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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.

Find out more about parliamentary questions

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Question reference: S6W-39030

Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 26 June 2025
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.

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.

Question reference: S6W-39008

Asked by: Sharon Dowey, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 25 June 2025
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.

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.

Question reference: S6W-38977

Asked by: Tim Eagle, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 25 June 2025
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.

Question reference: S6W-38949

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 24 June 2025
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 3 July 2025

To ask the Scottish Government how many prisoners convicted of violent offences were released under the early release scheme between February and March 2025.

I have asked Teresa Medhurst, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service (SPS), to respond. Her response is as follows:

SPS have proactively shared the data analysis for those released under the early release scheme between February and March 2025, and the full breakdown can be accessed on our website here Data, Research and Evidence | Scottish Prison Service.

The offence categories analysed were in line with Scottish Governments official Index Offence statistics. There were 152 individuals released during this process with offences within the Nonsexual crimes of violence category.

Question reference: S6W-38859

Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 19 June 2025
Current Status: Answered by Richard Lochhead on 3 July 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what progress has been made in the development of a national system of pre-scaler hubs to stimulate early-stage entrepreneurship.

The Scottish Government is stimulating early-stage entrepreneurship through a range of measures. In 2024, South of Scotland Enterprise led a £1.5m regional pilot of the pre-start approach set out in the recommendations of Ana Stewart and Mark Logan Pathways report. This work is widening access to entrepreneurship and supporting new businesses to start and grow. Discussions are underway on an extension of the South of Scotland Pre-Start pilot and expansion to other regions of Scotland.

In addition, as set out in the Programme for Government, and building on 2024’s Pathways and Entrepreneurial Education Funds, further rounds of competitive funding will support our entrepreneurial ecosystem to widen entrepreneurial participation and develop the conditions needed for entrepreneurs to thrive.

Question reference: S6W-38842

Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 19 June 2025
Current Status: Answered by Jim Fairlie on 3 July 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what (a) steps it has taken and (b) plans it has to report any contingent liability arising from the carbon contracts pilot.

Question reference: S6W-38864

Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 19 June 2025
Current Status: Answered by Gillian Martin on 3 July 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether it is appropriate to attach conditions to energy consents, granted under the Electricity Act 1989, to secure proposals for biodiversity enhancements, under the terms of National Planning Framework 4.

Question reference: S6W-38869

Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 19 June 2025
Current Status: Answered by Jim Fairlie on 3 July 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to improve the (a) accessibility and (b) affordability of inter-island ferry travel for disabled passengers.

The recently published Strategic Approach of the Islands Connectivity Plan sets Accessibility as one of four priorities for future ferry services and identifies a number of actions to support the delivery of this priority, including development of a Ferries Accessibility Standard and reopening of the Ferries Accessibility Fund.

We have also invested significantly to keep ferry fares affordable for all, including on Road Equivalent Tariff and islander fares, as well as the Older and Disabled Persons Concessionary Travel Scheme. In addition, a number of local authorities already provide concessionary ferry travel for disabled people.

Question reference: S6W-38837

Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 19 June 2025
Current Status: Answered by Jim Fairlie on 3 July 2025

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the reported call for the registration of peatland restoration projects for carbon contracts, how many hectares of degraded peatland it anticipates the carbon contracts pilot will restore, and how many tonnes of CO2e reductions it estimates this restoration will deliver.

Carbon Contracts are to be piloted as part of the Peatland ACTON programme. All projects will be required to meet Peatland ACTION quality criteria. Scottish Government has not undertaken modelling to estimate the exact impact of the Carbon Contracts pilot on levels of peatland restoration and CO2 emissions reductions. The pilot itself will play a key role in assessing the potential impact of the Carbon Contracts mechanism on rates of peatland restoration.

Question reference: S6W-38817

Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 19 June 2025
Current Status: Answered by Tom Arthur on 3 July 2025

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of Kidney Care UK’s recent report, Left to get on with it: The real impact of inadequate psychosocial support in kidney care, whether it plans to implement measures to train and upskill NHS kidney care teams, general practitioners and talking therapies professionals, to ensure timely referral and access to psychosocial support for people living with chronic kidney disease.

The Scottish Government does not currently have plans to introduce specific measures to train and upskill NHS kidney care teams in relation to psychosocial support.

NHS Boards are expected to follow current guidelines and best practice in delivering safe, effective, and person-centred care. Our Mental Health and Wellbeing Strategy 2023 sets out a long-term vision for improving mental health, supported by the National Specification for Psychological Therapies and Interventions and the new Mental Health Core Standards, introduced in September 2023. Workforce planning and training are led locally, aligned with national frameworks.