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-41593

Asked by: Craig Hoy, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 03 November 2025
Current Status: Answered by Angus Robertson on 17 November 2025

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of its paper A Fresh Start with Independence and its proposed strategy for establishing a new currency in an independent Scotland, whether its policy for such a currency would include a formal convertibility guarantee to ensure that a Scottish pound would be exchanged at a fixed rate for sterling.

The Scottish Government’s proposals for the currency of an independent Scotland are highlighted in A Fresh Start with independence , and set out in detail in the Currency and fiscal policy section of Building a new Scotland: A Stronger economy with independence.

On independence, Scotland would continue to use the pound sterling for a period, before moving to the Scottish pound. The decision about when to do this would be taken by the Scottish Parliament, guided by transparent criteria and economic conditions, rather than a fixed timetable.

Decisions about the Scottish pound would also be made by the elected government and parliament at that time. Those would include the precise form of the currency regime for a Scottish pound including a fixed or floating exchange rate, informed by analysis and advice from the Scottish Central Bank.

Question reference: S6W-41636

Asked by: Maurice Golden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 03 November 2025
Current Status: Answered by Gillian Martin on 17 November 2025

To ask the Scottish Government how apprenticeships and vocational qualifications will be updated to include circular skills, as discussed in the Draft Circular Economy Strategy for Scotland.

The Scottish Government is integrating sustainability and green skills, such as circularity, into apprenticeships in Scotland to ensure the system remains flexible and relevant as we transition to net zero.

There is strong emphasis on the delivery of apprenticeships in the sectors that are most vital to Scotland’s economy and society. These include those that support the transition to net zero, and are most likely to result in high quality, long-term employment and meaningful career pathways for participants.

Our apprenticeship programme aims to contribute to supporting net zero emissions by 2045 and Skills Development Scotland has committed to influence the skills system to be responsive to the climate emergency and help embed sustainability into learning provision.

Question reference: S6W-41561

Asked by: Patrick Harvie, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Monday, 03 November 2025
Current Status: Holding Answer by Ivan McKee on 17 November 2025

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-40836 by Jackson Carlaw, on behalf of the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body (SPCB), on 28 October 2025, what its position is on whether there is a need for a Scottish Procurement Policy note to ensure that the SPCB and other public bodies implement a package of boycotts, divestment and sanctions, in light of motion S6M-18686 as amended on 3 September 2025, and when any such note will be issued.

Question reference: S6W-41647

Asked by: Pam Gosal, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 03 November 2025
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 17 November 2025

To ask the Scottish Government when it plans to publish updated statistics on domestic abuse recorded by Police Scotland for the fiscal year 2024-25.

Question reference: S6W-41405

Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 20 October 2025
Current Status: Answered by Mairi McAllan on 17 November 2025

To ask the Scottish Government of the 21 transfers of engagements of housing associations approved and actioned across Scotland since 2010, which of those involved (a) the transfer of a community-based housing association (CBHA) to a neighbouring CBHA, thereby retaining local accountability and (b) the transfer of a CBHA to a larger registered social landlord.

Question reference: S6W-41415

Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 20 October 2025
Current Status: Answered by Mairi McAllan on 17 November 2025

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will instruct Glasgow City Council and all of the city’s registered social landlords to establish a common housing register, either on a single city wide or on a district basis.

The Scottish Government supports the establishment of a Common Housing Register in Glasgow either city wide or on a district basis, where Glasgow City Council and housing associations involved are in agreement that this is the best way to manage their allocation policies.

The Housing (Scotland) Act 2001 provides Ministers with powers to require the establishment of common housing registers (to be exercised where appropriate). However, reflecting the role of local authorities and housing associations in determining the most effective way to manage allocations in their area, since 2001 CHRs have been developed on a voluntary basis, with 16 currently in operation.

Question reference: S6W-41417

Asked by: Richard Leonard, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 20 October 2025
Current Status: Answered by Ivan McKee on 17 November 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what representations it has made to the UK Government regarding the release of reserve funds to pension scheme members of the British Coal Staff Superannuation Scheme.

Question reference: S6W-41855

Asked by: Clare Haughey, MSP for Rutherglen, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 13 November 2025
Current Status: Initiated by the Scottish Government. Answered by Jenni Minto on 14 November 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what progress has been made towards its commitment to review the law on abortion to ensure that abortion services are a healthcare matter.

The Scottish Government committed in our Programme for Government 2023-24 to ensuring that abortion services are first and foremost a healthcare matter.

That is why in August 2024 I established an Expert Group chaired by Professor Anna Glasier, the Scottish Government’s Women’s Health Champion, to provide an independent assessment of the current law on abortion and, if appropriate, make recommendations for reform. The independent Expert Group’s report has been published today.

The Group examined the current law, and reviewed international examples, stakeholder contributions and other evidence. It sets out 36 recommendations for the Scottish Government to consider and the minutes for the Expert Group meetings, along with their terms of reference, can be found here.

The report represents the views of the independent Expert Group, and it will form only one part of the overall review.

The Scottish Government will now begin its own programme of stakeholder engagement on these recommendations with the many individuals and organisations interested in this subject. I am clear that any future consideration of legislative proposals would also be subject to a full public consultation.

Question reference: S6W-41627

Asked by: Carol Mochan, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 31 October 2025
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 14 November 2025

To ask the Scottish Government whether it has conducted any recent analysis of the economic value of the A77.

The South West Scotland Transport Study (SWSTS) was undertaken as an advance study to feed in to the second Strategic Transport Projects Review (STPR2) and published in March 2020. It considered the rationale for improvements to road, rail, public transport and active travel on the key strategic corridors including those served by the A77.

As part of the study, a specialist Heavy Goods Vehicle survey noted the range of goods being transported along the A77 between Ayr and Cairnryan from which it was estimated that the value of goods was approximately £10 million per day (2019 estimate).

The importance of the A77 to the economy is recognised by its inclusion in Recommendation 40 of STPR2 which recommends safety, resilience and reliability improvements are made on the A75 and A77 strategic road corridors. These improvements will support economic development in South West of Scotland to benefit the economy and local communities.

Question reference: S6W-41805

Asked by: Tim Eagle, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 11 November 2025
Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 14 November 2025

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-34824 by Neil Gray on 26 February 2025, how many additional GPs were recruited as a direct result of the £13.6 million that it announced on 29 November 2024 to support the retention and recruitment of GPs.

On 29 November 2024 Scottish Government announced an additional £13.6 million would be invested as part of the General Medical Services uplift in General Practice to support GPs to retain and recruit key staff. This additional funding was to address known financial pressures, support staff costs and enable GPs to take on partners and salaried GP staff.

The £13.6 million was allocated to Health Boards for distribution to Health Boards alongside the £59.6 million GMS uplift agreed following the DDRB’s recommendations with £66.89 million of the total put into the Global Sum, £2.31 million into uplifting Income & Expenses Guarantees and £4 million into increasing Enhanced Services funding.

As the £13.6 million was disbursed to GP practices as part of a wider uplift applied to three components of GP practice funding, it is not possible to say whether GPs were recruited as a direct result.