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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-38403

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 06 June 2025
Current Status: Answered by Kate Forbes on 19 June 2025

To ask the Scottish Government how it plans to strengthen collaboration with UK counterparts to promote growth, jobs and productivity.

The Scottish Government regularly meets with UK Government counterparts at official and ministerial levels and on a bilateral and multilateral basis, to discuss shared priorities, including economic growth. The Scottish Government continues to build on this dialogue to deliver joint action and deeper collaboration in this space. For example, the Scottish Business Growth Group, a cross-government forum jointly chaired by the Minister for Business, and Secretary of State for Scotland brings together ministers from both governments alongside business representatives. I have also recently written to the Chancellor of the Exchequer and UK Secretaries of State on the importance of deepening cooperation including aligning devolved and reserved powers to accelerate delivery and maximise the impact of economic growth for Scotland and the UK

Question reference: S6W-38401

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 06 June 2025
Current Status: Answered by Kate Forbes on 19 June 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to improve Scotland’s GDP growth rate, in light of reported figures stating that it has grown less than that of the rest of the UK.

Scotland’s economy remains one of the best performing parts of the UK with GDP per person in Scotland growing by 10.3%, compared to 6.1% in the UK and productivity has grown at an average rate of 1.1% per year compared to the UK average of 0.4% since 2007. Despite figures in Quarter 1 of 2025 showing GDP to be lower in Scotland compared to the UK, the pace of growth increased from 0.1% in the last quarter of 2024 to 0.4%.

The Scottish Government published its National Strategy for Economic Transformation (NSET) in 2022, setting out a ten year transformation plan with the objective of creating a fair, green and growing economy and establishing Scotland as a world-class entrepreneurial nation and ensuring that our businesses, industries, regions, communities and public services are more innovative and productive than they have ever been. This year’s Programme for Government sets out specific actions that we will take to grow the economy over the remainder of this parliamentary term.

However, reserved powers on crucial issues such as trade and migration, and the damage of Brexit, all impact Scotland’s economic growth and can create challenging conditions for Scottish businesses. With our limited powers, we are maximising opportunities for economic growth in Scotland.

Question reference: S6W-38411

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 06 June 2025
Current Status: Answered by Graeme Dey on 19 June 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what role the Scottish Funding Council has played in scrutinising the University of Edinburgh’s financial strategy.

The Scottish Funding Council (SFC) has continued to monitor and assess the financial health (sustainability and viability) of universities, including Edinburgh, through regular engagement and analysis of financial returns, which universities are required to submit to SFC each academic year. SFC also considers universities’ individual circumstances and exposure to risk, capacity to respond to financial challenges and other relevant available information.

Financial sustainability of universities is a condition of grant set out in SFC’s Financial Memorandum with universities. As autonomous institutions, universities are responsible for their own strategic and operational decision making, and are required to notify SFC if they identify material risks to their financial viability or sustainability.

Question reference: S6W-38410

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 06 June 2025
Current Status: Answered by Graeme Dey on 19 June 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what safeguards are in place to ensure that (a) academic quality and (b) student experience are maintained in any universities that are undertaking major financial restructuring.

Question reference: S6W-35965

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 06 June 2025
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 19 June 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what information it holds on what proportion of (a) adults and (b) children in each NHS board area have seen an NHS dentist in each year since 2024, and how this compares with (i) 2010, (ii) 2015 and (iii) 2020.

Question reference: S6O-04822

Asked by: Martin Whitfield, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 11 June 2025
Current Status: Answered by Graeme Dey on 19 June 2025

To ask the Scottish Government, regarding the Armed Forces Covenant obligation on NHS boards to have due regard for the unique challenges faced by service children, what discussions the veterans minister has had with ministerial colleagues in relation to ensuring that relocations for military postings do not lead to service children being reprioritised to the back of NHS waiting lists, including through the provision of guidance to clinical teams to ensure that this does not happen.

Access to NHS treatment is based on clinical need, however we recognise that service children should not be disadvantaged when accessing the NHS as a result of their parent’s service in the Armed Forces.

We regularly communicate the Covenant legal duty and paying ‘due regard’ to all NHS Boards via the NHS Armed Forces and Veterans Champions, who are responsible for ensuring its implementation.

Additionally, the General Practice Armed Forces and Veterans Recognition Scheme aims to raise awareness of the health challenges that veterans and Armed Forces families face as a result of military service.

Question reference: S6O-04823

Asked by: Richard Leonard, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 11 June 2025
Current Status: Answered by Richard Lochhead on 19 June 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking in response to the consultation by Alexander Dennis on the future of its facilities in Falkirk and Larbert.

This will be a hugely worrying time for the workforce at ADL, their families and the wider community. We have engaged extensively with Alexander Dennis and its parent company NFI to ensure that every possible avenue is explored to mitigate the need for redundancies. This has included discussions with myself, the First Minister, leadership within Scottish Enterprise, Transport Scotland, trade unions, and the UK Government.

The Scottish Government will continue to explore any and all options throughout the consultation period to allow the firm to retain their hard-working employees and manufacturing and production facilities at Falkirk and Larbert.

Question reference: S6O-04854

Asked by: Colin Beattie, MSP for Midlothian North and Musselburgh, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 18 June 2025
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 26 June 2025

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the aim under action 20 of the Housing to 2040 strategy to streamline and accelerate the adaptations system.

Question reference: S6O-04857

Asked by: Marie McNair, MSP for Clydebank and Milngavie, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 18 June 2025
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 26 June 2025

To ask the Scottish Government how it is working with NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde to meet the demand for ADHD and autism assessments.

Question reference: S6O-04856

Asked by: Mark Griffin, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 18 June 2025
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 26 June 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what health policies it has in place to support the neurodevelopment of children born prematurely through their early years and adolescence.