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.

Find out more about parliamentary questions

Filter your results Hide all filters

Displaying 45315 questions Show Answers

Order by |

Question reference: S6W-40066

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 24 September 2025
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 6 October 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what funding it has provided to the Massage In Schools Association Scotland in each of the last three years, and for what purposes.

Question reference: S6W-40688

Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 22 September 2025
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 6 October 2025

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of Calmare therapy being offered in Ireland, Italy, Germany, USA and Australia, what its position is on the reported view of the UK specialist clinic, the London Spine Unit, that the therapy is an “efficient and safe alternative for several different types of refractory chronic neuropathic pain, with a very rare possibility of adverse events”.

The Scottish Government is determined to improve care and support for people with chronic pain. Progress continues with our Implementation Plan which sets out the actions we will take to address the things people with chronic pain have told us matter most to them.

It is our intention that people can access safe, effective, evidence-based care and support. Decisions about the appropriateness of referral to pain specialist services, or medications for pain management, will be made by the clinician in discussion with the patient, with reference to their medical history and line with clinical best practice. Calmare therapy is not currently recommended for use in the UK.

Question reference: S6W-40687

Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 22 September 2025
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 6 October 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what research it is undertaking into the potential (a) effectiveness and (b) cost-effectiveness of Calmare therapy in offering relief for conditions such as nerve pain, cancer pain, opioid-induced pain and chronic regional pain syndrome, and whether this therapy is being considered for routine commissioning to offer relief for such conditions.

The Scottish Government’s Chief Scientist Office (CSO) is responsible for supporting health and care research. The CSO runs a number of projects and fellowship funding schemes for Scottish-led research.

Applications on the potential (a) effectiveness and (b) cost-effectiveness of Calmare therapy are welcomed. In common with all applications, these would go through CSO's standard independent expert review process to enable funding decisions to be made.

In addition, through UK-wide funding arrangements, the majority of funding programmes administered by the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) are open to applications led by researchers based in Scotland.

We have asked NHS Research Scotland Networks for Musculoskeletal and Pain that might be expected to have Calmare therapy within their portfolios whether they are supporting any studies. Neither is currently doing so.

Question reference: S6W-41012

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 03 October 2025
Current Status: Answer expected on 31 October 2025

To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to reinstate or replace the Flexible Workforce Development Fund, in light of Audit Scotland’s findings in its recent report, Scotland’s Colleges 2025, that its withdrawal has reduced employer-based training opportunities.

Question reference: S6W-41022

Asked by: Carol Mochan, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 03 October 2025
Current Status: Answer expected on 31 October 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the Sands report, Lost in the system: Bereaved parents experiences of mental health care following baby loss, which found that only 8% of bereaved parents in Scotland felt they received the specialist mental health support they wanted through the NHS.

Question reference: S6W-41023

Asked by: Carol Mochan, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 03 October 2025
Current Status: Answer expected on 31 October 2025

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the action that it is taking to ensure that all NHS boards are delivering maternity and neonatal psychological intervention services.

Question reference: S6W-41024

Asked by: Carol Mochan, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 03 October 2025
Current Status: Answer expected on 31 October 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to ensure there is equal access to the support available for bereaved parents, in light of findings from the report published by Sands, Lost in the system: Bereaved parents experiences of mental health care following baby loss, which found that not all services across Scotland support parents after a miscarriage or a sudden unexpected death in infancy.

Question reference: S6W-41021

Asked by: Carol Mochan, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 03 October 2025
Current Status: Answer expected on 31 October 2025

To ask the Scottish Government how much it received in Barnett consequential funding as a result of the UK Government committing £5.8 million for a smoke-free pregnancy incentive scheme in England in 2025-26.

Question reference: S6W-40993

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 03 October 2025
Current Status: Answer expected on 31 October 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the economic impact of the 20% real-terms funding reduction for colleges since 2021-22, as reported by Audit Scotland in its recent report, Scotland’s Colleges 2025.

Question reference: S6W-41025

Asked by: Daniel Johnson, MSP for Edinburgh Southern, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 03 October 2025
Current Status: Answer expected on 31 October 2025

To ask the Scottish Government how much funding will be committed to the National AI Adoption Programme in 2025-26, and how much of this will be committed to (a) grants and (b) loans.