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-38853

Asked by: Ash Regan, MSP for Edinburgh Eastern, Alba Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 19 June 2025
Current Status: Answered by Natalie Don-Innes on 27 June 2025

To ask the Scottish Government whether it has reviewed the UK Government's national audit on group-based child sexual exploitation and abuse; if so, what lessons it has learned that are applicable in Scotland, and what its response is to reported calls for a national inquiry into grooming gangs in Scotland.

Protecting children from harm is a key priority for the Scottish Government. I welcome the findings of Baroness Casey’s Audit. We are working at pace with partners including Police Scotland to assess its findings and recommendations to understand how they might apply in Scotland.

Police Scotland has advised that there are no current investigations in Scotland involving offences against children which would mirror the investigations described in Baroness Casey’s audit as being perpetrated by “grooming gangs”. However, there is absolutely no place for complacency. That is why Police Scotland are carrying out their deep dive into previous investigations of the type referred to in the Baroness Casey audit. This is expected to be completed in a matter of weeks.

It should also be noted, that as a single force, with one vulnerability database feeding local and national child protection procedures, and a National Intelligence database, Police Scotland is well placed to address the information and intelligence sharing challenges highlighted in Baroness Casey’s Audit. Police Scotland will work closely with the UK National Police Chiefs’ Council leads in Child Protection to ensure mutual sharing of best practice and learning on this issue.

The Scottish Child Abuse Inquiry currently taking place is one of the widest ranging ever undertaken in Scotland, and includes an extensive review of child protection policy and practice in Scotland. Baroness Casey’s report specifically highlights the vulnerability of children in care to sexual exploitation and is likely to be a further source of evidence for the Scottish Inquiry to draw on.

Baroness Casey’s audit will also be considered by the National Child Sexual Abuse and Exploitation Strategic Group, members of which include Police Scotland and Professor Alexis Jay, as it considers opportunities to improve our response to child sexual abuse and exploitation in Scotland.

The Scottish Government has regular discussions with UK Government counterparts to identify opportunities for improved collaboration. We are committed to working in partnership with UK Ministers to tackle child abuse and exploitation.

Question reference: S6W-38846

Asked by: Ash Regan, MSP for Edinburgh Eastern, Alba Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 19 June 2025
Current Status: Answer expected on 17 July 2025

The ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking in response to reports that women wait longer than men for NHS operations.

Question reference: S6W-38850

Asked by: Ash Regan, MSP for Edinburgh Eastern, Alba Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 19 June 2025
Current Status: Answer expected on 17 July 2025

To ask the Scottish Government how many manufacturing jobs have been created through inward investment in (a) Scotland and (b) each local authority area, in each of the last five years.

Question reference: S6W-38851

Asked by: Ash Regan, MSP for Edinburgh Eastern, Alba Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 19 June 2025
Current Status: Answer expected on 17 July 2025

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the trade deal between the UK and India, whether it is considering expanding its current list of nine trade and investment envoys to include an envoy for the Indian market.

Question reference: S6W-38847

Asked by: Ash Regan, MSP for Edinburgh Eastern, Alba Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 19 June 2025
Current Status: Answer expected on 17 July 2025

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of Healthcare Improvement Scotland reportedly stating that the endometriosis pathway for Scotland is over 500 days past its review date, when it plans to complete its review of the pathway.

Question reference: S6W-38852

Asked by: Ash Regan, MSP for Edinburgh Eastern, Alba Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 19 June 2025
Current Status: Answer expected on 17 July 2025

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the UN defining any formal marriage or informal union between a child under the age of 18 and an adult, or another child, as child marriage, whether it is considering increasing the minimum age for marriages and civil partnerships in Scotland to 18, and, if so, what work it has already carried out on this matter.

Question reference: S6W-38848

Asked by: Ash Regan, MSP for Edinburgh Eastern, Alba Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 19 June 2025
Current Status: Answer expected on 17 July 2025

To ask the Scottish Government how much it has spent on methadone prescriptions in total in each of the last four years, broken down by the cost in each NHS board area.

Question reference: S6W-38849

Asked by: Ash Regan, MSP for Edinburgh Eastern, Alba Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 19 June 2025
Current Status: Answer expected on 17 July 2025

To ask the Scottish Government how much funding (a) in total and (b) per capita has been allocated for public transport in each of the last two years, also broken down by (i) local authority area and (ii) parliamentary region.

Question reference: S6O-04834

Asked by: Ash Regan, MSP for Edinburgh Eastern, Alba Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 18 June 2025
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 25 June 2025

To ask the Scottish Government, as part of its work to further the case for Scottish independence, what specific actions it is taking to strengthen Scotland's democratic infrastructure, authority and state-building preparations to ensure that the Scottish Parliament could become the legislature of an independent Scotland.

Question reference: S6W-37933

Asked by: Ash Regan, MSP for Edinburgh Eastern, Alba Party
Date lodged: Monday, 02 June 2025
Current Status: Answered by Kaukab Stewart on 17 June 2025

To ask the Scottish Government, regarding its policies and guidance for public bodies, what its definition of "woman" is.

The Scottish Government accepts the UK Supreme Court judgment in the appeal brought forward by For Women Scotland against Scottish Ministers, which has confirmed the meaning of woman under the Equality Act 2010. As the Equality and Human Rights Commission are the body responsible for regulating and enforcing the mainly reserved Equality Act 2010, we await their updated Code of Practice while we consider our next steps. The consultation on the draft Code of Practice launched on 20 May 2025 and can be accessed here: Code of practice for services, public functions and associations: consultation 2025 | EHRC

However, the Scottish Government is also taking action now in preparation for the updated Code of Practice. Our internal Short Life Working Group is assessing implications of the Supreme Court judgment in areas such as legislation, guidance and policies . This work will position us towards a state of readiness to take all necessary steps when the EHRC’s Code of Practice is published.

We have also issued a note to all public bodies outlining the steps the Scottish Government’s has taken since the judgment. This note can be found here: UK Supreme Court ruling on meaning of sex in Equality Act: update - gov.scot.