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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: S6T-02508

Asked by: Katy Clark, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 06 May 2025
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 6 May 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to reports that the number of new rape cases being reported to police has increased by more than a third since 2020-21.

Question reference: S6T-02503

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 06 May 2025
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 6 May 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what immediate action it will take to address the reported failure by NHS boards to publish significant adverse event reviews related to mother and baby deaths in hospitals.

Question reference: S6F-04052

Asked by: Russell Findlay, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 06 May 2025
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 8 May 2025

Question to be taken in Chamber.

Question reference: S6F-04062

Asked by: Brian Whittle, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 06 May 2025
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 8 May 2025

To ask the First Minister, in light of the publication of the Programme for Government, what action the Scottish Government is taking to ensure that prevention is more strongly integrated into the health system.

Question reference: S6F-04067

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 06 May 2025
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 8 May 2025

To ask the First Minister when the landslip shelter on the A83 at the Rest and Be Thankful will be complete.

Question reference: S6F-04054

Asked by: Patrick Harvie, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 06 May 2025
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 8 May 2025

Question to be taken in Chamber.

Question reference: S6F-04053

Asked by: Anas Sarwar, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 06 May 2025
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 8 May 2025

Question to be taken in Chamber.

Question reference: S6F-04057

Asked by: Kevin Stewart, MSP for Aberdeen Central, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 06 May 2025
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 8 May 2025

To ask the First Minister what the Scottish Government's response is to water scarcity alerts issued by SEPA for the east of Scotland, in light of low rainfall and warm temperatures.

Question reference: S6W-37260

Asked by: Paul O'Kane, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 29 April 2025
Current Status: Answered by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 6 May 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what action it has taken to increase the uptake of Funeral Support Payment since its introduction in 2019.

Social Security Scotland is committed to tackling funeral poverty and increasing take-up of all Scottish benefits. Since its introduction in 2019, Funeral Support Payment has been promoted across a wide range of channels including advertising on radio, in print and online, as well as through articles in media outlets and content on our own social media channels.

Social Security Scotland works with funeral directors and other stakeholders to increase their awareness of the payment so they can identify people who might need help to pay for funeral costs. This work includes provision of print information and attending events to raise awareness. Social Security Scotland also ensures there is accessible information available to people if online at mygov.scot.

When Funeral Support Payment launched, the Scottish Government substantially widened eligibility compared to the UK Government equivalent. Since launching in 2019, the Scottish Government has provided £56.9 million to over 29,000 people to help pay for funeral costs at a time when they need it most.

Question reference: S6W-37135

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 23 April 2025
Current Status: Answered by Ivan McKee on 6 May 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to ensure that all public bodies and agencies under its control are subject to meaningful parliamentary scrutiny and accountability.

Public bodies are reviewed quarterly as part of the Scottish Government’s Assurance cycle to ensure they are operating efficiently and effectively. We also set frameworks and provide guidance documents. One of the key aims of our Public Service Reform (PSR) programme is to drive efficiency and effectiveness across government and public bodies, making sure we have the public body landscape to deliver the services the people of Scotland need.

Scottish Government also ensures public bodies within our remit are subject to parliamentary scrutiny and accountability through a combination of legislative instruments, oversight bodies, and ongoing engagement with the Scottish Parliament. These include:

Ministerial Accountability: Where appropriate, Ministers will update the Scottish Parliament on the actions and performance of relevant public bodies during debates, written and oral parliamentary questions and committee appearances. However, Ministers are not the Accountable Officers for Public Bodies, and, although Ministers may appoint the Chair and members of some boards, they do not influence how boards function.
Parliamentary Committees: Scottish Government and its public bodies are scrutinised through the current 16 parliamentary committees, such as the Public Audit Committee and the Finance and Public Administration Committee which regularly hold inquiries into the activities of public bodies.
Annual Reports and Audits: Public bodies and agencies are required to submit annual reports and accounts to the Scottish Parliament. These reports and accounts are also subject to audit by the Auditor General for Scotland, who reports to Parliament on the financial health and governance of these bodies. This independent scrutiny ensures transparency and accountability.
Legislative Oversight: The Scottish Parliament has the power to introduce and pass legislation that sets the framework for the governance and scrutiny of public bodies. This includes legislation such as the Public Services Reform (Scotland) Act 2010. The Scottish Government’s annual budget process provides further structures for scrutiny and accountability.

Additionally, members of the public can contact their MSP to raise concerns and have the following mechanisms to scrutinise public bodies:

The Scottish Public Services Ombudsman: The SPSO provides an independent process for investigating complaints about public bodies. This ensures individuals have a mechanism to question public bodies on their decisions and actions.
Freedom of Information: All public bodies and agencies are required to be transparent about their activities. This allows the public to access information about their operations, further increasing accountability.