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-36024

Asked by: Clare Haughey, MSP for Rutherglen, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 19 March 2025
Current Status: Initiated by the Scottish Government. Answered by Maree Todd on 20 March 2025

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on funding to increase the number of changing places toilets across Scotland.

I am delighted to be able to confirm investment of £10 million over the next two years to increase the number of Changing Places Toilets in Scotland.

Access to toilet facilities is a fundamental human right. Changing Places Toilets are larger accessible toilets designed to meet the needs of disabled people who need carer support and specialist equipment to use the facilities and maintain their dignity.

This funding will allow disabled people, their carers and families to participate more fully in society and access community resources, activities and events that most people take for granted.

I expect to launch the Fund in Summer 2025, with funding awards confirmed in the Autumn. Further information on the Fund will be provided in due course.

Question reference: S6W-34886

Asked by: Clare Haughey, MSP for Rutherglen, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 13 February 2025
Current Status: Answered by Maree Todd on 10 March 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what projects in South Lanarkshire were awarded funding in year (a) 3 and (b) 4 of the Communities Mental Health and Wellbeing Fund for Adults.

The Communities Mental Health and Wellbeing Fund for Adults is managed and distributed locally by Third Sector Interfaces (TSIs) across Scotland. Voluntary Action South Lanarkshire (VASLAN), the TSI for South Lanarkshire, was awarded £881,768 in Year 3 of the Fund to distribute to local projects. A full list of projects which received funding in Year 3 can be found on the Scottish Government website at:

Communities Mental Health and Wellbeing Fund for Adults Projects awarded funding Year 3 - 2023/2024

In Year 4 VASLAN were awarded £890,697.55. We do not yet have the list of projects funded in this year, as TSIs are due to submit their end of year reports by 31 March 2025. A full list of projects funded in Year 4 will be made available on the Scottish Government website thereafter.

Question reference: S6O-04414

Asked by: Clare Haughey, MSP for Rutherglen, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 05 March 2025
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 12 March 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to protect the value of provenance in the Scottish food and drinks industry.

Question reference: S6W-34394

Asked by: Clare Haughey, MSP for Rutherglen, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 03 February 2025
Current Status: Answered by Maree Todd on 3 March 2025

To ask the Scottish Government how many clinical staff of all grades have been employed by NHS Lanarkshire in child and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS) in each year since 2016.

Question reference: S6W-34393

Asked by: Clare Haughey, MSP for Rutherglen, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 03 February 2025
Current Status: Answered by Natalie Don-Innes on 27 February 2025

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the Scottish National Party 2021 manifesto commitment to fund the refurbishment of playparks, how many of these are located in the Rutherglen constituency, and how much it will cost to refurbish these.

The Scottish Government is investing £60 million to renew play parks in Scotland, so children have access to free, high-quality outdoor play in their own communities. We have already committed £35 million since May 2021. The funding is distributed to local authority partners to manage play park renewals based on local needs and priorities.

The allocation per year for South Lanarkshire is:

Local Authority	Allocation for 2021-22	Allocation for 2022-23	Allocation for 2023-24	Allocation for 2024-25
South Lanarkshire Council	£298,000	£296,000	£597,000	£896,000

The Scottish Government does not hold play park information by constituency. Local authorities report annually every April on the number of play parks that they have renewed. Local authority partners have confirmed that all funding provided to date is allocated to the current and future renewal of play parks that have been identified by the local authority in need of improvement. To date, the figures reported for South Lanarkshire are:

Local Authority	Play parks renewed in 2021-22	Play parks renewed in 2022-23	Play parks renewed in 2023-24
South Lanarkshire Council	0	0	12

Question reference: S6O-04389

Asked by: Clare Haughey, MSP for Rutherglen, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 26 February 2025
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 5 March 2025

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the UK Government increasing employer national insurance contributions, how it is supporting local authority finances.

Question reference: S6O-04377

Asked by: Clare Haughey, MSP for Rutherglen, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 19 February 2025
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 27 February 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the impact of the rise in employer national insurance contributions on local authority partnership early learning and childcare settings.

Question reference: S6W-34934

Asked by: Clare Haughey, MSP for Rutherglen, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 12 February 2025
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Current Status: Initiated by the Scottish Government. Answered by Neil Gray on 13 February 2025

To ask the Scottish Government when the report of the Nursing and Midwifery Taskforce will be published.

The Nursing and Midwifery Taskforce was established to build on efforts to make Scotland the best place for nurses and midwives to come and work. The Taskforce brought together a number of stakeholders to work collaboratively, focusing on recruitment as well as the retention of the existing workforce.

A key priority for the Taskforce was to ensure that the voice of nursing and midwifery staff and students was heard to identify what was important for them. This was achieved through the Listening Project, which held extensive engagement with staff across Scotland.

The Listening Project report will be published on 13 February 2025 on the Scottish Government website here: https://www.gov.scot/isbn/9781836912637

The voice of nursing and midwifery staff heard through the Listening Project informed the 44 recommended actions agreed by the Nursing and Midwifery Taskforce. The recommended actions focus on improving workplace culture, practice, flexibility, recruitment, and retention, as well as diversifying education and training pathways to support long-term workforce sustainability.

The full report of the Nursing and Midwifery Taskforce will be published on 13 February 2025 on the Scottish Government website here: https://www.gov.scot/isbn/9781836913290

The next phase of the taskforce will focus on implementation. A ministerially chaired implementation group will oversee development of a workplan detailing activities and timelines for delivering the recommended actions.

Question reference: S6O-04340

Asked by: Clare Haughey, MSP for Rutherglen, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 12 February 2025
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 20 February 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions the social justice secretary has had with the UK Government regarding the Women Against State Pension Inequality campaign and potential compensation for women in Scotland.

Question reference: S6O-04306

Asked by: Clare Haughey, MSP for Rutherglen, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 29 January 2025
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 6 February 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to increase bus patronage in South Lanarkshire.