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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-32457

Asked by: Paul O'Kane, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 18 December 2024
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 7 January 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what actions are being taken to raise awareness of the symptoms and risks of long COVID, and the support services that are available.

Scotland’s national health information service NHS inform aims to provide the people of Scotland with information to help them make informed decisions about their own health and the health of the people they care for.

NHS inform has a dedicated long COVID microsite containing information on common signs and symptoms associated with long COVID, testimony from people affected by long COVID about the impact it has had on their daily lives and information on when to seek further advice from a healthcare professional. This information is publicly accessible at www.nhsinform.scot/long-covid and is available in a variety of different languages and accessible formats.

Question reference: S6W-32455

Asked by: Paul O'Kane, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 18 December 2024
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 7 January 2025

To ask the Scottish Government how it plans to address any gaps in services and medical treatment for patients with long COVID, in light of reports undertaken by Chest Heart and Stroke Scotland and The ALLIANCE on the condition.

Since the research undertaken by Chest Heart and Stroke Scotland and the Health and Social Care Alliance Scotland (the ALLIANCE), the National Strategic Network for long COVID managed by NHS National Services Scotland has produced information for NHS boards on the assessment of adults with suspected long COVID in general practice. It has also supported the delivery of online education sessions including on the assessment of patients with long COVID and the management of Postural Tachycardia Syndrome (PoTs).

The Scottish Government has made available approximately £3 million to national and territorial NHS boards in 2024-25 to support the operation of the network, boards’ access to the C19-YRS digital platform and the provision of care and support locally by NHS boards.

The 2025-26 budget includes new investment of £4.5 million to deliver new specialist support across the country for long COVID, ME, Chronic Fatigue, and other similar conditions. This represents a 152.9% uplift to the 2024-25 long COVID budget line.

Responsibility for service delivery rests locally with NHS boards which configure services taking into account local circumstances and the reasonable needs of their patient populations.

Question reference: S6W-32298

Asked by: Douglas Lumsden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 13 December 2024
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 7 January 2025

To ask the Scottish Government how many houses have been bought as second homes or investment properties at a value of less than £40,000, thus making them exempt from liabilty to the additional dwelling supplement, in each year since the supplement was introduced.

Question reference: S6W-32108

Asked by: Craig Hoy, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 10 December 2024
Current Status: Answered by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 7 January 2025

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-31765 by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 10 December 2024, what steps it has taken to enable and assist people on indefinite Adult Disability Payments to return to the workforce to some degree.

Adult Disability Payment provides financial support to disabled adults to help mitigate the additional costs of being disabled or having a long-term ill health condition so they can lead their lives more independently and fully. It is not an income replacement benefit and eligibility for Adult Disability Payment is not related to employment.

The Scottish Government are working to improve employment opportunities for those who face barriers in the labour market, including disabled people and those with ill health conditions. Through No One Left Behind, the Scottish Government are delivering person-centred, tailored employability services and in-work support through locally designed services. Between April and June 2024, 30% of participants accessing the service reported a disability, the largest proportion in a single quarter to date.

Work is underway to drive forward the commitment to implement Specialist Employability Support for disabled people across all 32 Local Authorities from Summer 2025 so that they can access secure fulfilling jobs.

Question reference: S6W-32089

Asked by: Jamie Greene, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 10 December 2024
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 7 January 2025

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on progress towards securing the redevelopment of Ardrossan Harbour.

Question reference: S6W-32103

Asked by: Craig Hoy, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 10 December 2024
Current Status: Answered by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 7 January 2025

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-31765 by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 10 December 2024, how many indefinite awards of Adult Disability Payments are currently ongoing (a) overall and (b) for mental health-related claims only.

Social Security Scotland routinely publishes information on Adult Disability Payment applications and caseload, broken down by disability condition. No information on the number of indefinite awards made as a result of Adult Disability Payment applications is currently published.

As of 31 October 2024, statistics showed that there were 374,655 clients on the Adult Disability Payment caseload, of which 142,480 had the primary disability condition “Mental and Behavioural Disorders”.

The latest Adult Disability Payment official statistics publication can be found at: https://www.socialsecurity.gov.scot/publications/statistics. The next release of Adult Disability Payment statistics which will cover the period to the end of January 2024, is due to be published on 18 March 2024.

Question reference: S6W-32077

Asked by: Richard Leonard, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Date lodged: Tuesday, 10 December 2024
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 7 January 2025

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6T-02170 by Fiona Hyslop on 5 November 2024, in relation to ScotRail’s experience of targeting antisocial behaviour through proactively planning a more visible staff presence at the right locations, what definition of the "right locations" has been provided by ScotRail when planning the deployment of staff to address antisocial behaviour.

Question reference: S6T-02268

Asked by: Pam Gosal, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 06 January 2025
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 7 January 2025

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on its progress in tackling child sexual abuse, in light of reported calls for a full UK national inquiry into child sexual abuse by grooming gangs.

Question reference: S6T-02270

Asked by: Ben Macpherson, MSP for Edinburgh Northern and Leith, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 06 January 2025
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 7 January 2025

To ask the Scottish Government how it is responding to reported increases in instances of youth crime and antisocial behaviour.

Question reference: S6F-03687

Asked by: Clare Haughey, MSP for Rutherglen, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 06 January 2025
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 9 January 2025

To ask the First Minister, in light of recent freezing temperatures, whether he will provide an update on what steps the Scottish Government is taking to support low-income households with their energy bills.