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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-42104

Asked by: Daniel Johnson, MSP for Edinburgh Southern, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 21 November 2025
Current Status: Answered by Kate Forbes on 9 December 2025

To ask the Scottish Government (a) how and (b) when it was made aware of the increase in project capital costs for the Dunard Centre in Edinburgh from £45 million to £162 million.

The Scottish Government was informally updated that the project capital costs for the Dunard Centre were expected to rise during the course of regular engagement with IMPACT Scotland, the Edinburgh and South East Scotland City Region Deal Programme Management Office and the United Kingdom Government. The Scottish Government was then notified of the scale of the increase in project capital costs for the Dunard Centre on 26 June 2025 as part of a discussion with IMPACT Scotland.

Question reference: S6W-42103

Asked by: Daniel Johnson, MSP for Edinburgh Southern, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 21 November 2025
Current Status: Answered by Kate Forbes on 9 December 2025

To ask the Scottish Government how the additional £20 million capital costs it has committed to the construction of the Dunard Centre in Edinburgh will be accounted for, and what impact this will have on its wider funding for culture.

Question reference: S6W-42078

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 24 November 2025
Current Status: Answered by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 9 December 2025

To ask the Scottish Government whether it has changed any policy or guidance for (a) the NHS, (b) schools, (c) Police Scotland and (d) the Scottish Prison Service following the Supreme Court judgment that sex, for the purposes of the Equality Act 2010, is biological, and, if so, what changes have been made.

The Scottish Government has been taking forward the detailed work that is necessary as a consequence of the ruling. Since the judgment, we have:

Engaged with Health Boards on the requirement to implement the Supreme Court judgment in line with their own legal advice. On 30 September, the Director of Health Workforce wrote to Health Boards to reinforce the importance of complying with the law, and the Supreme Court judgment implemented. Application of the law following the Supreme Court ruling remains a matter for Boards, in accordance with their own legal advice.
Published revised Supporting Transgender Pupils in Schools Guidance, while recognising that the EHRC are also reviewing Technical Guidance for schools;
Advanced joint work with Police Scotland, with a public consultation on the Stop and Search Code of Practice scheduled before the end of this year.
There have been no changes to prisons guidance.

We have also:

Updated our guidance for the Gender Representation on Public Boards (Scotland) Act 2018.
Amended the public appointments recruitment process for public bodies subject to the Act, now collating and using biological sex at birth data to apply the Act.
Moved to an interim Trans and Non-Binary Inclusion Policy, removing a line regarding facilities use, while we develop new policy and guidance in consultation with trade unions.
Conducted an initial review of facilities across the SG estate with a more detailed review now underway to ensure our provision meets the needs of staff and legal requirements.

Question reference: S6W-42147

Asked by: Alex Cole-Hamilton, MSP for Edinburgh Western, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Tuesday, 25 November 2025
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 9 December 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what action it will take with the NHS to support people who may have been affected by exposure to diethylstilbestrol (DES) as a result of their mother using the drug during pregnancy, and how it plans to test any people exposed to DES in this way for any potential health issues resulting from this exposure.

The Scottish Government has the utmost sympathy for women who were prescribed diethylstilbestrol (DES) and the impact it may have had on them and their families.

The UK National Screening Committee (UK NSC) does not currently recommend increased screening for individuals whose mother may have been administered diethylstilbestrol while pregnant with them. The most recent guidance advises that routine screening is appropriate for those who believe that they were exposed to stilbestrol in utero, and we would encourage all women to attend their routine breast and cervical screening appointments.

In line with the UK NSC’s current recommendations, all women aged between 50 to 70 are invited for breast screening every three years. In addition, those aged 25 and 64 are invited for routine cervical screening every 5 years. Individuals may be invited for more regular cervical screening or until they are aged 70 if previous results have found changes that need to be monitored.

Anyone concerned that they may have side effects from possible or known exposure to DES should discuss this with their GP in the first instance, who can provide support and advice, and request a referral for any further testing or treatment if this is determined to be appropriate.

Question reference: S6W-42083

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 24 November 2025
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 9 December 2025

To ask the Scottish Government whether any of its ministers have been involved in any discussions or decisions regarding the case brought forward by For Women Scotland in relation to its policy on the housing of biological male prisoners in female prisons, and, if so, which ministers have been involved, and when any such discussions or decisions took place.

