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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: S6O-04564

Current Status: Withdrawn

Question reference: S6W-36350

Asked by: Annie Wells, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 02 April 2025
Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 7 April 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what percentage of users of the Thistle safer drug consumption facility has been referred solely to rehabilitation services.

Glasgow City HSCP is refining its reporting systems and cannot yet provide a precise percentage of users referred solely to rehabilitation services. Given the early stage of the facility’s operation, data validation is ongoing.

The service has now recorded over 30 formal referrals to health, care and recovery support. This likely underrepresents engagement with recovery services and is above expectations for so soon after implementation. The Thistle’s primary focus is harm reduction, ensuring vulnerable individuals access a safe environment where recovery support begins. Staff respond to service users’ needs in a person centred manner, supporting them to meet needs they identify.

An independent evaluation is underway, and further data will be shared once reporting systems are improved.

Question reference: S6W-36354

Asked by: Annie Wells, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 02 April 2025
Current Status: Answer expected on 30 April 2025

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the projection set out in the Public Health Scotland report, Future prevalence and burden of chronic liver disease, which was published on 18 March 2025, that chronic liver disease cases will increase by 54% by 2044 due to alcohol misuse, what action it plans to take to address this issue.

Question reference: S6W-36355

Asked by: Annie Wells, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 02 April 2025
Current Status: Answer expected on 30 April 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what action it plans to improve endometriosis diagnosis, in light of reports that the number of women waiting over 12 weeks for gynaecology testing has increased by over 43,000.

Question reference: S6W-36352

Asked by: Annie Wells, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 02 April 2025
Current Status: Answer expected on 30 April 2025

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the withdrawal of funding for the Notre Dame Children’s Centre, what steps it can take to prevent other specialist centres that provide children’s mental health services from facing similar funding reductions.

Question reference: S6W-35424

Asked by: Annie Wells, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 05 March 2025
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 17 March 2025

To ask the Scottish Government how many individuals have accessed addiction recovery services through The Thistle drug consumption facility.

To date, there have been 27 referrals to secondary services including housing, addiction recovery and mental health services. In addition to these referrals, the facility continues to support individuals in accessing appropriate recovery pathways and re-engaging with services they had previously accessed but had since disengaged from.

As The Thistle’s reputation grows and trust is established, Glasgow HSCP anticipate increased engagement with addiction recovery services and will continue to monitor this progress and provide updates accordingly.

Question reference: S6W-35468

Asked by: Annie Wells, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 06 March 2025
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 17 March 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what action it plans to take to address and improve fertility and reproduction rates in Glasgow, in light of reports suggesting that the city has the fifth lowest in the UK.

NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde, and Health Boards across Scotland, provide access to fertility services for those within their population who may be unable or finding it difficult to conceive.

Falling birth rates are a demographic trend replicated across many high-income countries, with significant future implications for our economies, communities and public services.

The Family Friendly Nation strand of our 2021 Population Strategy sets out our ambition to ensure Scotland is the ideal place to raise a family, and to support people to have the number of children they wish to have. We are clear that it is not for government to attach value judgements to different families.

In delivering this Strategy, during 2024 the Ministerial Population Taskforce undertook new analytical work to further explore family friendly policies internationally. This was presented to the Taskforce in December 2024 and next steps are now being undertaken to scope their application within the Scottish policy context.

Question reference: S6W-35408

Asked by: Annie Wells, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 04 March 2025
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 17 March 2025

To ask the Scottish Government whether the new iteration of the Women’s Health Plan will include a focus on the gender pain gap and the gender arthritis gap.

Women’s Health is a priority for this government which is why Scotland was the first country in the UK to publish a Women’s Health Plan in August 2021.

Women’s health encompasses a wide range of topics and conditions and the areas of focus for the next phase of the Women’s Health Plan are still to be determined.

Timely access to gynaecology services will be a priority, and early discussions indicate pelvic health and optimising future health as potential areas of focus.

We have also started work to bring together an updated evidence base and gather views from women and girls, and from our stakeholders. Future aims and priorities are being developed in collaboration with them and alongside the most up-to-date evidence base.

Question reference: S6W-35407

Asked by: Annie Wells, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 04 March 2025
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 17 March 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to address the gender arthritis gap, where women are reportedly two to three times more likely to develop rheumatoid arthritis and a third more likely to develop osteoarthritis than men.

The Scottish Government is committed to ensuring that anyone living with arthritis is able to access the best possible care and support. We expect health care professionals and NHS Boards to deliver high quality person-centred care to those living with arthritis in line with best practice guidance. The NICE (National Institute for Health and Care Excellence) clinical guidelines on management of arthritis are available on its website and can be found at: Arthritis | Topic | NICE.

We will work collaboratively with other partners, including the Centre for Sustainable Delivery (CfSD), to ensure there are appropriate pathways for women with arthritis.

Question reference: S6W-35406

Asked by: Annie Wells, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 04 March 2025
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 17 March 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to address the gender pain gap, where chronic pain is reportedly 10% more prevalent in women than in men.

The Scottish Government is committed to ensuring that anyone living with pain is able to access the best possible care and support. Through our commitment to deliver the actions outlined in our Pain Management Service Delivery Framework implementation plan we are seeking to amplify the voices of people who may face inequality on the basis of their sex. We will work collaboratively with other partners to ensure there are appropriate pathways for women with pain and painful conditions.