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.

Find out more about parliamentary questions

Filter your results Hide all filters

Displaying 1335 questions Show Answers

Order by |

Question reference: S6O-04443

Asked by: Rachael Hamilton, MSP for Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 12 March 2025
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 19 March 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what steps Historic Environment Scotland is taking to ensure that women have access to a safe working environment.

Question reference: S6W-35425

Asked by: Rachael Hamilton, MSP for Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 05 March 2025
Current Status: Answered by Alasdair Allan on 10 March 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what consideration it is giving to the reported community concerns regarding the culling of feral goats in the Scottish Borders, and whether a form of protected status is a potential option to preserve their existence.

Question reference: S6O-04344

Asked by: Rachael Hamilton, MSP for Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 12 February 2025
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 20 February 2025

To ask the Scottish Government, regarding the application of equalities legislation, what its position is on the provision of single-sex spaces in public sector buildings, including hospitals.

Question reference: S6W-33807

Asked by: Rachael Hamilton, MSP for Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 22 January 2025
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 3 February 2025

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-32157 by Jenni Minto on 23 December 2024, what specific metrics or indicators are being used to track the success of initiatives within the Women’s Health Plan for endometriosis care.

Information about the progress to date against each of the priorities in the Women’s Health Plan can be found in the Women’s Health Plan Final Report.

As we move into the next phase of the Women’s Health Plan, we will consider how best to monitor and evaluate progress over time, which includes engagement with women who have lived experience of endometriosis.

As set out in the Women’s Health Plan, we know that there is a lack of data on women’s health – including endometriosis. Improving data has been one of the key priorities of the first phase of the women’s health plan, to understand the data that are available, the gaps and how we might address them.

The recently published data landscape review sets out a range of publicly available data on the health of women in Scotland and highlights where there are gaps which need to be addressed, including endometriosis. This is just the start of our work to improve women’s health data. Further work will be undertaken to explore the data sources and gaps in more detail.

Question reference: S6W-33801

Asked by: Rachael Hamilton, MSP for Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 22 January 2025
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 3 February 2025

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-32174 by Jenni Minto on 23 December 2024, for what reason data on the percentage of women accessing multidisciplinary care is not routinely collected; whether this will change; if so, when; what timeline has been set to ensure that all NHS boards have established multidisciplinary teams for endometriosis, and how progress will be reported.

We are continuing work to improve the data we have on women’s health so that we can better understand the health of women and girls in Scotland – including endometriosis.

Information on women’s health data in Scotland can be found in the recently published Women’s Health Plan Data Landscape Review. It sets out the range of publicly available data on the health of women in Scotland and highlights where there appear to be gaps. Further work will be undertaken to explore data sources and gaps in more detail.

The endometriosis care pathway for NHS Scotland aims to support healthcare professionals to provide holistic and timely care for those with endometriosis and endometriosis-like symptoms. All NHS Boards should be taking steps to implement the pathway.

As set out in the Pathway, clinicians should consider women’s individual needs in order to determine treatment for example symptoms, aspects of daily living and whether fertility is a priority for that individual.

Question reference: S6W-33811

Asked by: Rachael Hamilton, MSP for Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 22 January 2025
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 3 February 2025

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-32169 by Jenni Minto on 23 December 2024, how it plans to ensure that there is continued investment in endometriosis research beyond the specific research calls listed.

We are committed to ensuring those living with endometriosis are able to access the best possible care and support and that they benefit from healthcare services that are safe, effective and put people at the centre of their care. Endometriosis will continue to be a priority as we develop the next phase of our Women’s Health Plan.

The Chief Scientist Office’s project and fellowship funding schemes continue to welcome applications from across the clinical spectrum, including in Endometriosis.

This funding source is well known across the women’s health research community. Applications looking at the diagnosis, treatment and management of Endometriosis are welcomed and (in common with all other applications) go through CSO’s rigorous independent expert review process to allow funding decisions to be made.

