- Asked by: Carol Mochan, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Friday, 31 October 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Jenni Minto on 11 November 2025
To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to raise awareness of the recommendation that everyone aged five and over in Scotland should consider taking a daily supplement containing 10 micrograms of vitamin D, particularly during the winter months.
Answer
The Scottish Government supports and works closely with Food Standards Scotland, who have previously and will again repeat a winter campaign encouraging people to take a daily vitamin D supplement to maintain bone and muscle health.
The campaign primarily focuses on online advertising and social media posts. A campaign toolkit has also been developed and shared with a wide range of stakeholders to help support efforts to raise awareness of vitamin D, with graphics, web text, and social media posts available in nine languages (https://www.foodstandards.gov.scot/publications-and-research/publications/vitamin-d-campaign-toolkit).
Information on vitamin D is also available and promoted through a range of resources. Dedicated public advice on vitamin D is available on NHS Inform, including a general information leaflet highlighting the importance of vitamin D, which is available in a range of formats and languages (https://www.nhsinform.scot/healthy-living/food-and-nutrition/eating-well/vitamin-d).
Additional information can be accessed through our Parent Club (https://www.parentclub.scot/articles/eating-well-at-home) and Ready, Steady Baby! (https://www.nhsinform.scot/ready-steady-baby) resources, Food Standards Scotland (https://www.foodstandards.gov.scot/consumers/healthy-eating/nutrition/vitamins-minerals/vitamin-d) website and Eat Well, Your Way (https://www.eatwellyourway.scot/what-is-a-healthy-balanced-diet/vitamin-d/).
- Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 21 October 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Jenni Minto on 11 November 2025
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-39405 by Tom Arthur on 6 August 2025, whether bereavement and grief support provided by NHS boards or third sector organisations is always available free of charge; and whether the Maternity and Neonatal Psychological Intervention services can be accessed at any time following pregnancy or baby loss.
Answer
The planning and provision of local healthcare services is a matter for NHS Boards, consistent with national policies, frameworks and best practice. Core NHS services are provided free at the point of use. Some Health Boards partner with charities to deliver therapies under NHS contracts and, when accessed via referral, these are free. Information relating to charges set by third sector organisation for access to their services, where no NHS contract is held, is a matter for those organisations and is not held centrally.
MNPI (Maternity and Neonatal Psychological Intervention) specialist services are closely aligned to maternity and neonatal services, and are focused on those parents who experience complicated bereavement after losing a baby, during their pregnancy or within the postnatal period. This includes those who are pregnant who have previously experienced baby loss and require specialist support.
Our Delivery Framework for Miscarriage Care in Scotland also details work to map out existing mental health services available following a pregnancy and baby loss to ensure that women can access the appropriate mental health support they require.
To further support families who have experienced pregnancy and baby loss the Scottish Government fund and support the baby loss charity Sands to develop and support NHS Boards to implement, the National Bereavement Care Pathway (NBCP) for pregnancy and baby loss in Scotland.
- Asked by: Ariane Burgess, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Green Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 14 October 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Jim Fairlie on 11 November 2025
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-41119 by Jim Fairlie on 9 October 2025, which stakeholders were invited and who attended the Wildfire Summit on 14 October 2025.
Answer
With regards to which stakeholders were invited to the Wildfire Summit held on 14 October 2025, I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-41157 on 6 November 2025. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers
The Scottish Government did not keep a register of those that attended the Wildfire Summit.
- Asked by: Tim Eagle, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 14 October 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Richard Lochhead on 11 November 2025
To ask the Scottish Government what the value is of new business secured as a direct result of actions taken by its space envoy.
Answer
The Scottish Government Trade & Investment (T&I) Envoy for Space was appointed in September 2024 to play a key role in promoting Scotland’s space sector internationally. Activity undertaken by the envoy is agreed with the Scottish Government, and has helped build strategic relationships, attract inward investment, identify commercial opportunities and represent Scotland in key global space forums. The approach of appointing a sector-dedicated envoy was recently endorsed by the Director General of the United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs who stated to the House of Lords UK Engagement with Space Committee that “The UK’s position is also boosted by Scotland, which nominated a trade envoy for space by the Minister for Business and is really promoting the Scottish space industry and encouraging partnerships.”
