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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-22419

Asked by: Stuart McMillan, MSP for Greenock and Inverclyde, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 25 October 2023
Current Status: Answered by Natalie Don on 9 November 2023

To ask the Scottish Government how it is working to increase the number of carers who provide social and personal care for children at home.

We have made a commitment to increase pay for those delivering direct social care to children and adults to £12 per hour from April 2024. Pay and conditions are of central importance in the wellbeing and retention of the social care workforce. We will continue to work with partners, including those representing Personal Assistants who support children and families, to build a more sustainable workforce who feel valued.

We have set up a short-life working group to better understand the pressures facing the children’s services workforce and to create and access more regular, real-time data about the workforce and vacancies, to achieve better planning of resources, improve workforce development and assist with career planning and pathways. This will also assist with retention of staff and more successful recruitment in the sector. We are committed to attracting and retaining the right people, developing them in their roles and raising the status of social care as a profession.

Question reference: S6W-21734

Asked by: Stuart McMillan, MSP for Greenock and Inverclyde, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 25 September 2023
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 23 October 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what research is currently being undertaken into the use of cannabis for medical purposes.

Within the Scottish Government funding of Health and Care Research comes under the remit of the Chief Scientist Office (CSO).

CSO is funding the following research project:

ENDOCAN-1: A pilot randomised controlled trial of the efficacy of a Cannabinoid Oral Tincture in the management of Endometriosis-associated pain

Lead Investigator Dr Lucy Whittaker University of Edinburgh

Funding commitment £299,509

Project start date 01 April 2024

Question reference: S6W-21235

Asked by: Stuart McMillan, MSP for Greenock and Inverclyde, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 11 September 2023
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 22 September 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with the UK Government regarding non-surgical cosmetic procedures, following the launch of the UK Department of Health and Social Care's consultation on what procedures should be in scope of the licensing scheme for non-surgical cosmetic procedures in England.

Officials met with the UK Department of Health and Social Care in advance of the UK Government’s consultation and will continue to engage with them as the Scottish Government takes forward its own proposals on the regulation of non-surgical cosmetic procedures. As the Scottish Government’s work progresses in this area, we will take into consideration all relevant material, including – where relevant – the UK Government consultation.

Question reference: S6O-02538

Asked by: Stuart McMillan, MSP for Greenock and Inverclyde, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 13 September 2023
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 21 September 2023

To ask the Scottish Government how it supports children within the education system that have learning disabilities, autism or neurodiversity.

Question reference: S6W-20406

Asked by: Stuart McMillan, MSP for Greenock and Inverclyde, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 03 August 2023
Current Status: Answered by Richard Lochhead on 22 August 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what funding it provides to science festivals in Scotland, and how this is allocated.

We remain committed to supporting science festivals across Scotland in 2023-24 with funding of up to £220,000 available to make science accessible to a wider Scottish audience providing annual and local focus for activities and events.

Science festivals play a key role in towns and regions across Scotland in making science, innovation and creativity accessible to a wide public audience as well as inspiring young people. Science festivals also support the aims of the STEM Education and Training Strategy through supporting science learning, promoting careers in STEM and helping to inspire our next generation of scientists.

This year’s funding to support science festivals is allocated to festivals that take place between September 2023 and June 2024 and have an existing, proven track record of delivery. The festivals must also include public events such as topical debates or talks by scientists, family activities allowing children and young people and parents to learn about science together, and, unless being held during school holidays, a schools programme for primary and secondary schools.

Any organisation interested in running a science festival and receiving grant funding from the Scottish Government should contact our Science Advice and Engagement Team via the Central Enquiries Unit (CEU@gov.scot), for further information about funding criteria and requirements.

Question reference: S6O-02454

Asked by: Stuart McMillan, MSP for Greenock and Inverclyde, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 21 June 2023
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 29 June 2023

To ask the Scottish Government when it last spoke to the SFA about its efforts to make elite men’s football in Scotland as accessible as possible to everyone, specifically children from disadvantaged backgrounds.

Question reference: S6O-02348

Asked by: Stuart McMillan, MSP for Greenock and Inverclyde, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 31 May 2023
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 8 June 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to reports that local authorities have encountered difficulties in engaging electric vehicle charger contractors to repair EV charge points.

Question reference: S6O-02318

Asked by: Stuart McMillan, MSP for Greenock and Inverclyde, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 24 May 2023
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 1 June 2023

To ask the Scottish Government when it plans to publish the review by Zero Waste Scotland into the environmental impact of single-use vapes.

Question reference: S6W-17823

Asked by: Stuart McMillan, MSP for Greenock and Inverclyde, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 10 May 2023
Current Status: Answered by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 23 May 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the data sharing agreement between Social Security Scotland and Strathclyde Partnership for Transport (SPT) for the purpose of National Entitlement Cards.

Question reference: S6W-17792

Asked by: Stuart McMillan, MSP for Greenock and Inverclyde, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 10 May 2023
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 18 May 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to ensure that the forthcoming 10-year cancer strategy improves survival and outcomes for the less survivable forms of cancer, such as liver cancer.

Our ambitious 10-year cancer strategy, due to be published in early summer, will be under-pinned by action plans which will evolve with the changing cancer landscape. The strategy will take a comprehensive approach to improving patient pathways from prevention and diagnosis through to treatment and post-treatment care.

It will encompass a new earlier cancer diagnosis vision for Scotland and will continue to focus on those cancer types that are the largest burden and have poorer survival, in particular the less survivable cancers, including liver cancer.