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-03079

Asked by: Fulton MacGregor, MSP for Coatbridge and Chryston, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 31 January 2024
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 8 February 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to ensure the availability of psychological services for all who need them.

Question reference: S6W-24391

Asked by: Fulton MacGregor, MSP for Coatbridge and Chryston, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 09 January 2024
Current Status: Answered by Gillian Martin on 17 January 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what action is being taken to ensure that the laws banning fox hunting in Scotland are being enforced.

Question reference: S6W-24237

Asked by: Fulton MacGregor, MSP for Coatbridge and Chryston, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 21 December 2023
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 8 January 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what action it can take to ensure that school staff are informed on best practices when working with neurodiverse students so that students can continue to thrive within the education system.

All children and young people should receive the support that they need to reach their full potential. Local authorities are under a statutory duty to identify, provide for, and review the support that they provide for pupils with additional support needs. This includes support arising from a neurodivergence.

The Scottish Government funds the National Autism Implementation Team to produce materials to support professional learning and development for those working with children and young people with autism. This includes content for all Initial Teacher Education courses on autism and how to support autistic pupils, the provision of autism and inclusive practice resources and the Autism Toolbox , which is available for all school staff.

The Scottish Government also funds Dyslexia Scotland to produce materials and professional learning opportunities for those working with children and young people with dyslexia. This includes the Addressing Dyslexia Toolkit and free online professional learning modules on dyslexia and inclusive practice and a GTC Scotland accredited professional recognition programme.

The Scottish Government is committed to improving the educational experiences of children and young people with additional support needs. Ministers will work with teachers and support staff to provide additional professional learning opportunities while seeking to build on the Additional Support for Learning Action Plan.

In December 2023, we launched our public consultation for the Learning Disabilities, Autism and Neurodivergence Bill. The consultation runs until 21 April, and we are encouraging as many people and organisations as possible to take part.

Question reference: S6O-02943

Asked by: Fulton MacGregor, MSP for Coatbridge and Chryston, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 20 December 2023
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 11 January 2024

To ask the Scottish Government whether it has evaluated the extent to which swimming lessons are a part of the school curriculum for primary school-aged pupils.

Question reference: S6W-23634

Asked by: Fulton MacGregor, MSP for Coatbridge and Chryston, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 06 December 2023
Current Status: Answered by Graeme Dey on 20 December 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to reports that the University of Aberdeen is planning cutbacks to its modern languages department, including the Gaelic honours programme

The Scottish Government is clear that access to learning modern languages is vital at all stages of education, to equip children and young people with the skills they need in an increasingly globalised world. The Scottish Government is also committed to the support of Gaelic and Scots languages as part of our rich cultural heritage and for this reason a number of initiatives and projects have been put in place to support these languages.

Universities, as autonomous institutions, are responsible for their own course provision, and it is for them to decide how to distribute the allocation of funded places between faculties and courses. In any reform of provision, Scottish Government expects the University of Aberdeen to adhere to Fair Work principles. This includes meaningful consultation and constructive dialogue with any staff affected by the proposals to reduce modern languages provision.

In line with our Purpose and Principles for the post-school education and skills system, the Scottish Government will continue to work with the university sector to deliver the best outcomes and impact for learners, the economy and society.

Question reference: S6O-02916

Asked by: Fulton MacGregor, MSP for Coatbridge and Chryston, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 13 December 2023
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 21 December 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on the MS Society's reported call for PIP applications to end the so-called 20-metre rule and replace it with a 50-metre threshold until an alternative is found.

Question reference: S6W-23651

Asked by: Fulton MacGregor, MSP for Coatbridge and Chryston, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 06 December 2023
Current Status: Initiated by the Scottish Government. Answered by Siobhian Brown on 7 December 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on its consideration regarding the legal age of marriage.

Members will be aware that we have been gathering views and evidence from a range of stakeholders around the minimum age of marriage and considering next steps following the recent concluding observation of the United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child that we prohibit all marriages of under 18s in Scotland.

