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-37429

Asked by: Jeremy Balfour, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 07 May 2025
Current Status: Answered by Jim Fairlie on 12 May 2025

To ask the Scottish Government how many people have registered under the Scottish Kept Bird Register, and whether it will provide a breakdown of the number of (a) poultry, (b) birds of prey and (c) other captive birds.

As of 8 May 2025, there are 10,786 bird keepers registered on the Scottish Kept Bird Register. In total, they have registered 15,539,346 birds. 15,393,511 of these birds are classified as poultry (which are defined as birds kept for the production of meat or eggs for consumption, or other products, or for restocking and breeding programmes). This category includes chickens, turkeys, ducks, gamebirds and geese. 3,383 of the registered birds are birds of prey and 142, 450 are captive birds of other species.

Question reference: S6W-37428

Asked by: Jeremy Balfour, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 07 May 2025
Current Status: Answered by Jim Fairlie on 12 May 2025

To ask the Scottish Government whether it has plans to make the Scottish Kept Birds Register publicly searchable, and, if not, for what reason.

The Scottish Government has no plans to make the Scottish Kept Birds Register publicly searchable.

The Scottish Kept Bird Register is a mandatory register for bird keepers in Scotland under the Avian Influenza (Preventive Measures) (Scotland) Amendment Order 2024. It was established to allow Scottish Government and its deliver body, the Animal and Plant Health Agency, to send vital biosecurity information to bird keepers to minimise the risk of the spread of notifiable avian diseases, particularly highly pathogenic avian influenza. The register also supports mandatory surveillance activities during disease outbreaks. The information has also been used to help support public health response in the offer of vaccinations to poultry keepers.

In accordance with Data Protection Act 2018 a commitment was made to those registering, in the Scottish Kept Bird Register Privacy Notice, as to how the data collected would be used. This can be summarised as to determine the size and location of the kept bird population in Scotland, for communication and disease control activities during notifiable avian disease outbreaks, and for promoting bird welfare and public health.

To make this data public would be in breach of the Data Protection Act of 2018, as the Scottish Government would be unable to control the uses to which the data was being put. The Scottish Government is legally required to make arrangements to ensure that the data collected is retained securely and protected from data breach. This is in common with registers for other animals and livestock across Scotland held by Scottish Government.

Question reference: S6W-37333

Asked by: Jeremy Balfour, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 08 May 2025
Current Status: Answer expected on 22 May 2025

To ask the Scottish Government for what reason the number of Child Winter Heating Payments reportedly increased by 115% during the winter of 2024-25, compared with 2020-21.

Question reference: S6O-04642

Asked by: Jeremy Balfour, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 07 May 2025
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 14 May 2025

To ask the Scottish Government how it is working with the music sector to enable up-and-coming artists to hold concerts in Scotland.

Question reference: S6W-35938

Asked by: Jeremy Balfour, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 20 March 2025
Current Status: Answered by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 25 April 2025

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of concerns raised by Young Lives vs Cancer regarding the three-month qualifying period for disability benefits for children and young people diagnosed with cancer, what consideration it has given to removing this, in light of any immediate additional costs that they might face following diagnosis.

We recognise this is a challenging time for families. Our essential support for disabled people helps cover the costs of basic everyday living tasks. The qualifying period – which similarly applies in UK disability benefits - ensures this support is targeted to those with long-term conditions. A change to qualifying periods could undermine the fundamental purpose of Disability Assistance.

People don’t need to wait three months to apply for Child or Adult Disability Payment – they can apply as their needs happen. They also don’t need a diagnosis – if they have had the level of needs for 13 weeks when they apply, entitlement starts straight away.

The Young Patients Family Fund helps families of young inpatients cover costs of travel, food and/or accommodation and patient travel expenses reimbursement schemes support families with costs of travelling to hospital appointments. Carers receiving Carer Support Payment (CSP) can have a temporary break from caring if the person they care for is in hospital and still receive CSP. Additionally, the Children, Young People, Families and Adult Learning fund provides third sector funding to improve emotional wellbeing of young cancer patients and their families and reduce financial worries.

Question reference: S6W-36324

Asked by: Jeremy Balfour, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 01 April 2025
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 22 April 2025

To ask the Scottish Government whether Caledonian Sleeper has shared with it the timeframe for replacing the fold-out tables in individual berths to enable customers to consume hot drinks without the current reported risk to their health or safety.

Question reference: S6W-36323

Asked by: Jeremy Balfour, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 01 April 2025
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 22 April 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to require Caledonian Sleeper to adapt its carriages so that all of them are capable of having a portable ramp fitted for the safe emergency egress of customers with mobility impairments, and, if it plans to make this a requirement, by when.

Caledonian Sleeper currently offers accessible rooms, toilets, and designated seating areas for Persons of Reduced Mobility (PRM) in its carriages. On board ramps operated by Caledonian Sleeper staff enable passengers to enter and exit the carriages, ensuring that the facilities comply with the PRM Technical Standards for Interoperability (TSI) and UK rail safety standards.

Therefore, the Scottish Government has no plans to require Caledonian Sleeper to modify its carriages.

Question reference: S6O-04575

Asked by: Jeremy Balfour, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 16 April 2025
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 24 April 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what steps it can take to reduce the number of teachers on temporary contracts.

Question reference: S6W-35937

Asked by: Jeremy Balfour, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 20 March 2025
Current Status: Answered by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 31 March 2025

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of concerns raised by Young Lives vs Cancer that, currently, there is an average six-month waiting time between a child or young person's cancer diagnosis and their receiving their first disability benefit payment, what action it can take to reduce this.

We fully recognise that this is a challenging time for families. Importantly, no-one needs a formal diagnosis to apply for Child or Adult Disability Payment; decisions about eligibility are based on the individual’s level of needs, rather than a diagnosis.

Once a decision is made the award will commence from the date of application where the conditions of entitlement were met at this point.

We urge anyone applying on behalf of a terminally ill child to use our fast-tracked route so that they and their family can access the maximum level of financial support they are entitled to – quickly and with dignity.

Question reference: S6W-35941

Asked by: Jeremy Balfour, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 20 March 2025
Current Status: Answered by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 31 March 2025

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will review and aim to simplify the disability benefit application process for children and young people diagnosed with cancer, including reducing any delays caused where medical evidence is required to determine eligibility.

For disability benefit applications, Social Security Scotland requires one piece of supporting evidence on an individual’s condition or disability to understand the impact their condition has on their daily life.

Applicants can request Social Security Scotland collects supporting evidence on their behalf. While gathering this information can take time, it allows for robust decision-making.

Social Security Scotland works with Local Authorities, Health Boards and GP practices across the country to make it faster and easier for them to send supporting information. Social Security Scotland also encourages people to provide supporting information which they may not realise they have, such as prescription lists, medical reports, and social care assessments.

The Adult and Child Disability Payment application forms also invite clients to tell Social Security Scotland about any supporting information to allow their application to be processed more efficiently. Supporting Information can be uploaded digitally or sent to Social Security Scotland in the post.

Social Security Scotland has a dedicated application route for terminally ill children and young people, and anyone in Scotland diagnosed with a terminal illness by their healthcare professional can apply for disability benefits under Special Rules for Terminal Illness.

Social Security Scotland has reduced processing times for disability benefits, with latest statistics showing decisions on new applications have been made faster than the previous financial year. Latest statistics can be found at: Social Security Scotland - Statistics.