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 1047 questions Show Answers

Order by |

Question reference: S6W-35594

Asked by: Jackson Carlaw, MSP for Eastwood, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 17 March 2025
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 31 March 2025

To ask the Scottish Government whether there are any plans to allow people who received Zostavax when they became eligible for a shingles vaccination in recent years, before it was replaced by Shingrix, to receive a further inoculation with Shingrix, in light of reports that it provides a greater level of protection and for a longer duration.

There are no plans to revaccinate individuals who have had a previous Zostavax vaccination. The need for booster doses following previous vaccination has not yet been determined by the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI).

A statement on the shingles vaccination programme was published on 13 November 2024, advising that the offer of Shingrix vaccination should be expanded to include older adult cohorts aged 80 years and over.

JCVI recognise that some of these individuals will have already received a Zostavax vaccination. However there is a clear cost-effective benefit from offering a single dose of Shingrix to this age group as this would help prevent severe illness and other serious complications from shingles, which can cause illness or hospitalisation.

The Scottish Government, Public Health Scotland and NHS Boards will work together to consider these recommendations.

Question reference: S6W-36033

Asked by: Jackson Carlaw, MSP for Eastwood, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 25 March 2025
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 31 March 2025

To ask the Scottish Government when it last reviewed the approach of local authorities to issuing parking fines, and what its position is on whether any local authority has introduced policies in relation to penalty charge notices specifically to make a profit and not to respond to illegal or inappropriate parking.

A public consultation was undertaken in 2021, which looked at levels of Penalty Charge Notices (PCNs). Following this, on 1 April 2023, the maximum PCN amount was raised to £100. Local authorities must ensure that they issue PCNs only when it is lawful to do so. It is important to note that PCNs are a penalty for illegal parking and are not to be used specifically to generate income, though any profit from PCNs is ring-fenced and must only be used by the local authority for transport related purposes. Local authorities also report the income and expenditure annually and these reports are published on the Transport Scotland website.

Question reference: S6W-36032

Asked by: Jackson Carlaw, MSP for Eastwood, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 25 March 2025
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 31 March 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what instructions it expects local authorities to provide to parking attendants regarding the issuing of penalty charge notices in situations where a car is not displaying a ticket but the driver states that they were collecting a prepaid voucher from a machine and that this is the only reason why it was not affixed to the vehicle.

It is the responsibility of each local authority, who operates Decriminalised Parking Enforcement, to provide guidance to ensure their parking attendants are issuing Penalty Charge Notices (PCNs) lawfully and the level of discretion that can be applied in individual situations. It is not for the Scottish Government to specify when discretion should be applied. Stringent appeals processes are also in place to assist those who feel they may have been issued a PCN unfairly.

Question reference: S6W-36034

Asked by: Jackson Carlaw, MSP for Eastwood, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 25 March 2025
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 31 March 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what guidance it offers to local authorities to ensure that disabled, older and infirmed people are supported, when required, to park their vehicles in local authority car parks without incurring a penalty charge notice, and when any such guidance was last reviewed.

It is the responsibility of each local authority, who operates Decriminalised Parking Enforcement to ensure their parking attendants are issuing Penalty Charge Notices (PCNs) lawfully and the level of discretion that can be applied in individual situations. It is not for the Scottish Government to specify when discretion should be applied. Stringent appeals processes are also in place to assist those who feel they may have been issued a PCN unfairly.

Question reference: S6W-36031

Asked by: Jackson Carlaw, MSP for Eastwood, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 25 March 2025
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 31 March 2025

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will legislate to ensure that all local authorities observe a "10-minute parking grace period" in their car parks, similar to that implemented in England.

Local authorities in Scotland have the powers to issue Penalty Charge Notices if the vehicle has been left beyond the period of parking which has been paid for, as per the Road Traffic Act 1991. Legislation to allow an additional 10 minutes grace period has not been considered in Scotland as there has not been sufficient interest from members of the public or local authorities to do so, however all local authorities can use their own discretion whether to apply a grace period or not.

Question reference: S6F-03762

Asked by: Jackson Carlaw, MSP for Eastwood, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 27 January 2025
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 30 January 2025

To ask the First Minister whether he will join HM The King and other world leaders in commemorating the 80th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz extermination camp and offer his reflections on the theme of this year's Holocaust Memorial Day, "For a Better Future".

Question reference: S6W-33229

Asked by: Jackson Carlaw, MSP for Eastwood, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 13 January 2025
Current Status: Answered by Natalie Don-Innes on 24 January 2025

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide more information on what specific formula and criteria will be used to determine the allocation of Bright Start Breakfasts funding across Scotland to support children from disadvantaged backgrounds.

Question reference: S6W-33232

Asked by: Jackson Carlaw, MSP for Eastwood, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 13 January 2025
Current Status: Answered by Natalie Don-Innes on 24 January 2025

To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to integrate the Bright Start Breakfasts initiative with breakfast clubs operated in primary schools by not-for-profit providers.

Question reference: S6W-33254

Asked by: Jackson Carlaw, MSP for Eastwood, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 14 January 2025
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 24 January 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what preparations it made to alert people aged 50 to 64, who are not included in a defined risk group, that they would not be eligible for the 2024-25 seasonal flu immunisation programme, to enable them to take up the option of paying for a vaccine at a local pharmacy while stocks were widely available, and what plans it has to review these preparations to inform the communication strategy for the programme in 2025-26.

Changes to the eligibility for flu vaccination were communicated via campaign materials produced by Public Health Scotland (PHS) that can be seen on NHS Inform and social media, as well as being advertised across health and community settings. The Health and Social Care sector were alerted to changes in eligibility via the Chief Medical Officer’s annual flu letter. I wrote to MSPs on 12 September 2024 to outline the changes to eligibility for flu and COVID-19 vaccination this winter, and the reason for those changes.

The Scottish Government is unaware of any shortages in vaccine availability. While NHS National Services Scotland (NSS) Procurement were made aware of some Community Pharmacies seemingly having issues securing flu vaccine stocks for private vaccination clinics, our national programme supplier confirmed that stock of the vaccine suitable for those under 65 years of age is available for purchase by pharmacies. Information has been shared with Community Pharmacy Scotland so they can signpost pharmacies to where they can purchase further supplies, so that they can meet any demand from citizens seeking vaccination.

PHS ran a targeted campaign, with multiple assets and toolkits that have been promoted widely across the health and social care system and the third sector, ensuring those who were eligible to come forward were notified. The campaign focussed especially on certain groups where uptake is lower.

The Scottish Vaccination and Immunisation Programme (SVIP), led by PHS, will review the winter vaccination campaign. As part of this we will consider the impact of the communications strategy and what we can improve for next season.

Question reference: S6W-33231

Asked by: Jackson Carlaw, MSP for Eastwood, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 13 January 2025
Current Status: Answered by Natalie Don-Innes on 24 January 2025

To ask the Scottish Government whether it has evaluated what positive or negative impact the Bright Start Breakfasts programme may have on breakfast clubs within schools that are organised by not-for-profit providers for primary school pupils.

The Draft Scottish Budget on 4 December 2024 announced plans to invest £3m in 2025-26 in Bright Start Breakfasts.

At this stage the Budget remains subject to Parliamentary approval and therefore, more detail about Bright Start Breakfasts will be provided ahead of the fund launching in Spring 2025.

Recent mapping work carried out by the Improvement Service and Assist FM shows that nearly half of all primary and special schools in Scotland are already providing breakfasts at the start of the school day, with a range of delivery models and service providers supporting delivery. Bright Start Breakfasts aims to enhance and expand provision across Scotland, building on this existing local delivery.