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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-41142

Asked by: Tim Eagle, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 09 October 2025
Current Status: Answered by Angus Robertson on 30 October 2025

To ask the Scottish Government how many civil servants worked on its paper, A Fresh Start with Independence, broken down by (a) headcount and (b) full-time equivalent (FTE) staff.

It is not possible to provide such information because in line with usual practice, details of individual tasks carried out by civil servants, including the number of hours spent on them are not routinely recorded as there is no business need to do this. Civil servants across a range of different business areas contributed to this publication as part of their normal duties supporting the Scottish Government.

Question reference: S6W-40929

Asked by: Alex Cole-Hamilton, MSP for Edinburgh Western, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Thursday, 02 October 2025
Current Status: Answered by Tom Arthur on 30 October 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the reported concerns by some social care organisations that a shortage of care home places might lead to an increase in the risk of suicide.

There is no direct evidence of a link between available care home places and suicide rates or risks, though we are seeking to understand the suicide risks for older adults. Suicide Prevention Scotland is undertaking work to build this understanding and the effective interventions to address these risks.

The Scottish Government is committed to developing a sustainable health and social care system that ensures people get the right care, at the right time, in the right place. Although we have overall responsibility for health and social care policy in Scotland, the statutory responsibility for delivering, commissioning, providing appropriate social care capacity and charging for services at a local level lies with local authorities, NHS boards and integrated health and social care partnerships.

This year we have made available over £14 billion to local authorities, a real terms increase of 4.3 per cent, with a record £15 billion for 2025-26 set out in the Scottish Budget, a further real terms increase of 4.7 per cent. But it would be for these local authorities to assess local population needs and where investment needs to be targeted to improve the social care infrastructure within their relevant area.

Suicide prevention is a key priority for the Scottish Government and we published an ambitious 10-year Suicide Prevention Strategy: Creating Hope Together: Scotland’s Suicide Prevention Strategy 2022-2032 Creating Hope Together and Action Plan:creating-hope-together-scotlands-suicide-prevention-action-plan-2022-2025.pdf with COSLA in September 2022. This strategy recognises the complex factors affecting suicide, and our action plan sets out the wide programme of work we are taking forward with partners - across the public, private, third sector and communities - to ensure everyone affected by suicide can access compassionate, appropriate and timely support.

Scottish Government has met the Programme for Government commitment to double suicide prevention annual funding to £2.8m in the current parliamentary term, which is helping us to drive forward our ambitious strategy and action plan.

Question reference: S6W-41170

Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 09 October 2025
Current Status: Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 30 October 2025

To ask the Scottish Government, ahead of the Wildfire Summit on 14 October 2025, and in light of the reported increase in wildfires in 2025 and the associated challenges faced by landowners, what educational initiatives it is currently undertaking to encourage responsible outdoor behaviour in line with the Scottish Outdoor Access Code.

The Scottish Outdoor Access Code (SOAC) provides guidance for the public on how to exercise their access rights responsibly. Having a fire or BBQ is an activity covered by access rights in certain circumstances. However, the circumstances are limited and the SOAC clearly sets out when and where it would not be considered responsible to have a fire, including:

when - such as periods of high or extreme fire risk; and
where - such as in woodlands, on peat soils, and on farmland;

and guidance on how to have a fire responsibly.

NatureScot, the National Access Forum (NAF) and the national Visitor Management Co-ordination Group also undertake other activity to promote responsible behaviour with respect to fires and BBQs, such as:

A fires messaging framework to ensure national consistency in messaging which includes very clear “no fires” at times of high or extreme fire risk.
Fires and BBQs in the outdoors guidance for managers, rangers and land managers
Media campaigns annually promoting the SOAC and fires messaging at times of high or extreme fire risk.

Scottish Fire and Rescue Service and the Scottish Wildfire Forum also provide Wildfire Danger Assessments which help prioritise communication and engagement activity.

