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: S6W-26517

Asked by: Michael Matheson, MSP for Falkirk West, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 27 March 2024
Current Status: Answered by Gillian Martin on 15 April 2024

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will consider any further planning or regulatory assistance that could be put in place for the electricity transmission networks in Scotland in relation to infrastructure projects.

Transmission Owners in Scotland have worked with Scottish Government officials to consider the challenges around the consenting of major grid developments through a short life working group established in October 2022. The group made multiple recommendations including setting out clear steps to enable the determination of applications within 12 months and the need for legislative changes to the UK Electricity Act 1989. The UK Government has committed to a review of Scottish consenting processes under the UK Electricity Act 1989, and we are working closely with them as they consider the scope of the review.

We have also laid a statutory instrument in the Scottish Parliament which introduces new measures to simplify the planning process and extend the existing Permitted Development Rights (PDR) for electricity undertakings. Subject to parliamentary scrutiny, the changes are expected to come into effect on 24 May 2024.

Question reference: S6W-26515

Asked by: Michael Matheson, MSP for Falkirk West, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 03 April 2024
Current Status: Answer expected on 1 May 2024

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the reported collapse of McClure Solicitors, what action it can take to (a) support the firm's clients and (b) prevent similar situations occurring in the future.

Question reference: S6W-26554

Asked by: Michael Matheson, MSP for Falkirk West, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 28 March 2024
Current Status: Answer expected on 26 April 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what further steps it will take to help mediate the reportedly ongoing industrial dispute in the college sector regarding pay and conditions.

Question reference: S6W-26524

Asked by: Michael Matheson, MSP for Falkirk West, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 28 March 2024
Current Status: Answer expected on 26 April 2024

To ask the Scottish Government how it plans to engage with the UK Government regarding any implications for Scottish social security payments to women in Scotland of the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman report on changes to the state pension age, affecting women born in the 1950s, which states that those affected should receive an apology and compensation.

Question reference: S3W-40155

Asked by: Michael Matheson, MSP for Falkirk West, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 03 March 2011
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 16 March 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive when the sub-group of the Breast and Cervical Screening National Advisory Group will report its findings on the review of the integration of human papilloma virus (HPV) testing in the cervical screening programme and when the findings will be published.

Question reference: S3W-40158

Asked by: Michael Matheson, MSP for Falkirk West, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 03 March 2011
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 16 March 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive what costs are associated with the cervical screening programme.

NHS boards currently meet the costs associated with the Scottish cervical screening programme, therefore this information is not held centrally.

However, as part of a cervical cytology laboratory review a detailed exercise took place to identify and allocate costs to cervical laboratory services. The total estimated costs across the cervical cytology laboratories only, as of May 2010, was calculated at £5,849,159.

Question reference: S3W-40157

Asked by: Michael Matheson, MSP for Falkirk West, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 03 March 2011
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 16 March 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive what the (a) sensitivity and (b) specificity is of the cervical screening programme.

Question reference: S3W-40156

Asked by: Michael Matheson, MSP for Falkirk West, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 03 March 2011
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 16 March 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to introduce triage for human papilloma virus (HPV) into the cervical screening programme in order to reduce the number of women requiring repeat screening after detection of borderline abnormalities.

In January 2011 the Breast and Cervical Screening National Advisory Group recommended that a sub group be established to consider HPV testing within the cervical screening programme in Scotland. The sub-group will use its expertise to consider the available evidence and will provide advice to the Scottish Government. The remit, membership and timeline for the sub-group to report will be agreed shortly.

Question reference: S3W-40154

Asked by: Michael Matheson, MSP for Falkirk West, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 03 March 2011
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 16 March 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive who the members are of the sub-group of the Breast and Cervical Screening National Advisory Group who will review the integration of human papilloma virus (HPV) testing in the cervical screening programme.

Question reference: S3W-40160

Asked by: Michael Matheson, MSP for Falkirk West, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 03 March 2011
Current Status: Answered by Nicola Sturgeon on 14 March 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive what costs were associated with biopsy for and treatment of cervical cancer in the last year for which information is available.