Questions and answers

Question reference: S6W-41764

Asked by: Lorna Slater, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Monday, 10 November 2025
Current Status: Answer expected on 24 November 2025

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on any work it has undertaken to disqualify businesses who make use of unpaid trial shifts from receiving public grants and procurement contracts from the Scottish Government.

Question reference: S6W-41758

Asked by: Lorna Slater, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Friday, 07 November 2025
Current Status: Answer expected on 21 November 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to investigate and respond to reports that Rockstar Games has dismissed staff for joining a workplace union, and how it can ensure that workers' rights to unionise are protected under Scottish employment law.

Question reference: S6W-41707

Asked by: Lorna Slater, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 05 November 2025
Current Status: Answer expected on 19 November 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what consideration has been given to the inclusion of specific diagnostic and treatment guidelines for Tourette syndrome in the Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network and, in light of reported concerns about underreporting and inconsistent diagnosis and the need for clear national support frameworks for people living with the condition, whether it will review the absence of such guidelines and, if so, by what date.

Question reference: S6W-41418

Asked by: Lorna Slater, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Monday, 20 October 2025
Current Status: Answered by Gillian Martin on 4 November 2025

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on any progress made in developing reuse targets with Scotland’s local authorities since the passage of the Circular Economy (Scotland) Bill.

The Circular Economy(Scotland) Act 2024 enables the setting of statutory local recycling and preparation for reuse targets for local authorities from 2030 to help drive further performance improvements in local household waste services.

As set out in the Circular Economy & Waste Route Map, available on the Scottish Government website at Scotland's circular economy and waste route map to 2030 - gov.scot local authority targets complement wider work to co-design a statutory Code of Practice for household recycling. A first co-design workshop was held with local authorities in June 2025, and workshops with local government and the wider sector are planned to take place in January and May 2026.

Local authority targets will follow the conclusion of co-design. They will be assessed, agreed and set through delivery of an action-focussed improvement programme to support local authorities to improve their services and increase reuse and recycling, which is being designed by the Scottish Government in partnership with the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities.

Question reference: S6W-40642

Asked by: Lorna Slater, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 18 September 2025
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 1 October 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to ensure consistent implementation of the Coeliac Disease Pathway across all NHS boards.

Following the launch of a new national evidence-based pathway for coeliac disease in 2018, we expect all Health Boards to fully implement the Coeliac Disease Pathway in Scotland to improve under diagnosis, time to diagnosis and to ensure dietetic person-centred support for people living with this condition so that they can take control and manage its impact on their health and quality of life.

Our £70 million Endoscopy and Urology Diagnostic Recovery and Renewal Plan is increasing capacity and supporting workforce training. This also includes a commitment to promote and implement guidelines for non-biopsy diagnosis for coeliac disease, which is expected to reduce waiting times for diagnosis for this condition.

Upper gastrointestinal endoscopy is invasive and often requires sedation or anaesthesia. A no-biopsy approach, now fully adopted across adult services in Scotland, reduces the need for endoscopy and speeds up diagnosis for eligible patients.

Question reference: S6W-40640

Asked by: Lorna Slater, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 18 September 2025
Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 30 September 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to publish further details on the aims set out in the Health and Care Service Renewal Framework, including how these aims will be implemented and resourced.

We intend to report annually on the progress of the Service Renewal Framework (SRF). Implementation is well under way to deliver the stated actions in the SRF, with a particular focus on the Year One actions published.

With regard to resourcing, the SRF is designed to make better use of the resources we already have — not to rely on new funding. It is about doing things differently, not doing more with less. It is a ten-year plan to make health and care services more sustainable, effective, and person-centred.

By aligning efforts and promoting collaboration, the SRF will support partners to get the most value from the totality of public investment. As financial sustainability is key to the SRF, financial implications will be considered in parallel with the refinement of actions, including understanding the investment required and development of cost/benefits calculations.

