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: S6O-04539

Asked by: Sue Webber, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 26 March 2025
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 3 April 2025

To ask the Scottish Government how it monitors the effectiveness of Social Security Scotland.

Question reference: S6O-04524

Asked by: Katy Clark, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 26 March 2025
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 2 April 2025

To ask the Scottish Government how many patients in hospital are waiting for a social care package assessment from North Ayrshire Health and Social Care Partnership.

Question reference: S6W-35716

Asked by: Oliver Mundell, MSP for Dumfriesshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 17 March 2025
Current Status: Answered by Angus Robertson on 26 March 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what consideration has been given to digitalising the M10 Marriage Notice - Scotland form.

I have asked Alison Byrne OBE, Registrar General for Scotland and Chief Executive of National Records of Scotland, to respond. Her response is as follows:

Statutory forms relating to marriage are prescribed by the Registrar General for Scotland with the approval of the Scottish Ministers. The Marriage Notice form (M10) was last amended in 2023. There are currently no plans to review and amend the Marriage Notice form.

National Records of Scotland (NRS) remains committed to improving and modernising its services, evidenced by the increasing number of birth and death registrations now carried out remotely following implementation of the Coronavirus (Recovery and Reform) (Scotland) Act 2022. Further digital improvements will be considered by NRS in the future.

Question reference: S6W-35715

Asked by: Oliver Mundell, MSP for Dumfriesshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 17 March 2025
Current Status: Answered by Angus Robertson on 26 March 2025

To ask the Scottish Government whether it is permissible for private businesses to fund the employment of assistant registrars to carry out marriage ceremonies.

There is no provision in the Registration of Births, Deaths and Marriages (Scotland) Act 1965 allowing for the private funding of assistant registrars to carry out marriage ceremonies.

Under Section 7 of the 1965 Act, every local registration authority (which is also the local authority) shall appoint an appropriately qualified district registrar of births, deaths and marriages for their registration district. A local authority may also appoint additional district, senior and assistant registrars of births, deaths and marriages, for its registration district as it considers necessary. The local authority must consult the Registrar General under the 1965 Act when appointing additional district and senior registrars.

Section 17 of the Marriage (Scotland) Act 1977 permits the Registrar General for Scotland to appoint as many district registrars as is thought necessary for the purpose of affording reasonable facilities for the solemnisation of civil marriages throughout Scotland. The Registrar General may also appoint assistant registrars to districts where a district registrar has been appointed under Section 17. Under the 1977 Act, only district registrars and assistant registrars employed by the local registration authority may conduct civil marriages in Scotland.

Question reference: S6W-35719

Asked by: Ross Greer, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Monday, 17 March 2025
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 26 March 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what measures other than existing patronage numbers are used when considering varying the frequency of rail services on particular routes.

Existing patronage data is the main measure used to determine the necessary frequency on a given line, however various other data sources are consulted to determine the right service level. ScotRail engage with Local Authorities, Regional Transport Partnerships, Housing Developers and the wider Business community to understand current and future markets which may inform varying the frequency of rail services.

Question reference: S6W-35736

Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 17 March 2025
Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 26 March 2025

To ask the Scottish Government how much has been spent on anti-drug campaigns in schools in each year since 1999, broken down by local authority area.

While some schools or local authorities may run localised campaigns, Scottish Government paid-for marketing channels are not used within the school setting. Therefore, there is no recorded spend for Scottish Government marketing for drugs campaigns within schools during this time frame.

We want all young people to be appropriately educated about the harms of substance use, both to themselves and others.

In 2016 the Scottish Government published ‘What works in drugs education and prevention’: 'What Works' in Drug Education and Prevention? - gov.scot

The What Works review advises against mass campaigns about illegal drugs and instead recommends that: … wider programmes that are delivered in schools, which target multiple risk behaviours, help build self-esteem and life skills are more likely to be effective in preventing drug use. This suggests a departure from drug specific education. Generic programmes, such as the Good Behaviour Game, which do not focus on drug/substance use, can be effective in reducing substance use and other problematic behaviours in the long term.