Whilst very few 16- and 17-year-olds marry or register a civil partnership in Scotland each year (in 2022 out of over 30,000 marriages, only 18 involved a party or parties under 18), we are cognisant of the concluding observations. Therefore I have now decided that the Scottish Government should consult formally in this area in 2024.

Reaching a view on reform of the age of marriage is a potentially cross-cutting area given the other rights that we permit 16- and 17-year-olds to exercise whether with or without additional protections. Consequently, we need to carefully consider the full implications of any change in the minimum age of marriage and civil partnership and whether any change may be needed to the existing criminal law on forced marriage.

I also intend to include a number of other areas of family and succession law as part of this consultation.

We will consult on the Scottish Law Commission’s draft Bill to reform the law on a cohabitant’s financial rights against their former partner when they separate.

We committed in the Family Justice Modernisation Strategy in 2018 to consulting on whether the simplified forms-based divorce and dissolution procedure should include cases where a couple have children under 16 and they are not in dispute about their welfare, and this will also be included in the consultation.

Following on from a previous consultation on succession law and from views raised during the passage of the Trusts and Succession (Scotland) Bill, our consultation will also explore a cohabitant’s entitlement to financial provision from their deceased partner’s estate where that partner has died without a will.

In addition, we have not yet implemented a provision in the Marriage and Civil Partnership (Scotland) Act 2014 on creating qualifying requirements for religious and belief bodies with celebrants who solemnise marriage and register civil partnerships. The aims of this provision include ensuring the continuing dignity and solemnity of ceremonies and tackling forced marriages and civil partnerships. We are planning therefore to also consult formally on the options here.

We will aim to publish the consultation on this substantial range of issues by summer 2024.

Question reference: S6O-02884

Asked by: Fulton MacGregor, MSP for Coatbridge and Chryston, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 06 December 2023
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 14 December 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what recent discussions it has had with Transport Scotland in relation to the Shawhead flyover junction in Coatbridge

Question reference: S6W-23280

Asked by: Fulton MacGregor, MSP for Coatbridge and Chryston, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 28 November 2023
Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 6 December 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to reports that the diversification test used to determine eligibility for the Scottish Enterprise Regional and SME Investment Subsidy Scheme is unduly restrictive and unfair to long-established manufacturing businesses that are seeking to invest in and grow their operations in Scotland.

Scottish Enterprise uses the Scottish Enterprise Regional and SME Investment Subsidy Scheme (the Scheme) to provide RSA grant funding. The Scheme includes a requirement that, to be eligible for support, large companies must be opening a new establishment or diversifying the activity at an existing site. There is no such requirement for SMEs. This requirement is consistent with the general approach to regional investment funding across the UK and Europe.

RSA is not the only mechanism Scottish Enterprise uses for funding eligible projects within the manufacturing sector. Scottish Enterprise has a wide range of subsidy schemes for which diversification is not a requirement for funding. The Scottish Government and Scottish Enterprise consistently review support mechanisms in place and welcome feedback on how to support companies within the rules set out by the Subsidy Control regime.

Question reference: S6W-23024

Asked by: Fulton MacGregor, MSP for Coatbridge and Chryston, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Friday, 17 November 2023
Current Status: Answered by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 4 December 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what financial support is in place for parents who have experienced baby loss and who are self-employed.

A range of financial support is provided through Social Security Scotland. This includes Funeral Support Payment, a one-off payment providing support to low-income families in receipt of a qualifying benefit, including self-employed parents, for a baby stillborn after 24 weeks or who died after birth.

These families may also be eligible for Best Start Grant Pregnancy and Baby Payment up to £707.25. If the parent is in receipt of Scottish Child Payment they will receive payment equivalent to the value of entitlement in the 12 weeks prior to the child’s death.

An agreement is in place between Scottish Government and COSLA that local authorities in Scotland will not charge burial or cremation fees for children aged 0-17 or stillborn babies.