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-35633

Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 13 March 2025
Current Status: Answered by Maree Todd on 27 March 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to ensure that unpaid carers have (a) timely access to social care support and (b) breaks from caring.

Local authorities have duties under the Carers (Scotland) Act 2016 to provide adult carer support plans or young carer statements for any carer that wants one and to provide support to carers according to their eligible needs. These responsibilities are set out in the Carers’ Charter.

We are working to establish a right to breaks from caring through the Care Reform (Scotland) Bill, to support people to protect their wellbeing and sustain caring relationships. The Bill creates a right to personalised breaks support for any carer who is not currently able to access ‘sufficient breaks’ – accessed via their personalised plan under the Carers Act. It ensures that being able to take sufficient breaks from providing care is an “identified personal outcome” of every carer – and that where a carer is unable to take such breaks, the need for support is an “identified need” of the carer. This amends the Carers Act to require local authorities to determine whether a carer is able to take sufficient breaks from their caring role; and if not, to provide support to enable them to take sufficient breaks.

The Bill (as amended at Stage 2)sections 38A and 38B creates new requirements for Ministers to make regulations setting timescales for local authorities to prepare adult carer support plans and young carer statements for all carers .Statutory guidance states that these should be delivered in “an efficient and timely manner.” Local authorities already have a duty to provide such plans within 10 working days for carers looking after someone with a terminal illness. The intention of sections 38A and 38B is to enable all carers to access support under the Carers (Scotland) Act 2016 – including under the proposed right to breaks - in a timely fashion and ensure more consistent national delivery.

Ahead of the new legislation, the Scottish Government is increasing the voluntary sector short breaks funding by £5million to a total of £13million for 2025-26. This is expected to support up to 15,000 additional people to be able take short breaks away from their caring responsibilities.

Question reference: S6W-35655

Asked by: Alex Cole-Hamilton, MSP for Edinburgh Western, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Thursday, 13 March 2025
Current Status: Answered by Maree Todd on 27 March 2025

To ask the Scottish Government when the joint visits by Healthcare Improvement Scotland and the Mental Welfare Commission for Scotland to all adolescent in-patient units and the national child in-patient unit will begin, and how often these joint visits will be carried out.

The Scottish Government has asked Healthcare Improvement Scotland (HIS) and the Mental Welfare Commission (MWC) to undertake joint inspections of all child and adolescent inpatient units in Scotland as a matter of priority.

Neil Gray, Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care and myself met with both organisations in March to discuss this. HIS and the MWC are working jointly to establish these inspections. The inspections will start once a robust plan has been agreed, ensuring effective oversight of the quality and safety of these services. We expect that this will become a regular programme of inspections depending on the recommendations made from the initial round.

Question reference: S6O-04534

Asked by: Kevin Stewart, MSP for Aberdeen Central, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 26 March 2025
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 3 April 2025

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the potential impact of the UK Government’s Spring Statement on the Scottish Budget.

Question reference: S6O-04529

Asked by: Liz Smith, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, 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 whether it will provide an update on the Protecting Vulnerable Groups scheme, including the most recent data for the number of registered persons with PVG certificates.

Question reference: S6O-04532

Asked by: Douglas Lumsden, MSP for North East Scotland, 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 whether it will provide an update on when it will publish its Energy Strategy and Just Transition Plan.

Question reference: S6O-04531

Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 26 March 2025
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 3 April 2025

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will accelerate the full implementation of bus franchising powers in the Transport (Scotland) Act 2019.

Question reference: S6O-04533

Asked by: Martin Whitfield, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 26 March 2025
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 3 April 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the impact of the reported rising childcare costs on families, particularly those on low and middle incomes, in light of recent research by the Coram Family and Childcare charity.

Question reference: S6O-04528

Asked by: Daniel Johnson, MSP for Edinburgh Southern, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 26 March 2025
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 3 April 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on the reported prevalence and trend of crimes committed where the perpetrator was wearing a disguise, particularly in relation to antisocial behaviour.

Question reference: S6O-04535

Asked by: Michael Marra, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 26 March 2025
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 3 April 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what it is doing to ensure adequate provision of teaching staff in secondary schools in Dundee.

Question reference: S6O-04530

Asked by: Richard Leonard, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 26 March 2025
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 3 April 2025

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on staffing at ScotRail ticket offices.