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 1706 questions Show Answers

Order by |

Question reference: S7W-00997

Asked by: Claire Baker, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 12 June 2026
Current Status: Answered by Maree Todd on 23 June 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what specialist services are available in Scotland for people experiencing long-term health complications arising from ketamine use.

The UK Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs (ACMD) recommended in their ketamine review of January 2026, that work on drug treatment should be collaborative with specialist urology, pain management, hepatology and gastroenterology services.

In Health Boards throughout Scotland, Urology departments have clinical guidance in assessment and multidisciplinary management of bladder symptoms related to ketamine use. Due to an increase in admissions of young people, Aberdeen Royal Infirmary Urology department has created a specialist 'ketamine bladder' clinic.

The Scottish Government are aware of a significant spike in ketamine harms - particularly among young people, and it is an integral part of our new Strategic Plan, to create further standards to ensure services can adapt to changing drug trends. It highlights the need for responsive and adaptive services, with improvement to treatment pathways in drug services, and connections to primary, acute and specialist settings.

Question reference: S7W-00996

Asked by: Claire Baker, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 12 June 2026
Current Status: Answered by Maree Todd on 23 June 2026

To ask the Scottish Government whether it has carried any recent public health campaigns relating to ketamine use and, if so, what evaluation has been made of their effectiveness.

At this time the Scottish Government has not carried out any public health campaigns in relation to ketamine use.

The Scottish Government however provides funding to Public Health Scotland, to monitor ketamine use and related harms, through its RADAR (Rapid Action Drug Alerts and Response) program. The system acts as an early warning network to track emerging trends, local clusters of harm, and toxicology data in Scotland.

There are several Scottish Government funded organisations that are publicising the risks of taking ketamine and where to get help. These include:

The Scottish Drugs Forum provides free targeted e-learning resources for healthcare staff and the public, helping them recognize early warning signs of ketamine dependency and understand how to reduce the risks
Turning Point, a leading national social care charity, is running a nationwide campaign focusing on early intervention and harm reduction, to help people understand the tolerance limits and mental health impacts of ketamine
Change, Grow, Live are a health and social care charity that is running an online campaign, to help people understand what ketamine is, detailing the side effects, risks and how to keep safe when taking it.

Question reference: S7W-00995

Asked by: Claire Baker, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 12 June 2026
Current Status: Answered by Maree Todd on 23 June 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to raise awareness among young people of the risks associated with ketamine use, including that of permanent bladder damage.

The Scottish Government are aware of an increase in ketamine use by young people, and published the Standards for Young People in November 2025, to ensure support in drug services meets their needs.

Several Scottish Government funded organisations are publicising the risks of taking ketamine and where to get help. These include:

Crew, an Edinburgh based charity, provides Nightlife Harm Reduction at clubs and festivals, offering welfare, advice, harm reduction information and immediate crisis support
Turning Point, a leading national social care charity, is running a nationwide campaign focusing on early intervention and harm reduction without using scare tactics, aimed at helping youth understand the tolerance limits and mental health impacts of ketamine
With You, a support charity that is providing information and help to young people on their website, including peer written stories of other young people’s experience with ketamine.

Question reference: S7W-01106

Asked by: Claire Baker, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 17 June 2026
Current Status: Answer expected on 15 July 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what recent discussions it has had with the Scottish Funding Council regarding oversight of health and safety standards in colleges.

Question reference: S7W-01104

Asked by: Claire Baker, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 17 June 2026
Current Status: Answer expected on 15 July 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what mechanisms are in place to ensure that any health and safety concerns raised by staff and students in colleges are appropriately investigated and acted upon.

Question reference: S7W-01100

Asked by: Claire Baker, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 17 June 2026
Current Status: Answer expected on 15 July 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what engagement it has had with the Health and Safety Executive regarding the reported findings of the unannounced inspection of the welding and fabrication department at City of Glasgow College in December 2025.

Question reference: S7W-01101

Asked by: Claire Baker, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 17 June 2026
Current Status: Answer expected on 15 July 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what engagement it has had with the City of Glasgow College and the Scottish Funding Council regarding the reported findings of the unannounced inspection of the welding and fabrication department at the college in December 2025.

Question reference: S7W-01102

Asked by: Claire Baker, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 17 June 2026
Current Status: Answer expected on 15 July 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what guidance it provides to colleges regarding the management of health and safety risks associated with welding fumes and other hazardous substances.

Question reference: S7W-01099

Asked by: Claire Baker, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 17 June 2026
Current Status: Answer expected on 15 July 2026

To ask the Scottish Government, what assessment it has made of whether staff in Scotland's colleges have sufficient protections and confidence to raise any workplace health and safety concerns without fear of detriment.

Question reference: S7W-00883

Asked by: Claire Baker, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 08 June 2026
Current Status: Answered by Gillian Martin on 16 June 2026

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will evaluate recent research from the Biology Centre of the Czech Academy of Sciences on the impact of reintroducing large herbivores on the richness and abundance of pollinator species, and whether it has any plans to incorporate these findings into its biodiversity strategy, land-use strategy, and future rural payment schemes.

There is evidence of the benefits of large herbivore impact on biodiversity outcomes in some circumstances from a range of contexts, including in the UK. The Scottish Biodiversity Delivery Plan includes an action to explore how best to support optimal herbivore densities to enhance biodiversity outcomes in the uplands. We have funded the James Hutton Institute to research the effects of different domestic grazing regimes on biodiversity at the Glen Finglas Woodland Trust site for over 20 years. The results show variable benefits to biodiversity from different grazing regimes with ‘winner and losers’ under each type of grazing. Our approach is therefore to support such interventions in nature restoration projects in the right circumstances, on a case by case basis.