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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-36629

Asked by: Rona Mackay, MSP for Strathkelvin and Bearsden, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 02 April 2025
Current Status: Initiated by the Scottish Government. Answered by John Swinney on 3 April 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on MSP pay for its ministers for 2025-26, and whether the ministerial element of pay will remain frozen.

Since 1 April 2009, Scottish Ministers have declined to accept their full salary entitlement, freezing it at 2008-09 levels.

Between the start of the pay freeze on 1 April 2009 and 31 March 2025, this has resulted Scottish Ministers making over £2.2 million available for public spending from their own pay packets.

The freeze of the Ministerial element of pay at 2008-09 levels will remain in place for 2025-26, recognising the wider economic and fiscal pressures as well as the restraints placed on public sector pay.

The Ministerial element of pay will therefore remain at 2008-09 levels as shown in the following table:

Junior Minister	£26,068
Cabinet Secretary	£41,618
First Minister	£80,224
Lord Advocate	£54,371
Solicitor General	£39,316

From 1 April 2025, the MSP element of Ministers’ salaries will be equalised with that of MSPs who are not currently serving Ministers, providing parity in line with their roles. This has been set for all MSPs at £74,507.

The Scottish Parliament is responsible for the payment of salaries for MSPs and members of the Scottish Government. These arrangements are made under the Scottish Parliament Salaries Scheme. The rules of the Scottish Parliament Salaries Scheme do not give the power to withhold an annual increase from the gross salary entitlement. To achieve the required reduction, the pay increase to which Ministers and Law Officers would have been entitled are deducted from their net salary and paid direct to the Scottish Government to be made available for public spending.

The Scottish Parliament’s Pay and Pensions Team will be formally notified of this change and the commencement date of 1 April. They will then complete the relevant calculations and issue new mandates to all Ministers confirming the updated deduction value.

Question reference: S6O-04459

Asked by: Rona Mackay, MSP for Strathkelvin and Bearsden, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 12 March 2025
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 20 March 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what the estimated cost would be of permanently extending free rail travel to companions of Blind Persons National Entitlement Card holders, in light of the campaigning by Sight Scotland and Deafblind Scotland.

Question reference: S6O-04371

Asked by: Rona Mackay, MSP for Strathkelvin and Bearsden, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 19 February 2025
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 27 February 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to expand dyslexia support in schools, to remove any barriers for children who need the right support to thrive.

Question reference: S6W-34533

Asked by: Rona Mackay, MSP for Strathkelvin and Bearsden, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 04 February 2025
Current Status: Initiated by the Scottish Government. Answered by Natalie Don-Innes on 5 February 2025

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the investment approach published on 19 September 2024, when it will increase Whole Family Wellbeing Funding to children's services planning partnerships for transforming holistic family support.

Question reference: S6F-03794

Asked by: Rona Mackay, MSP for Strathkelvin and Bearsden, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 03 February 2025
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 6 February 2025

To ask the First Minister whether he will provide an update on the Scottish Government’s work to keep The Promise, in light of the fifth anniversary of it being made.

Question reference: S6O-04249

Asked by: Rona Mackay, MSP for Strathkelvin and Bearsden, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 15 January 2025
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 23 January 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of any impact of the current cost of living crisis on the prevalence of food insecurity and reliance on food banks.

Question reference: S6W-32418

Asked by: Rona Mackay, MSP for Strathkelvin and Bearsden, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 16 December 2024
Current Status: Initiated by the Scottish Government. Answered by John Swinney on 17 December 2024

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on its plans to publish a new Scottish Ministerial Code before the end of 2024.

I have today published a new, strengthened Scottish Ministerial Code which sets the very highest standards of propriety and integrity.

The changes I have introduced mark the most fundamental developments to the Code since the introduction of Independent Advisers in 2008.

The Code has been restructured into three distinct sections: Ministers' Standards of Conduct; Ministers' Interests; and Ministers and the Procedures of Government. This brings ethical standards and public service values to the forefront, while ensuring that they are supported by the governing rules and procedures that underpin guidance to Ministers.

My 2024 edition of the Code provides an enhanced role for my Independent Advisers on the Code, who can now:

Launch investigations into alleged breaches without a referral from me;
Provide me with advice on the appropriate sanctions for a confirmed breach of the Code;
Recommend to me improvements to strengthen the Code at any time; and
Play a role in reviewing the processes in place to support Ministers to avoid any conflicts of interest between their private interests and their public duties.

I announced the appointment of my three new Independent Advisers on the Ministerial Code on 6 December and I have published their Terms of Reference alongside my new Code for the first time. These Terms of Reference set out the detail of my Advisers strengthened role and the process of independent scrutiny and advice they can provide to me.

My new Code has been updated throughout to support the highest standards of transparency, integrity, accountability and honesty. For example, the Seven Principles of Public Life have been brought into the body of the Code and updates have been made to ensure that the Code reflects existing rules, guidance and procedure on the use of corporate communication channels and on Ministerial travel and engagements.

Question reference: S6O-04030

Asked by: Rona Mackay, MSP for Strathkelvin and Bearsden, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 20 November 2024
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 28 November 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to ensure that students with additional support needs receive adequate resources and tailored educational support.

Question reference: S6O-03981

Asked by: Rona Mackay, MSP for Strathkelvin and Bearsden, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 13 November 2024
Current Status: Answered by Ivan McKee on 20 November 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the potential impact on local government finance of increased employee costs for staff funded through the Housing Revenue Account.

The imposition of changes to employer National Insurance Contributions has the potential to seriously impact available funding for public services in Scotland, including for local government staff working in all areas. Estimates suggest that the total cost to local government in Scotland could be £265 million – that is money that will need to be found from within the budget settlement and by councils themselves, including for staff funded through Housing Revenue Accounts.

Question reference: S6W-30965

Asked by: Rona Mackay, MSP for Strathkelvin and Bearsden, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 30 October 2024
Current Status: Initiated by the Scottish Government. Answered by Angela Constance on 31 October 2024

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the Victims, Witnesses, and Justice Reform (Scotland) Bill.

The Scottish Parliament agreed the general principles of the Victims, Witnesses, and Justice Reform (Scotland) Bill in April. In advance of the dates for Stage 2 of the Parliamentary process being agreed, I am proposing to make some amendments to the Bill.

On 9 October the Scottish Government published its response to the independent review of the Victim Notification Scheme (VNS), which signalled our intention to use the Bill to deliver reforms to the VNS that require primary legislation, to ensure we reform the VNS as quickly as possible.

I have already made clear my willingness to amend the provisions that enable a time-limited pilot of single judge rape trials. I recognise, however, that there is not enough cross-party support at this time for such a pilot, irrespective of the model. In the interests of building as much consensus as possible, I will no longer pursue this policy and bring forward relevant amendments to remove it from the Bill. I remain committed to exploring the impact of rape myths and improving access to justice for rape victims. As part of this work, I will bring forward amendments to allow for research to be carried out into jury deliberations, which is currently heavily restricted by the Contempt of Court Act 1981.

I also intend to bring forward amendments at Stage 2 so that Scotland retains a 15 person jury in criminal trials. After reflecting carefully on the Criminal Justice Committee’s recommendations, and on the evidence, I believe that the most prudent approach to jury reform, including the abolition of the not proven verdict, is to seek support for a model with two verdicts (guilty and not guilty), 15 jurors, and a two-thirds majority requirement for conviction.

I have written to the Criminal Justice Committee to provide further detail about the planned amendments.