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-43865

Asked by: Willie Rennie, MSP for North East Fife, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Thursday, 19 February 2026
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 2 March 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to (a) increase awareness of and (b) improve screening for lobular breast cancer.

(a) We know that the earlier all cancers, including lobular breast cancer, are diagnosed the easier they are to treat and even cure which is why we continue to invest in our Detect Cancer Earlier (DCE) Programme. Detect Cancer Earlier’s Be The Early Bird campaign launched in March 2023 aiming to reduce fear of cancer and empower those with possible symptoms to act early.

Following successful independent evaluation, the campaign re-ran several times (September 2023, August 2024, March 2025 and September 2025) to prompt health-seeking behaviour, targeting those aged 40+ from areas of deprivation.

The Scottish Referral Guidelines (SRGs) for Suspected Cancer support primary care clinicians to identify those with symptoms suspicious of cancer, including lobular breast, and identify those who require urgent assessment by a specialist. A clinical review of SRGs has been completed with updated guidance published on 6 August 2025.

(b) Breast tomosynthesis, or 3D mammography, is a low-dose X-ray imaging technique that creates 3D images of the breast and is more effective at detecting lobular breast cancers. This advanced technology is now available in all six breast screening centres.

Question reference: S6W-43864

Asked by: Willie Rennie, MSP for North East Fife, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Thursday, 19 February 2026
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 26 February 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what percentage of the cancer research funding that it has awarded to date has been allocated to research on lobular breast cancer, and whether this has been in proportion to the prevalence of the condition, which accounts for a reported 15% of breast cancer cases.

The Scottish Government’s Chief Scientist Office supports open competitive grant and fellowship schemes for applied health research in Scotland across a wide remit that is inclusive of consideration of applications for research relating to cancers, including lobular breast cancer. Applications submitted to these schemes are assessed through independent expert peer-review with funding recommendations made by independent expert committees. While funding has been awarded for breast cancer research, none has been for research on lobular breast cancer specifically.

Question reference: S6W-43863

Asked by: Willie Rennie, MSP for North East Fife, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Thursday, 19 February 2026
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 26 February 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the suggestion by Lobular Moonshot Project for a ringfenced £20 million fund to be established by it and the other UK governments in the UK to support, over five years, research on the basic biology of lobular breast cancer.

Question reference: S6W-43866

Asked by: Willie Rennie, MSP for North East Fife, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Thursday, 19 February 2026
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 26 February 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what funding it plans to make available for research into lobular breast cancer, and what its position is on whether such research funding should be proportionate to the prevalence of the condition.

The Scottish Government’s Chief Scientist Office (CSO) supports applied health research in Scotland through open competitive grant and fellowship schemes with a wide remit inclusive of research across the range of clinical conditions including types of cancers. Funding through these schemes is not specifically allocated to specific conditions so as not to constrain the range of research that can be funded. Applications submitted to these schemes are assessed through independent expert peer-review with funding recommendations made by independent expert committees. CSO also contributes financially to the National Institute of Health & Care Research (NIHR) in order that researchers in Scotland can apply to NIHR research programmes. NIHR recently issued a highlight notice to encourage applications for “high quality studies on Invasive Lobular Carcinoma (ILC) or lobular breast cancer".

Question reference: S6O-05585

Asked by: Willie Rennie, MSP for North East Fife, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Wednesday, 25 February 2026
Current Status: Due to be taken in the Chamber on 4 March 2026

To ask the Scottish Government when the new Future Farming Investment Scheme will be open for applications.

Question reference: S6W-43655

Asked by: Willie Rennie, MSP for North East Fife, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Wednesday, 11 February 2026
Current Status: Answered by Ben Macpherson on 25 February 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether the current levels of college enrolment for pupils below the senior phase represents value for money for the public purse, in light of the potential duplication of funding between the school and college sectors.

College enrolments for school pupils b demonstrate the important role colleges play in supporting an improved learner journey for all age groups. Between 2023-24 and 2024-25 enrolments below the senior phase fell by 19.2% (from 11,420 to 9,230), while senior-phase enrolments rose by 7.4% (from 27,950 to 30,030), in line with Scottish Funding Council (SFC) guidance directing colleges to prioritise senior-phase learners and limit activity for younger pupils to 1.5% of credits. Given this clear shift in activity, the small and regulated scale of below-senior-phase provision, and the safeguards in SFC credit guidance to avoid duplication of funding between schools and colleges, the Government considers current enrolment levels to represent value for money. SFC has confirmed that it will review this approach for future years in consultation with the sector.

Question reference: S6W-43656

Asked by: Willie Rennie, MSP for North East Fife, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Wednesday, 11 February 2026
Current Status: Answered by Ben Macpherson on 25 February 2026

To ask the Scottish Government, further the Scottish Funding Council report, College Statistics 2024-25, which was published on 4 February 2026, what assessment it has made of the impact that enrolling primary and secondary 1 to 3 pupils with colleges has on colleges’ capacity to meet demand from senior-phase pupils and young people aged 16–24, including in regions where colleges report unmet demand.

The Scottish Government notes that SFC’s 2024–25 guidance directed colleges to prioritise senior-phase pupils and cap activity outwith the senior phase at 1.5% of credits, and colleges have responded accordingly. Senior-phase enrolments rose by around 7% to over 30,000, while primary and S1–S3 enrolments fell by 19.2%. This shift shows that colleges are directing capacity toward senior-phase learners and 16–24-year-olds. Given the small, capped, and declining scale of activity for younger pupils, the Government assesses that their enrolment does not constrain colleges’ ability to meet demand from priority age groups.

Question reference: S6W-43868

Asked by: Willie Rennie, MSP for North East Fife, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Thursday, 19 February 2026
Current Status: Answer expected on 5 March 2026

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-38780 by Mairi McAllan on 11 July 2025, by what date it will publish data relating to the average application and claim processing timescales for the Home Energy Scotland Grant and Loan Scheme.

Question reference: S6W-43867

Asked by: Willie Rennie, MSP for North East Fife, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Thursday, 19 February 2026
Current Status: Answer expected on 5 March 2026

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the work being carried out to simplify the application process of the Home Energy Scotland Grant and Loan Scheme, in light of its commitment in its 2025-26 Programme for Government.

Question reference: S6W-43514

Asked by: Willie Rennie, MSP for North East Fife, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Monday, 02 February 2026
Current Status: Answered by Natalie Don-Innes on 16 February 2026

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-40593 by Natalie Don-Innes on 30 September 2025, when it will publish a full report on the evaluation of the early learning and childcare expansion to 1140 hours for the period 2018-25.

As stated in the answer to S6W-40593, it is our intention to publish our overarching report on the Early Learning and Childcare (ELC) 1140 expansion evaluation for the period 2018-2025 in the coming weeks. This report will draw together findings from across the main strands of the outcomes evaluation, including the Scottish Study of Early Learning and Childcare and parent and carer surveys carried out before, during and after the ELC expansion.

All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers.