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-00033

Asked by: David Linden, MSP for Glasgow Baillieston and Shettleston, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 14 May 2026
Current Status: Answered by Maree Todd on 26 May 2026

To ask the Scottish Government how it promotes menopause cafes.

Question reference: S7W-00021

Asked by: David Linden, MSP for Glasgow Baillieston and Shettleston, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 14 May 2026
Current Status: Answered by Stephen Flynn on 26 May 2026

To ask the Scottish Government how many rail passengers have used (a) Easterhouse, (b) Garrowhill, (c) Shettleston, (d) Carntyne, (e) Baillieston, (f) Mount Vernon and (g) Carmyle stations in each year since 2022, and what assessment it has made of these figures.

Question reference: S7W-00028

Asked by: David Linden, MSP for Glasgow Baillieston and Shettleston, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 14 May 2026
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 26 May 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to improve the (a) recruitment and (b) retention of the neonatal workforce.

The Scottish Government’s role is to provide strategic leadership for NHS Scotland to ensure a sustainable NHS workforce. Operational matters relating to workforce recruitment and retention, including the neonatal workforce, are the responsibility of individual NHS Boards as employers, and are determined by service needs in line with national, regional and local priorities.

Our Nursing and Midwifery Taskforce was established to help identify gaps and prioritise measures to futureproof our workforce. The Taskforce has agreed a number of recommended actions to ensure nursing and midwifery remain attractive careers and we are working with key stakeholders to implement these. We are also progressing phase 2 of the Future Medical Workforce programme, following publication of the report earlier this year, to help shape the medical workforce going forward.

In addition, the Maternity and Neonatal Taskforce, launched by the Scottish Government in January 2026, provides system-wide strategic oversight of maternity and neonatal services, including workforce concerns.

The Centre for Workforce Supply (CWS) within Public Services Delivery Scotland (PSDS) supports NHS Boards by providing advice and guidance on workforce attraction, recruitment and retention, and by facilitating the sharing of best practice across Boards. In addition, PSDS, in collaboration with the Scottish Neonatal Nurses Group, has developed a national ‘Once for Scotland’ induction and preceptorship package for newly qualified and new-to-specialty neonatal nurses and midwives supporting workforce retention by ensuring consistent skills and knowledge development.

Question reference: S7W-00085

Asked by: Pauline McNeill, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 18 May 2026
Current Status: Answered by Stephen Flynn on 26 May 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of any impact on the wider West of Scotland economy of the road works on the viaduct section of the M8.

The M8 Woodside viaducts occupy a prominent position on the trunk road network and carry up to 150,000 vehicles per day.

No formal economic impact assessment was carried out in advance of lane restrictions being imposed, due to the emergency nature of the works. The likely impact on Glasgow and beyond was considered when installing propping rather than closing the viaduct as stakeholders expressed significant concern over the impact of lane closures, let alone full carriageway closures.

In July 2023, an assessment was made of the estimated costs to the economy of closing the viaducts which, at the time, was estimated to be in the region of £100m per year.

The economic impact of the works in their current form with 2 open lanes has not specifically been modelled but is likely to be significantly less that the full closure estimate.

More in depth impact assessments form part of the options appraisal process that is being undertaken to inform development of the permanent works solution.

Question reference: S7W-00074

Asked by: Mark Ruskell, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Monday, 18 May 2026
Current Status: Answered by Stephen Flynn on 26 May 2026

To ask the Scottish Government when the national 20mph implementation group last met and what it discussed.

A national 20 mph Task Group was established to ensure a coordinated and effective approach to the implementation of 20 mph speed limits across Scotland. The group last met on 24 January 2024 and guidance to support the rollout can be viewed at: The Implementation Guide for 20 mph Speed Limits in Scotland | Transport Scotland

Since then, matters relating to the delivery of 20 mph speed limits have been discussed on a regular basis with individual local authorities to allow us to monitor progress. 20 mph has also been discussed through existing road safety governance structures, including Local Partnership Forums.

Question reference: S7W-00149

Asked by: Mark Ruskell, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 19 May 2026
Current Status: Answer expected on 4 June 2026

To ask the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body, further to the answer to question S6W-44327 by Jackson Carlaw on 9 April 2026, whether it will provide an update on when it will conclude its work to review the provision of paternity and partner leave for MSP staff.