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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-35685

Asked by: Beatrice Wishart, MSP for Shetland Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Friday, 14 March 2025
Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 20 March 2025

To ask the Scottish Government whether the proposed review of the NHS Scotland patient travel scheme will include the impact of local authority visitor levies on NHS patients travelling for treatment.

While the Scottish Government provides the overarching guidance for patient travel expenses reimbursement, NHS Boards are responsible for developing local policy to best meet the needs to their populations, and for assessing eligibly for financial support and level of that support. This includes setting and reviewing reimbursement rates.

Boards are expected to consider local and individual circumstances, ensuring patient care is at the centre of all decisions made.

Question reference: S6W-35706

Asked by: Pam Gosal, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 14 March 2025
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 20 March 2025

To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to issue guidance regarding any increasing need for intelligent policing.

As set out in the Police and Fire Reform (Scotland) Act 2012, the Chief Constable of Police Scotland is responsible for the policing of Scotland, and is accountable to the Scottish Police Authority for this, rather than to Scottish Ministers directly.

It is therefore not the place of Ministers to issue guidance on operational policing matters. The member may wish to write to the Chief Constable on this issue.

Question reference: S6W-35703

Asked by: Pam Gosal, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 14 March 2025
Current Status: Answered by Kaukab Stewart on 20 March 2025

To ask the Scottish Government how many schools were covered by the Equally Safe at School programme in 2022-23.

Question reference: S6W-35623

Asked by: Mercedes Villalba, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 12 March 2025
Current Status: Answered by Gillian Martin on 20 March 2025

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-32232 by Gillian Martin on 19 December 2024, what consideration it has given to (a) fisheries management and (b) the Marine (Scotland) Act 2010 with regard to the National Marine Plan 2.

Marine Planning in Scotland’s waters is governed by two Acts – the UK Marine and Coastal Access Act 2009 and the Marine (Scotland) Act 2010. Together these set out the requirement for the development of marine plans.

A Planning Position Statement for NMP2 was published in November and covers how the requirements of the Marine Acts and other relevant legislation are being considered in the development of NMP2, as well as the initial thinking on policy direction for NMP2.

The responses to the consultation on the Planning Position Statement are currently being considered, and these stakeholder perspectives alongside the policies established in the fisheries management strategy and fisheries management plans, will inform the development of the NMP2.

Question reference: S6W-35624

Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 12 March 2025
Current Status: Answered by Gillian Martin on 20 March 2025

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-35236 by Gillian Martin on 11 March 2025, whether it has had any formal or informal discussion with (a) Ineos and (b) Rolls-Royce regarding the development of a small modular reactor at Grangemouth.

There have been no formal discussions with INEOS regarding the development of a Small Modular Nuclear Reactor for their site in Grangemouth. Scottish Government Officials did approach INEOS in 2022 when the potential use of a SMR was reported in media, and the business subsequently confirmed that the technology does not form part of their roadmap for net zero. There is no record of any conversations between Scottish Government and Rolls Royce on this matter.

Question reference: S6W-35487

Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 12 March 2025
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 20 March 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on specialists in dealing with domestic abuse being embedded in 999 control rooms with the aim of providing better support for victims, similar to the proposed pilot in England and Wales, known as Raneem’s Law, which is reportedly expected to be launched by the end of 2025.

The management of Police Scotland’s call handling capabilities is an issue for the Chief Constable. Police Scotland’s three year business plan seeks to ensure that victims are fully heard and supported through a service that is tailored to their needs, and that the service works with partners to ensure vulnerable people can access appropriate care at the right time.

The Scottish Government is aware of the launch of Raneem’s Law in England and Wales, whereby domestic abuse specialists will be embedded within 999 control rooms across five police forces. Police Scotland’s Public Protection Development Programme (PPDP) includes work to develop an improved initial response model, to ensure all victims receive a real-time trauma informed response, including safeguarding and signposting to the most appropriate support service at the earliest opportunity.

Question reference: S6W-35438

Asked by: Maurice Golden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 06 March 2025
Current Status: Answered by Gillian Martin on 20 March 2025

To ask the Scottish Government, regarding the target in Zero Waste Scotland’s Corporate Plan to reduce Scotland’s extraction of raw materials by one third, what the (a) start and (b) end date is for this target; what data this is based on, and for what reason one third was chosen as the target.

Zero Waste Scotland's (ZWS) Corporate Plan for 2025-2030 includes present and future targets beyond the life of this Corporate Plan.

The reference to seeking reduction of Scotland's extraction of raw materials by one third is based on a United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) Report, which stresses the importance of high-income countries reducing their material footprint by bending the resource use curve to achieve economic growth, reduced inequality, improved quality of life and dramatically reduced environmental impacts.

During the lifetime of the current Corporate Plan, Scottish Government will continue to work with ZWS in developing data and policies required to establish a baseline and trajectory for future target setting to measure progress towards a circular economy.

Question reference: S6O-04465

Asked by: Karen Adam, MSP for Banffshire and Buchan Coast, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 12 March 2025
Current Status: Answered by Jim Fairlie on 20 March 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to Aberdeenshire Council’s decision to remove the nightwatch service at Macduff Harbour, in light of reported concerns about the economic impact of the decision.

We recognise the importance of this issue to harbour users; however, ports in Scotland are mostly independent statutory bodies – each governed by their own local legislation – and are deemed commercial entities. Therefore, the Scottish Government has no say in the day-to-day running of their business, nor can it dictate business decisions made by a company on how to best utilise its resources. These are matters for the port authority.

Question reference: S6O-04495

Asked by: Jamie Halcro Johnston, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 19 March 2025
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 26 March 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what ongoing assessment it is undertaking regarding the impact of the visitor levy.

Question reference: S6O-04489

Asked by: Kenneth Gibson, MSP for Cunninghame North, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 19 March 2025
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 26 March 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what the impact will be on discretionary funding in the current financial year of the International Financial Reporting Standard 16 changes outlined in its Spring Budget Revision.