Question reference: S6W-42168

Asked by: Tim Eagle, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 26 November 2025
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 9 December 2025

To ask the Scottish Government whether it has held any discussions with Police Scotland about upgrading its tasers to the new Axon Taser 10 model, in light of the decision by the Home Office on 3 October 2025 to allow police in England and Wales to upgrade to the new model.

Question reference: S6W-42445

Asked by: Rona Mackay, MSP for Strathkelvin and Bearsden, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 08 December 2025
Current Status: Initiated by the Scottish Government. Answered by Angela Constance on 9 December 2025

To ask the Scottish Government when the Terms of Reference will be finalised for the public inquiry into the circumstances surrounding the investigation of the murder of Emma Caldwell.

Following the appointment of Lord Scott to chair the Emma Caldwell Public Inquiry, I have consulted with the Chair, and met with the Caldwell family and a range of key parties to discuss the Terms of Reference of the Inquiry.

In these discussions I outlined my intention to keep the Terms of Reference focused on the original investigation of Emma’s death but sufficiently broad to allow Lord Scott to look at wider issues he considers to be pertinent to the Inquiry. This approach was broadly supported.

The Solicitor General, on behalf of the Law Officers, is content that the prosecutorial decision-making is examined by the Inquiry in connection with the investigation into the murder of Emma Caldwell.

I am pleased to confirm that the Inquiry will formally begin its work on 9 December 2025. The Inquiry’s setting up date marks the point at which I hand over full responsibility of the Inquiry to Lord Scott and the work of the Inquiry will commence.

The Terms of Reference agreed with Lord Scott are provided below:

PUBLIC INQUIRY INTO THE INVESTIGATION OF THE MURDER OF EMMA CALDWELL – TERMS OF REFERENCE

On 28 February 2024 Iain Packer was convicted of the murder of Emma Caldwell, 19 years after her death. I announced on 7 March 2024 that there would be an independent judge-led inquiry given the gravity of the case, the length of time that it took for justice to be served and the extent of the sexual violence suffered by the victims and survivors.

The Inquiry’s Terms of Reference are set out below. The Terms of Reference do not attempt to present a definitive list of every issue the Inquiry will consider. They specify areas of investigation which the inquiry will interpret flexibly.

Terms of Reference

To examine the investigation carried out by Strathclyde Police, under the direction of the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service, into the murder of Emma Caldwell, including (i) the investigative strategy and decision making; (ii) the giving of direction by the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service (iii) any steps which could reasonably have been taken and, had they been taken, might have resulted in the offender being apprehended and prosecuted at an earlier stage; (iv) the roles and responsibilities of those involved; and (v) any other factors relevant to the circumstances of the investigation and related prosecution and to make recommendations to address any finding in that regard.

To examine whether any failures in training, procedures, operating models or systems of working contributed to failures (if any) by Strathclyde Police or the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service in relation to the investigation and to make recommendations to address any finding in that regard.

To report to the Scottish Ministers on the above matters and to make recommendations as soon as reasonably practicable.

Question reference: S6W-42452

Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 08 December 2025
Current Status: Answer expected on 5 January 2026

To ask the Scottish Government, following the cyber attack on Comhairle nan Eilean Siar in 2023, what lessons learnt, if any, have been taken forward and implemented across the public sector.

Question reference: S6W-42423

Asked by: Stephanie Callaghan, MSP for Uddingston and Bellshill, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 08 December 2025
Current Status: Answer expected on 5 January 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what (a) support and provisions are in place to enable pupils with additional support needs and disabilities, and their parents, to advocate for additional assessment arrangements, including extra time during exams, (b) mechanisms exist to escalate decisions when young people's needs are not being met, and (c) procedures exist across all local authorities to ensure schools comply with the Equality of Access to Qualifications policy and promote equality of provision.

Question reference: S6W-42447

Asked by: Keith Brown, MSP for Clackmannanshire and Dunblane, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 08 December 2025
Current Status: Answer expected on 5 January 2026

To ask the Scottish Government how many families in the (a) Clackmannanshire and (b) Stirling local authority area have received support through the Scottish Child Payment since it was introduced.