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-37872

Asked by: Mercedes Villalba, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 27 May 2025
Current Status: Answered by Jackson Carlaw (on behalf of the SPCB) on 9 June 2025

To ask the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body, in light of article 8 of the Human Rights Act 1998, how it will ensure that the human right to respect for private life is protected in the implementation of any measures that it is taking as result of the Supreme Court ruling in For Women Scotland Ltd v The Scottish Ministers.

As the national Parliament, there is the need to balance the needs and legal rights of all those who work at and visit the Parliament, and manage the tensions this sometimes creates.

The right to private life is a key consideration for all employers and we will continue to ensure that such rights are protected. The Corporate Body has a general public sector duty and must have due regard to the need to–

• Eliminate discrimination

• Advance equality of opportunity

• Foster good relations between different people when carrying out their activities.

We will continue to ensure all our services, policies, practices, events and decision-making processes are fair and systematically assessed (in respect of protected characteristics). The next phase of our work will look at changes in the medium to longer term to enhance our inclusive provision and includes engaging with staff, Members, Members’ staff and other stakeholders including external groups and organisations who work regularly and closely with people across all of the different protected characteristics.

Question reference: S6W-37871

Asked by: Mercedes Villalba, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 27 May 2025
Current Status: Answered by Jackson Carlaw (on behalf of the SPCB) on 9 June 2025

To ask the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body how it is working to ensure that parliamentary staff have the right to work free from any discrimination and harassment, regardless of gender identity.

The SPCB is committed to creating and maintaining a safe, welcoming and inclusive working environment that nurtures a culture in which we treat one another with courtesy and professionalism. There is no place for bullying, harassment, discrimination, sexual misconduct or victimisation in our parliamentary community and each of us is responsible for the way we interact with and treat others.

As an employer, the SPCB aims to create a working environment in which staff are treated with respect, in a manner that allows them to maintain their dignity and where there is zero tolerance of harassment and bullying, including on the basis of gender identity or expression. This includes protecting staff against harassment or bullying behaviour from third parties.

Inclusiveness and respect are core values for the Scottish Parliamentary Service (SPS), and we value the diversity of our staff and respect individual differences within an inclusive working environment. We want to continue to attract and retain a workforce that reflects diverse communities and we are committed to eliminating discrimination and complying with our equality statutory duties. And our staffing policies and practices are in place to continue to achieve this.

The SPCB’s Dignity at Work Policy plays an important part in preventing staff from experiencing bullying and harassment and ensures all staff are clear about what is acceptable behaviour in the workplace. We continue to develop our employment practices to ensure legal compliance and workplace integrity. A formal review of the Dignity at Work Policy will take place this year.

Question reference: S6W-38462

Asked by: Sharon Dowey, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 06 June 2025
Current Status: Answer expected on 20 June 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what the average cost per patient is of (a) methadone and (b) Buvidal treatment over a 12-month period.

Question reference: S6W-38475

Asked by: Pauline McNeill, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 06 June 2025
Current Status: Answer expected on 20 June 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to reports that there is a shortage of radiologists of around 25%, and what the reasons are for this being the case.

Question reference: S6W-38435

Asked by: Colin Smyth, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 06 June 2025
Current Status: Answer expected on 20 June 2025

To ask the Scottish Government how many species-specific licences, issued by NatureScot, Forestry and Land Scotland currently holds; for which species, and for what purposes.

Question reference: S6W-38468

Asked by: Jamie Greene, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Friday, 06 June 2025
Current Status: Answer expected on 20 June 2025

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the comment by the Cabinet Secretary for Transport at the Public Audit Committee meeting on 23 April 2025 that, since the ScotRail peak fare removal pilot ended, rail use has increased, whether it will publish the data that shows this.

Question reference: S6W-35965

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 06 June 2025
Current Status: Answer expected on 20 June 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what information it holds on what proportion of (a) adults and (b) children in each NHS board area have seen an NHS dentist in each year since 2024, and how this compares with (i) 2010, (ii) 2015 and (iii) 2020.

Question reference: S6W-38443

Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 06 June 2025
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Current Status: Answer expected on 20 June 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what action it will take in response to reports that industrial action over pay between Scottish Water and the trade unions UNITE, GMB and UNISON has escalated, with strikes expected to disrupt emergency repairs, testing and maintenance.

Question reference: S6W-38430

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 06 June 2025
Current Status: Answer expected on 20 June 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to reverse Scotland’s reported decline in Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) rankings in maths, reading and science.

Question reference: S6W-38390

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 06 June 2025
Current Status: Answer expected on 20 June 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what the reasons are for the reported continued delays to the M8 viaduct works in Glasgow, and what the revised completion date is.