We have recently increased the number of research funding programmes run by the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) open to researchers in Scotland from 4 to 9 Scottish Researchers to be able to access further NIHR research funding – Chief Scientist Officeand have worked to ensure researchers across Scotland are aware of these opportunities. Most of these programmes are open to research across the clinical spectrum, including in Endometriosis.

CSO continues to fund the NHS Research Scotland Reproductive Health and Childbirth Network which supports the delivery of a number of Endometriosis-related clinical studies across the NHS hereStudy Portfolio | NHS Research Scotland | NHS Research Scotland.

Question reference: S6W-33806

Asked by: Rachael Hamilton, MSP for Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 22 January 2025
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 3 February 2025

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-32172 by Jenni Minto on 23 December 2024, what specific data points are being collected to track long-term outcomes; how often any such data will be reviewed, and for what reason it has not reintroduced routine screening for endometriosis, in light of the reported delays in diagnosis.

As stated in question S6W-32172 more information on women’s health data can be found in the recently published data landscape review. It sets out a range of publicly available data on the health of women in Scotland and highlights where there are gaps which need to be addressed. This is just the start of our work to improve women’s health data. Further work will be undertaken to explore the data sources and gaps in more detail.

The Endometriosis Care Pathway for NHS Scotland supports healthcare professionals to provide a holistic approach and timely care for those with endometriosis and endometriosis-like symptoms.

While there is no specific routine screening for Endometriosis, the pathway is clear and advises healthcare professionals to suspect endometriosis in women who present with one or more symptom (including in young women aged 16 and under).

Clinicians are advised to assess women’s individual information and support needs and take into account their circumstances, symptoms, priorities, priority for fertility, aspects of daily living, work and study, cultural background, and their physical, psychosexual and emotional needs.

All NHS Boards should be taking steps to implement the pathway.

Question reference: S6W-33803

Asked by: Rachael Hamilton, MSP for Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 22 January 2025
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 3 February 2025

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-32175 by Jenni Minto on 23 December 2024, what proactive steps are being taken to ensure that women with endometriosis receive timely fertility advice, rather than waiting until conception difficulties arise; what percentage of women currently diagnosed with endometriosis have been referred to fertility specialists, and what the current average waiting time is for referrals to these services.

Data regarding post-diagnosis referral to fertility services is not held by the Scottish Government.

As set out in the Endometriosis Care Pathway for NHS Scotland, clinicians should consider women’s individual needs in order to determine treatment, for example symptoms, aspects of daily living and whether fertility is a priority for that individual. The Pathway notes that discussions regarding fertility should happen in the first presentation and that management and long-term impact including fertility should be discussed during initial assessment.

Question reference: S6W-33815

Asked by: Rachael Hamilton, MSP for Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 22 January 2025
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 3 February 2025

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-32159 by Jenni Minto on 23 December 2024, whether it has considered tracking and reporting how many women in each NHS board are using the menstrual health resource.

Question reference: S6W-33808

Asked by: Rachael Hamilton, MSP for Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 22 January 2025
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 3 February 2025

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-32168 by Jenni Minto on 23 December 2024, in light of funding not being ring-fenced, how it is ensuring that NHS boards prioritise endometriosis care within their overall budgets.

The Scottish Government is providing investment of over £19.5 billion for health and social care in 2024-25 and supporting delivery of the specific actions relating to women’s health as we continue to drive forward the implementation of the Plan.

The Scottish Government provides this baseline funding to NHS Boards, to best meet the healthcare needs of their population, including for women with endometriosis.

Endometriosis is one of the key priorities in the Women’s Health Plan and will continue to be so. Through the implementation of the Women’s Health Plan we have established Women’s Health Lead Network with a Lead in every NHS Board. The Network enables the Leads to identify both common and local challenges and exchange ideas on innovation and best practice, along with discussions on progress to implement the Women’s Health Plan priorities at local level.