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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-39330

Asked by: Edward Mountain, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 10 July 2025
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 28 July 2025

To ask the Scottish Government how it ensures that Police Scotland, NHS boards and local authorities work together to support vulnerable people.

The Scottish Government ensures that Police Scotland, NHS Boards, and local authorities work together to support our most vulnerable adults through the framework established by the Adult Support and Protection (Scotland) Act 2007. This legislation sets out the criteria for identifying an adult at risk and requires public bodies to work together and share information when they believe an adult may be at risk of harm. Where action is needed to support and protect the person, the case must be referred to the local council for the area where the adult is located.

Additionally, in respect of supporting people in distress the Scottish Government has worked with the Partnership Delivery Group (PDG) to publish the Framework for Collaboration and the Collaborative Commitments Action Plan to strengthen multi-agency working between Police Scotland, NHS Boards, and local authorities. These initiatives are designed to ensure that individuals experiencing distress or crisis receive timely, appropriate, and compassionate care and support.

Question reference: S6W-39303

Asked by: Alexander Burnett, MSP for Aberdeenshire West, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 10 July 2025
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 28 July 2025

To ask the Scottish Government how it holds to account any local authorities that breach their statutory duties under the Education (Additional Support for Learning) (Scotland) Act 2004.

The Education (Scotland) Act 1980 places statutory responsibility for the provision of education in Scotland with individual local authorities. Under section 70 of the 1980 Act any interested party can make a reference to the Scottish Ministers that a responsible body (the managers of a school or education establishment, an education authority or other persons) has failed to discharge a duty imposed on them by or for the purposes of any enactment relating to education. This includes duties imposed by the Education (Additional Support for Learning) (Scotland) Act 2004.

Furthermore, where families are concerned that education authorities may not be fulfilling their duties under the Education (Additional Support for Learning) (Scotland) Act 2004, there is a range of dispute resolution mechanisms available to them. These mechanisms include mediation, independent adjudication, and referral to the First-tier Tribunal for Scotland.

Question reference: S6W-39384

Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness and Nairn, Independent
Date lodged: Wednesday, 16 July 2025
Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 28 July 2025

To ask the Scottish Government whether NHS Highland informed it that it could not share data on vaccinations with it prior to the board taking over responsibility for vaccinations from GPs, and whether it will publish any documentation on this matter.

Question reference: S6W-39551

Asked by: Jamie Greene, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Friday, 25 July 2025
Current Status: Answer expected on 22 August 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to ensure that businesses, particularly small and medium-sized businesses, are equipped and supported to implement artificial intelligence into their work.

Question reference: S6W-39554

Asked by: Beatrice Wishart, MSP for Shetland Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Friday, 25 July 2025
Current Status: Answer expected on 22 August 2025

To ask the Scottish Government how many (a) agricultural, (b) forestry and (c) fishing businesses closed down in (i) 2023-24, (ii) 2024-25 and (iii) 2025-26 to date.

Question reference: S6W-39553

Asked by: Jamie Greene, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Friday, 25 July 2025
Current Status: Answer expected on 22 August 2025

To ask the Scottish Government how many (a) paramedics are currently working in Scotland, (b) newly qualified paramedics entered the NHS in each of the last five years and (c) individuals are currently in training to become paramedics.

Question reference: S6W-39547

Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 25 July 2025
Current Status: Answer expected on 22 August 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to review and improve the carbon calculator used to assess wind farm developments on peatlands, in light of the reported findings by ClimateXChange that it requires updating.

Question reference: S6W-39366

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 15 July 2025
Current Status: Answered by Siobhian Brown on 25 July 2025

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on what actions have been implemented as a result of its youth violence summit on 12 June 2025.

The Scottish Government is continuing to invest in violence prevention activity through our grant funded partner organisations, including the Scottish Violence Reduction Unit and Youthlink Scotland’s No Knives Better Lives.

This includes the development and delivery of two campaigns on knife crime and weapon carrying, to raise awareness to older children and the adults around them, including a campaign specifically targeting primary aged school children.

The Quit Fighting for Likes campaign will be promoted to front line professionals to encourage conversations with young people to explore the impact of filming and sharing violent images online. Resources will also target parents to help support young people away from carrying weapons.

We are considering what more we can do to strengthen support for young people and communities.

Question reference: S6W-39368

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 15 July 2025
Current Status: Answered by Siobhian Brown on 25 July 2025

To ask the Scottish Government for what reason the Independent Working Group on Antisocial Behaviour was reportedly not invited to its youth violence summit on 12 June 2025.

The First Minister convened the meeting on 12 June to focus on the views of those working in the youth work sector on violence among young people.

We recognise there are a wide range of organisations working to support young people and families across communities who are undertaking valuable prevention and early intervention work. To ensure those attending were able to put forward views in the time available, it was necessary to restrict numbers, so were unable to invite everyone with an interest in this matter.

The Scottish Government remain open to meeting with organisations wishing to contribute to this discussion to help inform the overall response to strengthen support to young people and communities.

Question reference: S6W-39433

Asked by: Patrick Harvie, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 17 July 2025
Current Status: Answered by Ivan McKee on 25 July 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether publicly owned companies should operate a presumption against outsourcing of business functions that are capable of being undertaken in-house.

The Scottish Government is committed to ensuring publicly owned companies deliver services that are high-quality, provide best value, support fair work and contribute to inclusive economic growth. This includes an expectation in favour of in-house delivery where functions can be undertaken effectively within the organisation and where this is demonstrably in the public interest.

However, any decision whether to outsource or utilise in-house functions is for individual, publicly owned companies to make in line with their legal duties, operational requirements and a full assessment of any impacts, including quality of service, value for money and public benefits before such a decision to outsource is made.