Seòmar agus comataidhean

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

Criathragan Hide all filters

Displaying 45721 questions Show Answers

Order by |

Question reference: S6F-04378

Asked by: Clare Adamson, MSP for Motherwell and Wishaw, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 06 October 2025
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 9 October 2025

To ask the First Minister what assessment the Scottish Government has made of any implications for its work to mitigate the two-child benefit cap of the UK Government's reported proposals to replace the cap with a tapered system.

Question reference: S6F-04366

Asked by: Russell Findlay, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 06 October 2025
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 9 October 2025

Question to be taken in Chamber.

Question reference: S6F-04377

Asked by: Michael Matheson, MSP for Falkirk West, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 06 October 2025
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 9 October 2025

To ask the First Minister, following Scotland’s Global Investment Summit 2025, whether he will provide an update on the Scottish Government’s work to attract international investment into Scotland’s economy.

Question reference: S6F-04368

Asked by: Alex Cole-Hamilton, MSP for Edinburgh Western, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Monday, 06 October 2025
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 9 October 2025

Question to be taken in Chamber.

Question reference: S6F-04367

Asked by: Anas Sarwar, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 06 October 2025
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 9 October 2025

Question to be taken in Chamber.

Question reference: S6W-40066

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 24 September 2025
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 6 October 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what funding it has provided to the Massage In Schools Association Scotland in each of the last three years, and for what purposes.

Question reference: S6W-40682

Asked by: Edward Mountain, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 22 September 2025
Current Status: Answered by Gillian Martin on 6 October 2025

To ask the Scottish Government, regarding the recent visit to Japan by the Cabinet Secretary for Climate Action and Energy, to lead a delegation from Scotland's offshore wind sector, on what (a) date she left the UK to travel to Japan, (b) dates she was in Japan leading the delegation, (c) date the visit was (i) provisionally entered and (ii) confirmed in the cabinet secretary’s diary, (d) date each diary event in Japan was provisionally entered or confirmed in the ministerial diary, (e) date the cabinet secretary (1) informally and (2) formally agreed to go to Japan, and who this was confirmed to; whether it will provide a list of all the delegates who attended the visit with the cabinet secretary, and on what date the other members of the delegation had the date of the visit confirmed to them.

I undertook Scotland’s Offshore Wind and Clean Energy Technologies programme at Expo Osaka, Kansai 2025. She also undertook a programme of business engagements to support a Scottish trade mission. I travelled to Tokyo on 14 September and departed on 19 September having undertaken a full programme of engagements.

I followed the steps for seeking approval for international travel and the slip request was confirmed by the Minister for Parliamentary Business on 3 September, confirming the visit could go ahead.

I was supported in Japan by three Scottish Government officials and three SDI officials based in Northeast Asia.

The following companies made up the trade delegation:

Energy Transition Zone (ETZ)
Enerfloat
Eodex
OEG Renewables
James Fisher Renewables
Orkney Islands Council
Eyemouth Harbour
Fraserburgh Harbour
Highland Deephaven Ltd

Question reference: S6W-40688

Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 22 September 2025
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 6 October 2025

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of Calmare therapy being offered in Ireland, Italy, Germany, USA and Australia, what its position is on the reported view of the UK specialist clinic, the London Spine Unit, that the therapy is an “efficient and safe alternative for several different types of refractory chronic neuropathic pain, with a very rare possibility of adverse events”.

The Scottish Government is determined to improve care and support for people with chronic pain. Progress continues with our Implementation Plan which sets out the actions we will take to address the things people with chronic pain have told us matter most to them.

It is our intention that people can access safe, effective, evidence-based care and support. Decisions about the appropriateness of referral to pain specialist services, or medications for pain management, will be made by the clinician in discussion with the patient, with reference to their medical history and line with clinical best practice. Calmare therapy is not currently recommended for use in the UK.

Question reference: S6W-40687

Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 22 September 2025
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 6 October 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what research it is undertaking into the potential (a) effectiveness and (b) cost-effectiveness of Calmare therapy in offering relief for conditions such as nerve pain, cancer pain, opioid-induced pain and chronic regional pain syndrome, and whether this therapy is being considered for routine commissioning to offer relief for such conditions.

The Scottish Government’s Chief Scientist Office (CSO) is responsible for supporting health and care research. The CSO runs a number of projects and fellowship funding schemes for Scottish-led research.

Applications on the potential (a) effectiveness and (b) cost-effectiveness of Calmare therapy are welcomed. In common with all applications, these would go through CSO's standard independent expert review process to enable funding decisions to be made.

In addition, through UK-wide funding arrangements, the majority of funding programmes administered by the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) are open to applications led by researchers based in Scotland.

We have asked NHS Research Scotland Networks for Musculoskeletal and Pain that might be expected to have Calmare therapy within their portfolios whether they are supporting any studies. Neither is currently doing so.

Question reference: S6W-40785

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 26 September 2025
Current Status: Answered by Siobhian Brown on 3 October 2025

To ask the Scottish Government how it plans to ensure that (a) disabled and (b) older people are protected in their communities, in light of reports that they experience lower levels of safety.

The Scottish Government believes everyone should be safe, and feel safe, in their home and community. Our communities are safer than they were a generation ago.

Community safety is not the responsibility of one organisation – it is a shared endeavour. Local authorities and Police Scotland have statutory duties to share intelligence and plans for antisocial behaviour strategies and local policing plans. The Scottish Government has increased the funding that local authorities receive in real terms by 5.5% for 2025–26, and Police Scotland receive a record £1.64 billion for 2025–26.

To address local needs, the Scottish Government is providing £150,000 for Neighbourhood Watch Scotland in 2025 – 26 to promote safety, resilience and community cohesion through their growing network of connected local community groups. NWS plays an important role in offering reassurance to local communities by sharing messages on potential criminal activities in the area, offering advice on keeping safe, and encouraging communities to look out for one another – especially the elderly and vulnerable. NWS has recently run events specifically targeted at older people such as a session with the West Lothian 50+ Network in Bathgate.

The Scottish Government also supports Crimestoppers Scotland through £182, 500 of funding for 2025 – 26. Crimestoppers aims to reach and support communities experiencing higher levels of crime, those who are at risk of harm, and the most vulnerable in our communities.