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-04544

Asked by: Amanda Lindsay, MSP for Central Scot and Lothians West, Reform UK
Date lodged: Wednesday, 28 October 2026
Current Status: Answered by Mairi McAllan on 9 November 2026

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S7W-03632 by Mairi McAllan on 5 October 2026, before the decision was taken to award the contract outwith the UK for the manufacture of the Welcome to School backpacks, (a) which companies in (i) Scotland and (ii) the rest of the UK were invited to tender for the contract, (b) what the difference in cost was between the quotes submitted by UK-based companies and those submitted by companies outwith the UK, including the company that was ultimately awarded the contract, and (c) which company in China will manufacture, rather than assemble, the backpacks.

The bags and contents were procured through an existing purchasing framework with the APS Group, suppliers of the Baby Box. This framework underwent an open tender prior to agreement and provided the most efficient and cost-effective route to delivery in time for the start of the 2027 school year while meeting all relevant public procurement requirements. An open tender for the Welcome to School Bags will run for future years of delivery.

We are unable to name the subcontractor which will manufacture the backpacks, as this is classed as Service Provider Sensitive Information within the contract which means that the disclosure of any such details, even in part, could reveal commercially sensitive information about the service provider’s supply chain and delivery model.

Question reference: S7O-00487

Asked by: Amanda Lindsay, MSP for Central Scot and Lothians West, Reform UK
Date lodged: Wednesday, 04 November 2026
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 11 November 2026

To ask the Scottish Government when it will publish an update on progress towards the construction of Winchburgh train station.

Question reference: S7O-00440

Asked by: Amanda Lindsay, MSP for Central Scot and Lothians West, Reform UK
Date lodged: Wednesday, 28 October 2026
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 4 November 2026

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of its recognition that inappropriate mobile phone use in schools can lead to increased distraction, online bullying, exposure to harmful content and a rise in antisocial behaviour, what measures it will take to ensure that any new legislation restricting mobile phone use in schools supports the mental wellbeing of young people while reducing these harms.

Question reference: S7W-03632

Asked by: Amanda Lindsay, MSP for Central Scot and Lothians West, Reform UK
Date lodged: Thursday, 24 September 2026
Current Status: Answered by Mairi McAllan on 5 October 2026

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S7W-02694 by Mairi McAllan on 21 September 2026, where the new school bags for primary schools will be manufactured.

Question reference: S7O-00314

Asked by: Amanda Lindsay, MSP for Central Scot and Lothians West, Reform UK
Date lodged: Wednesday, 23 September 2026
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 30 September 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what immediate steps it will take to reduce waiting times for home adaptations to ensure that disabled people are allocated properties that meet their individual needs.

Question reference: S7W-02715

Asked by: Amanda Lindsay, MSP for Central Scot and Lothians West, Reform UK
Date lodged: Thursday, 27 August 2026
Current Status: Answered by Simita Kumar on 23 September 2026

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of reports in The Times that LGBT Health and Wellbeing, which receives public funding, including from it, runs a “Queer Milk” group that supports biological men to breastfeed or chestfeed babies, whether it will (a) confirm what funding it has provided to the organisation and the factors considered in awarding that funding, (b) review that funding in light of these reports, (c) assess any safeguarding concerns arising from the feeding of infants by biological males through hormone-induced lactation, and (d) review the measures in place to ensure that public funding is not used to support activities that are inconsistent with child safeguarding requirements.

I would refer the member to the answer to question S7W-02351 on 3 September 2026. This answer sets out that the Scottish Government has received clear and unambiguous assurance that the voluntary run parental group, Queer Milk, is not training men to lactate and feed infants. Any claim to the contrary is untrue. In addition, the Scottish Government does not directly fund Queer Milk. 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

LGBT Health and Wellbeing receives funding from the Scottish Government via the Equality and Human Rights Fund to help shape policy and practice to improve outcomes for LGBTQI+ communities. Further information on funding given to LGBT Health and Wellbeing via the Equality and Human Rights Fund between 2021-2026 can be viewed at: Equality and Human Rights Fund: projects funded - gov.scot. LGBT Health and Wellbeing is listed here as LGBT Healthy Living Centre.

