Parliamentary questions
Pam Gosal
490 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.
18 Jul 2025 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to reallocate any Children, Young People and Families Early Intervention and Adult Learning and Empowering Communities funding, in light of the closure of the charity, Saheliya.
Answer · Natalie Don-Innes: The Children, Young People, Families Early Intervention and Adult Learning and Empowering Communities (CYPFEI & ALEC) Third Sector Fund has provided core funding to 115 organisations since 2016 to deliver support that tackles inequalities, child and famil…
7 Jul 2025 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to tackle the sale of counterfeit goods.
Answer · Angela Constance: The regulation of consumer protection is reserved to the UK Government which includes the work of Trading Standards Scotland.The Scottish Anti-Illicit Trade Group (SAITG), which was formally re-launched on 3 March 2025, aims to disrupt counterfeiting and Inte…
7 Jul 2025 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many individuals were (a) prosecuted and (b) convicted for selling counterfeit goods in the financial year 2024-25.
Answer · Dorothy Bain: A search has been performed of the COPFS database for charges received by COPFS under a) the Trade Marks Act 1994, and b) a key word search for counterfeit or fake goods on charges under the Scottish Government Classification of "Fraud”.During the perio…
7 Jul 2025 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what the total value was of counterfeit goods seized in the financial year 2024-25.
Answer · Angela Constance: The Scottish Government does not hold the requested information.Trading Standards Scotland reports any suspected criminality directly to the Crown Office & Procurator Fiscal Service.
7 Jul 2025 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many businesses were closed down as a result of selling counterfeit goods in the financial year 2024-25.
Answer · Angela Constance: The Scottish Government does not hold the requested information.Trading Standards Scotland reports any suspected criminality directly to the Crown Office & Procurator Fiscal Service.
7 Jul 2025 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many businesses were fined for selling counterfeit goods in the financial year 2024-25.
Answer · Dorothy Bain: A search has been performed of the COPFS database for charges received by COPFS under a) the Trade Marks Act 1994, and b) a key word search for counterfeit or fake goods on charges under the Scottish Government Classification of "Fraud”.During the perio…
28 May 2025 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how it plans to reconcile the Supreme Court's ruling in For Women Scotland Ltd v The Scottish Ministers with its current policies on housing trans-identifying male prisoners in female prisons.
Answer · Angela Constance: I have asked Teresa Medhurst, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service (SPS), to respond. Her response is as follows:I refer the member to the answer to the question S6W-38153 on 26 June 2025. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available…
28 May 2025 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to introduce any measures to ensure that female prisoners are not subjected to any unwanted sexual advances from biological males housed in the same facility.
Answer · Angela Constance: I have asked Teresa Medhurst, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service (SPS), to respond. Her response is as follows:The SPS Policy for the Management of Transgender People in Custody makes it clear that if a transgender woman presents a risk of harm ag…
28 May 2025 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what its current approach is to trans-identifying male prisoners, and what its position is on whether its approach aligns with its commitment to women's rights.
Answer · Angela Constance: I have asked Teresa Medhurst, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service (SPS), to respond. Her response is as follows:As defined in the SPS Management of Transgender People in Custody 2023, SPS manage transgender individuals in our custody using a rights…
27 May 2025 · Portfolio Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the roll-out of the Caledonian System.
19 May 2025 · Portfolio Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on what action it is taking to improve waiting times for audiology appointments.
13 May 2025 · General Question
To ask the Scottish Government when it plans to implement any necessary measures as a consequence of the interim update from the Equality and Human Rights Commission, following the Supreme Court's ruling on the legal definition of "woman”.
25 Apr 2025 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what commitments it plans to make to educate children, young people and school staff on the importance of gender equality by ensuring that schools explicitly teach students about misogyny and misogynistic attitudes.
Answer · Jenny Gilruth: The Scottish Government is clear that abuse, violence, including gender based violence, and harassment of any kind, will not be tolerated in our schools. Misogynistic behaviour was identified as an emerging concern in the 2023 Behaviour in Schools Research, a…
25 Apr 2025 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what measures it plans to implement to provide visible and strong leadership through the Gender Equality Taskforce in Education and Learning (GETEL) to achieve a gender-competent experience of education and learning for all girls.
Answer · Jenny Gilruth: The Gender Equality Taskforce in Education and Learning contains representation from gender competent leaders, who were instrumental in developing ambitions for the Taskforce, which will result in girls and young women having a gender equal experience of educ…
25 Apr 2025 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how it plans to ensure that all parties apply a gendered lens to discussions on school behaviour, in light of data showing that women make up approximately three quarters of the teaching profession.
Answer · Jenny Gilruth: The Scottish Government published the national relationships and behaviour joint action plan last year, which sets out 20 overarching actions that will be taken before the end of 2027. It addresses issues including violence, attendance, young people’s m…
25 Apr 2025 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on what steps it plans to take to address violence against women due to gender inequality.
