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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.

Find out more about parliamentary questions

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Question reference: S6W-38015

Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 16 June 2025
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 26 June 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what steps it has taken to identify any errors in reports on chronic pain that it has commissioned and supervised, in light of reports that one such report did not make it clear that it was based on accounts of commercially recruited people who were paid £200 each to participate, and that, when these people were interviewed, they were not asked whether their condition had been diagnosed by a health professional.

The Scottish Government takes the accuracy of its commissioned reports seriously and aims to ensure that work carried out on its behalf is appropriate.

The report referenced was produced by an independent research organisation using established qualitative research methods. Participants were recruited and offered reimbursement for their time, which is standard practice in lived experience research.

The research intended to explore experiences of people living with chronic pain rather than to verify clinical diagnosis. As such, participants were not asked to provide a confirmation of diagnosis.

Question reference: S6W-38731

Asked by: Douglas Ross, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 16 June 2025
Current Status: Answered by Jackson Carlaw (on behalf of the SPCB) on 26 June 2025

To ask the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body, further to the answer to question S6W-36629 by John Swinney on 3 April 2025 and the answer to question S6W-38203 by Ivan McKee on 11 June 2025, whether all ministers, including the First Minister, received new mandates from the Scottish Parliament's Pay and Pensions Team following the decision to equalise the MSP element of ministers' salaries with that of MSPs who are not currently serving ministers from 1 April 2025, and, if so, whether these mandates will be published.

In April 2025, the First Minister, Ministers, and Law Officers received ministerial waiver mandate letters. As the mandates contain data which is personal to the individuals concerned the Scottish Parliament, as a data controller, will not publish them. It is a matter for individuals to decide if they wish to publish information contained within their own mandate letters.

The SPCB publishes up to date information about salaries for MSP, Ministers, Law Officers and Office Holders on its website.

Question reference: S6W-38815

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 18 June 2025
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 26 June 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what changes will be made to the civil servant resource for conditions such as stroke and heart disease within the long-term conditions policy unit, in light of the publication of the long-term conditions framework.

Question reference: S6W-38811

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 18 June 2025
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 26 June 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what impact it anticipates the long-term conditions framework will have on the role of the current national advisory committees and taskforces that provide clinical leadership to the delivery of strategies.

As we develop our new integrated Long Term Conditions Framework, we will consider how it and its series of action plans are governed and implemented to ensure all conditions are considered and action plans are implemented effectively. Future planning for current advisory committees and taskforces will be considered at the same time

Details of the governance arrangements will form part of the Framework and will be published in December 2025.

Question reference: S6W-38820

Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 18 June 2025
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 26 June 2025

To ask the Scottish Government how many weapons have been seized and recorded as being carried by pupils in schools in each year since 1999.

Question reference: S6W-38812

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 18 June 2025
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 26 June 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what (a) patient, (b) clinical and (c) third sector engagement was undertaken in the long-term conditions framework consultation, and whether it will summarise the feedback given on the strategic direction.

Question reference: S6W-38814

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 18 June 2025
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 26 June 2025

To ask the Scottish Government how many full-time equivalent civil servants currently work within its (a) cancer policy unit, (b) long-term conditions policy unit, broken down by condition, and (c) long-term conditions strategy unit.

The number of full-time equivalent civil servants is broken down by policy area and condition as follows:

Policy Area	Health Condition	Full Time Equivalent (FTE) Civil Servants
Cancer and Rehabilitation Policy Unit	Cancer	6.61 WTE
Long Term Conditions Policy Unit	Heart Disease	1.6 WTE
	Cardiac Arrest	0.9 WTE
	Stroke	2.5 WTE
	Neurological Conditions	4.73 WTE
	Diabetes and Respiratory	2.3 WTE
Long Term Conditions Strategy Unit	Long Term Conditions Strategy and Long Covid	4 WTE

Question reference: S6W-37898

Asked by: Finlay Carson, MSP for Galloway and West Dumfries, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 18 June 2025
Current Status: Answered by Gillian Martin on 26 June 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what contingency plans are in place in the event that emissions reductions from agriculture and land use do not progress in line with its net zero targets.

The Scottish Government expects that all policies and proposals set out in the forthcoming Climate Change Plan will be delivered. Progress of these policies and proposals will be monitored closely throughout the plan period through a robust Monitoring and Evaluation Framework. Regular monitoring will establish progress and allow Ministers to consider appropriate action to support any off track indicators on a case to case basis.

Question reference: S6W-38783

Asked by: Liz Smith, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 18 June 2025
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 26 June 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the statistic in the report, School Grounds in Scotland in 2025, that around one in three primary schools have reported issues with flooding within school grounds.

Question reference: S6W-38782

Asked by: Liz Smith, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 18 June 2025
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 26 June 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to provide adequate outdoor space for all pupils, in light of the findings in the report, School Grounds in Scotland in 2025, that 15% of primary schools and 16% of secondary schools have lost outdoor space because of building development.