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: S7W-01499

Asked by: Kate Nevens, MSP for Edinburgh and Lothians East, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 02 July 2026
Current Status: Answered by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 15 July 2026

To ask the Scottish Government, should the Equality Act 2010: Draft Code of Practice for services, public functions and associations 2026 be approved, whether it plans to provide guidance to public authorities on its implementation, including guidance aimed at ensuring that the dignity and privacy of trans people and any other groups that might be impacted are protected.

The approval and commencement of the Code of Practice is a matter reserved to the UK Government. The Secretary of State holds powers under the Equality Act 2006 to commence the Code following Parliamentary scrutiny, and it is the responsibility of the EHRC, as regulator of the Equality Act 2010, to provide statutory guidance in relation to the Act.

Public bodies are also responsible for ensuring that they comply with their legal obligations under the Equality Act 2010, including having regard to statutory guidance from the EHRC.

The Scottish Government’s approach remains grounded in dignity, respect, fairness and the protection of rights for all. That includes protecting the privacy of trans people and others who may be impacted by the Code.

Question reference: S7W-01497

Asked by: Kate Nevens, MSP for Edinburgh and Lothians East, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 02 July 2026
Current Status: Answered by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 15 July 2026

To ask the Scottish Government whether it (a) has written or (b) plans to write to the Equality and Human Rights Commission regarding any concerns it has about any potential impact on trans people and those presenting in gender non-conforming ways of the Equality Act 2010: Draft Code of Practice for services, public functions and associations 2026.

The Scottish Government responded formally to the Equality and Human Rights Commission’s public consultation on the draft Code of Practice on 25 July 2025 setting out our views. We also wrote to the UK Government on in November 2025, reiterating our views on the draft Code.

Trans people, and those presenting in gender non-conforming ways, are valued members of our society and remain protected under the Equality Act 2010 from discrimination and harassment. The Scottish Government’s approach will continue to be grounded in dignity, respect, fairness and the protection of rights for all.

Question reference: S7W-01498

Asked by: Kate Nevens, MSP for Edinburgh and Lothians East, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 02 July 2026
Current Status: Answered by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 15 July 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it (a) has had or (b) plans to have with trans people and any other groups that might be impacted by the Equality Act 2010: Draft Code of Practice for services, public functions and associations, 2026.

The Scottish Government engages regularly with LGBTQI+ stakeholders, including organisations representing trans people, and has discussed the draft Code of Practice as part of that ongoing engagement.

The First Minister and I also hosted a roundtable with community members in March to discuss trans lives in Scotland today and the issues currently affecting trans people.

This engagement will continue as we consider the revised Code, including with trans people, LGBTQI+ stakeholders and other groups who may be impacted.

Question reference: S7W-01280

Asked by: Kate Nevens, MSP for Edinburgh and Lothians East, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 24 June 2026
Current Status: Answered by Kirsten Oswald on 9 July 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what support it will provide to communities affected by reported attacks targeting Muslims in Edinburgh, and how it will ensure that engagement with affected communities includes a diverse range of voices, including women, LGBTQ+ people, recent migrants and people of different ages.

The Scottish Government condemns all forms of religiously motivated violence and is clear that communities affected by reported attacks targeting Muslims should feel safe, supported and resilient.

We have established strong working relationships with Muslim communities across Scotland, and we continue to engage with communities to ensure appropriate support and reassurance is in place.

We recognise the importance of ensuring that engagement reflects the diversity within affected communities. We continue to strengthen and build on these relationships and our networks to ensure these voices are heard.

Work is progressing on the next phase of Scotland’s Hate Crime Strategy, and we are taking steps to ensure that this is informed by these stakeholders. Alongside this, we will continue to consider how our engagement and resilience work can best support communities and respond to emerging issues.

We will continue to work closely with partners at both local and national level to ensure that our approach remains cohesive.

Question reference: S7W-01281

Asked by: Kate Nevens, MSP for Edinburgh and Lothians East, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 24 June 2026
Current Status: Answered by Kirsten Oswald on 9 July 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what action it will take to improve the safety and security of mosques and other places of worship, in light of reported attacks targeting Muslims in Edinburgh and the reported wider rise in anti-Muslim hostility, and what support it will make available to communities concerned about their daily safety.

