Questions and answers

Question reference: S6W-37761

Asked by: Carol Mochan, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 20 May 2025
Current Status: Answer expected on 3 June 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to improve data collection across (a) social care, (b) general practice and (c) NHS services.

Question reference: S6W-35472

Asked by: Pam Gosal, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 20 May 2025
Current Status: Answer expected on 3 June 2025

To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to update any policies that it has on the procedures for NHS patients and staff to follow when (a) reporting and (b) raising concerns regarding sexual assault.

Question reference: S6W-37568

Asked by: Ariane Burgess, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 13 May 2025
Current Status: Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 20 May 2025

To ask the Scottish Government how it (a) monitors and (b) addresses any (i) record-keeping violations, (ii) trade violations and (iii) movement restriction breaches at salmon farms, in light of reports that no financial penalties have been imposed since 2021.

The Scottish Government’s Fish Health Inspectorate (FHI) undertakes risk based aquatic animal health surveillance where Aquaculture Production Businesses are assessed against their regulatory responsibilities with respect to aquatic animal health. This includes routine and intelligence-based inspections.

The FHI monitors international trade of live fish and shellfish using import notification systems and checks on import health certificates, ensuring imports meet the aquatic animal health requirements of the Great Britain trade unit. Where significant risk of listed disease is detected official control measures can be enforced to help reduce the risk of disease introduction and spread.

The FHI’s enforcement policy, including a range of enforcement actions, is set out in its Service Charter which is available on the Scottish Government website. The Service Charter is based upon the Scottish Government’s principles of good regulation including taking a response which is proportionate to the risk posed and the seriousness of any offence.

Question reference: S6W-37161

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 08 May 2025
Current Status: Answered by Kaukab Stewart on 20 May 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on Glasgow City Council's reported view that the current level of asylum support funding is unsustainable.

Asylum is reserved, including provision of asylum accommodation and support provided to people seeking asylum who would otherwise be destitute while awaiting a decision on their asylum application from the Home Office.

In 2022 the Home Office introduced funding for local authorities for the first time, to recognise the contribution of local authorities like Glasgow who supported significant numbers of people seeking asylum and to encourage participation by new local authorities. This funding has only been confirmed annually and the level of funding provided does not adequately reflect local authority costs for service provision.

Funding for local authorities has been a positive step, but we support calls for a long- term commitment to enable better support for people seeking asylum as well as local communities.

Question reference: S6W-37162

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 08 May 2025
Current Status: Answered by Kaukab Stewart on 20 May 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what recent discussions it has had with the UK Government regarding the potential introduction of a statutory mechanism to ensure that all local authorities contribute to the asylum dispersal programme on an equitable basis.

Question reference: S6W-37337

Asked by: Colin Smyth, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 08 May 2025
Current Status: Answered by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 20 May 2025

To ask the Scottish Government when it will review and update its social security uptake strategy.

Question reference: S6W-37392

Asked by: Stephanie Callaghan, MSP for Uddingston and Bellshill, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 06 May 2025
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 20 May 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with NHS Lanarkshire regarding the administration of duvyzat for patients with Duchenne muscular dystrophy, in light of reports that NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde is now administering the drug through the Early Access Programme, and what steps it has taken to identify and overcome any barriers faced by NHS boards, including NHS Lanarkshire, in administering the medication, in order to support safe, fair, and equitable access across Scotland.

NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde (GGC) is the regional hub responsible for providing services to children with Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) on behalf of the West region which includes NHS Lanarkshire. In response to concerns raised regarding access to givinostat in Scotland, the Cabinet Secretary has met with the four health boards, including NHS GGC. He has asked them to set out their timelines and approaches to the families with children with DMD covered by the national Early Access Programme (EAP), in the next two weeks. NHS GGC are planning three treatment cohorts, beginning week commencing 26 May 2025, with the second and third cohorts starting week commencing 28 July 2025 and 29 September 2025. In addition, the Chief Pharmaceutical Officer has been assured that the consultants have reviewed all eligible children and applied the broadest definition possible to the eligibility criteria to ensure that all children described in the EAP can access the medicine.

Question reference: S6W-37160

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 08 May 2025
Current Status: Answered by Kaukab Stewart on 20 May 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what information it has on which Scottish local authorities are (a) currently and (b) not currently participating in the UK Government’s asylum dispersal programme.

UK Government announced full asylum dispersal policy in April 2022. Under the policy Home Office contractors can presume that asylum dispersal properties can be procured in any local authority area across the UK.

The Scottish Government is aware that over half of Scotland’s local authorities now have asylum dispersal accommodation in their area.

The Home Office regularly publishes statistical data relating to immigration and asylum including data relating to people seeking asylum in receipt of Home Office support by local authority. Latest data publication is available online: Immigration system statistics data tables - GOV.UK

Question reference: S6W-37080

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 06 May 2025
Current Status: Answered by Kaukab Stewart on 20 May 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what steps it will take to ensure that female-only sports, changing rooms and hospital wards are for biological women only, in light of the Supreme Court ruling regarding For Women Scotland Ltd v The Scottish Ministers.

The Scottish Government are not responsible for monitoring or enforcing compliance with the Equality Act 2010. That is the statutory role of the Equality and Human Rights Commission. Scottish public authorities must comply with the law, including the 2010 Act, and regulations made under that Act when carrying out their functions, shaping their policies and practices and in relation to their employees.

The Scottish Government will continue our work to review relevant policies, guidance and legislation impacted by the judgment to position us towards a state of readiness to take all necessary steps when the EHRC’s Code of Practice and updated guidance are published in the Summer.

Question reference: S6W-37611

Asked by: Paul O'Kane, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 14 May 2025
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 20 May 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether local authorities have the power to prescribe or restrict the type of vehicular traffic that can use a particular road.

Roads Authorities in Scotland, such as local authorities and Transport Scotland can, under existing legislation, restrict the type of vehicular traffic that can be used on roads within their remit.

The Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984 allows for the making of Traffic Regulation Orders (TROs) for specific reasons and these can have various types of restrictions such as access restrictions, time-limited restrictions or vehicle class based restrictions.

It is for each Road Authority to ensure their TROs are appropriate and fit for purpose.

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