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-37169

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 01 May 2025
Current Status: Answered by Maree Todd on 14 May 2025

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the Scottish National Party 2021 manifesto commitment to abolish non-residential care charges, for what reason the number of local authorities introducing or raising such fees has reportedly increased since 2022.

Under Section 87(1A) of the Social Work (Scotland) Act 1968, a local authority may charge for the adult non-residential, non-personal care it provides such as day care, lunch clubs, meals-on-wheels, community alarm and help with shopping and housework.

Local authorities have the powers to develop their own charging policies for non-residential social care and support. These charging policies are designed with the primary objective of offsetting the costs of providing services at a local level.

COSLA produces annual guidance to help promote consistency in policies, however variation often exists due to local accountability and conditions. COSLA and the Scottish Government recognises that local authorities require autonomy and flexibility to adapt to their local circumstances.

COSLA guidance recommends that charges should be reasonable and must be no higher than the cost to the local authority of providing the service. In reality most charges are much lower than the cost of providing the service.

The Scottish Government recognises that the cost of care can be high for people particularly in the current financial climate. We are committed to working with COSLA to review non-residential charges.

Question reference: S6W-37181

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 01 May 2025
Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 14 May 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what action it has taken to ensure that hospital wards are single-sex.

The Scottish Government has set up a short life working group to consider existing policies, guidance and legislation which may be impacted by the recent Supreme Court judgment, such as existing guidance on mixed sex accommodation in NHS facilities.

Since 2005, we have expected NHS Boards to ensure that all of their facilities comply with the guidelines and recommendations on the elimination of mixed sex accommodation, including a presumption of 100% single rooms in all new hospital developments. There are limited exceptions for areas such as Intensive Care Units.

Question reference: S6W-37144

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 01 May 2025
Current Status: Answered by Graeme Dey on 14 May 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of any risks posed by Scottish universities maintaining research and commercial partnerships with Chinese institutions identified by UK national security agencies as being linked to the Chinese military or state.

Although national security is reserved to the UK Government, the Scottish Government has continued to engage with UK Government regarding collaborations with Chinese state-linked institutions.

The Scottish Government expect universities, as autonomous bodies, to conduct due diligence on managing risks associated with international partnerships and comply with relevant legal requirements, including the National Security Act 2023, and National Security and Investment Act 2021.

Question reference: S6W-36910

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 01 May 2025
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 14 May 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether wigs and other gender-affirming items should be provided at public cost to prisoners who have violated prison rules or engaged in threating or abusive behaviour while in custody, and what the reasons are for its position on the matter.

I have asked Teresa Medhurst, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service (SPS), to respond. Her response is as follows:

The Scottish Prison Service agree that those living in custody with protected characteristics, such as gender reassignment, should be supported wherever reasonably practicable.

The Management of Transgender People in Custody Policy 2023 indicates that in addition to local property entitlements, transgender people may need access to other property to assist them. This is considered on an individualised basis.

Entitlement to this property is made through assessment that forms part of a transgender person’s individual case management process and is consistent with SPS’s commitment to ensuring equality, diversity and human rights for all individuals living in prisons.

Any breach of discipline will be dealt with in accordance with the Scottish and Young Offenders Institutions (Scotland) Rules 2011. Any punishment awarded by the adjudicator will be proportionate to the charge and the evidence presented.

Question reference: S6W-37170

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 01 May 2025
Current Status: Answered by Maree Todd on 14 May 2025

To ask the Scottish Government how many hours of social care support could have been delivered with the £30 million that was reportedly spent on developing the National Care Service (Scotland) Bill.

We are delivering much needed social care reform through the National Care Service, and it is a complex programme of change. The reported £28m reflects the funding allocated to developing National Care Service proposals since August 2021. The vast majority of the allocation is funding for existing Scottish Government staff and co-design work.

To put the £28m spent on the NCS into context, that is just 0.2% of the total health and social care budget on a system that we agree isn’t currently working. This is not unreasonable or a waste of investment. It includes co-design and engagement work ensuring people with lived experience of accessing and delivering social care services, social work and community health are partners in developing the National Care Service proposals.

