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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-39934

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 18 August 2025
Current Status: Answered by Angus Robertson on 11 September 2025

To ask the Scottish Government how it is protecting cultural freedom and open debate in any events that receive public funding.

The Scottish Government supports the culture sector to make its own decisions relating to artistic or cultural judgement. How individual cultural organisations engage in public debate is a matter for them, as are their programming decisions. Artists and cultural organisations are free to explore and convene dialogue on any issues whilst having regard to relevant legislation, such as the Equality Act.

Question reference: S6W-39908

Asked by: Tim Eagle, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 15 August 2025
Current Status: Answered by Angus Robertson on 11 September 2025

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-34581 by Angus Robertson on 6 March 2025, whether it will provide an update on whether it still plans to open an international office in Warsaw.

Question reference: S6W-40255

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 02 September 2025
Current Status: Answered by Siobhian Brown on 11 September 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what proportion of Scottish Fire and Rescue Service appliances are beyond their recommended service life, and what the replacement (a) programme and (b) timescale is.

The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) has 456 rescue pump appliances in operation. 211 of these are more than 15 years old, however all SFRS appliances are properly maintained to ensure they remain fully operational, and the oldest vehicles are placed in locations where they will be least used.

SFRS has a fleet replacement strategy in place to ensure that vehicle ages are improving over time. Over the past 3 years SFRS has invested over £24 million in its fleet.

Question reference: S6W-39927

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 20 August 2025
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 11 September 2025

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will publish the total cost of delivering national 24/7 thrombectomy access, and whether there is a funding gap preventing it from providing this service.

Question reference: S6W-40011

Asked by: Carol Mochan, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 21 August 2025
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 11 September 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what it is doing to reduce the number of deaths from breast cancer, in light of it being the most common cancer affecting women in Scotland.

All cancers, including breast, remain a national priority, within the Scottish Government and across NHS Scotland. That is why we published our Cancer strategy 2023 to 2033 - gov.scot along with an initial three year Cancer action plan 2023 to 2026 - gov.scot on 15 June 2023.

The strategy and plan take a comprehensive approach to improving patient pathways from prevention and diagnosis through to treatment and post-treatment care.

We know that the earlier cancer is diagnosed the easier it is to treat and even cure which is why we continue to invest in our Detect Cancer Earlier (DCE) Programme, initially launched in 2012.

The Programme takes a whole-systems approach to early detection and encompasses primary care, diagnostics, public education, data, innovation and screening.

A Detect Cancer Earlier campaign – Be The Early Bird - launched on March 2023 aiming to reduce fear of cancer and empower those with possible symptoms to act early. This campaign ran for a second time in March 2025 and is due to run again in the coming months.

Scottish Government has also commissioned the Scottish Cancer Network to collaboratively develop national clinical management pathways. One of the first, addressing breast cancer, was published in 2023.

Clinical management pathways are developed through consensus and outline the patient journey from diagnosis through to follow-up or end of life care. The pathways describe the treatment options at the various points in each pathway to support shared decision making. The use of these pathways throughout NHS Scotland supports clinicians in their decision making enabling them to improve outcomes for patients with breast cancer.

Further to this, Scottish Government is continuing to take action to improve waiting times with £14.23 million of the £110 million in additional planned care funding for 2025-26 to Cancer Waiting Times, with a focus on colorectal, urological and breast as our most challenged pathways.

Question reference: S6O-04949

Asked by: Tess White, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 10 September 2025
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 18 September 2025

To ask the Scottish Government whether it has engaged with the Equality and Human Rights Commission in relation to the 19 public bodies and organisations that were found to have misrepresented the Equality Act 2010.

Question reference: S6O-04952

Asked by: Katy Clark, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 10 September 2025
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 18 September 2025

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will make a direct award to the Ferguson Marine shipyard for the replacement of MV Lord of the Isles.

Question reference: S6O-04947

Asked by: Fulton MacGregor, MSP for Coatbridge and Chryston, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 10 September 2025
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 18 September 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what action it has taken to ensure that people with increased genetic risk of developing cervical cancer are offered additional screening tests.

Question reference: S6O-04951

Asked by: Kenneth Gibson, MSP for Cunninghame North, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 10 September 2025
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 18 September 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what recent discussions it has had with ScotRail regarding an increase to the service frequency on the Largs to Glasgow Central route.

Question reference: S6O-04953

Asked by: Douglas Ross, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 10 September 2025
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 18 September 2025

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the unified statement agreed at the Community Council Convention of the Highland Council Area regarding the impact of major energy infrastructure in the region, in Beauly on 14 June 2025, what the Cabinet Secretary for Climate Action and Energy’s response is to the statement and whether she will attend a future convention meeting to discuss it.