- Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 26 June 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Neil Gray on 3 July 2025
To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the Royal College of Radiologists report, Clinical Oncology: Workforce Census 2024, how it plans to reduce any reliance by NHS boards on the outsourcing of radiology reporting, in light of the reported forecast that outsourcing spend could reach as much as £30 million per year by 2029.
Answer
As stated in the answer to question S6W-38508 on 18 June 2025, whilst Scottish Ministers are responsible for determining the strategic policy of the NHS in Scotland, NHS Boards are responsible for delivering their services, including making decisions to outsource NHS contracts to the independent sector where appropriate to meet the Board’s needs.
Scottish Government has committed to reduce the radiology backlog so that 95% of referrals are seen within six weeks by March 2026, through expanding to seven-day services, recruitment, and using mobile scanning units. More than £106 million has been allocated to NHS Boards in 25-26 to help address waits for procedures and operations, with £21 million for imaging.
All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers.
- Asked by: Douglas Lumsden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 25 June 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 3 July 2025
To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the potential impact of its amendment to the Land Reform (Scotland) Bill, to reduce the threshold at which provisions apply to land from 3,000 hectares to 1,000 hectares, on the (a) likely number of sales and transfers of land and (b) costs to rural businesses.
Answer
Amendment 38 to the Land Reform (Scotland) Bill, agreed to by the Net Zero, Energy and Transport Committee at Stage 2, lowered the threshold in relation to the land which community engagement obligations (the primary of these being the land management plans) may be imposed from 3,000 to 1,000 hectares. This aligns the thresholds for these provisions with those for the pre-notification and transfer test provisions, which relate to transfers of land. The threshold for pre-notification and transfer test provisions were already set at 1,000 hectares at Bill introduction.
To understand the impact of all the Bill's proposals on businesses, the Scottish Government conducted a Scottish firms impact test, involving engagement with landowners, land agents and representative organisations of land-based businesses. The assessment of the potential impacts of the Bill provisions applying to land over 1,000 hectares on a) transfers of land and b) costs for rural businesses can be found in the Land Reform (Scotland) Bill - Business and Regulatory Impact Assessment.
- Asked by: Michael Matheson, MSP for Falkirk West, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 25 June 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 3 July 2025
To ask the Scottish Government whether Transport Scotland has made progress on implementing "a national review of freight parking/rest areas" in line with recommendation 36 of the second Strategic Transport Projects Review (STPR2), and when it expects to publish the findings of any such review.
Answer
STPR2 forms the Scottish Government’s long term plans for future transport investment. It must be recognised that it is not possible to take forward all 45 STPR2 recommendations at the same time.
Whilst work on recommendation 36 is still to begin, my officials have been undertaking preparatory work on the scope of the review.
They have been engaged with, and are learning from, the UK’s Department for Transport’s recently completed, Task and Finish Group. This was an industry lead group which has had two key focuses, the first was development of a set of secure parking standards for lorry parks and rest stops. The second related to the development of new sites and the challenges and opportunities this presents. On this latter task the Road Haulage Association have been chairing the group which included a wide range of industry stakeholders. Whilst planning matters in England and Wales are different to those in Scotland, there were many parallels that can be drawn from this that have been helpful in shaping the scope of future Scottish-based work.
- Asked by: Sharon Dowey, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 25 June 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Angela Constance on 3 July 2025
To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the reasons for public confidence in local policing having reportedly fallen, following the publication of the Scottish Crime and Justice Survey 2023/24 results on 10 June 2025, which found that less than half of adults believed that police in their local area were doing an "excellent" or "good" job, compared with 61% the previous year.
Answer
There are a complex range of factors and influences behind confidence in policing in Scotland.
However, it would be remiss not to acknowledge the findings of the Scottish Crime and Justice Survey 2023-24, including those on public trust in policing is falling. Confidence in our police service is vital for a safe and just Scotland, but recent trends mirror those in England and Wales over the same period, suggesting the issues involved may not be solely specific to Scotland.
Police Scotland are already taking steps to respond – from strengthening community policing to improving how they engage with victims and local communities. That work is backed by record investment of £1.64 billion this year.