Question reference: S6W-40641

Asked by: Lorna Slater, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 18 September 2025
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 24 September 2025

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of reported ongoing concerns about underdiagnosis and delayed diagnosis for people with coeliac disease, whether it plans to introduce a national early testing scheme for the condition.

The Modernising Patient Pathway Programme - Coeliac Disease test of change report - October 2020 | Turas | Learn estimates that the incidence of diagnosed Coeliac Disease is 1% of the population in Scotland with 7-8 people remaining undiagnosed for every person diagnosed.

The Scottish Government is committed to ensuring that all people living in Scotland with long term conditions such as coeliac disease are able to access the best possible care and support, and benefit from healthcare services that are safe, effective and put the person at the centre of their care.

We expect all Health Boards to fully implement the Coeliac Disease Pathway in Scotland to improve under diagnosis and improve time to diagnosis for those with coeliac disease. Our £70 million Endoscopy and Urology Diagnostic Recovery and Renewal Plan is increasing capacity and supporting workforce training. This also includes a commitment to promote and implement guidelines for non-biopsy diagnosis for coeliac disease, which is expected to reduce waiting times for diagnosis for this condition.

Question reference: S6W-40062

Asked by: Lorna Slater, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 27 August 2025
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 17 September 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what guidelines it is providing to schools, teachers and pupils regarding transgender pupils accessing toilets, changing rooms and gender specific spaces prior to full guidance from the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) being published.

The Scottish Government is committed to ensuring that the Supporting Transgender Young People in Schools guidance remains up to date and fit for purpose. As with any significant legal or policy developments, we are considering whether the guidance requires to be updated to reflect these.

In the meantime, the Scottish Government has ensured that education authorities and schools have been made aware of the interim update provided by the EHRC, the regulatory body for the Equality Act 2010.

Question reference: S6W-40061

Asked by: Lorna Slater, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 27 August 2025
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 17 September 2025

To ask the Scottish Government whether it is consulting directly with (a) transgender pupils, (b) their guardians and (c) their teachers on any changes to guidance on toilets and changing rooms in schools.

The Scottish Government is committed to ensuring that the Supporting Transgender Young People in Schools guidance remains up to date and fit for purpose. As with any significant legal or policy developments, we are considering whether the guidance requires to be updated to reflect these. That consideration is ongoing.

The Scottish Government will engage with organisations representing a range of interests, as appropriate.

Question reference: S6W-40063

Asked by: Lorna Slater, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 27 August 2025
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 17 September 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what support it is providing to any transgender pupils who have reported an increase in harassment and bullying issues since the Supreme Court ruling in For Women Scotland Ltd v The Scottish Ministers.

The Scottish Government published revised guidance for education authorities and schools in November 2024. This guidance includes advice on prejudice-based bullying and is available from Anti-bullying guidance for adults working with children and young people - gov.scot. In addition, in 2025/26 we are providing £298,480 to respectme, Scotland’s national anti-bullying service, to provide advice and resources to schools, parents and carers to support and educate young people on the impact of bullying and build confidence and capacity to address bullying.

Since 2021, Scotland has led globally on embedding LGBT inclusive education across the curriculum, providing online resources, staff training modules, teaching toolkits, and creative materials like Scots-language poetry, all aimed at helping schools integrate LGBT+ themes and foster equality. In December 2024, the Scottish Government published the National Approach to LGBT inclusive education guidance for Scottish schools and teachers, which sets out the steps we have put in place to ensure LGBT inclusive education can be delivered consistently in schools across Scotland. The Scottish Government also continues to support LGBT and other organisations to help address concerns about bullying in schools. This includes support for LGBTQI+ equality by funding organisations such as respectme, LGBT Youth Scotland and Time for Inclusive Education (TIE).

LGBT Youth Scotland’s Charter Programme also helps schools, colleges, and universities create safe, inclusive environments for LGBTQ+ learners and staff, an effort made more urgent by rising attacks on the community.

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