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: S6O-05404

Asked by: Stuart McMillan, MSP for Greenock and Inverclyde, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 14 January 2026
Current Status: Due to be taken in the Chamber on 22 January 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of what savings there have been to Greenock and Inverclyde constituents since the removal of peak rail fares.

Question reference: S6O-05363

Asked by: Stuart McMillan, MSP for Greenock and Inverclyde, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 07 January 2026
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 14 January 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with COSLA, or Strathclyde Pension Fund directly, regarding the levels of pension contributions requested from west of Scotland local authorities for the financial year 2026-27.

Question reference: S6W-42453

Asked by: Stuart McMillan, MSP for Greenock and Inverclyde, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 08 December 2025
Current Status: Answered by Tom Arthur on 5 January 2026

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the theme of Crohn's & Colitis Awareness Week 2025 being, How it Feels, what assessment it has made of the impact of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) on mental health, and what its response is to the finding by Crohn's & Colitis UK suggesting that no adult IBD services in Scotland have a psychologist regularly available in multidisciplinary teams.

The Scottish Government welcomes the theme of Crohn's and Colitis Awareness Week 2025, “How it feels,” and values the work of charities like Crohn’s and Colitis UK in highlighting the challenges of managing often invisible symptoms such as Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD). We are fully committed to ensuring people living with long-term conditions have access to safe, effective and person-centred care, including appropriate psychosocial support.

While we have not carried out a specific assessment of the impact of IBD on mental health, the Mental Health Equality Evidence Report which underpins our Mental Health and Wellbeing Strategy ,highlights the mental health impacts that adults with long-term conditions experience. Our Strategy therefore takes a whole person approach by ‘looking at a person and their wider circumstances, such as housing, relationships, physical health, and employment; not just their mental health’.

Our Mental Health and Wellbeing Workforce Action Plan ensures that the commitments in our Strategy are underpinned by a resilient and sustainable workforce. Over the last decade our direct investment has led to staffing levels across Psychology Services increasing by 62.3%, with 1,702 whole time equivalent clinical staff now in post. This is additional to the funding NHS Boards receive.

This psychology workforce is contributing to the delivery of our Strategy, both across the age span and in a wide range of settings; including primary care, physical health care, and older adults services. Whilst data is not held on the number of psychology staff working to support people with IBD, we can confirm that 63% of the psychology workforce are working in mental health settings, with the remaining 37% working in wider service settings. In line with their operational responsibilities, NHS Boards are responsible for the recruitment and retention of the psychology workforce, as well as the deployment of staff across services and within multi-disciplinary teams.

Finally, as we develop our Long Term Conditions Framework we will consider how people living with IBD receive effective psychosocial support. We are also considering the message of Crohn's and Colitis Awareness Week 2025 and will reflect this in future planning.

Question reference: S6W-42543

Asked by: Stuart McMillan, MSP for Greenock and Inverclyde, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 11 December 2025
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 29 December 2025

To ask the Scottish Government, regarding the capacity to make decisions about Do Not Attempt Cardiovascular Resuscitation (DNACPR), what safeguarding measures are in place for patients who may not have capacity and to ensure consent is always gained from either the person themselves or their power of attorney before a DNACPR is applied to a person's medical record.

The principles of the Adults with Incapacity (Scotland) Act 2000 should be given effect to in any intervention in the affairs of an adult lacking capacity. One of these principles is that the views of interested parties should be taken account of when determining if an intervention is to be made and what intervention is to be made. This includes those who are acting as power of attorney.

Our Integrated Adult Policy on Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) makes clear that if a patient does not have capacity to make a decision related to CPR, then the principles of the Adults with Incapacity (Scotland) Act 2000 apply.

Where CPR might be successful in achieving sustainable life, a decision about whether the benefit of CPR would outweigh the harms and burdens for that patient must be discussed and agreed between that healthcare team and the patient's relevant others. Where there is a legally appointed proxy decision-maker (welfare attorney or welfare guardian) they must be involved in the decision-making process. Relevant information should also be shared with those close to the patient.

Question reference: S6W-42435

Asked by: Stuart McMillan, MSP for Greenock and Inverclyde, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 08 December 2025
Current Status: Answered by Ivan McKee on 23 December 2025

To ask the Scottish Government by what date it will publish a report into the proposed non-domestic rates revaluations for 2026.

Question reference: S6W-42437

Asked by: Stuart McMillan, MSP for Greenock and Inverclyde, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 08 December 2025
Current Status: Answered by Ivan McKee on 22 December 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what engagement it has had with Scottish Assessors in relation to non-domestic rates revaluation in 2026.

Scottish Government officials meet regularly with the Scottish Assessors Association throughout the year to discuss a range of non-domestic rates matters including the progress of the 2026 revaluation. I met the Scottish Assessors Association on 17 December to discuss the 2026 revaluation process. Scottish Assessors are also members of the non-domestic rates Consultative Group chaired by myself which last met on 27 November, the day after the UK Budget was announced.

Question reference: S6W-42434

Asked by: Stuart McMillan, MSP for Greenock and Inverclyde, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 08 December 2025
Current Status: Answered by Ivan McKee on 22 December 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what progress has been made with the independent review of the non-domestic rates valuation methodology applied to the licensed hospitality sector.

Question reference: S6W-42433

Asked by: Stuart McMillan, MSP for Greenock and Inverclyde, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 08 December 2025
Current Status: Answered by Ivan McKee on 22 December 2025

To ask the Scottish Government whether the review on the non-domestic rates valuation methodology for the licensed hospitality sector plans to deliver a fairer system of valuations, and by what date the remit of the review will be published.

The Scottish Government made a commitment in the Programme for Government 2025-26 to commission an independent review of the valuation of licensed hospitality properties, to be led by an independent chairperson and supported by persons with relevant knowledge and expertise, to report by the end of 2026 and consider any recommendations in advance of the 2029 revaluation cycle. It is not for the Scottish Government to pre-empt the review’s findings or recommendations but it will consider these in due course when the review group reports to Ministers. The Scottish Government confirmed the appointment of an independent chair for the Review and the chair is giving consideration to review group membership.

Question reference: S6W-42436

Asked by: Stuart McMillan, MSP for Greenock and Inverclyde, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 08 December 2025
Current Status: Answered by Ivan McKee on 22 December 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of non-domestic rate values in the hospitality sector, including licensed hospitality arising from the 2026 revaluation process.

Question reference: S6W-42438

Asked by: Stuart McMillan, MSP for Greenock and Inverclyde, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 08 December 2025
Current Status: Answered by Ivan McKee on 22 December 2025

To ask the Scottish Government whether it is considering interim non-domestic rates support for the licensed hospitality sector ahead of the independent valuations methodology review recommendations implementations.