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 123 questions Show Answers

Order by |

Question reference: S7W-02771

Asked by: Martyn Day, MSP for Falkirk East and Linlithgow, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 31 August 2026
Current Status: Answered by Maree Todd on 15 September 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of whether the current eligibility and prioritisation criteria for Tier 3 adult weight management services and access to obesity medicines, including liraglutide, semaglutide and tirzepatide, result in patients receiving earlier access to treatment after developing Type 2 diabetes than patients with severe obesity who are seeking to prevent the onset of the condition.

Following the recommendation by the Scottish Medicines Consortium that obesity medicines should be available for routine use within the NHS, the Scottish Government issued a national consensus statement to Health boards in September 2024.

This recommended the introduction of obesity medicines in a phased manner depending on a patient’s body mass index and any obesity-related conditions such as Type 2 Diabetes.

The Scottish Government regularly engages with obesity experts and stakeholders from NHS health boards through a range of forums to share learning and support access to these medicines for people living with obesity in Scotland.

We are also funding the Accelerated National Innovation Adoption (ANIA) programme which offers an intensive weight management programme for remission to 3000 more people in Scotland with newly or recently diagnosed type 2 diabetes, from 2025 to 2028. A national digital Type 2 Diabetes Prevention programme is expected to launch next year which will support up to 13,500 patients with a recent diagnosis of prediabetes or a history of gestational diabetes, to prevent or delay the onset of type 2 diabetes, and up to 1,500 people diagnosed with primary hypertension.

Question reference: S7W-02704

Asked by: Martyn Day, MSP for Falkirk East and Linlithgow, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 26 August 2026
Current Status: Answered by Alison Thewliss on 15 September 2026

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will revise the statutory guidance on Self-Directed Support to make clear that individual budgets may be used to fund sport and physical activity where this contributes to an agreed personal outcome.

The statutory guidance accompanying the Social Care (Self-directed Support) (Scotland) Act 2013 was comprehensively updated in 2022 and further refreshed in 2025, following engagement with stakeholders. It promotes outcomes-focused, person-centred support, community participation, and choice and control for supported people.

Alongside the guidance, a range of resources support implementation, including the Self-directed Support Framework of Standards, Learning and Improvement Framework, Practitioner Toolkit, SDS Library, communities of practice, and information for supported people and carers. Collectively, these support creative, outcome-focused planning. We do not currently consider further revision necessary, as the guidance is intentionally outcomes-based rather than prescriptive.

The Self-directed Support framework does not prescribe specific activities, allowing flexibility to meet agreed outcomes. Where sport or physical activity supports those outcomes, it may already be considered through support planning.

Question reference: S7W-02705

Asked by: Martyn Day, MSP for Falkirk East and Linlithgow, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 26 August 2026
Current Status: Answered by Alison Thewliss on 15 September 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what information it holds on the number of people who have been permitted to use Self-Directed Support budgets for sport or physical activity, broken down by local authority.

Information on the number of people using Self-Directed Support (SDS) budgets for sport or physical activity is not collected or held centrally by the Scottish Government. Responsibility for the planning and delivery of integrated adult health and social care services rests locally with Integration Joint Boards and their partner authorities, which hold information relating to individual support arrangements. Accordingly, the Scottish Government is unable to provide a breakdown by local authority.

Question reference: S7W-02769

Asked by: Martyn Day, MSP for Falkirk East and Linlithgow, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 31 August 2026
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 11 September 2026

To ask the Scottish Government whether referrals to Tier 3 adult weight management services are covered by the NHS Scotland 18-week referral-to-treatment standard and, if not, what national waiting time standard applies to those services.

Question reference: S7W-02594

Asked by: Martyn Day, MSP for Falkirk East and Linlithgow, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 19 August 2026
Current Status: Answered by Ivan McKee on 10 September 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what measures it is taking to ensure that its recruitment, workplace attendance and location policies support equitable access to employment opportunities for people living in all parts of Scotland.

The Permanent Secretary to the Scottish Government has responsibility for the operational running of the organisation, including recruitment, attendance and location policies.

All civil service vacancies within the Scottish Government are advertised through the internal jobs portal, with some advertised externally via the external jobs website. While posts indicate a location, there are no restrictions preventing employees from applying for any internal role, regardless of their current place of work.

I would encourage the member to direct any further questions on this matter to the Permanent Secretary.

Question reference: S7W-02589

Asked by: Martyn Day, MSP for Falkirk East and Linlithgow, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 19 August 2026
Current Status: Answered by Stephen Gethins on 7 September 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of any potential impact on electricity consumers in Scotland of UK Government financing arrangements for new nuclear power stations elsewhere in Great Britain, including the regulated asset base model.

