whether it will consider widening the eligibility criteria of the Young Patients Family Fund to make it more accessible to the families who are most in need of financial support by extending it to (a) outpatients attending regular appointments, and (b) day patients as appropriate.

Question reference: S7W-02668

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 27 August 2026
Current Status: Answer expected on 25 September 2026

To ask the Scottish Government, as part of its commitment to reduce child poverty, whether it will consider widening the eligibility criteria of the Young Patients Family Fund to make it more accessible to the families who are most in need of financial support by taking a "cash first" approach to remove any barriers faced by those most in need of financial support.

Question reference: S7W-02098

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 28 July 2026
Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 25 August 2026

To ask the Scottish Government whether the current Cabinet Secretary for Justice has met representatives of the Fire Brigades Union and, if so, what was discussed.

Question reference: S7W-02118

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 29 July 2026
Current Status: Answered by Maree Todd on 25 August 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what the (a) total expenditure on prescription medicines and (b) average cost per prescription item dispensed was, in each financial year from 2021-22 to the latest date for which information is available.

The requested information is shown in the following table.

Table 1: Prescription Cost Analysis Totals

Paid Financial Year	Number of dispensed Items	Gross ingredient cost (£)	Cost per item (£)
2021-22	106,601,987	1,168,834,872	10.96
2022-23	110,339,683	1,235,560,290	11.20
2023-24	113,609,076	1,305,189,021	11.49
2024-25	116,527,075	1,318,286,930	11.31

Source: Public Health Scotland Prescribing Information System

This data is based on prescriptions dispensed by community pharmacy contractors, appliance suppliers and dispensing doctors. This data also excludes prescriptions dispensed in England. Gross Ingredient Cost (GIC) is the cost of medicines and appliances dispensed and reimbursed at list price.

Question reference: S7W-02119

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 29 July 2026
Current Status: Answered by Maree Todd on 25 August 2026

To ask the Scottish Government how much has been spent on prescribing (a) aspirin and (b) paracetamol, in each financial year from 2021-22 to the latest date for which information is available.

The requested information is shown in the following table.

Prescription Cost Analysis – Aspirin and Paracetamol

Paid Financial Year	BNF drug/device name	Number of dispensed items	Gross ingredient cost (£)
2021-22	ASPIRIN	1,786,645	1,798,992
	PARACETAMOL	2,362,586	9,775,540
2022-23	ASPIRIN	1,756,051	2,678,122
	PARACETAMOL	2,459,823	11,755,882
2023-24	ASPIRIN	1,746,735	3,109,038
	PARACETAMOL	2,472,463	14,154,347
2024-25	ASPIRIN	1,741,667	3,149,495
	PARACETAMOL	2,530,044	15,500,371

Source: Public Health Scotland: Prescribing Information System

The data shown is based on prescriptions dispensed by community pharmacy contractors, appliance suppliers and dispensing doctors only.

The data excludes prescriptions dispensed in England and does not include combination products.

Gross Ingredient Cost (GIC) is the cost of medicines and appliances dispensed and reimbursed at list price.

Question reference: S7W-02666

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 24 August 2026
Current Status: Answer expected on 22 September 2026

To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to consult with charities and healthcare providers as part of any evaluation of the rollout of the Young Patients Family Fund.