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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: S6W-32160

Asked by: Rachael Hamilton, MSP for Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 11 December 2024
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 23 December 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what progress has been made by the University of Edinburgh research team commissioned to conduct research into endometriosis since its research began to date.

The Scottish Government collaborated with Wellbeing of Women on a £250,000 research call in April 2022. The research is primarily being run by researchers at The University of Edinburgh and will look at a non-hormonal drug in the management of endometriosis-associated pain.

The research will be funded over 3 years with the research findings expected to be disseminated in December 2025.

In January 2023 the Chief Scientist Office announced funding of £299,509 for the 30 month ENDOCAN project, led by researchers at The University of Edinburgh. Through a large scale UK-wide trial, the research will investigate whether a cannabinoid can reduce endometriosis-associated pain.

Recruitment for the study is due to start in August 2025 in NHS Lothian and NHS Grampian. More information can be found on the research being undertaken by The University of Edinburgh can be found on their website.

Question reference: S6W-32179

Asked by: Rachael Hamilton, MSP for Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 11 December 2024
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 23 December 2024

To ask the Scottish Government how it is engaging with women with lived experience of endometriosis to inform the development of policies and services.

The Health and Social Care Alliance Scotland (the ALLIANCE) has continued to support the Women’s Health Plan through their dedicated lived experience programme, including a Women’s Health Lived Experience Stakeholder Group, to help us continue our conversation with women, and ensure women are meaningfully involved in decision making and priority setting going forward.

More information can be found in the ALLIANCE Final Report on Women’s Health Plan.

Question reference: S6W-32180

Asked by: Rachael Hamilton, MSP for Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 11 December 2024
Current Status: Answered by Tom Arthur on 19 December 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to ensure that women with endometriosis are supported in the workplace, including protection from discrimination, implementation of reasonable adjustments and incorporation of menstrual health into workplace wellbeing initiatives.

Question reference: S6W-32178

Asked by: Rachael Hamilton, MSP for Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 11 December 2024
Current Status: Answered by Tom Arthur on 19 December 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to reduce the reportedly significant detrimental economic impact of endometriosis on women, including in relation to employment and workplace support.

Within the Women’s Health Plan we committed to improve access for women to appropriate support, speedy diagnosis and best treatment for endometriosis across the public, private and third sector.

The NHSScotland Menopause and Menstrual Health Policy was launched on 31 October 2023 with supporting resources, including line managers, workplace adjustment guides, and signposting to more information on symptoms and conditions including endometriosis. These are intended for use more widely across a variety of employment sectors and are available on the National Wellbeing Hub, which is accessible to the public.

Self-employed women can access free and confidential advice and health support from Working Health Services Scotland which is a Scottish Government funded NHS service that provides advice for people who are self-employed or working in companies with 250 or less employees and have a health condition or injury which they feel is impacting on their work.

The health and wellbeing of women at work is a key element of fair work. We know that conditions such as endometriosis can limit women’s opportunities to do their job to the best of their ability, remain in work and progress in the same way men can.

As employment law is reserved, Scottish Government has no power to mandate employers across Scotland to provide specific support to women experiencing health conditions. Our role is to encourage employers to recognise and take action to reduce the barriers that some of their workers can face when entering, progressing and remaining in work. To that end, we promote fair work practices through mechanisms such as our Fair Work First approach to public funding and its accompanying Fair Work First Guidance which explicitly highlights to employers that offering quality flexible working arrangements is of particular benefit to women experiencing menstrual health issues or menopause while at work. Asking employers to offer flexible working from day one of employment has been a principle of Fair Work First since October 2021.

Question reference: S6W-32183

Asked by: Rachael Hamilton, MSP for Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 11 December 2024
Current Status: Answered by Tom Arthur on 19 December 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to raise awareness of endometriosis among employers in rural and remote areas, where access to workplace support may be limited.

Question reference: S6O-04160

Asked by: Rachael Hamilton, MSP for Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 18 December 2024
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 8 January 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what support it can provide to those who wish to protect and preserve the Bernat Klein Studio in Selkirk.

Question reference: S6W-32022

Asked by: Rachael Hamilton, MSP for Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 05 December 2024
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 12 December 2024

To ask the Scottish Government how much funding will be delivered through the Bus Infrastructure Fund.

The draft 2025-26 Budget, which is subject to Parliamentary approval, provides indicative funding for a Bus Infrastructure Fund. Work is underway to assess allocations and this will be dependent on business cases, assessments of value for money/impact of spending and deliverability.

Any further ongoing funding for future years will be considered as part of the annual budget setting processes and prioritisation exercises.

Question reference: S6W-32020

Asked by: Rachael Hamilton, MSP for Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 05 December 2024
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 12 December 2024

To ask the Scottish Government how much of the £500 million that was allocated to the Bus Partnership Fund has been spent.

Question reference: S6W-32023

Asked by: Rachael Hamilton, MSP for Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 05 December 2024
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 12 December 2024

To ask the Scottish Government how the recently announced Bus Infrastructure Fund will operate.

Work to scope out what the fund will deliver and how it will be managed is underway. Transport Scotland is engaging with key stakeholders on this and will confirm details in due course. However, the fund will look to build on the work undertaken through both the Bus Partnership Fund and Community Bus Fund with renewed focus on bus priority infrastructure to help address the negative impacts of congestion on bus services, and support local public transport improvements.

Question reference: S6W-32019

Asked by: Rachael Hamilton, MSP for Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 05 December 2024
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 12 December 2024

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the operation of the Bus Partnership Fund.

The Scottish Government is pleased to announce in the draft budget that we will provide a Bus Infrastructure Fund in 2025-26 focussed on delivering bus priority, supporting infrastructure measures to tackle the negative impact of congestion and local public transport improvements. This brings the Bus Partnership Fund and Community Bus Fund together into one fund.

£20.5 million was spent on bus priority through the Bus Partnership Fund. This has delivered bus gates, enforcement cameras, and equipment to help buses get through traffic lights more quickly in North Ayrshire, Glasgow, Inverness, Aberdeen and Edinburgh. It has also assisted in making a number of temporary measures, such as bus lanes, permanent in Edinburgh and Glasgow. A bus gate at Raigmore Hospital in Inverness also opened helping buses to by-pass congestion and passengers to access this important facility more quickly.