The Scottish Government also provides funding to LGBT Health and Wellbeing for LGBTQI+ community support services, including support for victims and survivors of conversion practices.

Question reference: S7W-03062

Asked by: Amanda Lindsay, MSP for Central Scot and Lothians West, Reform UK
Date lodged: Wednesday, 09 September 2026
Current Status: Answered by Alison Thewliss on 23 September 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made regarding the consistency of the Care Inspectorate's current guidance on supporting transgender and gender-diverse children and young people in care settings with the findings and recommendations of the Cass Review, and whether it will ask the Care Inspectorate to withdraw or revise this guidance.

Question reference: S7W-02694

Asked by: Amanda Lindsay, MSP for Central Scot and Lothians West, Reform UK
Date lodged: Wednesday, 26 August 2026
Current Status: Answered by Mairi McAllan on 21 September 2026

To ask the Scottish Government regarding its new school bags for primary pupils initiative, (a) how much is expected to cost, (b) whether a detailed cost assessment was undertaken prior to the rollout of the initiative, (c) what colour options will be available for the school bags and (d) in light of reports that each bag will contain “a pencil case, stationery including pens, pencils, coloured crayons and a notebook plus a water bottle”, in addition to “resources to encourage reading, writing and maths practice at home”, what branding, logos, slogans or other printed material, if any, will appear on the bags and their contents, and what literature or other accompanying materials, if any, will be included in each bag.

Procurement is underway for the Welcome to School Bags, and costs will be confirmed following conclusion of the procurement process.

Likewise, the colours of the school bags will be confirmed following conclusion of the procurement process.

Each bag will contain a pencil case, stationery, including pens, pencils, coloured crayons and a notebook, a water bottle, and resources to support learning at home. It will also include information relevant to families of P1 children to support their entry to school.

The bags will not be branded.

Question reference: S7W-02835

Asked by: Amanda Lindsay, MSP for Central Scot and Lothians West, Reform UK
Date lodged: Wednesday, 02 September 2026
Current Status: Answered by Maree Todd on 17 September 2026

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S7W-02244 by Maree Todd on 31 August 2026, whether the Minister will publish statistics, including how many babies in West Lothian are admitted to Edinburgh Royal Infirmary for intensive care each year, what it anticipates the impact will be on the Simpson Neonatal Intensive Care Unit once other NHS boards stop providing a critical care unit at Level 3, and what travel and accommodation support parents in West Lothian will receive in cases where the mother and baby are receiving care on different sites.

The Scottish Government does not hold information on how many babies from West Lothian are admitted to Edinburgh Royal Infirmary each year.

The Scottish Government commissioned RSM UK to undertake detailed modelling and capacity planning to support local implementation plans. The resulting report identified a need for four additional staffed neonatal cots at the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh to meet the increased demand.

I want to be clear that the care provided to babies from West Lothian will not change under the new neonatal care model. Where there is suspected extremely pre-term labour, the aim is to transfer mothers before birth (an in-utero transfer) to a maternity unit with a neonatal intensive care unit.

All neonatal units in Scotland can provide overnight accommodation for families when needed. Neonatal intensive care units, and most local neonatal and special care units, offer rooms on or near the unit, with additional accommodation available nearby. The Young Patients Family Fund also helps families with the costs of food, travel and accommodation while their baby is receiving neonatal care.

Question reference: S7W-02244

Asked by: Amanda Lindsay, MSP for Central Scot and Lothians West, Reform UK
Date lodged: Monday, 03 August 2026
Current Status: Answered by Maree Todd on 31 August 2026

To ask the Scottish Government, whether it will reconsider its proposal to centralise Level 3 neonatal intensive care services, in light of the impact such a proposal could have on families living across West Lothian who currently rely on these services.

For families in NHS Lothian, neonatal service delivery will remain unchanged with neonatal intensive care remaining at Edinburgh Royal Infirmary and Special Care remaining at St John’s Hospital.

I must be absolutely clear that this change is about saving babies lives. The evidence is clear, that outcomes for the smallest and sickest babies are improved when they are born and cared for in a unit with a high throughput of cases, and where support services are co-located and aligns with existing neonatal intensive care service models across the UK.

These changes will benefit a very small number of babies – those born at less than 27 weeks gestation and those very sickest babies who need multiple complex life support, or surgery.