The Scottish Government is clear that everyone should be able to practise their faith safely and free from fear and condemns all forms of religiously motivated violence affecting Muslim communities and places of worship.

We are continuing to work closely with Police Scotland, Muslim communities and local partners to understand the concerns being felt, particularly following recent incidents, and to identify what support may be needed to provide reassurance and enhance security. This includes ongoing dialogue to ensure that responses are informed by the experiences of those directly affected.

We will continue to support communities and work in partnership with local and national organisations to help ensure that places of worship remain safe and that communities feel reassured in their daily lives.

It should be noted that the UK Government’s Places of Worship Protective Security Scheme is available for communities in Scotland, with applications open continuously, and details of how to apply can be found at Protective Security for Mosques Scheme - GOV.UK.

Alongside this, we will continue to consider how our wider work on community safety and resilience, including through the Hate Crime Strategy, can support communities and respond to emerging concerns.

Question reference: S7O-00134

Asked by: Kate Nevens, MSP for Edinburgh and Lothians East, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 17 June 2026
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 25 June 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what action it will take to provide sanitation facilities for the Traveller community living on land that it owns in Granton, Edinburgh.

Question reference: S7W-00557

Asked by: Kate Nevens, MSP for Edinburgh and Lothians East, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 27 May 2026
Current Status: Answered by Mairi McAllan on 8 June 2026

To ask the Scottish Government for what reason candidates for exams conducted by Qualifications Scotland are not currently able to request access to their exam scripts.

Qualifications Scotland is responsible for its own operational decisions, including whether individuals can access their exam scripts.

An exemption to the right of access via subject access requests under the Data Protection Act 2018 applies to exam scripts. The application of this exemption is in line with Qualifications Scotland’s policy that the organisation does not provide marked exam scripts.

In 2024 a trial of providing access to marked exam papers was conducted for a selected number of subject and levels. Alongside identified benefits, the evaluation report also noted challenges with scalability. This included workload implications for practitioners, and the need for specific digital requirements to ensure the service can be delivered fairly and equitability for all learners and subjects. As such Qualifications Scotland has paused any further roll out.

Question reference: S7W-00559

Asked by: Kate Nevens, MSP for Edinburgh and Lothians East, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 27 May 2026
Current Status: Answered by Mairi McAllan on 8 June 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether Qualifications Scotland has a General Data Protection Regulation duty to provide exam candidates access to their marker comments.

Question reference: S7W-00209

Asked by: Kate Nevens, MSP for Edinburgh and Lothians East, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 20 May 2026
Current Status: Answered by Maree Todd on 5 June 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to improve medical and support services for people with myalgic encephalomyelitis (ME) in Edinburgh and Lothians East.

Question reference: S7W-00208

Asked by: Kate Nevens, MSP for Edinburgh and Lothians East, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 20 May 2026
Current Status: Answered by Maree Todd on 5 June 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what proportion of its £4.5 million for myalgic encephalomyelitis and long COVID services has been allocated to NHS Lothian.

We have allocated funding to all territorial NHS boards as part of the recurring £4.5 million investment to support the development of specialist support for people with long COVID, myalgic encephalomyelitis (ME)/chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) and other similar conditions.

Allocation of this funding to boards has been informed by the National Resource Allocation Formula (NRAC). This formula is designed to take into account key determinants in the variation of healthcare need in populations, including population levels and measures of relative deprivation, to inform the allocation of funding in an equitable manner.

A breakdown of funding shares by NHS boards is as follows:

NHS Ayrshire & Arran	£327,482
NHS Borders	£99,208
NHS Dumfries & Galloway	£133,076
NHS Fife	£307,495
NHS Forth Valley	£246,390
NHS Grampian	£437,038
NHS Greater Glasgow & Clyde	£991,544
NHS Highland	£300,399
NHS Lanarkshire	£561,378
NHS Lothian	£676,576
NHS Orkney	£21,985
NHS Shetland	£21,466
NHS Tayside	£346,825
NHS Western Isles	£29,138