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: S6T-02237

Asked by: Kevin Stewart, MSP for Aberdeen Central, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 09 December 2024
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 10 December 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it had with the UK Government at the British Irish Council summit regarding ending the two-child benefit cap.

Question reference: S6F-03622

Asked by: Michelle Thomson, MSP for Falkirk East, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 09 December 2024
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 12 December 2024

To ask the First Minister what plans the Scottish Government has to bring forward legislation to criminalise non-fatal strangulation.

Question reference: S6F-03618

Asked by: Russell Findlay, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 09 December 2024
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 12 December 2024

Question to be taken in Chamber.

Question reference: S6F-03620

Asked by: Lorna Slater, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Monday, 09 December 2024
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 12 December 2024

Question to be taken in Chamber.

Question reference: S6F-03628

Asked by: Pam Duncan-Glancy, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 09 December 2024
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 12 December 2024

To ask the First Minister what the Scottish Government’s response is to reported comments from the Children and Young People’s Commissioner Scotland that “children are being let down” by an education system that needs “radical reform”.

Question reference: S6F-03621

Asked by: Liz Smith, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 09 December 2024
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 12 December 2024

To ask the First Minister what discussions the Scottish Government has had with local authorities regarding the reported impending closure of library facilities across Scotland.

Question reference: S6F-03619

Asked by: Anas Sarwar, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 09 December 2024
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 12 December 2024

Question to be taken in Chamber.

Question reference: S6W-31786

Asked by: Alex Cole-Hamilton, MSP for Edinburgh Western, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Wednesday, 27 November 2024
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 9 December 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what plans are being drafted or implemented in relation to (a) mental health support and (b) pay awards for Police Scotland.

The mental health support for police officers and police staff is a matter for the Chief Constable.

In line with Police Scotland’s ‘People Strategy 2024–27’, a ‘Health and Wellbeing Action Plan’ was developed by Police Scotland to provide officers and staff with a range of tools and services that will enable them to take positive action in relation to their health and wellbeing.

In relation to pay for officers and staff, claims are currently being taken through the appropriate negotiating mechanisms, those being, the Police Negotiating Board for Scotland (PNBS) for Police Officers and the Joint Negotiating and Consultative Committee (JNCC) for Police Staff. The PNBS is undertaking a period of conciliation and if agreement can still not be reached, the two Sides of the PNBS would enter into an arbitration process through ACAS. Police Staff pay is also going through a process of negotiation and conciliation; this is a matter for Police Scotland and the Scottish Police Authority.

Question reference: S6W-31684

Asked by: Tim Eagle, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 22 November 2024
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 9 December 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to reports that CalMac began a deployment options consultation to which impacted communities had only 48 hours to respond.

Question reference: S6W-31741

Asked by: Douglas Lumsden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 25 November 2024
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 9 December 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with British Transport Police regarding the enforcement of ScotRail's alcohol ban.

British Transport Police are responsible for enforcing the alcohol ban and responding to reports of antisocial behaviour on ScotRail trains. The Scottish Government through Transport Scotland engages with British Transport Police in considerations over the future of the ban and in the wider context of tackling antisocial behaviours on the rail network.

It is acknowledged that a greater British Transport Police resource with increased visibility on the rail network could make a difference to enforcement of the alcohol ban. However, as the Scottish Government has no direct responsibility over British Transport Police, we must work within the resource it has and continue to encourage British Transport Police to work more effectively with ScotRail wherever possible.