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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-40087

Asked by: Tim Eagle, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 05 September 2025
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Current Status: Answered by Jim Fairlie on 8 September 2025

To ask the Scottish Government how it supports local authorities to establish new allotments.

The Scottish Government supports local authorities to meet the statutory duties stemming from Part 9 of the Community Empowerment Act (Scotland) 2015 through a range of guidance and collaborative networks, supporting and strengthening local expertise.

In partnership with the Association for Public Service Excellence (APSE), earlier this year the Scottish Government arranged workshops to provide a high-level overview of the legislative requirements of Part 9 and an opportunity for allotment officers to share best practice and network. As a direct consequence of positive feedback received from these workshops, ongoing networking and mutual support will be facilitated when APSE establish a specific allotment and community growing network in the coming weeks.

The Scottish Government has also published detailed guidance to assist local authorities in fulfilling their Part 9 statutory duties:

While the Scottish Government provides support and guidance, decisions regarding allotment provision ultimately rest with individual local authorities. As per the statutory duties under Part 9, they are expected to take reasonable steps to meet their obligations where specific demand for allotments is met.

Question reference: S6W-40085

Asked by: Tim Eagle, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 05 September 2025
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Current Status: Answered by Jim Fairlie on 8 September 2025

To ask the Scottish Government how many new community growing areas have been established as a result of the Growing Food Together Fund since its introduction.

Question reference: S6W-40040

Asked by: Alex Cole-Hamilton, MSP for Edinburgh Western, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Friday, 05 September 2025
Current Status: Answered by Tom Arthur on 8 September 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether people face a so-called postcode lottery in accessing social care services.

The Scottish Government recognises that access to social care services can vary significantly depending on where people live.

Through the Care Reform (Scotland) Act and the work of the NCS Advisory Board, we are taking decisive steps to end the postcode lottery and deliver care based on need, not geography.

The Care Reform (Scotland) Act introduces wide-ranging reforms that enshrine rights in law. Key measures include:

Anne’s Law which recognises family and friends of care home residents as essential contributors to their care—not merely as visitors, but as integral members of the care team
Introducing a statutory right to breaks for unpaid carers
Expanding access to independent advocacy
Improving information sharing across care settings
Establishing a National Chief Social Work Advisor and National Social Work Agency
Reforming procurement routes for the third sector

The interim NCS Advisory Board brings together people with lived experience of care, frontline workers, service providers, and representatives from local government and the NHS. Their role is to advise on how we build a fairer, more responsive system that puts human rights and equity at its core.

The Board will work alongside established national programmes to drive improvement and ensure that services are consistent, fair, and high-quality, regardless of where people live in Scotland.

Question reference: S6W-40035

Asked by: Alex Cole-Hamilton, MSP for Edinburgh Western, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Friday, 05 September 2025
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Current Status: Answered by Tom Arthur on 8 September 2025

To ask the Scottish Government whether it has considered providing multi-year contracts to not-for-profit organisations providing care services.

Current procurement legislation and guidance enables multi-year contracts for social care services. Scottish Government is working with procurement professionals and providers to consider how national procurement guidance can be updated to deliver on the Feeley Review recommendations which includes consideration of longer term contracts for providers, including not for profit providers. Scottish Government does not hold contracts for delivery of social care services. Local Government are the contract holders for social care services and will make decisions on contract terms including length.

Question reference: S6W-40039

Asked by: Alex Cole-Hamilton, MSP for Edinburgh Western, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Friday, 05 September 2025
Current Status: Answered by Tom Arthur on 8 September 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to recruit and retain social care staff.

The Scottish Government recognise the invaluable role of the social care workforce. Whilst not an employer, we continue to work closely with COSLA and key partners to progress joint commitments in the National Workforce Strategy and recently published Service Renewal Framework, which both support efforts to recruit and retain social care staff.

For the 2025-26 financial year, the Scottish Government will be investing £125 million to enable adult social care workers in the third and private sectors to be paid at least the Real Living Wage. This takes the estimated total investment to deliver this policy to £950 million.

The workstreams of the Joint Social Services Taskforce have achieved real change to improve the workforce experience, through supporting career opportunities and staff development, these include:

creation of a portable national induction framework;
development of a social care career options tool;
publication of an earn and learn blueprint;
agreement of the introduction and trial a new Care Technologist role; and
publication of our Funding Landscape resource.

Additionally, we continue to provide funding for the NES Social Care Centre for Workforce Supply (CWSS), who support employers ethically and sustainably recruit international works, who play a vital role in our care sector workforce. The CWSS are working with the Home Office to engage with displaced workers in England and promote opportunities to move to social care roles in Scotland.

Collectively these actions make it easier for employers to recruit and retain staff.

Question reference: S6W-40020

Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 05 September 2025
Current Status: Answered by Tom Arthur on 8 September 2025

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will introduce mandatory national data collection and reporting on attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) referrals, waits, assessments, outcomes and demographics.

The Scottish Government acknowledges that work is needed to improve the quality of data on neurodevelopmental support and services, including a better understanding of current levels of need and the level of support people currently receive.

We are working with Health Boards and local authorities to improve our understanding of available data, and how this could be used to support improvements for adults, children and families.

Question reference: S6W-40073

Asked by: Sharon Dowey, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 05 September 2025
Current Status: Answered by Tom Arthur on 8 September 2025

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the Scottish Parliament Information Centre briefing, Neurodevelopmental Pathways and Waiting Times in Scotland, which was published on 24 June 2025 and states that "NHS Ayrshire and Arran have no functioning operational pathway for adult neurodevelopmental assessments", what consideration it has given to the impact of the lack of such an operational pathway on community healthcare, and what its position is on whether it is sustainable for the NHS board to operate in such a way.

My officials have engaged with all health boards to understand what provision they have in place to deliver adult neurodevelopmental assessments. In relation to NHS Ayrshire and Arran, we are exploring how to address current issues that may be limiting access to assessments for all adults who may seek them. Our understanding is that neurodivergent adults in Ayrshire and Arran can be referred for neurodevelopmental assessments where they have been diagnosed with a co-occurring mental health condition.

The Scottish Government funds the National Autism Implementation Team (NAIT), which is currently supporting NHS Ayrshire and Arran to develop, enhance and redesign existing local adult neurodevelopmental services. We continue to scope the work required to improve Adult Neurodevelopmental Pathways nationally, understanding that a stepped care model is needed to reduce waiting times for adult neurodevelopmental assessments and ensure a consistent approach across Scotland.

Question reference: S6W-40009

Asked by: Craig Hoy, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 05 September 2025
Current Status: Answered by Kate Forbes on 8 September 2025

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-25344 by Richard Lochhead on 4 March 2024, whether it plans to make a financial commitment to the Scottish Growth Scheme until March 2029.

Question reference: S6W-40022

Asked by: Jamie Greene, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Friday, 05 September 2025
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 8 September 2025

To ask the Scottish Government how much has been spent in total on prisoner rehabilitation and reintegration programmes in each of the last five years, and what percentage of the total Scottish Prison Service budget this represented in each year.

Question reference: S6W-40372

Asked by: Carol Mochan, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 05 September 2025
Current Status: Answer expected on 22 September 2025

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the recently published report, Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder; The Welfare State: Recommendations for Reform, how it will (a) act to improve the experiences of people with premenstrual dysphoric disorder applying for a social security benefit and (b) implement the report’s recommendations.