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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.

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Question reference: S6W-37379

Asked by: Douglas Lumsden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 06 May 2025
Current Status: Answered by Gillian Martin on 14 May 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what estimate it has made of any additional capital cost of transmission network reinforcements required under each zonal electricity pricing scenario modelled by its officials.

Question reference: S6W-37364

Asked by: Douglas Lumsden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 06 May 2025
Current Status: Answered by Gillian Martin on 14 May 2025

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on what its position is on any proposal to introduce zonal electricity pricing, and what evidence underpins that position.

Question reference: S6W-37058

Asked by: Fulton MacGregor, MSP for Coatbridge and Chryston, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 22 April 2025
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 14 May 2025

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on how many NHS boards are considering offering givinostat, also known as duvyzat, to people with Duchenne muscular dystrophy in a fair and equitable manner.

It is a matter for Health Boards to consider the implementation of any new medicine to meet the needs of their local population. However, in response to concerns raised regarding access to givinostat in Scotland, the Cabinet Secretary has met with the four health boards who provide regional services across Scotland for children and adults with neuromuscular disorders, including Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD). He has asked them to set out their timelines and approaches to the families who have children with DMD in the next two weeks. In addition, the Chief Pharmaceutical Officer has been assured that the consultants have reviewed all those who eligible to ensure fair and equitable access across Scotland.

Question reference: S6W-37475

Asked by: Mercedes Villalba, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 08 May 2025
Current Status: Answered by Gillian Martin on 14 May 2025

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-35302 by Gillian Martin on 12 March 2025, whether it will provide the figures for (a) minimum output and (b) tenant projections for production that were used by Crown Estate Scotland to produce the estimate of the total fees paid by the developers for the 50-year lease for the Inch Cape Offshore Wind Farm site.

Question reference: S6W-37255

Asked by: Pam Duncan-Glancy, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 01 May 2025
Current Status: Answered by Graeme Dey on 14 May 2025

To ask the Scottish Government when the Scottish Funding Council will publish its report on the financial state of the university sector in Scotland; whether the Minister for Higher and Further Education has been kept informed of the reasons for any delay in publication, and, if not, what information it has on the reasons for the minister not being kept informed of the reasons for any delay.

The publication date of the Scottish Funding Council’s (SFC) annual report on the financial sustainability of the higher education sector is a matter for the SFC. They have made the decision to amend the timing of their publication cycle primarily due to competing pressures and a delay to the finalisation of some college accounts which has resulted in the content of the college and university financial sustainability reports now being unavoidably outdated. Additionally, SFC will have analysis of new financial forecasts in June which will allow them to update and revise their previous analysis.

The updated analysis should be ready for publication in September.

Question reference: S6W-37170

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 01 May 2025
Current Status: Answered by Maree Todd on 14 May 2025

To ask the Scottish Government how many hours of social care support could have been delivered with the £30 million that was reportedly spent on developing the National Care Service (Scotland) Bill.

We are delivering much needed social care reform through the National Care Service, and it is a complex programme of change. The reported £28m reflects the funding allocated to developing National Care Service proposals since August 2021. The vast majority of the allocation is funding for existing Scottish Government staff and co-design work.

To put the £28m spent on the NCS into context, that is just 0.2% of the total health and social care budget on a system that we agree isn’t currently working. This is not unreasonable or a waste of investment. It includes co-design and engagement work ensuring people with lived experience of accessing and delivering social care services, social work and community health are partners in developing the National Care Service proposals.

Question reference: S6W-37292

Asked by: Mark Griffin, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 01 May 2025
Current Status: Answered by Paul McLennan on 14 May 2025

To ask the Scottish Government how many full-time equivalent staff it has employed in its More Homes division in each of the last five financial years.

Question reference: S6W-36910

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 01 May 2025
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 14 May 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether wigs and other gender-affirming items should be provided at public cost to prisoners who have violated prison rules or engaged in threating or abusive behaviour while in custody, and what the reasons are for its position on the matter.

I have asked Teresa Medhurst, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service (SPS), to respond. Her response is as follows:

The Scottish Prison Service agree that those living in custody with protected characteristics, such as gender reassignment, should be supported wherever reasonably practicable.

The Management of Transgender People in Custody Policy 2023 indicates that in addition to local property entitlements, transgender people may need access to other property to assist them. This is considered on an individualised basis.

Entitlement to this property is made through assessment that forms part of a transgender person’s individual case management process and is consistent with SPS’s commitment to ensuring equality, diversity and human rights for all individuals living in prisons.

Any breach of discipline will be dealt with in accordance with the Scottish and Young Offenders Institutions (Scotland) Rules 2011. Any punishment awarded by the adjudicator will be proportionate to the charge and the evidence presented.

Question reference: S6W-37295

Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 01 May 2025
Current Status: Answered by Graeme Dey on 14 May 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what support it is providing to local communities to hold their own commemorative events to mark VE and VJ Day.

The Scottish Government provided funding to support the efforts of Legion Scotland and Poppyscotland to commemorate the anniversary of VE Day through a concert at the Usher Hall on Tuesday evening. Titled Scotland’s Salute to VE Day 80, this was Scotland’s national commemorative event to mark this anniversary and told of the historic efforts which lead to victory in Europe 80 years ago.

Earlier this year, the Scottish Government wrote to MSPs and Local Authorities to highlight the funding being made available from the UK Government to arts organisations across the UK from April to August of this year to share stories of towns, cities and villages during the Second World War, as well as the funding available from the National Lottery Community Fund Awards for grants to host community events, activities and exhibitions to help tell the stories of the Second World War at a local level. I subsequently wrote to local MSPs and Local Authority Veterans Champions to reemphasise this support.

Question reference: S6W-37144

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 01 May 2025
Current Status: Answered by Graeme Dey on 14 May 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of any risks posed by Scottish universities maintaining research and commercial partnerships with Chinese institutions identified by UK national security agencies as being linked to the Chinese military or state.

Although national security is reserved to the UK Government, the Scottish Government has continued to engage with UK Government regarding collaborations with Chinese state-linked institutions.

The Scottish Government expect universities, as autonomous bodies, to conduct due diligence on managing risks associated with international partnerships and comply with relevant legal requirements, including the National Security Act 2023, and National Security and Investment Act 2021.

FTE number of Directly employed staff in More Homes Division
	fte
	31-Mar-20	31-Mar-21	31-Mar-22	31-Mar-23	31-Mar-24	31-Dec-24
All	92	81	71	70	65	65