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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-39871

Asked by: Ash Regan, MSP for Edinburgh Eastern, Alba Party
Date lodged: Friday, 15 August 2025
Current Status: Answered by Siobhian Brown on 28 August 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of whether the Scottish Ministers are currently not complying with any of their duties under the Children (Scotland) Act 2020; which duties, if any, it considers the Scottish Ministers are currently not complying with, and how many instances of failure to comply with their duties under the Act have occurred to date.

The Scottish Government is committed to implementing the Children (Scotland) Act 2020 and ensuring that Scottish Ministers are complying with their duties under the Act. The Act covers a wide range of areas, many of which involve complex implementation activity. On that basis, the Scottish Government has approached the commencement of provisions in the Act - and the duties on Scottish Ministers in those provisions - in stages.

A number of provisions are already in force: The Children (Scotland) Act 2020 (Commencement No. 1 and Saving Provisions) Regulations 2020.

Section 13: promotion of contact between looked after children and siblings
Section 14: duty to consider contact when making etc. compulsory supervision order
Section 15: clarification of order-making power
Section 23: funding for alternative dispute resolution (commenced to allow Scottish Ministers to make reports on progress with implementation)
Section 24: pilot of mandatory information meetings on alternatives to court (commenced to allow Scottish Ministers to make reports on progress with implementation)
Section 25: opportunity to participate in hearing
Section 26: appeal against relevant person decision
Sections 32, 33, 34, 35: final provisions

Sections 23 and 24 are not yet implemented for remaining purposes, but six progress reports on have been laid in the Scottish Parliament to date.

A number of provisions have been commenced for certain purposes in The Children (Scotland) Act 2020 (Commencement No. 2) Regulations 2021:

Section 7(3) and (4): register of solicitors where person prohibited from conducting their own case [superseded by Part 3 of the Victims, Witnesses and Justice Reform Bill]
Section 9: register of child welfare reporters – for purposes of making regulations
Section 10(1) and (3): regulation of child contact services
Section 17(1) and (3): register of curators ad litem – for purposes of making regulations

In terms of the duties contained in those provisions:

Section 7 will be repealed and replaced by provisions in Part 3 of the Victims, Witnesses, and Justice Reform Bill and will be implemented following enactment of the Bill.
An update on timings in relation to section 9 of the 2020 Act was provided to the Equalities, Human Rights and Civil Justice Committee on 24 June 2025 [see below]. Implementation of the register of curators ad litem under section 17 will be carried out at the same time.
Scottish Ministers plan to lay secondary legislation to regulate child contact services in the coming weeks, but intend to use powers in the Public Services Reform (Scotland) Act 2010, rather than section 10 of the 2020 Act.

We made a further set of commencement Regulations on 22 May 2025: The Children (Scotland) Act 2020 (Commencement No. 3 and Saving Provision) Regulations 2025 covering:

Section 1(2): on the views of the child being considered when parents are making major decisions.
Section 30(1), (3), (4), (5), (6) and (7): on delay in children’s hearings and adoption and permanence proceedings.

We plan to make a further set of commencement Regulations in October 2025 as committed to at a meeting of the Committee on unimplemented legislation on 24 June 2025: Official Report (see columns 10 to 14).

Question reference: S6W-39754

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 15 August 2025
Current Status: Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 28 August 2025

To ask the Scottish Government whether Forestry and Land Scotland conducted any value for money assessments before proceeding with the purchase of the Glen Prosen estate; if so, what the outcome was of any such assessments, and what impact they had on the decision to purchase the estate.

Question reference: S6W-39923

Asked by: Carol Mochan, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 15 August 2025
Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 28 August 2025

To ask the Scottish Government how it ensures that the Scottish Ambulance Service is able to reach patients within its response time targets, especially in rural locations.

The Scottish Government is clear that there should be no unnecessary delays in responding to patients, regardless of their location. The Scottish Ambulance Service’s 2025-26 budget is £437.2 million. This represents increased investment of £88 million from 2024-25, including additional funding to provide for prior year pay deals as well as a range of funding to support vital frontline services, including in rural and island communities.

Question reference: S6W-39697

Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 01 August 2025
Current Status: Answered by Graeme Dey on 28 August 2025

To ask the Scottish Government how many Scotland-domiciled students have accessed doctoral loans in each year since 1999.

Question reference: S6W-39867

Asked by: Ash Regan, MSP for Edinburgh Eastern, Alba Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 13 August 2025
Current Status: Answered by Siobhian Brown on 28 August 2025

To ask the Scottish Government whether section 30(1) and (3) to (7) of the Children (Scotland) Act 2020 came into force on 22 June 2025.

Question reference: S6O-04888

Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness and Nairn, Independent
Date lodged: Wednesday, 27 August 2025
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 4 September 2025

To ask the Scottish Government, regarding the future award of any grants or loans to arts or public performance venues, whether it or any public authority, including Creative Scotland, will require applicants to observe and respect freedom of expression under the law in order to be eligible for financial support, and that failing to do so will require any funding provided to be repaid.

Question reference: S6O-04885

Asked by: Davy Russell, MSP for Hamilton, Larkhall and Stonehouse, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 27 August 2025
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 4 September 2025

To ask the Scottish Government, regarding its definition of what constitutes "substantial" damp and mould in a home, at what threshold such conditions are considered to require remedial action by social landlords.

Question reference: S6O-04884

Asked by: Martin Whitfield, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 27 August 2025
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 4 September 2025

To ask the Scottish Government how it will deliver on its commitments in The Promise, in light of the publication, Education Outcomes for Looked After Children 2023/24, showing a decline in most key educational outcomes.

Question reference: S6O-04883

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 27 August 2025
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 4 September 2025

To ask the Scottish Government for what reason it is reportedly downgrading fire station services across the country, including in Helensburgh.

Question reference: S6O-04882

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 27 August 2025
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 4 September 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what alternatives are being piloted to enable older patients to be cared for outside of hospitals.