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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: S6F-04214

Asked by: Anas Sarwar, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 23 June 2025
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 26 June 2025

Question to be taken in Chamber.

Question reference: S6F-04237

Asked by: Joe FitzPatrick, MSP for Dundee City West, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 23 June 2025
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 26 June 2025

To ask the First Minister what the Scottish Government's response is to the Sarcoma UK report, Unique Among Cancers.

Question reference: S6W-38670

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 12 June 2025
Current Status: Answered by Siobhian Brown on 23 June 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what contingency plans it has in place to maintain legal representation services in the event of industrial action by the Solicitor Contact Line.

I have asked Colin Lancaster, Chief Executive of the Scottish Legal Aid Board to respond. His response is as follows:-

Business continuity arrangements already exist for the Solicitor Contact Line (SLC). Should the GMB Union notify SLAB that their SCL members intend to progress to industrial action, SLAB will consider whether further contingency planning is needed to mitigate any potential impact of that action on those in police custody who do not already have a solicitor.

SLAB’s approach to discussions with the GMB has been collaborative and consultative. SLAB continues to engage regularly with the GMB and SCL staff. GMB is supportive of engaging with ACAS, which SLAB is currently arranging.

Question reference: S6W-38673

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 12 June 2025
Current Status: Answered by Mairi McAllan on 23 June 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what funding has been allocated to the cladding remediation programme to date, and how much of this funding has been spent.

Question reference: S6W-38485

Asked by: Douglas Lumsden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 09 June 2025
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 23 June 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the effectiveness of the current model of volunteer-led aftercare services for hearing aids, delivered in specific locations on a rota basis, compared with a primary care audiology service providing aftercare and ongoing support closer to home.

The Scottish Government is continuing to invest in RNID Near You, which provides an aftercare service delivering hearing aid support, access to information and advice and early detection and prevention through hearing checks, in partnership with the NHS in Shetland, Glasgow, Lothian, Fife and Borders. The scheme aims to reduce pressure on the NHS. Boards report savings in staff time and patient travel and monitoring is through regular meetings and reviewing outcomes against targets. The Scottish Government is not responsible for outcomes of third sector relationships procured in other health board areas in the delivery of NHS audiology services.

Question reference: S6W-38481

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 09 June 2025
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 23 June 2025

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of reports that prisoners in England and Wales have been banned from watching 18-certificated films since 2013, whether it will adopt a similar policy in Scotland.

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

I refer the member to the answer to the question S6W-38480 on 23 June 2025. 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-38512

Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 09 June 2025
Current Status: Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 23 June 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what the timescale will be for the publication of the revised Good Food Nation plan.

Question reference: S6W-38954

Asked by: George Adam, MSP for Paisley, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 23 June 2025
Current Status: Initiated by the Scottish Government. Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 23 June 2025

To ask the Scottish Government when the timeline for curriculum improvement and qualifications reform will be published.

In this year’s Programme for Government we committed to setting out a single combined timeline for reform to curriculum and qualifications in June 2025, with the aim of providing clarity about next steps for the education system. The Scottish Government has worked closely with our lead delivery partners Education Scotland and the SQA to produce a timeline for the Curriculum Improvement Cycle and Reforms to Qualifications and Assessment. The document sets out progress to date and next steps and was published today (23 June 2025): Curriculum, Qualifications and Assessment Reform – Progress to Date and Next Steps - gov.scot.

The publication provides an initial timeline to give clarity to partners and practitioners across the education and skills system, as well as to parents and carers and young people, about when they will start to see changes in teaching and assessment.

While change to curriculum, qualifications and assessment should be expected, the focus will remain on the enhancement of excellent learning and teaching as we know this will make the greatest impact on outcomes for our children and young people.

The work aims to support more consistent teaching, learning and assessment experiences, and improved attainment and achievement of our children and young people.

The Scottish Government is actively delivering a programme of reform that is coherent, realistic, practical and deliverable.

Question reference: S6W-38502

Asked by: Carol Mochan, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 09 June 2025
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 23 June 2025

To ask the Scottish Government when it last asked the UK Government when the results of the UK National Screening Committee consultation on offering HPV self-sampling will be released.

The Scottish Government is represented on the UK National Screening Committee (UK NSC) and receives updates regarding significant developments in the Committee’s work. It is expected that the UK NSC will be issuing an official update later this month on the potential for self-sampling to be introduced to the cervical screening programme. The update will be published on their website.

In the event of a positive recommendation, the organisations that oversee screening will move at pace to begin realising the potential benefits of self-sampling.

Question reference: S6W-38189

Asked by: Jamie Greene, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Monday, 09 June 2025
Current Status: Answered by Jim Fairlie on 23 June 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what percentage of the revenue received by bus operators is currently generated from (a) full-fare-paying passengers and (b) concessionary fares subsidised by the Scottish Government; how this compares with the equivalent average figures for the last (i) three, (ii) five and (iii) 10 years, and what percentage of the subsidised fares charged by bus operators it (A) currently funds and (B) has funded on average in the last (1) three, (2) five and (3) 10 years, also broken down by operator.

Transport Scotland provides reimbursement to bus operators in Scotland for providing free bus travel to those eligible through the National Concessionary Travel Schemes (NCTS). Reimbursement is paid to operators at a level which aims to ensure they are left financially no better and no worse off as a result of their participation in the schemes, and is therefore not considered as a subsidy payment.

Details of total operator revenue over the past 10 years, including passenger revenue and concessionary travel reimbursement can be found in Scottish Transport Statistics tables 2.8 and 2.9, available at: Chapter 2 - Bus and Coach travel | Transport Scotland