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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-34857

Asked by: Colin Smyth, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 11 February 2025
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 4 March 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to introduce respiratory protective equipment (RPE) to prisons to protect staff from being exposed to toxic fumes when any incidents involving the illicit use of drugs occur.

The health and wellbeing of those who live and work in our prisons is a key priority for the SPS.

By working closely with partners such as Police Scotland we remain vigilant to the continuously evolving nature of drug use, ensuring that our technology and tactical measures remain current, adaptable, and capable of detecting and preventing drugs from entering our prisons.

We continue to advise staff on safety and risk assessment processes in conducting their duties to minimise the impact and risk of exposure to any unknown hazardous substance. At this time, we do not have any plans to introduce respiratory protective equipment (RPE) to prisons.

Question reference: S6W-34856

Asked by: Colin Smyth, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 11 February 2025
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 4 March 2025

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of plans in England and Wales to implement a phased removal of wet-shave razors from adult male prisons, what plans it has to replicate such a proposal in Scotland.

Question reference: S6W-34960

Asked by: Colin Smyth, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 14 February 2025
Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 28 February 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on introducing a policy of cancelling the student loans of newly qualified doctors if they commit to working in the NHS for a period of five years.

Question reference: S6W-34322

Asked by: Colin Smyth, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 31 January 2025
Current Status: Answered by Maree Todd on 28 February 2025

To ask the Scottish Government when it will end the practice, highlighted in its 2018 report, Coming Home, of adults being inappropriately detained in hospital or living out of their own area.

The Scottish Government remains committed to delivering the changes that are required for people with Learning Disabilities as detailed in the Coming Home report and subsequent implementation report in 2022.

Change in this area cannot be delivered by the Scottish Government alone. We will continue to work closely with COSLA, Health Boards and Health and Social Care Partnerships to deliver the change required to ensure peoples human rights are upheld.

We are providing enhanced focus on Coming Home in partnership with COSLA and local partners to ensure people are able to access the care they need, and live within their own communities. This is why we provided additional support and investment to health and social care partnerships to deliver improvements.

Although progress has been made, it is clear that further work and strong local leadership is required.

Question reference: S6O-04379

Asked by: Colin Smyth, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 26 February 2025
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 5 March 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the calls in public petition PE1979 for gaps in the Scottish Child Abuse Inquiry to be addressed and for an independent whistleblowing officer for education and children's services to be established.

Question reference: S6W-34519

Asked by: Colin Smyth, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 06 February 2025
Current Status: Answered by Jim Fairlie on 25 February 2025

To ask the Scottish Government on what dates NatureScot met (a) Police Scotland and (b) the National Wildlife Crime Unit before seeking approval for a new grouse licensing condition regarding raptor persecution from land and estates.

Question reference: S6W-34517

Asked by: Colin Smyth, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 06 February 2025
Current Status: Answered by Jim Fairlie on 25 February 2025

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will publish the (a) legal and (b) other advice obtained by NatureScot regarding which areas of land should be covered by a 16AA licence under the Wildlife Management and Muirburn (Scotland) Act 2024.

Question reference: S6W-34518

Asked by: Colin Smyth, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 06 February 2025
Current Status: Answered by Jim Fairlie on 25 February 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the reported criticisms from members of the conservation sector regarding the changes made to grouse shooting licences by NatureScot and, in the light of this, what steps it plans to ensure that the operation of section 16AA licences fulfils the intentions of (a) it and (b) the Parliament.

The Scottish Government is aware of the concerns of some conservation organisations regarding section 16AA of the Wildlife Management and Muirburn (Scotland) Act 2024, where a grouse shooting licence area is determined solely by the applicant. It is considered that there is the potential for the area to be very tightly defined so that it excludes most of the area where relevant offences might take place.

NatureScot have added a condition to licences so that certain relevant offences committed anywhere on the landholding can be taken into consideration as to whether to revoke or suspend a licence.

We are considering whether any further steps need to be taken to address this issue.

Question reference: S6W-34520

Asked by: Colin Smyth, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 06 February 2025
Current Status: Answered by Jim Fairlie on 25 February 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on (a) the comment by NatureScot on 19 July 2026 that “raptor persecution undertaken in connection with grouse moor management could take place anywhere on a property, not just on the grouse moor itself”, and (b) whether the Wildlife Management and Muirburn (Scotland) Act 2024 needs to be amended to ensure that the 16AA grouse shooting licence covers an applicant’s whole landholding and not the grouse moor only.

The Scottish Government agrees with the comment made by NatureScot that raptor persecution undertaken in connection with grouse moor management could take place anywhere on a property, not just on the grouse moor itself.

NatureScot introduced a new condition to enable them to revoke or suspend a licence where there is evidence of raptor persecution, connected to the grouse moor but outside of the licensed area. The condition added by NatureScot is an alternative to amending the Wildlife Management and Muirburn (Scotland) Act 2024. However, we will monitor the situation and, if necessary, consider amending the legislation.

Question reference: S6W-34959

Asked by: Colin Smyth, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 14 February 2025
Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 24 February 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on introducing compulsory pay caps for locum doctors in the NHS.

In Scotland, the government does not have the authority to unilaterally implement a salary cap for agency locum doctors working in the NHS. The remuneration of agency locum doctors is determined by the terms and conditions outlined in their individual contracts, which are negotiated between NHS employers and the doctors themselves. Internal NHS Locum Doctors however are employers on NHS Terms and Conditions, at NHS rates of pay.

We recognise that we must seek to secure best value whenever we are delivering services within NHS Scotland, allowing us to maximise the impact that our investment has on the quality and availability of patient care.

Accordingly, we are working with colleagues across NHS Scotland to explore how we can reduce our reliance on agency and have developed best practice guidance to ensure that all locum engagements have the appropriate senior sign-off by an individual working under the delegated authority of the Chief Executive.