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-42240

Asked by: Fulton MacGregor, MSP for Coatbridge and Chryston, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 01 December 2025
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 10 December 2025

To ask the Scottish Government whether it has any plans to introduce routine prostate cancer screening for (a) the whole population and (b) people in higher risk groups.

The Scottish Government, along with all other UK nations, takes advice from the UK National Screening Committee (UK NSC). The UK NSC does not currently recommend prostate screening for the whole population. The UK NSC will consider whether to extend their recommendation for prostate screening should evidence support this, including from existing trials like TRANSFORM. The Scottish Government will consider any future recommendations made by the UK NSC in this regard.

Evidence shows that prostate cancer is both more common and aggressive in men with BRCA variants compared to the general population. Following a recent review of evidence, the UK NSC has launched a public consultation which focuses on the UK NSC’s draft recommendation to offer a targeted national prostate cancer screening programme to men with confirmed BRCA1 or BRCA2 gene variants every 2 years, from age 45 to age 61. The consultation will close on 20 February 2026, following which, the UK NSC will consider the results and agree a final updated recommendation.

In anticipation of a potential recommendation for targeted prostate cancer screening, a clinician-led short-life working group, chaired by the Chief Medical Officer for Scotland, will assess Scotland’s readiness to respond to any future advice from the UK NSC on prostate screening.

Question reference: S6W-42372

Asked by: Fulton MacGregor, MSP for Coatbridge and Chryston, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 04 December 2025
Current Status: Answer expected on 18 December 2025

To ask the Scottish Government how it plans to review and assess the need for widening the scope of regulation of independent medical services, such as private baby scans.

Question reference: S6O-05273

Asked by: Fulton MacGregor, MSP for Coatbridge and Chryston, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 03 December 2025
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 10 December 2025

To ask the Scottish Government how much it will allocate in its forthcoming Budget to local authorities to provide financial support to those affected by RAAC, including businesses.

Question reference: S6O-05254

Asked by: Fulton MacGregor, MSP for Coatbridge and Chryston, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 26 November 2025
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 4 December 2025

To ask the Scottish Government whether it has given any further consideration to initiating a consultation on the establishment of a kindergarten phase for children in Scotland.

Question reference: S6O-05215

Asked by: Fulton MacGregor, MSP for Coatbridge and Chryston, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 19 November 2025
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 27 November 2025

To ask the Scottish Government, in relation to potential social security implications, what recent discussions it has had with the UK Government regarding compensation for Women Against State Pension Inequality.

Question reference: S6W-41592

Asked by: Fulton MacGregor, MSP for Coatbridge and Chryston, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 30 October 2025
Current Status: Answered by Maree Todd on 17 November 2025

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will work with criminal justice stakeholders to develop standards that set out what must happen when someone with an alcohol use disorder comes into contact with the criminal justice system.

The Scottish Government is engaging with a wide range of stakeholders including those involved within the criminal justice system on the creation of a new approach to care and support for people impacted by alcohol. That new approach will include plans for a national specification setting out the interventions required to reduce harm as well as improved standards for implementing those. Standards for alcohol care and support in the criminal justice system are the same as standards in the community.

The Scottish Government has oversight groups in place to help provide national and local leadership with a clear steer on the services which need to be in place in all settings.

Question reference: S6W-41695

Asked by: Fulton MacGregor, MSP for Coatbridge and Chryston, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 05 November 2025
Current Status: Answered by Siobhian Brown on 13 November 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what protocols and guidance are in place for local authorities that are reporting graffiti which could be considered as a hate crime to Police Scotland.

Question reference: S6O-05164

Asked by: Fulton MacGregor, MSP for Coatbridge and Chryston, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 12 November 2025
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 19 November 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what support is being provided to groups and people to make use of the Community Asset Transfer Scheme.

Question reference: S6W-41591

Asked by: Fulton MacGregor, MSP for Coatbridge and Chryston, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 30 October 2025
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 10 November 2025

To ask the Scottish Government how it is ensuring that prisoners with alcohol problems are able to access the treatment and support that they need.

I have asked Teresa Medhurst, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service (SPS), to respond. Her response is as follows:

The SPS Alcohol & Drug Recovery Strategy aims to ensure that people in our care have access to appropriate support and a range of interventions and services which are similar to those delivered within our communities.

Working collaboratively with key stakeholders, such as Alcoholics Anonymous (AA), we offer a range of mutual aid support groups to share skills, knowledge and resources designed to reduce and prevent the harm caused from alcohol use.

In addition to this, NHS and SPS Staff continue to promote and support access to the Prison to Rehab Pathway to ensure people in our care are aware of the residential rehabilitation options and structured programmes available to them as part of planning for their liberation.

Question reference: S6W-41442

Asked by: Fulton MacGregor, MSP for Coatbridge and Chryston, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 22 October 2025
Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 5 November 2025

To ask the Scottish Government, what action it is taking to improve earlier and faster diagnosis in children and young people with cancer, given that national initiatives such as Rapid Cancer Diagnostic Services often exclude under-18s, and what data it plans to publish on (a) waiting times and (b) routes to diagnosis for under-25s.

The Collaborative and Compassionate Cancer Care: The Cancer Strategy for Children and Young People in Scotland 2021–2026, is a dedicated cancer strategy for children and young people, in Scotland.

The strategy sets out our ambitions and actions to provide the best possible treatment and care, as early as possible, to children and young people with cancer. There are several actions that specifically relate to an early, precise diagnosis of cancer. The Managed Clinical Network for Children and Young People with Cancer (MCN CYPC) are responsible for the implementation and evaluation of the Children and Young People’s cancer strategy.

We published the Scottish Referral Guidelines for Suspected Cancer on 6 August this year, with updates on supporting a diagnosis of cancer in children and young people specifically. This includes considerations for non-specific symptoms of cancer for under-18s, like those considered for Rapid Cancer Diagnostic Services.

The Scottish Government does not hold data for diagnostic waiting times and routes to diagnosis for children and young people presenting with potential cancer symptoms.