The Space Envoy operates within the Scottish Government’s wider T&I Envoy network made up of appointees who work on a volunteer basis to provide Ministers with strategic business insights and connections. While there is no formal measure of the value of new business secured as a direct result of T&I Envoys’ actions, the network brings together sectoral expertise to support exports, inward investment and strategic economic growth. Envoys provide valuable business intelligence, introductions and advocacy, and have been instrumental in delivering Scotland’s Inward Investment Plan and export plan, A Trading Nation.
- Asked by: Tim Eagle, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 14 October 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Mairi McAllan on 11 November 2025
To ask the Scottish Government, further to its news release of 26 September 2024, Investing £100 million in mid-market rent, of the 2,800 mid-market rent homes that it pledged to support the construction of, how many have (a) been built and (b) received planning permission to be built.
Answer
The press release on 26 September 2024 reflected the Programme for Government long-term commitment to provide £100 million over a number of financial years to grow with institutional investment, to at least £500 million supporting the construction of around 2,800 mid-market rent homes. Since then, a market testing exercise has been commissioned and concluded – that will help inform the next steps to commission a fund manager.
Mid-market rent development continues to progress through the Affordable Housing Supply Programme. The latest statistics are available at Housing statistics - gov.scot. The Scottish Government does not hold information on proposed housing developments which have only progressed to the point of receiving planning permission.
- Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 14 October 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 11 November 2025
To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to monitor and respond to any implications of teachers' financial stress on recruitment, retention and educational outcomes, in light of the NASUWT’s October 2025 survey findings that 53% of teachers have increased their use of credit cards and 14% have taken a second job.
Answer
The Scottish Government recognises that the ongoing cost of living crisis and the impact of inflationary pressures on food and high energy costs are causing difficulties for many individuals and families in Scotland.
Scotland’s classroom teachers are currently the best paid in the UK. The top of the main grade scale for classroom teachers has increased from £37,575 in April 2018 to £50,589 in August 2024.
Between April 2018 and implementation of the previous pay award in August 2024, average teachers’ pay increased by more than 37% in cash terms, and by 7.7% in real terms compared with CPI inflation.
We recognise that there are teachers who aspire to permanency or continuity of employment but who are unable to secure a position. It is for this reason we are providing £186.5 million to local authorities in 2025-26 to restore overall teacher numbers across the country to 2023 levels and maximise the number of teaching posts available.
- Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Monday, 13 October 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Richard Lochhead on 11 November 2025
To ask the Scottish Government what work it is undertaking to encourage organisations to
buy from Scotland's social enterprises.
Answer
The Scottish Government supports a range of activity to encourage organisations to buy from social enterprises.
Through funding for Social Enterprise Scotland, we support the Buy Social Scotland initiative which promotes responsible procurement and connects buyers with social enterprise suppliers. Over 48 organisations have signed the Buy Social Pledge, including local authorities and private sector firms. A national Supplier Catalogue, developed and regularly updated as part of the initiative, helps buyers identify and engage with social enterprise suppliers.
We also published the first SME and Third Sector Procurement Action Plan in April 2024 to reduce barriers and improve access to public procurement. A review of the impact of this plan was published in August 2025. Through Scottish Government funding, Public Contracts Scotland was updated to allow third sector organisations to self-identify, enabling contracting authorities to take a more targeted approach to procurement opportunities such as Quick Quotes. These changes have been promoted across the third sector and the wider Scottish public sector to encourage utilisation.
- Asked by: Katy Clark, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Monday, 10 November 2025
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Current Status:
Taken in the Chamber on 11 November 2025
To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to reported comments by Professor Catriona Matheson, former chair of the Drug Deaths Taskforce, that the national mission on drug deaths has failed to deliver robust, evidence-based clinical care for people affected by drug use, due to clinical and practitioner expertise being sidelined.
Answer
Taken in the Chamber on 11 November 2025
- Asked by: Tess White, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 10 November 2025
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Current Status:
Taken in the Chamber on 11 November 2025
To ask the Scottish Government what its justification is for pursuing legal action in relation to its policy on transgender prisoners, in light of the judgment in the case, For Women Scotland Ltd v The Scottish Ministers.
Answer
Taken in the Chamber on 11 November 2025
- Asked by: Rachael Hamilton, MSP for Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 10 November 2025
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Current Status:
Taken in the Chamber on 13 November 2025
To ask the First Minister whether the Scottish Government will maintain its manifesto commitment to freeze income tax rates and bands.
Answer
Taken in the Chamber on 13 November 2025
