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-27392

Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 10 May 2024
Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 23 May 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what progress has been made towards the adoption of a single clinical pathway for coeliac disease.

Following the launch of a new national evidence-based pathway for coeliac disease in 2018, we expect all Health Boards to fully implement the Coeliac Disease Pathway in Scotland to improve under diagnosis, time to diagnosis and to ensure dietetic person-centred support for people living with this condition so that they can take control and manage its impact on their health and quality of life.

Our £70 million Endoscopy and Urology Diagnostic Recovery and Renewal Plan is increasing capacity and supporting workforce training. This also includes a commitment to promote and implement guidelines for non-biopsy diagnosis for coeliac disease, which is expected to reduce waiting times for diagnosis for this condition.

Question reference: S6W-27398

Asked by: Russell Findlay, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 10 May 2024
Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 23 May 2024

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide details of (a) the number of paediatric pathologists based in Scotland and (b) any paediatric pathology services that have been acquired from elsewhere in the UK, over the past 24 months.

a) The information requested on how many paediatric pathologists are based in Scotland is not centrally available. Information on paediatric pathologists, employed by NHS Scotland, can be found on the TURAS NHS Education for Scotland workforce statistics site at: NHS Scotland workforce | Turas Data Intelligence.

b) The information requested on any paediatric pathology services that have been acquired from elsewhere in the UK, over the past 24 months is not held centrally.

Question reference: S6W-27418

Asked by: Martin Whitfield, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 10 May 2024
Current Status: Answered by Ivan McKee on 23 May 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what the total percentage is of teachers who are currently not enrolled in a pension scheme.

This information is not collected or held centrally by the Scottish Government.

Whilst the Scottish Public Pensions Agency holds information about teachers who are currently contributing to the Scottish Teachers' Pension scheme, individual local authorities and other employers of teachers such as independent schools and further and higher education bodies will separately hold information on the overall percentage of their employees not enrolled in a pension scheme.

Question reference: S6W-27407

Asked by: Martin Whitfield, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 10 May 2024
Current Status: Answered by Ivan McKee on 23 May 2024

To ask the Scottish Government how it ensures the smooth transition for teachers moving between the Scottish Teachers' Superannuation Scheme (STSS) and the Scottish Teachers' Pension Scheme 2015 (STPS 2015), in order to avoid any loss of pension benefits.

The value of members’ benefits accrued in the Scottish Teachers’ Superannuation Scheme (STSS) are protected by transitional protections on moving to the Scottish Teachers’ Pension Scheme 2015. These protections include a Final Salary Link which provides that members’ final salary pension from the STSS is based on their pensionable salary at the point they finally retire and not at the point they transition to the 2015 Scheme.

Question reference: S6W-27415

Asked by: Martin Whitfield, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 10 May 2024
Current Status: Answered by Ivan McKee on 23 May 2024

To ask the Scottish Government how the Scottish Teachers' Pension Scheme (STPS) compares with pension schemes offered to other public sector workers, and whether there are any plans to harmonise these schemes.

Question reference: S6W-27417

Asked by: Martin Whitfield, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 10 May 2024
Current Status: Answered by Ivan McKee on 23 May 2024

To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to conduct a full review of the Scottish Teachers' Pension Scheme (STPS) in the near future, and, if so, what the key areas of focus will be for any such review.

While Scottish Ministers have executively devolved responsibility for the Scottish Teachers' Pension Scheme (STPS), occupational pensions policy is reserved to the UK Government and is outside the powers of the Scottish Parliament.

The STPS was last reformed in 2015, as provided for under the Public Service Pensions Act 2013. When the 2013 Act was introduced, the UK Government made a commitment that the reforms would be sustained for 25 years. Therefore, the Scottish Government do not intend to carry out a full review of the scheme in the near future, however, we continue to work closely with the Scottish Teachers’ Pension Scheme Advisory Board who advise Scottish Ministers on the desirability of changes to the design of the Scheme.

Question reference: S6W-27414

Asked by: Martin Whitfield, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 10 May 2024
Current Status: Answered by Ivan McKee on 23 May 2024

To ask the Scottish Government whether the recent teacher pay settlements impact the future value of teacher pensions, and, if so, what steps are being taken to mitigate any potential negative effects.

The Scottish Government does not consider there are any potentially negative effects of the recent teacher pay settlement on the future value of teachers pensions. The impact will be taken into account as part of the 2024 scheme actuarial valuation which measures the costs of the benefits being provided and informs the future contribution rates to be paid by employers in order to ensure sustainability.

Question reference: S6W-27409

Asked by: Martin Whitfield, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 10 May 2024
Current Status: Answered by Ivan McKee on 23 May 2024

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of rising living costs, whether it is considering any measures to increase the pension payments for current retirees who are members of the Scottish Teachers' Pension Scheme (STPS).

Question reference: S6O-03509

Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 22 May 2024
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 30 May 2024

To ask the Scottish Government when it will introduce legislation on climate targets, as announced by the net zero secretary in her ministerial statement on 18 April.

Question reference: S6O-03510

Asked by: Karen Adam, MSP for Banffshire and Buchan Coast, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 22 May 2024
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 30 May 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what it is doing to support BSL users across Scotland to access culture, in light of the publication of Scotland’s Census 2022 report on language, which found that 117,300 people can use BSL.