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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-36838

Asked by: Gillian Mackay, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Friday, 11 April 2025
Current Status: Answer expected on 9 May 2025

To ask the Scottish Government whether it remains committed to abolishing all non-residential social care charges in the current parliamentary session, and, if so, by what date all such charges will be abolished.

Question reference: S6W-36832

Asked by: Ross Greer, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Friday, 11 April 2025
Current Status: Answer expected on 9 May 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to provide access for young people living on islands to mainland sports facilities and training.

Question reference: S6W-36835

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 11 April 2025
Current Status: Answer expected on 9 May 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what support it provides to the Lessons from Auschwitz (LFA) project.

Question reference: S6W-36836

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 11 April 2025
Current Status: Answer expected on 9 May 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what steps it has taken to ensure that all pupils in Scotland are taught about the Holocaust.

Question reference: S6W-36848

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 11 April 2025
Current Status: Answer expected on 9 May 2025

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will publish a detailed breakdown of the funding sources required to deliver its net zero targets, including the proportion anticipated to come from the private sector.

Question reference: S6W-36427

Asked by: Emma Harper, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 02 April 2025
Current Status: Answered by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 11 April 2025

To ask the Scottish Government how many baby boxes have been issued in the NHS (a) Dumfries and Galloway and (b) Borders area since (i) their introduction and (ii) 31 March 2024.

Scotland’s universal Baby Box programme opened for registration on 15 June 2017, and delivery of Baby Boxes nationwide began on 15 August 2017 for all babies born and resident in Scotland.

The total number of Baby Boxes issued since the introduction of the Baby Box programme up to 31 March 2025 is 335,775.

The Scottish Government records the number of Baby Boxes distributed by Health Board areas. Since the start of the programme the following number of Baby Boxes have been distributed in NHS Dumfries and Galloway and NHS Borders:

Health Board	15 August 2017 to 31 March 2025	31 March 2024 – 31 March 2025
NHS Dumfries and Galloway	7,916	869
NHS Borders	5,948	689

Question reference: S6W-36579

Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 04 April 2025
Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 11 April 2025

To ask the Scottish Government how many health visitors have been employed in each local authority area in each year since 1999.

Question reference: S6W-36430

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 02 April 2025
Current Status: Answered by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 11 April 2025

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will publish any modelling that shows how the Scottish Child Payment, in isolation, can deliver the 2030 child poverty target, or, if no such modelling exists, what its position is on whether there is a need for wider reforms to skills, jobs and enterprise policy.

The Scottish Government published economic modelling on 27 March 2025 which estimates the impact of Scottish Government policies on child poverty in Scotland. The report finds that Scottish Government policies will keep an estimated 70,000 children out of relative poverty in 2025-26, including 40,000 through investment in the Scottish Child Payment alone. The impact of Scottish Government policies is estimated to grow over time to keep 100,000 children out of poverty by 2028-29.

As set out in Best Start, Bright Futures, the Scottish Government recognises that a balanced approach is needed to effectively tackle child poverty and to meet the 2030 targets. This includes action focused across the three drivers of child poverty reduction: income from employment, the cost of living and income from social security and benefits in kind. On this basis, the Scottish Government has no current plans to publish economic modelling focused on how the Scottish Child Payment in isolation can meet the 2030 targets.

We know that employment can offer a sustainable route out of poverty for many families, and we remain committed to doing everything within the scope of our powers and budget to support parents to access employment and to increase their earnings. This includes through action focused on ensuring parents have access to the right employability and skills interventions to support them on their journey into and within work, and through action focused on strengthening the labour market and promotion of fair work practices.

The Scottish Government will publish our third child poverty delivery plan by the end of March 2026. We are in the process of consulting with a wide range of stakeholders to inform its development, building on the considerable evidence and action taken to date. We are clear on the scale of the challenge faced to meet the 2030 child poverty targets and the plan will set out action to drive further progress.

Question reference: S6W-36521

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 03 April 2025
Current Status: Answered by Ivan McKee on 11 April 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what percentage of the Scottish Budget is currently allocated to civil service pay and administration, and how this compares with 2013.

The Total Operating Cost (TOC) budget for 2025-26 is set at £801.7 million, accounting for 1.3 percent of the overall Scottish Budget, as measured by Total Managed Expenditure.

In 2019-20, a change in approach to operating costs was implemented, which means a comparable figure for 2013 cannot be provided. Previously, costs, including staffing, were held centrally as part of the administration budget and also as part of portfolio budgets for staff who were implementing and delivering specific public services. Since 2019-20, Total Operating Costs have been aligned with the portfolio budgets they support, replacing the dual system where both administration and portfolio budgets funded operating costs.

Question reference: S6W-36466

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 03 April 2025
Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 11 April 2025

To ask the Scottish Government whether it considers the (a) capital and (b) maintenance funding available to NHS boards is adequate to ensure that mental health facilities are safe and comply with Health and Safety Executive standards.

The Scottish Government is committed to ensuring that all NHS facilities, including mental health units, provide a safe and therapeutic environment that complies with Health and Safety Executive (HSE) standards, though the size, age and complexity of the NHS estate means this is a challenging issue to manage. The Scottish Government believe that current levels of capital and maintenance funding allocated to NHS boards are adequate to meet these essential requirements, as it is allocated on a risk-based approach and is there to support boards in maintaining their existing estate, addressing backlog maintenance, and investing in necessary upgrades and new developments for mental health services.