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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-34132

Asked by: Douglas Lumsden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 29 January 2025
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 27 February 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to ensure transparency and accountability in the use of any public funds for legal advice and representation for ministers and former ministers.

Question reference: S6W-34884

Asked by: Alex Cole-Hamilton, MSP for Edinburgh Western, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Wednesday, 12 February 2025
Current Status: Answered by Maree Todd on 27 February 2025

To ask the Scottish Government whether it has had any discussions with NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde following the recent BBC programme, Disclosure: Kids on the Psychiatric Ward, and, if so, what outcomes have resulted from any such discussions.

Since I was made aware of the allegations in the programme, my officials have been in regular contact with NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde, asking a series of questions around how complaints and incidents during the time period were handled; how Mental Welfare Commission recommendations were addressed; and how staff are trained and supervised. There were also important questions about leadership and governance.

From NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde’s response, I am satisfied that appropriate review and assurance processes are in place and that improvements have been made since the events described.

As I set out in my answer to question S6W-34878 on 27 February 2025, NHS Healthcare Improvement Scotland (HIS) and the Mental Welfare Commission will carry out a series of joint visits. I will also be carefully monitoring the outcome of the internal and external reviews that have been commissioned by NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde and – as the Board would expect – holding them to account. 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

Further to this, on Wednesday 26 February, myself and the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care met with the Chief Executives of NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde, NHS Lothian and NHS Tayside, where inpatient units are located. They provided me with assurance that the allegations in the programme are being taken very seriously, that internal and external review processes are underway, and that appropriate governance arrangements are in place.

Question reference: S6W-34931

Asked by: Mark Griffin, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 12 February 2025
Current Status: Answered by Siobhian Brown on 27 February 2025

To ask the Scottish Government how many bodies designated as a rural housing body under section 43 (6) of the Title Conditions (Scotland) Act 2003 have issued rural housing burdens, broken down by year.

Question reference: S6W-34189

Asked by: Douglas Lumsden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 30 January 2025
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 27 February 2025

To ask the Scottish Government how many patients are on waiting lists for community audiology services in (a) Aberdeen and (b) each NHS board.

Question reference: S6W-34185

Asked by: Douglas Lumsden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 30 January 2025
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 27 February 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what the average waiting time is for community audiology services in (a) NHS Grampian and (b) Aberdeen, and how this compares with the national average.

Question reference: S6W-34291

Asked by: Katy Clark, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 30 January 2025
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 27 February 2025

To ask the Scottish Government how the current proposals from ScotRail, regarding a reduction of booking office opening hours in stations, address the preference of women and girls, highlighted in the recent Transport Scotland qualitative research, for an increase in a visible staff presence in the evenings and at weekends when using public transport, in light of reported concerns that the proposals would lead to a significant decrease in stations with facilities open in the evenings.

Following a conclusion of proposals mentioned by the Member, ScotRail stations will continue to offer access to station facilities as they do at present.

Staff will be more visible either on station platforms or on train to meet passenger aspiration of a more visible staff presence. There will be no job losses which means that staff no longer scheduled to be in the ticket office will be providing a more direct assistance to passengers on the network. Further information can also be found in S6W-34292 on 27 February 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-34192

Asked by: Douglas Lumsden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 30 January 2025
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 27 February 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what action is being taken to ensure that patients requiring community audiology services in rural areas are not disadvantaged compared with those in urban centres.

Question reference: S6W-34196

Asked by: Douglas Lumsden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 30 January 2025
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 27 February 2025

To ask the Scottish Government how it is addressing any recruitment and retention challenges in community audiology services, particularly in rural and remote areas.

Question reference: S6W-34186

Asked by: Douglas Lumsden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 30 January 2025
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 27 February 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to reduce waiting times for community audiology services in (a) NHS Grampian and (b) Aberdeen.

Question reference: S6O-04395

Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 26 February 2025
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 6 March 2025

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the potential impact on state schools of the UK Government's decision to make independent schools liable for VAT, how it plans to use any Barnett consequential funding resulting from this decision to support state schools.