Answer · Kaukab Stewart: Addressing violence against women and girls remains a key focus of the Scottish Government through the Equally Safe strategy, which is co-owned with COSLA. The Equally Safe strategy focuses on violence and abusive behaviour carried out predominately by men an…
23 Apr 2025 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-36216 by Kaukab Stewart on 17 April 2025, and in light of the UK Supreme Court ruling regarding For Women Scotland Ltd v The Scottish Ministers, whether it will provide an update on whether it will ensure that, whenever sex is recorded, it is made c…
Answer · Kaukab Stewart: Work has already begun across the Scottish Government to consider the implications of the Supreme Court judgment. While we await the updated Code of Practice from the Equality and Human Rights Commission, the Permanent Secretary has convened a Short Life Work…
22 Apr 2025 · Portfolio Question
To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether its 2045 net zero target is still credible.
17 Apr 2025 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what engagement it had with LGBTQ+ groups in relation to the For Women Scotland Ltd v The Scottish Ministers case.
Answer · Kaukab Stewart: No meetings were held with organisations or stakeholders to discuss the case of For Women Scotland Ltd v The Scottish Ministers prior to the Supreme Court judgment as it is not appropriate for the Scottish Government to comment on live legal proceedings. Foll…
17 Apr 2025 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what engagement it had with women’s rights groups in relation to the For Women Scotland Ltd v The Scottish Ministers case.
Answer · Shirley-Anne Somerville: No meetings were held with organisations or stakeholders to discuss the case of For Women Scotland Ltd v The Scottish Ministers prior to the Supreme Court judgment as it is not appropriate for the Scottish Government to comment on live legal proceedings.Follo…
17 Apr 2025 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether any civil servants were involved in any work related to the For Women Scotland v The Scottish Ministers case.
Answer · Shirley-Anne Somerville: Civil servants were involved in work related to For Women Scotland Ltd v The Scottish Ministers as part of their role to support and advise Ministers.
17 Apr 2025 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an outline of the legal advice that it received for the For Women Scotland v The Scottish Ministers case.
Answer · Shirley-Anne Somerville: The content of any legal advice is confidential.
17 Apr 2025 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what the total amount is that has been spent to date on the For Women Scotland v The Scottish Ministers case.
Answer · Shirley-Anne Somerville: The Scottish Government has published some information already on costs. Final costs in relation to the case are still being determined and are not yet available. We will publish the total cost of the case when it is fully complete.Legal costs for judicial re…
17 Apr 2025 · First Minister's Question
To ask the First Minister what impact the Scottish Government anticipates that the Supreme Court judgment regarding For Women Scotland Ltd v The Scottish Ministers will have on the implementation of the Public Sector Equality Duty in Scotland.
24 Mar 2025 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to protect (a) it and (b) public bodies from any internal activism that seeks to influence outward-facing policy, including through staff networks.
Answer · Ivan McKee: Civil Servants appointed to the Scottish Government must adhere to the Civil Service Code and Standards of Behaviour. They must act with integrity and impartiality, avoiding any appearance of bias or misuse of position and refrain from using their official ro…
24 Mar 2025 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to undertake quantitative research to assess what the general public considers to be the meaning of key words in relation to sex reassignment that may be used in data collection, including "transgender man", "trans man", "transgender", "trans", "transsexual" and "gender …
Answer · Kaukab Stewart: The Office of the Chief Statistician published guidance for public bodies in Scotland on the collection of data on sex and gender in 2021. This guidance recommends that statistics producers should collect data that best serves the needs of users in their spec…
24 Mar 2025 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will continue to ask questions that combine sex and gender identity in a single question, when collecting data.
Answer · Kaukab Stewart: The Office of the Chief Statistician published guidance for public bodies in Scotland on the collection of data on sex and gender in 2021. This guidance recommends that statistics producers should collect data that best serves the needs of users in their spec…
24 Mar 2025 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether the NHS will end the practice of issuing new NHS numbers and changed gender markers to individuals.
Answer · Jenni Minto: The NHS in Scotland uses the Community Health Index (CHI) system for patient records across its IT systems.There are various reasons why an individual may seek to change their CHI number, including administrative corrections. No medical information is removed…
24 Mar 2025 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to mandate that organisations that allow sex markers to be changed on official documents keep records of the number of documents changed annually, with basic demographic information attached such as age and sex.
Answer · Kaukab Stewart: To our knowledge, there are currently only two public bodies operating in Scotland which allow sex markers to be changed on official documents (HM Passport Office and the Driver and Vehicle Licencing Agency). As both of these public bodies are reserved to the…
24 Mar 2025 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will ensure that, whenever sex is recorded, it is made clear whether this refers simply to sex, or to a person's "legal sex" based on a Gender Recognition Certificate.
Answer · Kaukab Stewart: The Office of the Chief Statistician published guidance for public bodies in Scotland on the collection of data on sex and gender in 2021. This guidance recommends that statistics producers should collect data that best serves the needs of users in their spec…