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-40505

Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 16 September 2025
Current Status: Answered by Ivan McKee on 23 September 2025

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the planned sale of the Clydebridge Steelworks in Cambuslang by GFG Alliance.

Question reference: S6W-40310

Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 16 September 2025
Current Status: Answered by Ivan McKee on 23 September 2025

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will confirm how much taxpayers’ money remains connected to GFG Alliance-controlled assets in Scotland, and what contingency plans are in place if any of its companies enter administration.

The Scottish Government publishes details of contingent liabilities and commercial transactions in its consolidated accounts, which are available on the Scottish Government website. An annual update is provided to the Scottish Parliament as well.

Financial reports and accounts - Government finance - gov.scot

Support provided by the enterprise agencies is published in their accounts.

The Scottish Government has robust contingency planning in place to ensure that we are ready to act if necessary.

Question reference: S6W-40424

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 09 September 2025
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 23 September 2025

To ask the Scottish Government which NHS boards offer thrombectomy services, and for what hours of the day.

Thrombectomy services are run on a regional basis with a North, East and West of Scotland ‘hub’ providing thrombectomies in NHS Boards.

NHS Lothian (East of Scotland): Monday to Sunday 8am to 8pm for patients arriving directly at Edinburgh Royal Infirmary. Monday to Friday 8am to 8pm for patients arriving at East of Scotland spoke hospitals.

NHS Tayside (North of Scotland): Monday to Friday 8am to 7pm.

NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde (West of Scotland): Monday to Friday 8am to 8pm for patients arriving directly at Queen Elizabeth University Hospital. Monday to Friday 8am to 5pm for patients arriving at West of Scotland spoke hospitals.

Question reference: S6W-40467

Asked by: Richard Leonard, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 10 September 2025
Current Status: Answered by Kaukab Stewart on 23 September 2025

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of reports that three of the biggest six local authority areas that use the Seasonal Worker Visa scheme are located in Scotland, what representation it has made to the UK Government regarding the review of the scheme by the Migration Advisory Committee, and what the outcome was.

The Scottish Government recognises the vital contribution Seasonal Worker visa holders make to Scotland’s soft fruit and seasonal vegetable sectors and to Scotland’s economy.

We are absolutely clear that migration policy should support fair work and is one of our published principles underpinning migration policy.

Officials continue to engage regularly with the Home Office and DEFRA, raising concerns with the design of the visa route and exploitation concerns referenced in the MAC review. We fund the Worker Support Centre, which offers free, confidential advice and support to seasonal migrant workers across Scotland.

Our collaboration with the Worker Support Centre ensures policy development is grounded in the lived experiences of workers. This user-informed policy approach is essential when advocating for immigration reform with the UK Government.

Question reference: S6W-40248

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 09 September 2025
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 23 September 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what activity it is carrying out to promote (a) the early presentation of skin health concerns and (b) sun-safety, particularly among younger adults.

The Scottish Government has established the sunbed safety group to review the existing sunbed regulations and procedures for enforcing those regulations.

As part of the group's work, the Scottish Government has worked with Young Scot, NHS Inform and education colleagues to produce information in an accessible format for younger adults. This includes a sunbed safety toolkit for pupil support teachers to discuss sun-safety with their students and published a new NHS inform page to promote awareness of sunbed and tanning safety which includes information about seeking medical advice for changes to your skin.

Question reference: S6W-40455

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 10 September 2025
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 23 September 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to reports that it has abandoned its zero tolerance policy on knife crime.

In 2016, Scottish Government legislation came into force that increased the maximum sentence for weapons possession from four years to five years. The average length of custodial sentence for weapons possession in 2022-23 was 332 days; this compares with 218 days in 2007-08 and represents an increase of 52%.

The investigation of knife crime is an independent operational matter for Police Scotland. The prosecution of knife crime is an independent operational matter for COPFS. Sentencing in any given case is a matter for the independent court within the overall legal framework.

Question reference: S6W-40142

Asked by: Alex Cole-Hamilton, MSP for Edinburgh Western, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Wednesday, 27 August 2025
Current Status: Answered by Gillian Martin on 23 September 2025

To ask the Scottish Government how it will ensure that the updated National Marine Plan will include a clear spatial plan covering all marine sectors, including fisheries, in line with the findings of its literature review on a marine just transition, which suggested marine spatial planning as international best practice for managing increasing competition for space and ensuring fair outcomes for coastal communities and marine sectors.

The intention of National Marine Plan 2 (NMP2), as set out our Planning Position Statement (PPS), is to support the development of spatial management measures through dedicated policies, some specific to fisheries, as well as working to build a stronger evidence base to inform future spatial planning and management where possible.

It is essential that we consider the outcomes from current consultations, the literature review referenced, and issues raised via our PPS consultation. We have therefore made the decision to postpone our consultation on a draft NMP2 to allow for further consideration of the feedback received.

Question reference: S6W-40150

Asked by: Tim Eagle, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 27 August 2025
Current Status: Answered by Richard Lochhead on 23 September 2025

To ask the Scottish Government how many civil servants are employed in its AI policy team.

The Scottish Government currently employs four civil servants in its AI Policy Team, with plans to increase this number in the coming weeks. However, this Team does not represent the full range of staff who currently work on, or have an interest in AI. This complement extends across the Scottish Government and its agencies to other publicly funded organisations and beyond. That is why the Scottish Government has committed to launching AI Scotland, a new national transformation programme founded on a partnership of business, academia, agencies and government, to operate as a focus for our collective effort to harness the full potential of AI to drive sustainable economic growth.

Question reference: S6W-40575

Asked by: Beatrice Wishart, MSP for Shetland Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Wednesday, 17 September 2025
Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 23 September 2025

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on its evaluation of the recommendations in the independent review of the anaesthesia associate (AA) and physician associate (PA) roles in England, and when it expects to reach a formal position on the recommendations.

The Scottish Government is actively considering the recommendations from the independent review of the anaesthesia associate (AA) and physician associate (PA) roles in England. I met with the Medical Associate Professions (MAPs) Programme Board on 9 September 2025 to discuss the review and its implications for Scotland.

I intend to write to the Programme Board imminently to set out the Scottish Government's position.

Question reference: S6W-40525

Asked by: Stuart McMillan, MSP for Greenock and Inverclyde, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 15 September 2025
Current Status: Answered by Tom Arthur on 23 September 2025

To ask the Scottish Government whether Integration Joint Boards are able to reverse budget decisions.