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-02611

Asked by: Andrew Baxter, MSP for Skye, Lochaber and Badenoch, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Thursday, 20 August 2026
Current Status: Answered by Stephen Flynn on 11 September 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what economic and social factors ScotRail is required to consider before reducing services in rural areas and what evidence is required to support such decisions, given the smaller populations and lower expected passenger numbers on those routes.

Question reference: S7W-02623

Asked by: Andrew Baxter, MSP for Skye, Lochaber and Badenoch, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Friday, 21 August 2026
Current Status: Answered by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 10 September 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of reports that Pension Credit claims have been incorrectly recalculated following awards of Pension Age Disability Payment or Carer Support Payment, and what steps it is taking to resolve problems with communication between Social Security Scotland and the Department for Work and Pensions.

When concerns have been raised about the interaction between Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) benefits and Pension Age Disability Payment or Carer Support Payment, Social Security Scotland has worked with DWP to investigate those cases.

Investigations undertaken to date have not identified any systemic issues affecting Pension Credit calculations following an award of Pension Age Disability Payment or Carer Support Payment. Neither have they identified evidence that the cases examined resulted from a failure in the routine sharing of information between Social Security Scotland and DWP.

Social Security Scotland continues to work closely with DWP to ensure information is shared appropriately and systems operate as intended. This includes investigating individual cases when concerns are raised and working jointly with DWP to resolve any issues identified.

Question reference: S7O-00222

Asked by: Andrew Baxter, MSP for Skye, Lochaber and Badenoch, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Wednesday, 09 September 2026
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 16 September 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to address any barriers faced by victims of domestic abuse in rural and remote communities.

Question reference: S7W-02621

Asked by: Andrew Baxter, MSP for Skye, Lochaber and Badenoch, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Friday, 21 August 2026
Current Status: Answered by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 9 September 2026

To ask the Scottish Government how Social Security Scotland supports claimants who may experience financial hardship as a result of delays in information being provided to the Department for Work and Pensions following an award of a Scottish social security benefit, including where such delays result in the loss of Pension Credit and any associated Housing Benefit or Council Tax Reduction.

Social Security Scotland recognises the importance of ensuring clients receive the full range of support they are entitled to and understands the potential financial impact when entitlement to one benefit affects entitlement to another.

Where entitlement to a Scottish disability or carer benefit may affect entitlement to a reserved benefit administered by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP), or support administered by a local authority, information about awards and relevant changes of circumstances is routinely shared through established processes to support the assessment of those entitlements. Social Security Scotland is not aware of any delays in providing this information.

Pension Credit is administered by DWP, while Housing Benefit and Council Tax Reduction are administered by local authorities. Decisions on entitlement to, and any backdating of, these benefits are matters for the relevant organisation. Where a client believes their entitlement has been affected because information about a Social Security Scotland award has not been processed by DWP or a local authority, they should contact the organisation responsible for the benefit concerned, which can consider the circumstances and any entitlement to arrears in line with its rules.

While Social Security Scotland does not administer Pension Credit, Housing Benefit or Council Tax Reduction and cannot determine entitlement to those benefits, it seeks to support clients experiencing financial hardship. Local Delivery Client Support Advisers can provide assistance to help clients understand the support available to them and can signpost them to independent welfare rights advice and sources of financial assistance, including Citizens Advice Scotland.

Question reference: S7W-02626

Asked by: Andrew Baxter, MSP for Skye, Lochaber and Badenoch, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Friday, 21 August 2026
Current Status: Answered by Siobhian Brown on 8 September 2026

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of its duties under the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (Incorporation) (Scotland) Act 2024, what steps it is taking to ensure that all children whose welfare is the subject of social work involvement, and not only those who meet existing statutory gateways, have access to independent advocacy to support their right to be heard under Article 12 of the UNCRC.

