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.

Find out more about parliamentary questions

Filter your results Hide all filters

Displaying 45895 questions Show Answers

Order by |

Question reference: S6W-35185

Asked by: Pam Duncan-Glancy, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 25 February 2025
Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 5 March 2025

To ask the Scottish Government how many patients were on waiting lists for rheumatology services (a) in total and (b) for over three months, in each of the last five years.

Public Health Scotland's (PHS) Stage of treatment (Sot) Publication provides statistics on the length of time patients wait to be seen as a new outpatient or admitted for treatment as an inpatient or day case The latest publication release contains data to quarter ending 31 December 2024

Longer trend information can be found in the following tables:

New outpatient appointments (‘1.6 Table’): https://publichealthscotland.scot/media/31761/newop_mar25.xlsx

Inpatient or day case admission (‘2.6 Table’): https://publichealthscotland.scot/media/31760/ipdc_mar25.xlsx

Question reference: S6W-34850

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 19 February 2025
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 5 March 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what the average length of the local authority funding settlement has been since 2014-15, and what consideration it has had to introducing three-year settlements.

The average length of the local authority funding settlement since 2014-15 has been one year.

The opportunities of introducing three-year settlements are well understood but there are significant financial risks of doing so without the equivalent clarity from the UK Government given prominence of the adjusted block grant in the Scottish Government’s funding position. It is hoped that the conclusion of the UK Government’s Spending review later this year will create the foundations to allow the Scottish Government to adopt a multi-year approach to funding public services in Scotland. This will be taken forward through the next Scottish Spending Review.

Question reference: S6W-35049

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 19 February 2025
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 5 March 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what measures it will implement to prevent any service reductions in local government as a result of reported funding shortfalls.

The 2025-26 Scottish Budget will deliver record funding of over £15 billion for Local Authorities, a 4.7 per cent real terms increase, along with full discretion over Council Tax.

More frequent and meaningful budget engagement with COSLA and Councils was fundamental to informing the record funding settlement made available to Local Government in the Scottish Budget 2025-26.

Ultimately it is the responsibility of individual local authorities to manage their own budgets and to allocate the total financial resources available to them, on the basis of local needs and priorities but Scottish Ministers remain committed to ongoing meaningful engagement to ensure the sustainability of local services.

Question reference: S6W-35057

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 19 February 2025
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 5 March 2025

To ask the Scottish Government whether any local authorities are receiving special support beyond that which is offered to all local authorities to meet their particular budget issues.

Whilst the vast majority of funding distributed to councils through the Local Government Settlement is distributed using a needs-based formula, including factors such as population, rurality, road length and deprivation, there are a number of discrete funding lines to respond to specific local needs both within and out with the Local Government Settlement.

These include, but are not restricted to, specific funding for inter-island connectivity is currently only available to councils with island communities and specific grants are provided for Vacant and Derelict Land and Regional Transport Partnerships in specific local authorities. Such funding streams are included in the Local government finance circulars - gov.scot which will be published once the Local Government Finance (Scotland) Order is agreed by the Scottish Parliament.

Question reference: S6W-34848

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 19 February 2025
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 5 March 2025

To ask the Scottish Government how many public services have been transferred from local authorities to its agencies or non-departmental public bodies since 1999, and which services have been affected.

Question reference: S6W-34845

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 19 February 2025
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 5 March 2025

To ask the Scottish Government on what date its most recent stroke awareness campaign was launched, and what evaluation it carried out on its effectiveness.

The Scottish Government provided funding to Chest Heart and Stroke Scotland in 2018 to support a stroke awareness campaign. This was managed by Chest Heart and Stroke Scotland and delivered via NHS Boards. Scottish Government does not hold an evaluation of this campaign.

Chest Heart and Stroke Scotland launched a public FAST awareness campaign on 30 October 2024; World Stroke Day. Further information can be found at:

https://www.chss.org.uk/news/chest-heart-stroke-scotland-launches-new-f-a-s-t-campaign-to-improve-stroke-awareness/

Question reference: S6W-35069

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 19 February 2025
Current Status: Answered by Kate Forbes on 5 March 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the economic and employment impact of the UK Government’s reported plans to support the steel sector in Scotland with reduced electricity costs compared to any absence of targeted support for the Grangemouth refinery.

The Plan for Steel hasn’t been published yet so the Scottish Government has not made an assessment of reported plans for the UK Government to support Scotland’s steel sector. An assessment of confirmed UK Government plans and support will be made following the publication of The Plan for Steel. The Scottish Government will be contributing to the steel strategy consultation; and we will continue to represent the sector, including via my membership on the UK Steel Council.

In addition to the Scottish Government’s previously announced Grangemouth Just Transition Fund, which will support the transition of the industrial cluster in its entirety to help secure a long-term and sustainable future, the Scottish Government has announced £25 million targeted investment for the vitally important Scottish industrial site.

Question reference: S6W-35053

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 19 February 2025
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 5 March 2025

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on what guidance it provides to local authorities regarding appropriate disciplinary measures for violent or abusive behaviour by pupils towards teachers and school staff.

Question reference: S6W-35054

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 19 February 2025
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 5 March 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what national measures are being taken to address reported increasing concerns over poor pupil behaviour and abuse towards staff in schools, in light of the industrial action at Kirkintilloch High School.

Question reference: S6W-35052

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 19 February 2025
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 5 March 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to review existing policies on classroom discipline and pupil behaviour management, in light of reported concerns raised by teachers about insufficient consequences for disruptive behaviour.