Seòmar agus comataidhean

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

Criathragan Hide all filters

Displaying 3194 questions Show Answers

Order by |

Question reference: S6W-36263

Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 01 April 2025
Current Status: Answer expected on 29 April 2025

To ask the Scottish Government how many illegal combined sewage overflow discharges have occurred in each of the last five years.

Question reference: S6W-36287

Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 01 April 2025
Current Status: Answer expected on 29 April 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the comments by the chair of the Scottish Police Federation that a (a) lack of investment has seen parts of the country become "policing deserts" and (b) fall in police officer numbers, including following a recruitment freeze between September 2023 and March 2024, has led to "record absence [among officers] through physical and mental health illness [and] challenges with recruitment, retention and job satisfaction."

Question reference: S6W-36289

Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 01 April 2025
Current Status: Answer expected on 29 April 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the Public Health Scotland report, Future prevalence and burden of chronic liver disease, which was published on 18 March 2025, and what action it plans in response to the report's projection of a 54% increase in chronic liver disease by 2044.

Question reference: S6W-36203

Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 01 April 2025
Current Status: Answer expected on 29 April 2025

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of recent media coverage, including a video showing discarded fish on the seabed, how many fines it has issued in relation to illegal discarding in each year since 2020.

Question reference: S6W-36286

Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 01 April 2025
Current Status: Answer expected on 29 April 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what most recent assessment it has made of the value of golf to the economy.

Question reference: S6W-36288

Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 01 April 2025
Current Status: Answer expected on 29 April 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what it is doing to improve the early detection and prevention of liver disease.

Question reference: S6W-36262

Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 01 April 2025
Current Status: Answer expected on 29 April 2025

To ask the Scottish Government when it will achieve compliance with the UK Withdrawal from the European Union (Continuity) (Scotland) Act 2021 requirement to publish an environmental strategy.

Question reference: S6W-35633

Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 13 March 2025
Current Status: Answered by Maree Todd on 27 March 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to ensure that unpaid carers have (a) timely access to social care support and (b) breaks from caring.

Local authorities have duties under the Carers (Scotland) Act 2016 to provide adult carer support plans or young carer statements for any carer that wants one and to provide support to carers according to their eligible needs. These responsibilities are set out in the Carers’ Charter.

We are working to establish a right to breaks from caring through the Care Reform (Scotland) Bill, to support people to protect their wellbeing and sustain caring relationships. The Bill creates a right to personalised breaks support for any carer who is not currently able to access ‘sufficient breaks’ – accessed via their personalised plan under the Carers Act. It ensures that being able to take sufficient breaks from providing care is an “identified personal outcome” of every carer – and that where a carer is unable to take such breaks, the need for support is an “identified need” of the carer. This amends the Carers Act to require local authorities to determine whether a carer is able to take sufficient breaks from their caring role; and if not, to provide support to enable them to take sufficient breaks.

The Bill (as amended at Stage 2)sections 38A and 38B creates new requirements for Ministers to make regulations setting timescales for local authorities to prepare adult carer support plans and young carer statements for all carers .Statutory guidance states that these should be delivered in “an efficient and timely manner.” Local authorities already have a duty to provide such plans within 10 working days for carers looking after someone with a terminal illness. The intention of sections 38A and 38B is to enable all carers to access support under the Carers (Scotland) Act 2016 – including under the proposed right to breaks - in a timely fashion and ensure more consistent national delivery.

Ahead of the new legislation, the Scottish Government is increasing the voluntary sector short breaks funding by £5million to a total of £13million for 2025-26. This is expected to support up to 15,000 additional people to be able take short breaks away from their caring responsibilities.

Question reference: S6W-35634

Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 13 March 2025
Current Status: Answered by Maree Todd on 27 March 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to ensure that unpaid carers can access (a) regular health checks and (b) flexible healthcare appointments, as outlined in the carers strategy.

The Scottish Government’s National Carers Strategy published in December 2022 sets out a cross-government approach to tackling issues that affect carers, including through health and social care policies. The Strategy sets out our intentions regarding carers’ healthcare at chapter 3. We are considering whether it is feasible to provide flexible health appointments for carers, including replacement care for appointments as part of the implementation process of the Strategy.

There are already a range of services in place, including access to personalised, flexible short breaks and preventative support through the Carers Act, that can support unpaid carers to better manage their health. Some have a carer-specific focus, while others are more general. The Scottish Government will continue to raise awareness of these services among unpaid carers and will ensure that our health services consider the needs of carers. Taking a strategic approach to this will support a joined-up approach that supports all aspects of carers’ lives, and this will be done under the auspices of the National Carers Strategy.

Question reference: S6W-35582

Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 13 March 2025
Current Status: Answered by Jamie Hepburn on 27 March 2025

To ask the Scottish Government how many official visits by a First Minister have been made to each Scottish Parliament constituency since the start of the current parliamentary session.