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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-37380

Asked by: Douglas Lumsden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 28 May 2025
Current Status: Answered by Gillian Martin on 10 June 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with the UK Government regarding any contingencies that have been identified for maintaining electricity system security of supply in Scotland under any potential zonal pricing scenarios that result in lower generation margins within individual zones.

Decisions on the Review of Electricity Market Arrangements (REMA) are reserved to the UK Government. The UK Government has published impact assessments and is updating its analysis ahead of a final decision this summer. We are awaiting sight of this updated modelling. In addition, a range of impact assessments have been carried out by consultancies and industry bodies.

We met with researchers, industry and consumer organisations – as well as international electricity market experts – in December 2024 to consider the evidence and have engaged extensively with stakeholders over the past two years to understand all impacts.

This is a complex area and the Scottish Government is clear that UK Government reforms must reduce costs for Scottish consumers, ensure Scotland’s communities feel the benefit of the energy transition and protect investment in our renewables industry and supporting decarbonisation.

Question reference: S6W-37655

Asked by: Alex Cole-Hamilton, MSP for Edinburgh Western, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Wednesday, 28 May 2025
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 10 June 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what the current average waiting times are for treatment for gynaecological cancers and how these compare with the waiting times for treatment for other types of cancer.

Latest statistics published by Public Health Scotland (PHS) in March 2025, includes data on cervical and ovarian cancer waiting times, between 1st October and 31st December 2024.

This data shows that 96.6% of women with cervical cancer and 98.4% of women with ovarian cancer are receiving their first treatment within 31 days of a decision to treat. This compares with 94.7% for all other cancer types. This is a median wait of 14 and 13 days respectively, with 4 days being the median for all other cancer types.

51.7% of women with cervical cancer and 73.3% of women with ovarian cancer are receiving their first treatment within 62 days of an urgent referral of cancer. This compares to 73.5% for all other cancer types. This is a median wait of 62 and 50 days respectively, with 49 days being the median for all other cancer types.

Scottish Government is continuing to take action to improve waiting times, with £14.23 million of the £106 million planned care funding made available in 2025-26 across NHS Scotland, directed towards Cancer Waiting Times.

Question reference: S6W-37926

Asked by: Lorna Slater, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 28 May 2025
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 10 June 2025

To ask the Scottish Government how much has been allocated to NHS boards in 2025-26 for providing gender identity care.

The Scottish Government is committed to improving the lives of trans people, who, we know, continue to suffer poorer outcomes relative to the wider population, including in mental and physical health.

Accordingly, we are taking forward a range of actions to improve the delivery and accessibility of NHS gender identity services. In the 2025-26 financial year, the Scottish Government is providing almost £1.8 million of funding to Health Boards to support this work, of which the vast majority is directly allocated to territorial Health Boards hosting gender identity clinics, to support them to improve their service capacity and to reduce waiting times.

Question reference: S6W-38150

Asked by: Maurice Golden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 03 June 2025
Current Status: Answered by Jim Fairlie on 10 June 2025

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the publication of the review of the provisions and requirements under the Animals and Wildlife (Penalties, Protections and Powers) (Scotland) Act 2020, which outlined its intention to "consult on a proposal to ban remote controlled training collars using static pulse as a stimulus", whether it will provide an update on the timeline and the expected launch date for such a consultation.

We are continuing to give the SAWC reports on remote control static pulse devices and other aversive training devices careful consideration, along with the findings of our review into whether further provisions for wearable static pulse training devices are required, which was undertaken as part of the review of the Animals and Wildlife (Penalties, Protections and Powers) (Scotland) Act 2020. Once we have finished our deliberations, we will announce our timeline for a further consultation.

Question reference: S6W-37437

Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 28 May 2025
Current Status: Answered by Jamie Hepburn on 10 June 2025

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of its reported comments that, while it engages regularly with cross-party groups (CPGs), “they are informal groupings of MSPs and other people and groups with an interest in a specific subject which are not part of the formal parliamentary structure for scrutinising government”, what its position is on the efficacy of CPGs in bringing stakeholders’ concerns to its attention, and what responsibilities or obligations it considers it has to act on any such concerns.

Cross-Party Groups provide an opportunity for MSPs to engage with external stakeholders on a particular subject or issue and many MSPs then raise those in Parliament or with the Government.

The role of CPGs is a matter for the Scottish Parliament and as set out in the Scottish Parliament’s Code of Conduct for MSPs, CPGs are and I quote, “not formal parliamentary business and should not be confused with the Parliament’s committee system” and “CPGs do not have any power to introduce issues formally into the parliamentary or government systems”.

Question reference: S6W-37965

Asked by: Pam Duncan-Glancy, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 29 May 2025
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 10 June 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what it considers to be the purpose and scope of the Scottish Qualifications Authority’s accreditation function.

SQA Accreditation quality assures and regulates qualifications offered in Scotland. It does this by approving awarding bodies and accrediting their qualifications, ensuring that accredited qualifications are of an appropriate standard and meet the needs of learners.

The accreditation model in Scotland mandates the following qualifications are accredited: Scottish Vocational Qualifications, the main qualification in a Modern Apprenticeship Framework, Security and License Trade qualifications and Workplace Core Skills qualifications. All other qualifications that are accredited are on a voluntary basis.

Question reference: S6W-38276

Asked by: Mercedes Villalba, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 04 June 2025
Current Status: Answered by Paul McLennan on 10 June 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what engagement it has had with local authorities regarding when they were first made aware of the risks of reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete.

The Scottish Government has engaged closely with Local Authorities throughout the response to the issues raised by reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC). In August 2023 the Scottish Government held the first meeting of the RAAC Cross Sector Working Group to help raise awareness of RAAC across the public sector. Local Authorities are represented on this group as are representative organisations such as the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities (CoSLA) and the Scottish Heads of Property Services (SHoPS).

Question reference: S6W-37967

Asked by: Beatrice Wishart, MSP for Shetland Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Thursday, 29 May 2025
Current Status: Answered by Jim Fairlie on 10 June 2025

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-28903 by Jim Fairlie on 19 August 2024, when the Highlands and Islands Air Discount Scheme review is expected to report, and what engagement is taking place with (a) passengers and (b) other stakeholders regarding the operation of the scheme.

Question reference: S6T-02586

Asked by: Jamie Greene, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Monday, 09 June 2025
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 10 June 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what it is doing to ensure the connectivity of local communities in the west of Scotland, in light of reports that over 400 Stagecoach drivers in Ayr, Arran, Ardrossan and Kilmarnock have begun industrial action until 21 July.

Question reference: S6T-02583

Asked by: Pauline McNeill, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 09 June 2025
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 10 June 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to reports of claims by a whistleblower at Police Scotland that officers are being “coerced” into logging individuals in line with their gender identity, even in serious sexual assault cases.