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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: S6O-04610

Asked by: Annabelle Ewing, MSP for Cowdenbeath, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 30 April 2025
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 7 May 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to promote horticulture.

Question reference: S6O-04618

Asked by: Sandesh Gulhane, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Date lodged: Wednesday, 30 April 2025
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 7 May 2025

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on progress made to improve access to and reduce waiting times for breast reconstruction surgery following cancer treatment.

Question reference: S6O-04637

Asked by: Jamie Greene, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Wednesday, 30 April 2025
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 8 May 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what further consideration it has given to increasing or removing the earnings limit for recipients of the Carer Support Payment.

Question reference: S6O-04622

Asked by: Carol Mochan, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 30 April 2025
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 7 May 2025

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the work that it is doing to improve women’s health outcomes.

Question reference: S6O-04608

Asked by: Meghan Gallacher, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 30 April 2025
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 7 May 2025

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on how it is challenging the UK Government’s proposed inheritance tax changes for farmers.

Question reference: S6O-04612

Asked by: Audrey Nicoll, MSP for Aberdeen South and North Kincardine, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 30 April 2025
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 7 May 2025

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the introduction of Quota Management Groups and whether they would benefit fishers and coastal communities.

Question reference: S6W-36516

Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 03 April 2025
Current Status: Answered by Angus Robertson on 30 April 2025

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will request that Historic Environment Scotland revise its policy to not normally list buildings that are subject to development proposals at an advanced stage, in light of reports of recent cases where this has been seen as counterproductive.

As detailed in its ‘Designation Policy and Selection Guidance’, Historic Environment Scotland aims to act proportionately within the Scottish Regulators Code of Practice.

Although that means usually avoiding any unnecessary intervention in the planning process or other regulatory processes where there are development proposals by adding a new designation, the individual circumstances are fully considered, including the implications of the proposed designation and the effect development proposals would have in each case.

I have asked Historic Environment Scotland to write to the member to explain its policy further.

Question reference: S6W-36604

Asked by: Emma Harper, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Friday, 04 April 2025
Current Status: Answered by Richard Lochhead on 30 April 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what costs have been incurred by the R100 broadband upgrade programme in the (a) Dumfries and Galloway and (b) Scottish Borders local authority area, and what assessment it has made of potential further R100 spend in this area.

The Scottish Government does not hold information regarding the cost of delivering connectivity to individual Local Authorities through the R100 contracts. Costs for delivery of the R100 contracts are collected at contractual level and, as such, it is not possible to break that figure down for Dumfries and Galloway and the Scottish Borders only.

As of the end of March 2025, payments totalling £99.1 million have been made to our contract delivery partner Openreach for work to deliver infrastructure through the R100 South contract, including 6,741 connections in Dumfries and Galloway and 6,234 in the Scottish Borders.

The R100 Scottish Broadband Voucher Scheme is also part of the R100 programme. As of the end of March 2025, payments totalling £12.8 million have been made to registered suppliers for a total of 5,073 connections across Scotland, including 244 in Dumfries and Galloway and 313 in the Scottish Borders.

Question reference: S6W-37041

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 22 April 2025
Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 30 April 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the use of artificial intelligence-based tools to address any delays in cancer treatment and diagnosis.

Scottish Government is committed to the trustworthy, ethical and inclusive use of artificial intelligence (AI) in health and social care, where it can help to transform lives, increase healthy life expectancy and reduce health inequalities across Scotland.

There are promising examples of AI being developed to improve the accuracy and speed of diagnosis and in enhancing decision support tools.

The Accelerated National Innovation Adoption (ANIA) pathway is a programme funded by the Chief Scientist Office within Scottish Government. It has been established to provide a national approach to the identification and adoption of research and proven scientific and technological innovations. Governed by the Innovation Design Authority (IDA), it aims to support improved partnership working, system leadership and joint decisions on the progression of AI innovations across any health condition, including cancer.

Question reference: S6W-36480

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 03 April 2025
Current Status: Answered by Graeme Dey on 30 April 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what consideration it has given to promoting disciplined and purpose-driven career routes to young people who are at risk of long-term benefit dependency, and whether it considers military service to be such a career route.

The Scottish Government remains committed to an all-age careers information and guidance offer that supports all people, including young people who are at risk of long-term benefit dependency to progress rewarding careers.

Skills Development Scotland (SDS) provide an all-age career service in every local authority with an SDS Careers Adviser in every mainstream secondary school to highlight the wide range of career options available. A careers advisor offers impartial advice and supports people to consider and make informed decisions having explored all options and relevant information.

Through the 16+ Data Hub (Participation Portal), SDS are working to ensure that every young person can receive person-centred and proactive support. Having a set of data supplied by a range of partners enables front line staff to identify and provide support to those not in learning, training or employment and who are at risk of disengagement.

Military service can be a rewarding career pathway for many young people, offering a wide range of training and career opportunities as well as valuable transferable skills. To ensure that the knowledge of advisors is accurate, SDS work with the Armed Forces and can direct individuals to armed forces career centre sites if appropriate.

At the invitation of schools, the military may promote the community-based and school based combined cadets programme to young people and provide information about the wide range of careers in the military. There are also sessions promoted to teachers, advisers and Developing the Young Workforce (DYW) Co-ordinators such as ‘Meet the Army’ which often includes military personal speaking about their career journey.