Questions and answers

Question reference: S6W-41347

Asked by: Kenneth Gibson, MSP for Cunninghame North, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 15 October 2025
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 11 November 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what information it has regarding how much the increase in employer national insurance contributions will cost each integration joint board in Scotland in the financial year 2025-26.

We are engaging with the Integration Joint Boards and COSLA to understand the cost impact caused by the UK Government’s hike in employer National Insurance contributions.

This government has consistently made the case to the UK Government to fully fund the additional costs to public services of its increase in employer National Insurance contributions. Despite our calls for full reimbursement, it’s clear that the support to meet these costs from the UK Government will fall over £400 million short of what is required.

Question reference: S6W-41340

Asked by: Tim Eagle, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 14 October 2025
Current Status: Answered by Richard Lochhead on 11 November 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what the value is of new business secured as a direct result of actions taken by its space envoy.

The Scottish Government Trade & Investment (T&I) Envoy for Space was appointed in September 2024 to play a key role in promoting Scotland’s space sector internationally. Activity undertaken by the envoy is agreed with the Scottish Government, and has helped build strategic relationships, attract inward investment, identify commercial opportunities and represent Scotland in key global space forums. The approach of appointing a sector-dedicated envoy was recently endorsed by the Director General of the United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs who stated to the House of Lords UK Engagement with Space Committee that “The UK’s position is also boosted by Scotland, which nominated a trade envoy for space by the Minister for Business and is really promoting the Scottish space industry and encouraging partnerships.”

The Space Envoy operates within the Scottish Government’s wider T&I Envoy network made up of appointees who work on a volunteer basis to provide Ministers with strategic business insights and connections. While there is no formal measure of the value of new business secured as a direct result of T&I Envoys’ actions, the network brings together sectoral expertise to support exports, inward investment and strategic economic growth. Envoys provide valuable business intelligence, introductions and advocacy, and have been instrumental in delivering Scotland’s Inward Investment Plan and export plan, A Trading Nation.

Question reference: S6W-41303

Asked by: Ariane Burgess, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 14 October 2025
Current Status: Answered by Jim Fairlie on 11 November 2025

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-41119 by Jim Fairlie on 9 October 2025, which stakeholders were invited and who attended the Wildfire Summit on 14 October 2025.

With regards to which stakeholders were invited to the Wildfire Summit held on 14 October 2025, I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-41157 on 6 November 2025. 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

The Scottish Government did not keep a register of those that attended the Wildfire Summit.

Question reference: S6W-41414

Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 20 October 2025
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 11 November 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to improve early diagnosis, treatment and survival rates of cholangiocarcinoma (bile duct cancer).

The Scottish Government recognises the challenges in diagnosing rare cancers, such as cholangiocarcinoma, often due to the presentation of vague, non-specific symptoms. We are committed to improving early detection as we know that the sooner cancer is detected and diagnosed, the better the outcomes are for the individual.

Through our Cancer Strategy for Scotland 2023-2033 and initial three year Cancer Action Plan for Scotland 2023 – 2026 published in June 2023, a new Earlier Cancer Diagnosis Vision was developed. This vision aims to reduce later stage disease by 18 percentage points in 10 years’ time, with a focus on reducing the health inequalities gap.

We are improving earlier diagnosis through our Get Checked Early and NHS Inform websites, which encourage individuals to contact their General Practice for early detection and referrals.

We are taking action to support Primary Care to ensure that patients are on the right pathways at the right time. In August 2025, we published the updated Scottish Referral Guidelines for Urgent Suspicion of Cancer. For the first time, the guidelines include criteria for non-specific symptoms, especially important for rare cancers like cholangiocarcinoma, where early signs and symptoms can be easily missed.

We also launched Scotland’s sixth Rapid Cancer Diagnosis Service this year. These services are ruling cancer in or out faster for those with non-specific symptoms.

Gateway C, a new free online primary care cancer education platform, launched in April 2024, further provides tailored information to support earlier cancer diagnosis and enable effective decision-making. This is accessible to all primary care clinicians and includes information about liver cancers.

We also understand the importance of expanded genomic testing for people with cholangiocarcinoma and its direct impact on their care and access to life-saving precision medicines. There is a wider programme of laboratory transformation and investment planning underway to support a sustainable expansion of genomic testing, as part of our long-term approach to deliver bold and ambitious action to reform and renew our health and care systems in Scotland.

Recognising the importance of genomic testing for cholangiocarcinoma patients and their families, we have asked NHS National Services Division to bring this testing into service ahead of the wider reform programme. Implementation planning is now progressing rapidly within the service.

