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-44243

Asked by: Rachael Hamilton, MSP for Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 11 March 2026
Current Status: Answered by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 19 March 2026

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide information on any further action that the working group it established following the UK Supreme Court’s judgment in the For Women Scotland v The Scottish Ministers case has assessed as necessary to ensure that all public bodies are providing single-sex spaces.

Public bodies, as both employers and service providers, are responsible for ensuring that they comply with all relevant legal obligations. Following the UK Supreme Court’s judgment in FWS v Scottish Ministers, this duty specifically includes compliance with the Equality Act 2010. It is for each organisation to ensure that its policies and practices are legally compliant, and for the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC), the regulator of the Act, to oversee and enforce compliance.

The EHRC’s revised Code of Practice for services, public functions and associations is currently with the UK Government for approval before it is laid in the UK Parliament for scrutiny. The Scottish Government responded to the EHRC’s public consultation on 25 July 2025 and continues to engage with the UK Government as the draft code progresses. We have been clear that, as the regulator of the Equality Act 2010, the EHRC has an important role in providing clarity for public bodies in this complex area of law, and that the Code will provide an opportunity for this clarity.

Question reference: S6W-44244

Asked by: Rachael Hamilton, MSP for Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 11 March 2026
Current Status: Answered by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 19 March 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what the total cost to date is of the working group it established following the UK Supreme Court’s judgment in the For Women Scotland v The Scottish Ministers case.

The Supreme Court Working Group is part of the Scottish Government’s core business, and its work does not create additional costs for the public. Meetings are held in a hybrid format, allowing members to join either online or in person as part of their normal duties.

When members attend in person, meetings take place in existing Scottish Government buildings, so no venue costs are incurred. No catering is provided, and members cannot claim expenses for travel to their usual place of work. This means that members do not incur, and cannot claim, any extra costs for attending these meetings.

Question reference: S6W-44242

Asked by: Rachael Hamilton, MSP for Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 11 March 2026
Current Status: Answered by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 19 March 2026

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the actions taken by the working group it established following the UK Supreme Court’s judgment in the For Women Scotland v The Scottish Ministers case, to ensure that all public bodies are providing single-sex spaces.

Public bodies, as both employers and service providers, are responsible for ensuring that they comply with all relevant legal obligations. Following the UK Supreme Court’s judgment in FWS v Scottish Ministers, this duty specifically includes compliance with the Equality Act 2010. It is for each organisation to ensure that its policies and practices are legally compliant, and for the Equality and Human Rights Commission, the regulator of the Act, to oversee and enforce compliance.

The Scottish Government - as both an organisation and an employer - must also ensure full compliance with the Supreme Court judgment. The Supreme Court Working Group continues to coordinate and drive the programme of work required as a consequence of the judgment, including the updating of relevant legislation, guidance, and internal policies. Actions delivered by the group are published on the Scottish Government website - UK Supreme Court Judgment (For Women Scotland Ltd v The Scottish Ministers): working group - gov.scot

Question reference: S6W-44246

Asked by: Rachael Hamilton, MSP for Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 11 March 2026
Current Status: Answered by Ivan McKee on 18 March 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the recent consultation on extending permitted development rights to support the provision of new homes.

The consultation closed on 27 October last year. Analysis of the responses has now been completed and a summary of the responses has been published on the Scottish Government Website

Respondents to the consultation provided a wide variety of views in relation to options to amend the existing permitted development rights (PDR) for the conversion of agricultural and forestry buildings to residential use.

There was limited support for, and significant opposition to, the introduction of PDR for new-build homes in rural areas.

The vast majority of respondents opposed the idea of introducing PDR for ‘town centre living’, although some respondents supported the option.

After carefully considering all of the responses received, we have decided not to make changes to the permitted development rights at this time.

Question reference: S6W-44241

Asked by: Rachael Hamilton, MSP for Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 11 March 2026
Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 18 March 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what its policy is regarding the cross-border referral of patients to facilities in England for routine healthcare treatment when waiting lists in NHS boards in Scotland exceed referral-to-treatment standards.

Question reference: S6W-44337

Asked by: Rachael Hamilton, MSP for Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 12 March 2026
Current Status: Answered by Mairi McAllan on 17 March 2026

To ask the Scottish Government when it plans to undertake an assessment of the impact of the Housing (Scotland) Act 2025 on rural and island communities, as required by section 81 of that Act.

Section 81 of the Housing (Scotland) Act 2025 requires the Scottish Ministers to conduct a rural and island communities impact assessment of the provisions of the Act no later than 6 November 2026.

A report of the findings will be laid before the Scottish Parliament and published with a statement of the action, if any, the Scottish Ministers intend to take as a result of the impact assessment by that date.

Question reference: S6W-44351

Asked by: Rachael Hamilton, MSP for Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 12 March 2026
Current Status: Answer expected on 25 March 2026

To ask the Scottish Government whether local authorities are required to undertake formal risk assessments before introducing one-to-one digital device programmes in schools.

Question reference: S6W-44349

Asked by: Rachael Hamilton, MSP for Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 12 March 2026
Current Status: Answer expected on 25 March 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to ensure that local authorities comply with data protection requirements when using educational technology platforms that process children’s personal data.

Question reference: S6W-44354

Asked by: Rachael Hamilton, MSP for Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 12 March 2026
Current Status: Answer expected on 25 March 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to roll out the distribution of lockable pouches to restrict mobile phone usage in local authorities across Scotland, following the pilot projects in Queensferry and Portobello high schools.

Question reference: S6W-44357

Asked by: Rachael Hamilton, MSP for Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 12 March 2026
Current Status: Answer expected on 25 March 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what clinical governance arrangements are in place across NHS Scotland to oversee decision-making regarding extended, blanket and targeted antifungal prophylactic medications, including posaconazole, to prevent infection from water or airborne bacteria during cancer therapy.