This is why children and young people learn about a variety of substances including alcohol, medicines, drugs, tobacco and solvents in a way that focuses on identifying safe and unsafe behaviours, and learning about the impact that ongoing use can have on a person’s health, future choices and options.

Through application of Curriculum for Excellence they learn that alcohol and drugs can affect people’s ability to make decisions. The aim is to help children and young people make informed personal choices which will help them lead healthy lifestyles now and in the future.

Question reference: S6W-35613

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 12 March 2025
Current Status: Answered by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 26 March 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what proportion of its Budget is projected to be allocated to social security by the end of the decade, and whether it anticipates any need for future tax increases to cover any rising costs.

Based on the latest Scottish Fiscal Commission forecasts, it is estimated that the budget allocated to Social Security will be 14.8% of the Scottish Government’s total Resource Budget by 2029-30. The proportion of the budget which the Scottish Government has chosen to invest in to enhance our Social Security offering, compared to England and Wales (i.e. above the Social Security Block Grant Adjustment), is projected to be 2.6% of the total Scottish Government Resource Budget by 2029-30.

Alongside the 2025-26 Budget the Scottish Government published a Tax Strategy which sets out the next steps in the evolution of the tax landscape in Scotland. This set out that there would be no increases to Income Tax rates or new bands added to the tax system for the remainder of this Parliament.

Question reference: S6W-36258

Asked by: Evelyn Tweed, MSP for Stirling, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 25 March 2025
Current Status: Initiated by the Scottish Government. Answered by Jenni Minto on 26 March 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to further support the delivery of Scotland’s health visiting service and health visitor workforce, in light of their role in supporting early child health and development through a focus on prevention, early intervention and parental wellbeing.

The Scottish Government is committed to ensuring that all pre-school children and their families can access the support of a Health Visitor.

Today we have published a Health Visiting Action Plan for Scotland. Through committing to deliver the action plan in its entirety, we can realise the full value of our health visiting services across Scotland and improve the health, wellbeing and development of our youngest generation.

The action plan can be found at https://www.gov.scot/isbn/9781836912019.

Question reference: S6W-35580

Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 11 March 2025
Current Status: Answered by Angus Robertson on 26 March 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what action it will take to ensure that Hamilton Mausoleum (a) is kept in good condition and (b) will remain open to public visitors in the future.

The Scottish Government understands that Hamilton Mausoleum is a category A listed building owned by South Lanarkshire Council, and is managed and maintained by South Lanarkshire Leisure and Culture SCIO which is a recognised Scottish Charity. It is important to be aware that the owners of listed buildings are responsible for the repair and maintenance of their property.

Regarding the member’s question about public access to the building, I understand that the local authority offers tours available on the second and fourth Saturday of each month from February to November. The local authority would therefore be best placed to provide further information on the upkeep of the property and provide further information on their plans for public visitor access.

Question reference: S6W-35962

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 20 March 2025
Current Status: Answered by Ivan McKee on 26 March 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what its policy is on reducing the number of public bodies, in light of the UK Government’s decision to abolish NHS England and streamline health administration.

Scotland does not have an equivalent body to NHS England, health services are managed by NHS boards, which operate within Scotland’s devolved system of government.

The UK Government’s decision to move the functions of NHS England to the relevant UK government department bring it in line with the situation in Scotland where NHS Scotland is already a part of the core Scottish Government civil service.

Regarding public bodies more widely our programme of Public Service Reform is addressing all opportunities identified to remove duplication from the public sector landscape, including consolidation of public bodies where appropriate and where a value for money case can be made. This work is part of our wider focus on driving a culture of continuous improvement to support efficiency and effectiveness across the delivery of public services.

The Scottish Government has already streamlined the public sector landscape by reducing the number of Scottish public bodies under our control from 199 in 2007 to 131 at the end of 2024. The Ministerial Control Framework also makes clear that establishing any new public bodies should be a last resort, ensuring any new bodies are established only when absolutely necessary.