We have also commissioned the Scottish Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary (HPB) Network to develop nationally standardised pathways for HPB cancers. This will include consideration of the distinct clinical management needed for a range of tumour subtypes, including cholangiocarcinoma, to ensure a person-centred approach to treatment and care.

Question reference: S6W-41363

Asked by: Ariane Burgess, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 15 October 2025
Current Status: Answered by Richard Lochhead on 11 November 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the carbon footprint of data centres operating in Scotland, how the outcomes of any such assessments align with its net zero targets, and what measures are in place to ensure that new data centres meet environmental sustainability standards, including in relation to energy efficiency and renewable energy use.

In Scotland, there are a range of data centres serving public and private sector requirements. There has been no overall assessment of the carbon footprint of these facilities in Scotland.

The European Commission has adopted a new delegated regulation on the first phase for establishing an EU-wide scheme to rate the sustainability of EU data centres which the Scottish Government is monitoring. However significant parts of this directive fall out with the devolved powers of Scottish Parliament. Scottish Government will however consider alignment for parts of the directive that fall within devolved competency. We are in discussion with the UK government around their plans to align UK policy to this directive.

Existing co-location commercial data centre operators have been contacted directly by our economic agencies to explore routes to decarbonise their facilities and operations, with operators being signposted to relevant funding opportunities.

Where proposals for new data centres come forward, our Fourth National Planning Framework (NPF4) ensures their potential impacts are important considerations in planning decision-making. NPF4 needs to be read and applied as a whole, and all applications are subject to site specific assessments.

NPF4 Policy 2 (climate mitigation and adaptation) requires development proposals to be sited and designed to minimise lifecycle greenhouse gas emissions as far as possible. We have published new planning guidance supporting the application of NPF4 policy 2 setting out a proportionate approach to dealing with whole life carbon through the planning process, drawing on recent research and international best practice.

NPF4 Policy 19 (heating and cooling) sets out that National and Major developments that will generate waste or surplus heat, and which are located in areas of heat demand, should include a Heat and Power Plan to demonstrate how energy recovered from the development will be used to produce electricity and heat.

New data centre buildings must also be designed and constructed in compliance with the relevant building regulations applicable to non-domestic buildings, including standard 6.1 which focuses on the reduction of energy demand arising from the use of heating, hot water, lighting, ventilation and cooling systems in a new building.

Question reference: S6W-41372

Asked by: Carol Mochan, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 15 October 2025
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 11 November 2025

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the progress is has made toward implementing the recommendations from the 2019 paper, Become Breastfeeding Friendly Scotland Report.

On 24 January 2023, Scottish Government provided a summary update on progress towards implementing the recommendations in the 2019 Becoming Breastfeeding Friendly (BBF) report to the Health, Social Care and Sport Committee. At that time, a commitment was made to provide a more detailed report on progress in 2024.

Subsequently, it was decided to incorporate the BBF recommendations within the Breastfeeding and Infant Feeding Strategic Framework 2025-2030 through the overarching strategic goals, and to provide a further update on progress throughout that document. The Health, Social Care and Sport Committee has been informed of this approach.

Question reference: S6W-41348

Asked by: Kenneth Gibson, MSP for Cunninghame North, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 15 October 2025
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 11 November 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what information it has regarding how much the increase in employer national insurance contributions will cost each NHS board in Scotland in the financial year 2025-26.

We are engaging with NHS boards and COSLA to understand the cost impact caused by the UK Government’s hike in employer National Insurance.

This government has consistently made the case to the UK Government to fully fund the additional costs to public services of its increase in employer National Insurance contributions. Despite our calls for full reimbursement, it’s clear that the support to meet these costs from the UK Government will fall over £400 million short of what is required.

Question reference: S6T-02747

Asked by: Tess White, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 10 November 2025
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 11 November 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what its justification is for pursuing legal action in relation to its policy on transgender prisoners, in light of the judgment in the case, For Women Scotland Ltd v The Scottish Ministers.

Question reference: S6T-02748

Asked by: Katy Clark, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 10 November 2025
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 11 November 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to reported comments by Professor Catriona Matheson, former chair of the Drug Deaths Taskforce, that the national mission on drug deaths has failed to deliver robust, evidence-based clinical care for people affected by drug use, due to clinical and practitioner expertise being sidelined.

Question reference: S6F-04455

Asked by: Rachael Hamilton, MSP for Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 10 November 2025
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 13 November 2025

To ask the First Minister whether the Scottish Government will maintain its manifesto commitment to freeze income tax rates and bands.

Chamber and committees