The regulation of the electricity market, including the financing arrangements for new nuclear power stations, is reserved to the UK Government. Assessment of the impact of the regulated asset base model on consumers is a matter for the UK Government and Ofgem.

The Scottish Government does not support the construction of new nuclear power stations under current technologies. It is not acceptable that consumers in Scotland are being asked to pay towards nuclear power years in advance of any electricity being generated and bear the risks of cost overruns.

Question reference: S7W-02515

Asked by: Martyn Day, MSP for Falkirk East and Linlithgow, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 17 August 2026
Current Status: Answered by Tom Arthur on 2 September 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what role it anticipates credit unions will play in supporting financial education, tackling illegal money lending and contributing to child poverty prevention.

All financial services providers, including credit unions, have an important role in supporting the financial resilience and wellbeing of their customers. This includes helping individuals to better understand financial products and services and empowering them to make informed financial decisions. Many credit unions already deliver tailored financial education, support and engagement activities that reflect the needs of their members and local communities.

Credit unions are often a vital source of support for some of the most vulnerable people in society. Through the provision of affordable credit, savings products and initiatives such as junior saver schemes, they help individuals and families build financial resilience and can play a significant role in tackling the causes and impacts of child poverty.

The Scottish credit union sector also works closely with the Scottish Illegal Money Lending Unit (SIMLU) to raise awareness of the dangers associated with illegal money lending, including loan sharks. Through these partnerships, credit unions help educate consumers, provide safe and affordable alternatives to high-risk borrowing, and support those who have been affected by illegal lenders.

Question reference: S7W-02514

Asked by: Martyn Day, MSP for Falkirk East and Linlithgow, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 17 August 2026
Current Status: Answered by Tom Arthur on 2 September 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what support it is providing to credit unions to modernise their digital infrastructure and increase access to ethical community finance.

The Scottish Government remains committed to working closely with the credit union sector to understand its evolving needs and identify opportunities and challenges, including those associated with digital transformation. This will help ensure that support is targeted effectively to promote long term, sustainable growth across the sector.

In September 2025, the Scottish Government awarded grant funding of £98,000 to Social Investment Scotland for a project to embed benefit checkers into the loan management systems used by credit unions in Scotland. 11 projects were successful in securing funding. This project has now concluded and identified over £7.3 million in annualised potential unclaimed benefits.

Question reference: S7W-02509

Asked by: Martyn Day, MSP for Falkirk East and Linlithgow, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 17 August 2026
Current Status: Answered by Tom Arthur on 2 September 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the role credit unions play in supporting financial inclusion and access to affordable credit.

The Scottish Government understands the important role of the credit union sector in providing access to fair and affordable financial products and services to their members, including those who may be otherwise financially excluded.

Officials are currently engaged with representatives of the credit union sector, including trade bodies and individual credit unions, to better understand the sector’s presence in Scotland. Officials are also engaging with the UK Government and the regulators on the impact of proposed regulatory reform, interventions identified in the UK Government’s Financial Inclusion Strategy and HM Treasury’s independent review of Access to Banking Services to ensure Scotland’s credit union sector and Scotland's unique and distinct structural challenges and geographic contexts are understood and represented.

In November 2025, the Scottish Government issued revised directions to the National Lottery Community Fund (NLCF) for Scotland’s share of dormant assets funding. The new directions now include financial inclusion and specifically increasing access to affordable credit. NLCF has consulted stakeholders on the new direction and has also awarded grant funding of £92,000 to Social Investment Scotland to help develop the affordable credit element to ensure that any future work on affordable credit is grounded in lived experience, sector expertise and delivery realities.

NLCF is currently developing a strategic plan that they will present to Government to outline how they can meet the delivery of the funds against any new directions and we will continue to engage with them as their strategy develops.

Question reference: S7W-02512

Asked by: Martyn Day, MSP for Falkirk East and Linlithgow, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 17 August 2026
Current Status: Answered by Tom Arthur on 2 September 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to encourage payroll deduction partnerships between employers, public bodies and credit unions, particularly across the public sector.

The regulation of financial services, including the credit union sector, is wholly reserved to the UK Government.

Many credit unions already work in partnership with employers to provide payroll deduction schemes. Workplace payroll savings schemes can provide a valuable way for employees to improve their financial resilience, with evidence suggesting they are both popular in workplaces and are helping some workers build savings pots. These kinds of savings schemes are prominently featured in the UK Government's Financial Inclusion Strategy, aiming to build a National Coalition of Employers to promote these schemes and with plans to clarify the regulatory landscape to encourage their uptake.

The Scottish Government will engage with the UK Government as their planned reforms for payroll savings schemes emerge to represent Scotland's interests.