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-32704

Asked by: Annie Wells, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 20 December 2024
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 15 January 2025

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of reported statistics from Cancer Research UK showing that only one in two people in Scotland know that alcohol causes cancer, whether it plans to raise public awareness of the link between alcohol consumption and cancer.

The Scottish Government recognises the importance of highlighting the link between alcohol and non-communicable disease. Evidence is clear that alcohol consumption increases the risk of developing non-communicable diseases, including some cancers.

A refreshed cross-government and cross-sectoral approach to population health - focused on prevention - is being progressed. Increasing healthy life expectancy and reducing health inequalities across Scotland remains a clear ambition for this Government. It is clear the reform of health and care services alone will not be enough to stem the current tide of population health decline in Scotland.

The Population Health Framework is being developed jointly by the Scottish Government & COSLA and in collaboration with Public Health Scotland, Directors of Public Health and key local, regional and national partners. The Scottish Government will set out key actions to reduce alcohol harm following the Population Health Framework, including the role of public health messaging and awareness.

Question reference: S6W-32703

Asked by: Annie Wells, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 20 December 2024
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 15 January 2025

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide update on progress against the action in its Cancer Action Plan for Scotland 2023-26 to give consumers useful information on alcohol product labels by March 2026.

The Scottish Government remains committed to improved health messaging on alcohol in Scotland, including on labels and packaging. The Scottish Government will continue to engage constructively with the UK Government, along with our colleagues in Wales and Northern Ireland devolved administrations, in relation to progressing work on alcohol labelling.

In July 2024, the Scottish Government published the first annual progress report on the Cancer Action Plan 2023-26. The next progress report of the Cancer Action Plan is due to be published in the summer 2025. Additionally, the Population Health Framework will consider key actions to improve population health, including on alcohol harm prevention, in line with World Health Organisation guidance on reducing the affordability, attractiveness and availability of alcohol.

Question reference: S6W-33217

Asked by: Annie Wells, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 13 January 2025
Current Status: Answer expected on 27 January 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what data will be (a) collated and (b) published from the safer drug consumption facility, The Thistle.

Question reference: S6W-33157

Asked by: Annie Wells, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 10 January 2025
Current Status: Answer expected on 24 January 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is to taking address the presence of "drug dens" in Glasgow.

Question reference: S6W-33155

Asked by: Annie Wells, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 10 January 2025
Current Status: Answer expected on 24 January 2025

To ask the Scottish Government how it is encouraging people to get their vaccinations this current flu season.

Question reference: S6W-33153

Asked by: Annie Wells, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 10 January 2025
Current Status: Answer expected on 24 January 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what its resonse is to reported concerns that elements of the new Parkhead Hub facilities in Glasgow are not a friendly environment for dementia patients.

Question reference: S6W-33156

Asked by: Annie Wells, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 10 January 2025
Current Status: Answer expected on 24 January 2025

To ask the Scottish Government how it is working to protect children in environments where illicit drug use is common among adult and/or parental figures.

Question reference: S6W-33154

Asked by: Annie Wells, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 10 January 2025
Current Status: Answer expected on 24 January 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what it is doing to improve access to vaccines across all age groups this current flu season.

Question reference: S6W-32545

Asked by: Annie Wells, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 19 December 2024
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 10 January 2025

To ask the Scottish Government how it is working with the UK Government to tackle the illicit drugs trade in Scotland.

The Scottish Government continues to work closely with the UK Government to disrupt organised crime groups involved in the illicit drugs trade and the misery it causes to individuals and communities. As I explained in my answer to Parliamentary Question S6W-32543 on 10 January 2025, we had previously promoted a Legislative Consent Memorandum in the Scottish Parliament in relation to the provisions in the previous UK Government’s Criminal Justice Bill creating a new offence of importing, making, adapting, supplying or offering to supply a relevant article for use in serious crime. This offence would have included pill presses in addition to other articles but the legislation fell due to the change of administration.

My officials are continuing to engage with the Home Office to explore the potential for this offence, and others that disrupt aspects of the illicit drug trade such as cuckooing, to be taken forward in one of the bills that will be introduced in early 2025. In the event that such legislation is brought forward, we will give careful consideration to the possibility of extending such measures to Scotland.

All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers

Question reference: S6W-32543

Asked by: Annie Wells, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 19 December 2024
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 10 January 2025

To ask the Scottish Government how it has been working with Police Scotland to tackle the modification of vehicles for the concealment of illicit drugs.

We had previously promoted a Legislative Consent Memorandum in the Scottish Parliament in relation to the provisions in the previous UK Government’s Criminal Justice Bill creating an offence for importing, making, adapting, supplying or offering to supply a relevant article for use in serious crime. This offence would have included vehicle concealments as an article of serious crime but the legislation fell due to the change of administration.

My officials are continuing to engage with the Home Office on its legislative proposals. I hope that this offence will be taken forward in one of the bills that will be introduced in early 2025.

Police Scotland will be also be kept informed as soon as any legislation is developed.