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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: S6F-02673

Asked by: Jamie Greene, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 18 December 2023
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 21 December 2023

To ask the First Minister how the Scottish Government can promote and assist organisations that tackle loneliness, isolation and self-harm over the festive period.

Question reference: S6F-02679

Asked by: Pauline McNeill, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 18 December 2023
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 21 December 2023

To ask the First Minister whether, and how, the Scottish Government plans to increase awareness of spiking ahead of Christmas and New Year.

Question reference: S6F-02672

Asked by: Mark Ruskell, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Monday, 18 December 2023
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 21 December 2023

To ask the First Minister how the Budget will support climate action.

Question reference: S6F-02663

Asked by: Douglas Ross, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 18 December 2023
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 21 December 2023

Question to be taken in Chamber.

Question reference: S6F-02664

Asked by: Anas Sarwar, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 18 December 2023
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 21 December 2023

Question to be taken in Chamber.

Question reference: S6W-24010

Asked by: Bill Kidd, MSP for Glasgow Anniesland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 18 December 2023
Current Status: Initiated by the Scottish Government. Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 18 December 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what assistance can be provided to local authorities to support families struggling with school meal debt.

School meal debt is ultimately a matter for local authorities in the first instance, and the Scottish Government expects them to use the powers available to them to support families struggling with school meal debt.

However, we recognise that we are currently in the midst of a cost-of-living crisis which is hurting families across the country. In that spirit, the Scottish Government intends to bring forward a one-off, emergency fund to support councils to help remove the impact of school meal debt on families.

It is our expectation that local authorities will implement COSLA’s guidance on school meal debt going forward.

Further details on the one-off fund will be brought forward in due course.

Question reference: S6W-23486

Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 05 December 2023
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 18 December 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on who the members are that have been appointed to the Pain Management Task Force and each of its sub-committees, in order to provide transparency for the approximately 800,000 people in Scotland experiencing chronic pain regarding any recommendations made on future chronic pain services.

The Scottish Government is working to make information around the development and delivery of chronic pain more publicly available and we are currently reviewing the information on the Scottish Government website. We will be updating the chronic pain webpage to provide information, including membership of the Pain Management Task Force and relevant working groups, on how we are developing and delivering the Pain management service delivery framework: implementation plan update .

Question reference: S6W-23420

Asked by: Pam Duncan-Glancy, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 29 November 2023
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 18 December 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the reported decline in the percentage of probationary teachers moving on to permanent teaching roles between 2016-17 and 2021-22, and what the reason is for this decline.

It is encouraging that the Summary Statistics for Schools in Scotland published on 12 December reported a slight increase in the number of post probationers securing a teaching post in the year following their probation.

The Teacher Induction Scheme provides a one year probationary placement to allow teachers to meet the Standard for Full Registration. This does not provide a guarantee of future employment with a particular local authority. Teaching posts should be advertised and filled in a fair and transparent manner.

Question reference: S6W-23296

Asked by: Mark Ruskell, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 07 December 2023
Current Status: Answered by Gillian Martin on 18 December 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what recent correspondence it has had with the UK Government regarding the possibility of the UK joining the EU in a coordinated withdrawal from the Energy Charter Treaty (ECT), and any impact that the UK’s continued ECT membership has on Scotland’s climate ambitions, following the Energy Charter Conference on 20 November 2023.

The Scottish Government is in regular contact with the UK Government’s Department for Energy Security and Net Zero about the Energy Charter Treaty (ECT).

Following the ECT Annual Conference on 20 November 2023, Scottish Government officials contacted the UK Government, seeking an update on their review of UK membership of the ECT. Subsequently, the UK Government has confirmed publicly that it is continuing to review the UK’s membership, and to consider stakeholder views.

The Scottish Government shares many of the concerns raised by experts, such as the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change and the Climate Change Committee, about ECT membership and sees merit in calls for the UK to withdraw. Our position, as set out in our Vision for Trade, is that no part of a trade or investment agreement should limit the ability of the Scottish Parliament to regulate in devolved areas, or constrain much needed action to achieve our net zero goals.

We therefore remain concerned at the lack of a decision on this issue and the prospect of Scotland continuing to remain subject to the provisions of an unreformed Treaty, through the UK’s continued membership.

Question reference: S6W-23478

Asked by: Tess White, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 04 December 2023
Current Status: Answered by Maree Todd on 18 December 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether the new strategic board for children and families mental health will have a sub-group for perinatal mental health, in light of the conclusion of the Perinatal and Infant Mental Health Programme Board, and whether it can provide an update on when it expects that the new strategic board will be launched.

The new Joint Strategic Board for Children and Family Mental Health, co-chaired by Scottish Government and COSLA, will have a strategic overview of mental health work spanning preconception, the perinatal period, parent-infant relationships, early years (up to 5), children and young people (5-24 year olds or 26 years for care leavers), their families and carers. This will build on the work of the Children and Young People’s Mental Health and Wellbeing Joint Delivery Board and the Perinatal and Infant Mental Health Programme Board which both came to an end in March 2023.

Work is underway to set up the new Joint Strategic Board. An early preparatory meeting of the Board took place in November, with the first formal meeting of the Board due to take place in early 2024. Part of this work will involve establishing the precise make up of the implementation groups sitting under the Joint Strategic Board. Whilst the exact remit of these groups has still to be finalised, perinatal and early years mental health has been agreed as a core priority area for the Joint Strategic Board.