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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-40542

Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 16 September 2025
Current Status: Answered by Siobhian Brown on 24 September 2025

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the recent reported increase in shoplifting incidents across Lanarkshire, what action is it taking to address such retail crime, and how it is supporting businesses and communities impacted by this.

Police Scotland is using the additional £3 million additional funding provided this year by the Scottish Government to establish a Retail Crime Taskforce made up of uniformed officers, detectives and specialist analysts. The team is targeting repeat offenders of retail crime by using analytical data and intelligence to carry out proactive enforcement activities in areas most heavily impacted.

As highlighted in Police Scotland's recently published Quarter 1 performance report, their dedicated Edinburgh team has delivered significant results for the capital’s retailers, including 234 charges brought against retail crime offenders in the first three months of operations.

In terms of Lanarkshire, the Police Scotland-led Op Dynos involves the gathering intelligence on how retail theft is used by organised criminals in the region to fund the purchase of drugs and further criminal activity. Op Dynos is part of the work of the Retail Crime Taskforce and has resulted in the arrest and charging of a man in connection with organised crime and exploitation of young people over the summer.

The Scottish Government is fully supportive of this work and I hope to see further significant results in the coming months.

Question reference: S6W-40309

Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 16 September 2025
Current Status: Answered by Ivan McKee on 23 September 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what its reasons were for indemnifying Liberty Steel Dalzell and Clydebridge with public funds, and whether it will publish full risk assessments and legal advice that underpinned any such guarantees.

Question reference: S6W-40310

Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 16 September 2025
Current Status: Answered by Ivan McKee on 23 September 2025

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will confirm how much taxpayers’ money remains connected to GFG Alliance-controlled assets in Scotland, and what contingency plans are in place if any of its companies enter administration.

The Scottish Government publishes details of contingent liabilities and commercial transactions in its consolidated accounts, which are available on the Scottish Government website. An annual update is provided to the Scottish Parliament as well.

Financial reports and accounts - Government finance - gov.scot

Support provided by the enterprise agencies is published in their accounts.

The Scottish Government has robust contingency planning in place to ensure that we are ready to act if necessary.

Question reference: S6W-40308

Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 16 September 2025
Current Status: Answered by Ivan McKee on 23 September 2025

To ask the Scottish Government, regarding any potential impact on the Scottish economy, what discussions it has had with the UK Government, and whether it will request that the relevant UK authorities initiate an immediate director disqualification investigation, in relation to GFG Alliance’s activities at Liberty Steel Dalzell and Clydebridge, in light of the Serious Fraud Office’s ongoing inquiry.

Question reference: S6W-40446

Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 09 September 2025
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 23 September 2025

To ask the Scottish Government, following the removal of ScotRail peak fares, whether it will review the proposed reduction in season ticket discounts to ensure that regular rail users are not financially disadvantaged.

Question reference: S6W-40479

Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 10 September 2025
Current Status: Answered by Natalie Don-Innes on 23 September 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking in response to the findings of Scotland’s Childcare Guarantee, A Report on Childcare Modelling Scotland, by Pregnant Then Screwed Scotland, and the proposed policy of capping childcare costs at 5% of household income.

The Scottish Government is committed to improving our existing funded ELC offer and to delivering a childcare system that is both fair and affordable, giving children the best possible start in life and supporting parents and carers to work, train and take up education opportunities. I welcome any work that considers how we can further our goals of improving children’s outcomes, supporting family wellbeing and addressing the determinants of child poverty.

The Scottish Government continues to take a range of actions to ensure families have access to affordable, flexible, high-quality childcare, despite the challenging financial circumstances we are operating in. We have invested around £1 billion every year in funded early learning and childcare since 2021. This is fundamental to giving children the best start in life, and instrumental in working to eradicate child poverty, which is this Government’s national mission.

Question reference: S6W-40445

Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 09 September 2025
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 19 September 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the impact of the permanent removal of ScotRail peak fares on season ticket holders, and whether regular commuters will receive proportionate financial benefits compared to occasional travellers.

An extra 20% discount was applied to the cost of all Season Tickets for 12 months from 27 September 2024 when the peak fares pilot ended. With peak fares gone for good season ticket pricing was reviewed to ensure frequent travellers benefit from the simplicity and ease of use a season ticket offers. From 28 September 2025, season ticket customers will save at least 5% versus the cost of five daily return tickets each week.

The pricing of Flexipass tickets have also been adjusted from 1 September, to ensure they continue to offer significant savings for those who travel less regularly.

Flexipasses, offer six return tickets with a 5% discount

ScotRail has a fare comparison tool on its website, to help passengers find the best ticket option for their travel needs — whether they’re travelling by train daily, or a few times a week.

ScotRail will continue to develop fare initiatives to attract more passengers while providing savings and additional value to existing rail users.

Question reference: S6W-40173

Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 29 August 2025
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 18 September 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what action is being taken to ensure equitable access to Xonvea for all pregnant women across Scotland, in light of it being routinely available in parts of England, and the only medication licensed in the UK to treat nausea and vomiting in pregnancy, including severe cases of hyperemesis gravidarum, a condition that has reportedly been linked to the tragic loss of pregnancies.

Following a full submission of doxylamine succinate and pyridoxine hydrochloride (Xonvea®), for the treatment of nausea and vomiting in pregnancy (NVP), for women who do not respond to conservative management, the SMC | Scottish Medicines Consortium (SMC) published not recommended advice found here: doxylamine succinate and pyridoxine hydrochloride (Xonvea) in May 2019. The marketing authorisation holder did not present a sufficiently robust clinical or economic analysis to gain acceptance by the SMC. The SMC would welcome a resubmission at any time.

Where licensed medicines, such as Xonvea®, are not routinely available on the NHS in Scotland, doctors can use the PACS Tier Two system to request access on a case-by-case basis. The cost of the medicine is not a decision-making criterion.

Question reference: S6O-04968

Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 17 September 2025
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 24 September 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions the economy secretary has had with ministerial colleagues regarding how the Glasgow City Region Deal can support improvements to transport and connectivity across the region.

Question reference: S6W-40444

Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 09 September 2025
Current Status: Answered by Ivan McKee on 17 September 2025

To ask the Scottish Government, regarding the development of Coul Links, and in light of the reported over 700 formal objections submitted, including from conservation bodies, scientists and residents, how it is ensuring that community and expert voices are being heard as well as those of private commercial interests.

Any planning application is required to be determined in accordance with the development plan unless there are material planning considerations that justify a departure from the development plan. In reaching a decision, full regard will be had to all material planning considerations, including the views of consultees as well as any representations submitted. The independent reporters held hearing sessions to gather evidence from the local community and expert witnesses (including those for the applicant, NatureScot and environmental charities) on the proposal’s potential impacts on protected sites, wildlife, and plants, as well as its anticipated socio-economic effects.