- Asked by: Tim Eagle, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 25 June 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 3 July 2025
To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with the Clan Donald Lands Trust regarding identifying a new owner for the South Sleat Estate, in light of reports that it has been placed on the market for sale.
Answer
The Scottish Government has not had any discussions with the Clan Donald Lands Trust regarding identifying a new owner for the South Sleat Estate.
- Asked by: Sharon Dowey, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 25 June 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Angela Constance on 3 July 2025
To ask the Scottish Government what work it is engaged in to address the increase of 16% in shoplifting incidents recorded in 2024-25 compared with 2023-24, and how it will work with local authorities to protect retailers and their staff.
Answer
The Scottish Government recognises the significant impact of shoplifting and retail crime on victims.
Our budget for 2025-26 includes an additional £3 million for Police Scotland to work in partnership with the retail sector to help tackle retail crime.
Furthermore, the government continues to back the Scottish Partnership Against Acquisitive Crime (SPAACE), led by Police Scotland alongside retailers and organisations like Retailers Against Crime and Neighbourhood Watch Scotland. The strategy focuses on prevention, deterrence, and enforcement, aiming to reduce crime opportunities, protect businesses and individuals, and provide clear prevention guidance.
- Asked by: Carol Mochan, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Monday, 16 June 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Jenni Minto on 3 July 2025
To ask the Scottish Government what it is doing to ensure that women and girls who experience premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD) are supported, in light of the reportedly unique and severe symptoms associated with this disorder.
Answer
Through the actions in our Women’s Health Plan there is now a Women’s Health Platform on NHS Inform, to help women find the information they need on a range of issues relating to their health, including conditions like PMDD.
The Health and Social Care Alliance Scotland (the ALLIANCE) has also delivered a series of women’s health webinars, with accompanying resources, which included a session on PMS and PMDD, PMS resource pack - Health and Social Care Alliance Scotland.
We have taken steps to raise awareness and support better understanding of PMDD among healthcare professionals by commissioning NHS Education for Scotland (NES) to create a bespoke training package and framework on menstrual health, which includes PMDD, for general practice and others working in Primary Care, which is available on TURAS, the education platform for NHS Scotland.
We remain committed to our ambition is that women and girls enjoy the best possible health, throughout their lives as we develop the second phase of the Women’s Health Plan with the aim of publishing by the end of this year.
- Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 16 June 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 3 July 2025
To ask the Scottish Government what information it holds on how many incidents of aggression or violence towards female teachers in schools have been recorded in the past five years.
Answer
The Scottish Government does not hold this information centrally as local authorities are the employer of school staff. Local authorities may hold this information.
- Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Monday, 16 June 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Jim Fairlie on 3 July 2025
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide a breakdown of the number of buses ordered to date under the second phase of the Scottish Zero Emission Bus Challenge Fund (ScotZEB 2) by (a) manufacturer and (b) place of manufacture.
Answer
Through the second phase of the Scottish Zero Emission Bus Challenge Fund (ScotZEB) a consortium of companies was awarded £41.7 million capital from the Scottish Government to support the purchase of more than 250 vehicles and the installation of their supporting infrastructure.
ScotZEB 2 differs from previous rounds of support by extending the eligible vehicles to include zero-emission coaches. This programme is still in the delivery phase and the final totals of vehicles to be delivered are still subject to change. The consortium aims to deliver at least 252 vehicles by March 2026. The following table sets out the manufacturer. The Scottish Government does not collect data on the locations in which vehicles are manufactured.
- Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 18 June 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 3 July 2025
To ask the Scottish Government what monitoring is in place to ensure consistency and quality in school-based counselling services across local authority areas.
Answer
Our national guidance for local authorities sets out expectations for monitoring and reviewing the service. The guidance also makes clear that the operation of the counselling service within the school should be reviewed annually and any necessary improvements made.
The Scottish Government facilitates a quarterly Counsellors Network to provide a forum for local authority representatives co-ordinating the school counselling service to discuss practice and delivery.
Local authorities also provide annual reports to the Scottish Government on counselling services. These returns provide national oversight and inform ongoing engagement with local authorities. A summary of these reports can be accessed here: Access to counsellors in secondary schools and children and young people’s community mental health services – summary reports - gov.scot.
