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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

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Question reference: S6W-23651

Asked by: Fulton MacGregor, MSP for Coatbridge and Chryston, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 06 December 2023
Current Status: Initiated by the Scottish Government. Answered by Siobhian Brown on 7 December 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on its consideration regarding the legal age of marriage.

Members will be aware that we have been gathering views and evidence from a range of stakeholders around the minimum age of marriage and considering next steps following the recent concluding observation of the United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child that we prohibit all marriages of under 18s in Scotland.

Whilst very few 16- and 17-year-olds marry or register a civil partnership in Scotland each year (in 2022 out of over 30,000 marriages, only 18 involved a party or parties under 18), we are cognisant of the concluding observations. Therefore I have now decided that the Scottish Government should consult formally in this area in 2024.

Reaching a view on reform of the age of marriage is a potentially cross-cutting area given the other rights that we permit 16- and 17-year-olds to exercise whether with or without additional protections. Consequently, we need to carefully consider the full implications of any change in the minimum age of marriage and civil partnership and whether any change may be needed to the existing criminal law on forced marriage.

I also intend to include a number of other areas of family and succession law as part of this consultation.

We will consult on the Scottish Law Commission’s draft Bill to reform the law on a cohabitant’s financial rights against their former partner when they separate.

We committed in the Family Justice Modernisation Strategy in 2018 to consulting on whether the simplified forms-based divorce and dissolution procedure should include cases where a couple have children under 16 and they are not in dispute about their welfare, and this will also be included in the consultation.

Following on from a previous consultation on succession law and from views raised during the passage of the Trusts and Succession (Scotland) Bill, our consultation will also explore a cohabitant’s entitlement to financial provision from their deceased partner’s estate where that partner has died without a will.

In addition, we have not yet implemented a provision in the Marriage and Civil Partnership (Scotland) Act 2014 on creating qualifying requirements for religious and belief bodies with celebrants who solemnise marriage and register civil partnerships. The aims of this provision include ensuring the continuing dignity and solemnity of ceremonies and tackling forced marriages and civil partnerships. We are planning therefore to also consult formally on the options here.

We will aim to publish the consultation on this substantial range of issues by summer 2024.

Question reference: S6O-02884

Asked by: Fulton MacGregor, MSP for Coatbridge and Chryston, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 06 December 2023
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 14 December 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what recent discussions it has had with Transport Scotland in relation to the Shawhead flyover junction in Coatbridge

Question reference: S6W-23280

Asked by: Fulton MacGregor, MSP for Coatbridge and Chryston, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 28 November 2023
Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 6 December 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to reports that the diversification test used to determine eligibility for the Scottish Enterprise Regional and SME Investment Subsidy Scheme is unduly restrictive and unfair to long-established manufacturing businesses that are seeking to invest in and grow their operations in Scotland.

Scottish Enterprise uses the Scottish Enterprise Regional and SME Investment Subsidy Scheme (the Scheme) to provide RSA grant funding. The Scheme includes a requirement that, to be eligible for support, large companies must be opening a new establishment or diversifying the activity at an existing site. There is no such requirement for SMEs. This requirement is consistent with the general approach to regional investment funding across the UK and Europe.

RSA is not the only mechanism Scottish Enterprise uses for funding eligible projects within the manufacturing sector. Scottish Enterprise has a wide range of subsidy schemes for which diversification is not a requirement for funding. The Scottish Government and Scottish Enterprise consistently review support mechanisms in place and welcome feedback on how to support companies within the rules set out by the Subsidy Control regime.

Question reference: S6W-23036

Asked by: Fulton MacGregor, MSP for Coatbridge and Chryston, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 20 November 2023
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 4 December 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what it is doing to source the anti-diabetic medication, liraglutide, which is used to treat type 2 diabetes, in light of reports that there are severe shortages of the medication across Scotland.

The Scottish Government is aware that there are global supply issues with glucagon-like peptide-1 Receptor Agonists (GLP-1 RAs) products, which are licensed for treating patients with type 2 diabetes, including Victoza (liraglutide). It is anticipated that supplies of all GLP-1 RAs products will be limited and intermittent until at least mid-2024.

The global shortage of GLP-1 RAs has been largely driven by increased demand, including for off-label and private online prescribing of these medicines for weight-loss; this has led to shortages for patients with Type 2 diabetes.

The supply of medicines is currently a reserved matter for the UK Government. We continue to engage with the Department for Health and Social Care (DHSC) and we will continue to press for a lasting solution to the current shortages.

The Scottish Government recognises the impact of these global shortages on people living with type 2 diabetes and their families. NHS Scotland has robust systems in place to manage medicine shortages when they arise and anyone affected by this issue should speak to their usual clinical team.

Question reference: S6W-23024

Asked by: Fulton MacGregor, MSP for Coatbridge and Chryston, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Friday, 17 November 2023
Current Status: Answered by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 4 December 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what financial support is in place for parents who have experienced baby loss and who are self-employed.

A range of financial support is provided through Social Security Scotland. This includes Funeral Support Payment, a one-off payment providing support to low-income families in receipt of a qualifying benefit, including self-employed parents, for a baby stillborn after 24 weeks or who died after birth.

These families may also be eligible for Best Start Grant Pregnancy and Baby Payment up to £707.25. If the parent is in receipt of Scottish Child Payment they will receive payment equivalent to the value of entitlement in the 12 weeks prior to the child’s death.

An agreement is in place between Scottish Government and COSLA that local authorities in Scotland will not charge burial or cremation fees for children aged 0-17 or stillborn babies.

Question reference: S6O-02854

Asked by: Fulton MacGregor, MSP for Coatbridge and Chryston, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 29 November 2023
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 7 December 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on what support is in place for people with long COVID.

Question reference: S6W-22981

Asked by: Fulton MacGregor, MSP for Coatbridge and Chryston, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 16 November 2023
Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 23 November 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what grant support Scottish Enterprise is currently providing to long-established manufacturing businesses in Scotland that are seeking to invest in, and grow, their operations in Scotland.

Question reference: S6W-22774

Asked by: Fulton MacGregor, MSP for Coatbridge and Chryston, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 08 November 2023
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 21 November 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the recent decision by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) not to recommend Kaftrio for funding on the NHS, and what impact it considers this decision could have on patients with cystic fibrosis.

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) is collaborating with the Scottish Medicines Consortium (SMC) on a joint multiple technology appraisal (MTA) of cystic fibrosis (CF) medicines, including Kaftrio®. The NICE recommendations that were published on 3 November are draft and could change following the current consultation period.

Existing patients and new patients who are started on a CF medicine while the MTA is ongoing will continue to have access to the medicine after NICE and the SMC issue their final recommendations, irrespective of the outcome.

In addition, this week the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) extended the licence for Kaftrio and Kalydeco to include children aged two to five years old. This extension helps address the unmet needs of younger children with cystic fibrosis.

Question reference: S6O-02769

Asked by: Fulton MacGregor, MSP for Coatbridge and Chryston, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 15 November 2023
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 23 November 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to reduce air pollution levels in urban towns such as Coatbridge.

Question reference: S6O-02656

Asked by: Fulton MacGregor, MSP for Coatbridge and Chryston, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 25 October 2023
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 1 November 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to allocate more funding to local authorities in its 2024-25 Budget to enable them to maintain and invest in local services, including sport and leisure facilities.

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