Question reference: S6W-37255

Asked by: Pam Duncan-Glancy, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 01 May 2025
Current Status: Answered by Graeme Dey on 14 May 2025

To ask the Scottish Government when the Scottish Funding Council will publish its report on the financial state of the university sector in Scotland; whether the Minister for Higher and Further Education has been kept informed of the reasons for any delay in publication, and, if not, what information it has on the reasons for the minister not being kept informed of the reasons for any delay.

The publication date of the Scottish Funding Council’s (SFC) annual report on the financial sustainability of the higher education sector is a matter for the SFC. They have made the decision to amend the timing of their publication cycle primarily due to competing pressures and a delay to the finalisation of some college accounts which has resulted in the content of the college and university financial sustainability reports now being unavoidably outdated. Additionally, SFC will have analysis of new financial forecasts in June which will allow them to update and revise their previous analysis.

The updated analysis should be ready for publication in September.

Question reference: S6W-37295

Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 01 May 2025
Current Status: Answered by Graeme Dey on 14 May 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what support it is providing to local communities to hold their own commemorative events to mark VE and VJ Day.

The Scottish Government provided funding to support the efforts of Legion Scotland and Poppyscotland to commemorate the anniversary of VE Day through a concert at the Usher Hall on Tuesday evening. Titled Scotland’s Salute to VE Day 80, this was Scotland’s national commemorative event to mark this anniversary and told of the historic efforts which lead to victory in Europe 80 years ago.

Earlier this year, the Scottish Government wrote to MSPs and Local Authorities to highlight the funding being made available from the UK Government to arts organisations across the UK from April to August of this year to share stories of towns, cities and villages during the Second World War, as well as the funding available from the National Lottery Community Fund Awards for grants to host community events, activities and exhibitions to help tell the stories of the Second World War at a local level. I subsequently wrote to local MSPs and Local Authority Veterans Champions to reemphasise this support.

Question reference: S6W-37292

Asked by: Mark Griffin, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 01 May 2025
Current Status: Answered by Paul McLennan on 14 May 2025

To ask the Scottish Government how many full-time equivalent staff it has employed in its More Homes division in each of the last five financial years.

Question reference: S6W-37245

Asked by: Douglas Lumsden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 30 April 2025
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 14 May 2025

To ask the Scottish Government when a decision will be made on reallowing alcohol at certain times on ScotRail services.

The First Minister announced to the Scottish Parliament on 6 May 2025 that we intend to remove the ban on alcohol on trains and replace it with new restrictions which will allow alcohol consumption between from 10am to 9pm every day. ScotRail will reserve the right to implement alcohol restrictions on specific services where BTP and rail industry intelligence indicates it necessary, for example major concerts or sporting events.

The current ban will be lifted and the new rules will come into force on 2 June 2025.

Question reference: S6W-37275

Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 30 April 2025
Current Status: Answered by Kate Forbes on 14 May 2025

To ask the Scottish Government when the £14.2 million investment programme at Ferguson Marine will commence.

The Scottish Budget: 2025-26 published on 4 December 2024 allocated £46.0 million of capital to Ferguson Marine for the financial year commencing 1 April 2025 (with details in Table 9.13: Ferguson Marine Spending Plans (Level 3).

This allocation is designed to cover capital spending associated with completion of the MV Glen Rosa and investment in yard capital equipment and infrastructure in the current financial year. Over the current and next financial years, 2025-26 and
2026-27, the Scottish Government is committed to invest up to £14.2 million in Ferguson Marine’s investment programme subject to standard commercial tests being met.

Work on Ferguson’s investment programme began in December 2024, with approved funding being directed towards addressing essential repairs and new equipment to enhance yard productivity.

FTE number of Directly employed staff in More Homes Division
	fte
	31-Mar-20	31-Mar-21	31-Mar-22	31-Mar-23	31-Mar-24	31-Dec-24
All	92	81	71	70	65	65