Question reference: S6W-41144

Asked by: Tim Eagle, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 09 October 2025
Current Status: Answered by Angus Robertson on 30 October 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what the costs were of (a) producing and (b) publishing its paper, A Fresh Start with Independence.

Question reference: S6W-40959

Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 02 October 2025
Current Status: Answered by Ben Macpherson on 30 October 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the impact of the reported 20% real-terms reduction in funding for colleges between 2021-22 and 2025-26 on (a) learners, (b) college staff and (c) the economy.

We recognise the pressures facing the college sector, which have been set out clearly by both Audit Scotland and the Scottish Funding Council (SFC), and I will continue to work collaboratively with the college sector on those challenges.

Despite the challenging financial climate during the current financial year, the Scottish Government is investing more than three quarters of a billion pounds in our 24 colleges to support a wide range of skills and qualifications, including apprenticeships. The most recent SFC allocations provided a 2.6 per cent increase in teaching funding for 2025-26 and an increase of almost 5 per cent in capital maintenance to help colleges to invest in the learning experience of students and in the skills that Scotland needs for the future.

a) As a result of the Government’s investment and our approach to the education system, 93 per cent of young people who leave school go on to positive destinations such as work and further training, 9 months after the of the school year.

b) Faced with the most unprecedented financial pressures since devolution, we have maintained a responsive and agile college workforce, which is critical for adapting to evolving demands and ensuring long-term sustainability. Throughout recent periods of challenge and change, college staff across Scotland have upheld a strong reputation for professionalism, adaptability and commitment to learner outcomes.

c) Decisions made by the UK Government since the financial crash in 2008, and their overall austerity policy position since 2010, continue to have a profound and negative impact on the finances available to the Scottish Government, the economy, and to the college sector. In recent years this challenging scenario has been exacerbated by increased national insurance costs, high energy costs and high inflation. Rising national insurance contributions have added over £11 million of extra cost on to our colleges. The Scottish Government is seeking to mitigate the impact of these costs by providing an additional £5.5 million in this current financial year, but the added costs to our public sector from increased national insurance contributions are not helping us to realise our potential for economic growth.

Question reference: S6W-41160

Asked by: Ash Regan, MSP for Edinburgh Eastern, Alba Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 09 October 2025
Current Status: Answered by Angus Robertson on 30 October 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what preparations have been made since the First Minister stated in July 2025 that he plans to set up a Scottish constitutional convention to “marshal support for Scotland’s right to decide through gathering support from the people of Scotland, civic bodies and international opinion”.

The proposed constitutional convention is being taken forward by the Scottish National Party.

Since July 2025, the Scottish Government has published Your Right to Decide which sets out the Scottish Government’s view that that it is for the people of Scotland to decide on their constitutional future. The Scottish Government is committed to improving how citizens are able to be involved in decisions that affect them.

Question reference: S6W-41590

Asked by: Beatrice Wishart, MSP for Shetland Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Wednesday, 29 October 2025
Current Status: Answer expected on 12 November 2025

To ask the Scottish Government which of the (a) 42 formal flood protection schemes and (b) flood engineering works' areas have been completed, broken down by the (i) number of properties protected and (ii) completion date, and what the (A) initial forecast and (B) final cost was of each.

Question reference: S6W-41099

Asked by: Martin Whitfield, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 29 October 2025
Current Status: Answer expected on 12 November 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what work it has undertaken to review the financial model for supporting private and independent providers of childcare, in particular the provision of sustainable rates, and what its position is on whether its financial modelling remains valid.

Question reference: S6W-41578

Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 29 October 2025
Current Status: Answer expected on 12 November 2025

To ask the Scottish Government how many men have received screening for prostate cancer in each year since 1999, broken down by age group.

Question reference: S6W-41538

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 29 October 2025
Current Status: Answer expected on 12 November 2025

To ask the Scottish Government how many public sector workers in Scotland have been affected by delays or errors in the issue of pension statements in each of the last five years.