The Scottish Government recognises that independent advocacy is highly valuable and may be the most appropriate form of support in some circumstances; however, it is not the only means through which children can be supported to have their views heard. Consistent with GIRFEC principles, many children may prefer, or have their needs best met through support from a parent, carer, family member or other trusted adult of their choosing. Children have different needs and preferences, and a single model of support will not be right for every child. The key consideration is that children are able to participate meaningfully and have their views given due weight in line with Article 12 of the UNCRC, rather than prescribing a single model of support for all children receiving social work services.

Question reference: S7W-02624

Asked by: Andrew Baxter, MSP for Skye, Lochaber and Badenoch, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Friday, 21 August 2026
Current Status: Answered by Siobhian Brown on 8 September 2026

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will review the statutory gateways to independent advocacy for children and young people, to consider whether children with social work involvement who do not meet the current eligibility criteria, including care experience, involvement in a live Children's Hearing, or eligibility under the Mental Health (Care and Treatment) (Scotland) Act 2003, should be brought within its scope.

Children's participation is a core component of social work practice and is underpinned by the UNCRC, GIRFEC and the SSSC Codes of Practice, which require social work practitioners to seek, listen to and take account of children's views and to have awareness of the statutory pathways to independent advocacy and apply these where appropriate. There is also a range of national and local organisations across Scotland that provide support services for children and young people beyond these statutory entitlements. We will continue to strengthen provision where required but no further reviews to the statutory gateways to independent advocacy are planned at this stage.

Question reference: S7W-02625

Asked by: Andrew Baxter, MSP for Skye, Lochaber and Badenoch, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Friday, 21 August 2026
Current Status: Answered by Siobhian Brown on 8 September 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the adequacy of the current statutory gateways to independent advocacy for children and young people, given that access is limited to those who are care experienced, subject to a live Children's Hearing, or covered by the Mental Health (Care and Treatment) (Scotland) Act 2003, and that it does not extend to children receiving support from social work services who fall outside those categories.

The Scottish Government is committed to delivering appropriate advocacy support for children in accessing their rights. Any assessment of need must recognise that advocacy can be delivered in a number of ways and is often dependent on the context of each situation and specific wishes of the child.

Statutory gateways to independent advocacy have been established for specific groups of children, including those involved in the Children's Hearings System, subject to mental health legislation, and care experienced children and young people, reflecting the particular legal processes, decision-making responsibilities and power imbalances that can arise in these circumstances.

The Scottish Government has co-developed a set of core measurements for organisations that children and young people may access for advice and support when they have a concern or want to raise a rights issue. The data gathered will provide insights into their experience of the services they access for support, including independent advocacy. A report will be published in Spring 2027.

Question reference: S7W-02631

Asked by: Andrew Baxter, MSP for Skye, Lochaber and Badenoch, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Friday, 21 August 2026
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 7 September 2026

To ask the Scottish Government whether it has issued any guidance to NHS boards on the inclusion of service undertaken through NHS staff banks when calculating eligibility for long-service recognition schemes, such as NHS Highland's Valuing Service Award.

Question reference: S7W-02614

Asked by: Andrew Baxter, MSP for Skye, Lochaber and Badenoch, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Thursday, 20 August 2026
Current Status: Answered by Stephen Flynn on 3 September 2026

To ask the Scottish Government whether it considers that the needs of island communities should be the primary consideration in the planning of lifeline ferry services.

Question reference: S7W-02612

Asked by: Andrew Baxter, MSP for Skye, Lochaber and Badenoch, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Thursday, 20 August 2026
Current Status: Answered by Stephen Flynn on 3 September 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what steps CalMac is taking to ensure that planned and ongoing maintenance on MV Hallaig does not result in a permanent reduction in Raasay’s scheduled lifeline ferry service.

As part of the new CHFS3 contract, CalMac is introducing an increased programme of regular maintenance across the network. This is intended to improve reliability and resilience by reducing the likelihood of breakdowns, which can cause significant disruption to island connectivity.

CalMac has been working with the Raasay community, as with communities across the network, to introduce such maintenance in a way that minimises disruption.