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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: S6O-04537

Asked by: Foysol Choudhury, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 26 March 2025
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 3 April 2025

To ask the Scottish Government how it is working to promote the benefits of volunteering, in light of the recent research from Volunteer Scotland indicating that regular participation in volunteering can have wellbeing benefits worth approximately £1,000 per person per year.

Question reference: S6W-36003

Asked by: Foysol Choudhury, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 21 March 2025
Current Status: Answer expected on 4 April 2025

To ask the Scottish Government whether it has considered the impact of the conclusion of the Inspiring Scotland Leadership Framework on the operation of the Scottish Assembly for people with learning disabilities and/or autism.

Question reference: S6W-36004

Asked by: Foysol Choudhury, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 21 March 2025
Current Status: Answer expected on 4 April 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what support it provides to the Scottish Assembly for people with learning disabilities and/or autism.

Question reference: S6W-35335

Asked by: Foysol Choudhury, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 04 March 2025
Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 12 March 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on the availability of unscheduled care services in the NHS, and how it ensures that people can access these.

At the heart of our NHS Scotland Renewal Plan, which is supported by £200 million to address backlogs and improve capacity, is that we have a person-centred, cohesive healthcare system that is built around the patient journey, ensuring appropriate care is provided at home and in community, primary and secondary care settings.

The budget will deliver direct access to specialist Frailty teams in every Emergency Department by summer 2025. This will enable people who experience frailty to be referred directly by GPs and the Scottish Ambulance Service to specialist frailty services as an alternative to admission or attending A&E.

Our Right Care Right Place marketing campaign messaging advises the public on how to access the services they need and help alleviate pressures being felt across the whole of the NHS. By assisting the public, we aim to ensure that A&E resources and the valuable skills of frontline staff are available for those that need emergency care and minimise delays for patients waiting to be seen and treated.

Question reference: S6W-34587

Asked by: Foysol Choudhury, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 06 February 2025
Current Status: Answered by Angus Robertson on 6 March 2025

To ask the Scottish Government when it will begin its review into alternative and additional funding mechanisms to grow funding for culture.

On 13 January 2025, the Scottish Government launched a survey for people working in or with an interest in culture. This asked about their experience of currently available support and what they would like to see provided in the future to better meet the needs of the sector.

Responses to the survey are currently being analysed and will help to inform the scope of the Scottish Government’s review of how the culture sector is supported, including exploration alternative and additional funding mechanisms to grow the overall funding pot for culture in Scotland.

Question reference: S6O-04437

Asked by: Foysol Choudhury, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 05 March 2025
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 13 March 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what progress it has made in tackling the housing emergency.

Question reference: S6W-34330

Asked by: Foysol Choudhury, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 05 February 2025
Current Status: Answered by Angus Robertson on 5 March 2025

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the support it provides to projects in such countries through its International Development Fund, what discussions it has had with the UK Government regarding the Cancel Debt, Choose Hope campaign, which calls for governments to champion improvements to the debt cancellation process for lower-income countries.

Debt repayments put extra burden for low-income countries and take way resources from much needed investment in key areas such as health and education. The Scottish Government is committed to supporting our partner countries in efforts towards SDGs with funding for programmes focused on health, inclusive education, equalities, renewable energy, and climate justice.

The Scottish Government has continued to raise with UK Government the financial pressures on global south countries, including Scottish Government partner countries, through the reduction of aid, eg UK Aid from 0.7% to 0.5% of GNI.

We have also consistently called for funding to address loss and damage to be provided as grants, not loans, so that vulnerable communities can access support without adding to their debt burden. However, we have not had discussion with the UK Government regarding the live Cancel Debt, Choose Hope campaign to demand action on unjust debt.

Question reference: S6F-03871

Asked by: Foysol Choudhury, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 03 March 2025
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 6 March 2025

To ask the First Minister whether he will provide an update on how the Scottish Government is working to tackle Islamophobia in Scotland, in light of reports that anti-Muslim hate incidents across the UK reached record levels in 2024.

Question reference: S6O-04384

Asked by: Foysol Choudhury, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 26 February 2025
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 5 March 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what resources it has allocated to projects in the Edinburgh and South East Scotland City Region Deal, including transport projects.

Question reference: S6W-34796

Asked by: Foysol Choudhury, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 07 February 2025
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 25 February 2025

To ask the Scottish Government, following the drug, exagamglogene autotemcel, being approved for use in England to treat sickle cell disease, what progress has been on approving it for use in Scotland.

The Scottish Medicines Consortium (SMC) has not yet received a submission from the manufacturing company, Vertex, for exagamglogene autotemcel (Casgevy®) for the treatment of sickle cell disease (SCD).

The Chief Pharmaceutical Officer (CPO) and the SMC have engaged regularly with the marketing authorisation holder, Vertex Pharmaceuticals, on the SMC’s process for assessing the clinical and cost-effectiveness of exagamglogene autotemcel (Casgevy®) for use in the SCD indication in the NHS in Scotland. The SMC would welcome a submission from Vertex for Casgevy® in the SCD indication at any time.