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: S7W-01138

Asked by: Ariane Burgess, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 17 June 2026
Current Status: Answered by Mairi McAllan on 10 July 2026

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S7W-00298 by Mairi McAllan on 8 June 2026, what discussions it has had with the Highland Council regarding reports that 47 pupils at Rosebank Primary School share two toilet facilities and that none are dedicated for staff, and what assessment it has made of whether these arrangements meet relevant standards and guidance for school accommodation and the welfare of pupils and staff.

While responsibility for managing and maintaining the school estate sits with local authorities, Scottish Government officials continue to engage closely with The Highland Council and remains clear about the importance of ensuring facilities meet relevant standards and provide a safe environment for pupils and staff.

The Council met with parents of Rosebank Primary School pupils on 15 June to discuss the issues raised, including concerns about toilet provision. A further meeting is scheduled for 29 June, where the Council will provide an update on current arrangements and outline its assessment of the improvements it intends to deliver as part of a planned improvement programme for the school.

In the interim, the Council is also exploring the installation of temporary toilet units to help address current pressures. The Scottish Government expects the Council to continue to assess provision carefully and to ensure that both interim and longer-term arrangements meet relevant standards and guidance, with the welfare of pupils and staff remaining the priority.

Question reference: S7W-01140

Asked by: Laura Moodie, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 17 June 2026
Current Status: Answered by Mairi McAllan on 10 July 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what progress it is making to provide a pathway for instrumental music teachers to become registered with the General Teaching Council for Scotland.

The Scottish Government recognises the positive impact that Instrumental Music Instructors play in supporting young people to learn a musical instrument.

I am aware that a range of music stakeholders representing Instrumental Music Instructors (IMIs) have advocated for IMI’s to be registered as Instrumental Music Teachers for some time. That is why we recently undertook a consultation exercise to understand the implications of this change and gather information from a range of partners on the consequences of this change in their respective areas. Following the conclusion of this consultation period I will be reviewing the information gathered with my officials, recognising the complexities which do exist when considering a change of this kind.

Question reference: S7W-01142

Asked by: Ariane Burgess, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 17 June 2026
Current Status: Answered by Stephen Flynn on 10 July 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what rationale it used to set the £50,000 household income threshold for support for home electric vehicle (EV) charging point installation, and whether it plans to review this to ensure that such support is accessible to a wider range of households.

Question reference: S7W-01044

Asked by: Alex Cole-Hamilton, MSP for Edinburgh North Western, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Monday, 15 June 2026
Current Status: Answered by Mairi McAllan on 10 July 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what guidance it provides to schools on responding to incidents involving knives.

Question reference: S7W-01013

Asked by: Alex Cole-Hamilton, MSP for Edinburgh North Western, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Monday, 15 June 2026
Current Status: Answered by Mairi McAllan on 10 July 2026

To ask the Scottish Government how many teachers have been suspended from teaching in each of the last five years.

Question reference: S7W-01015

Asked by: Alex Cole-Hamilton, MSP for Edinburgh North Western, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Monday, 15 June 2026
Current Status: Answered by Mairi McAllan on 10 July 2026

To ask the Scottish Government how many teachers have been dismissed in each of the last five years.

Question reference: S7W-01631

Asked by: Alex Cole-Hamilton, MSP for Edinburgh North Western, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Thursday, 09 July 2026
Current Status: Answer expected on 6 August 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to protect and strengthen additional learning provision for deaf children and young people, including access to specialist teachers, communication support and other educational services, in light of reported concerns regarding reductions in local authority resources and any potential impact on educational outcomes.

Question reference: S7W-01632

Asked by: Thomas Kerr, MSP for Glasgow, Reform UK
Date lodged: Thursday, 09 July 2026
Current Status: Answer expected on 6 August 2026

To ask the Scottish Government, regarding the proposed funding cut to the Women's Service at Murrays Initiative, what assessment it has made of its potential impact on women who have experienced gender-based violence, and what action it will take to ensure that specialist, gender-responsive support services remain available if the proposed reduction in funding proceeds.

Question reference: S7W-01281

Asked by: Kate Nevens, MSP for Edinburgh and Lothians East, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 24 June 2026
Current Status: Answered by Kirsten Oswald on 9 July 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what action it will take to improve the safety and security of mosques and other places of worship, in light of reported attacks targeting Muslims in Edinburgh and the reported wider rise in anti-Muslim hostility, and what support it will make available to communities concerned about their daily safety.

The Scottish Government is clear that everyone should be able to practise their faith safely and free from fear and condemns all forms of religiously motivated violence affecting Muslim communities and places of worship.

We are continuing to work closely with Police Scotland, Muslim communities and local partners to understand the concerns being felt, particularly following recent incidents, and to identify what support may be needed to provide reassurance and enhance security. This includes ongoing dialogue to ensure that responses are informed by the experiences of those directly affected.

We will continue to support communities and work in partnership with local and national organisations to help ensure that places of worship remain safe and that communities feel reassured in their daily lives.

It should be noted that the UK Government’s Places of Worship Protective Security Scheme is available for communities in Scotland, with applications open continuously, and details of how to apply can be found at Protective Security for Mosques Scheme - GOV.UK.

Alongside this, we will continue to consider how our wider work on community safety and resilience, including through the Hate Crime Strategy, can support communities and respond to emerging concerns.

Question reference: S7W-01310

Asked by: Laura Moodie, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 25 June 2026
Current Status: Answered by Stephen Flynn on 9 July 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what engagement it has had with Amey regarding the condition of the footpath alongside the A725 Hamilton Road in East Kilbride; what assessment has been made of its current condition; what steps are being taken to ensure that necessary repairs and vegetation management are carried out within the timescales set out in Amey’s trunk road maintenance contract, and what plans there are to develop this as a core cycle route in line with the East Kilbride Active Travel Network plan.

Transport Scotland’s Operating Company, Amey, has not yet had the opportunity to inspect the footpath to respond to this request. Footway inspections are undertaken every 12 months for this section of footway per the trunk road maintenance contract. The location has been referred for consideration within future maintenance programmes, and Amey’s Landscaping Team will assess the vegetation to determine any maintenance or improvement works required.

Active travel improvements are progressing elsewhere on the A726 in East Kilbride, with further A725 trunk road cycle infrastructure planned, subject to design development, programme coordination and available budgets.