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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-35279

Asked by: Carol Mochan, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 26 February 2025
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 11 March 2025

To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to conduct an equality and human rights impact assessment on paediatric long COVID services.

The Scottish Government has no plans to conduct an equality and human rights impact assessment on paediatric long COVID services.

NHS Boards exercise responsibilities in relation to planning, commissioning and delivering healthcare services, and take overall responsibility for the health and wellbeing of the populations they serve. NHS Boards are discrete legal entities and legally accountable and responsible for how they carry out their functions, services, duties and responsibilities.

Question reference: S6W-35280

Asked by: Carol Mochan, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 26 February 2025
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 11 March 2025

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on what action is being taken to help improve support and treatment services for children and young people with long COVID.

We have commissioned NHS National Services Scotland to establish a long COVID Strategic Network. This has a multi-disciplinary working group focussed on children and young people, which has worked to develop a clinical pathway to support the appropriate assessment, referral and management of children and young people with long COVID symptoms.

This pathway was completed in June 2024 and disseminated to territorial NHS Boards. Following the dissemination of the pathway, the working group has conducted a survey of NHS boards to identify the routes through which they are providing support to children and young people with long COVID. A report summarising the responses from NHS boards is being developed, after which appropriate next steps will be identified by the group.

Question reference: S6F-03900

Asked by: Carol Mochan, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 10 March 2025
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 13 March 2025

To ask the First Minister whether he will provide an update on how the Scottish Government is working to improve healthy life expectancy.

Question reference: S6W-35376

Asked by: Carol Mochan, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 04 March 2025
Current Status: Answered by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 10 March 2025

To ask the Scottish Government how it plans to support parents on lower incomes who are disproportionately affected by infant formula pricing due to reported higher rates of formula feeding, in light of the evidence heard by the Competition and Markets Authority during its infant formula and follow-on formula market study.

The Scottish Government continues to take wide-ranging action to support low income households, including allocating over £3 billion a year to policies which tackle poverty and the cost of living. This investment includes £6.9 billion for benefits expenditure such as the Scottish Child Payment.

Last year we published a Toolkit which seeks to help staff and services in local areas develop an integrated, cross-sector response to ensure babies are fed responsively, whether formula or breastfed or both.

I would encourage anyone in need to contact their local authority or a health professional, such as a health visitor, midwife or family nurse, in order to ensure they are getting the holistic support they need, including financial advice and a referral to cash-first crisis supports.

Question reference: S6W-35292

Asked by: Carol Mochan, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 28 February 2025
Current Status: Answered by Kaukab Stewart on 10 March 2025

To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to make the provision of single-sex toilets a condition for receiving public funds, where an organisation occupies or owns a relevant building.

Question reference: S6W-35290

Asked by: Carol Mochan, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 28 February 2025
Current Status: Answered by Kaukab Stewart on 10 March 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on existing health and safety legislation regarding the provision of single-sex toilets.

Question reference: S6W-35289

Asked by: Carol Mochan, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 28 February 2025
Current Status: Answered by Kaukab Stewart on 10 March 2025

To ask the Scottish Government whether it has contacted public sector organisations to clarify health and safety workplace regulations regarding the use of single-sex toilets, and, if not, whether it plans to do so.

The Scottish Government has not contacted public sector organisations to clarify health and safety workplace regulations regarding the use of single-sex toilets and we have no plans to do so. The Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations 1992 make provision on sanitary conveniences in the workplace. These regulations are a reserved matter. The Health and Safety Executive have issued guidance and an approved Code of Practice on the 1992 Regulations: Workplace health, safety and welfare - L24.

Question reference: S6W-34589

Asked by: Carol Mochan, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 06 February 2025
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 6 March 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what progress is being made on delivering each of the recommendations of the Independent Review of Audiology Services in Scotland, in particular, recommendations 52, 53 and 54.

Valuable work has been undertaken to deliver against the recommendations made by the Independent Review of Audiology Services in Scotland.

In December 2024 work concluded to address all 55 of the recommendations, and each has now been completed or transitioned into ongoing workplans to see the remaining tasks through to completion.

A detailed report will be shared with Parliament in March 2025 outlining the rationale for this, including recommendations 52, 53 and 54, and confirming the timelines for the remaining actions to conclude.

Question reference: S6W-34309

Asked by: Carol Mochan, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 30 January 2025
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 27 February 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what it is doing to support alcohol-related brain damage services, in light of Public Heath Scotland data reportedly stating that there were over 1,000 more alcohol-related hospital admissions in 2024, compared with 2023.

The Scottish Government provides local services with support through funding to ensure care is available for alcohol-related brain damage though a range of social care, healthcare community and residential services. The Scottish Government remains committed to doing all it can to reduce harm caused by alcohol through any of these support services.

The UK’s first Clinical Guidelines for Alcohol Treatment will be published shortly and will include guidance for services on care for those with alcohol-related brain damage, supporting the wider improvement of alcohol treatment across Scotland.

Question reference: S6O-04396

Asked by: Carol Mochan, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 26 February 2025
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 6 March 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the reported view of the Children and Young People’s Commissioner Scotland that proposed changes to legislation on religious observance diverge from the recommendation by the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child to allow young people to independently opt out of religious observance at school.