Maggie Chapman

20 Jul 2026 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to ensure that victims and survivors of rape and other serious sexual offences can have confidence that their cases will be investigated promptly, thoroughly and with appropriate specialist support, particularly in light of reported increasing numbers of such cri…

20 Jul 2026 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of reports that a number of individual officers might be responsible for investigating in excess of 200 rape cases alongside other serious offences, (a) whether it has sought information from Police Scotland regarding this and, if so, what information it has received and (…

20 Jul 2026 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the workload of officers investigating rape and other serious sexual offences; what its position is on whether current staffing levels are sufficient to ensure timely, thorough and trauma-informed investigations, and what plans it has to publish guidance re…

20 Jul 2026 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to ensure that Police Scotland officers investigating rape and serious sexual offences have sufficient time and resources to deliver trauma-informed investigations and maintain meaningful communication with victims throughout the investigative process, and what me…

20 Jul 2026 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to ensure that people seeking to use Monifieth Beach do not experience a repeat of the recent health warnings and instructions to stay out of the sea due to high levels of E coli.

20 Jul 2026 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking, in partnership with other public agencies, to ensure that water treatment infrastructure and sewerage systems are fit for purpose and any associated contamination of rivers and seas is addressed.

20 Jul 2026 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how it is supporting SEPA in carrying out water quality testing and investigations in Dundee and Angus.

5 Jun 2026 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how much Transport Scotland has spent on (a) rail feasibility studies, (b) options appraisals, (c) business cases and (d) other related development work in (i) Aberdeen, (ii) Aberdeenshire, (iii)  Angus, (iv) Dundee, (v) Edinburgh and (vi) Glasgow in each year since 2007.

Answer · Stephen Flynn: I refer the Member to the answers to the Parliamentary Questions S7W-00859 and S7W-00860 on 16 June 2026. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parli…

5 Jun 2026 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what proportion of total rail enhancement expenditure by Transport Scotland has been allocated to projects located in (a) Aberdeen, (b) Aberdeenshire, (c) Angus, (d) Dundee City, (e) Edinburgh and (f) Glasgow each year since 2007.

Answer · Stephen Flynn: Information in that format and to that extent is not held centrally by the Scottish Government. Providing the information would put a significant pressure on civil service staff and would require securing information from third parties, as well as extensive m…

5 Jun 2026 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how much Transport Scotland has spent on (a) rail infrastructure enhancements, (b) new stations, (c) line reopenings, (d) electrification projects and (e) associated feasibility studies and business cases in each year since 2007, broken down by (i) project and (ii) local authority area.

Answer · Stephen Flynn: I refer the Member to the answers to the Parliamentary Question S7W-00859 on 16 June 2026.There is a number of publications, which would be of assistance to the Member, including Transport Scotland annual accounts, which are published on its website: Publicat…

27 May 2026 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Government what action it will take to address reported concerns that implementing recent Equalities and Human Rights Commission guidance on single sex spaces will put at increased risk both transgender people and cisgender people who present in gender non-conforming ways.

18 Mar 2026 · Portfolio Question

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of any excess deaths associated with long waiting times in A&E departments, including the action it is taking to reduce preventable mortality.  

12 Mar 2026 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the ability of charities to fulfil their charitable duties in the face of any hostility towards their work.

Answer · Shirley-Anne Somerville: We fully appreciate the concerns being raised by the third sector about the rise in confrontational behaviour towards charity staff and volunteers. Officials in volunteering and in safer communities policy are working together with Police Scotland, local auth…

12 Mar 2026 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it has had any discussions with the Office of the Scottish Charity Regulator (OSCR) regarding the publication of guidance equivalent to the Charity Commission for England and Wales’ publication, How charities can respond to the current hostile environment.

Answer · Shirley-Anne Somerville: We have held recent discussions with OSCR regarding concerns from stakeholders in the third sector about incidents of hostility that charity staff and volunteers have faced.As OSCR is independent of government, it is for them to develop any guidance it feels …

11 Mar 2026 · Portfolio Question

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of Audit Scotland’s recent statement that local authorities will face a budget gap of nearly £1 billion by 2027, what action it is taking to provide additional support to third sector organisations that prevent and respond to rent and council tax arrears.  

10 Mar 2026 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government for what reason the publication of the equality strategy for women and girls, which was due before the end of the current parliamentary session as committed to in the Programme for Government 2025-26, has been delayed.

Answer · Shirley-Anne Somerville: The strategy will set out what women and girls told us is needed for a gender equal Scotland. The vision and goals cover a wider range of issues, therefore we need to engage widely with the public sector to ensure they are ready to help us meet its ambitions.…

10 Mar 2026 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government when the equality strategy for women and girls, which it committed to in its Programme for Government 2025-26 and is developing in partnership with the National Advisory Council for Women and Girls, will be published.

Answer · Shirley-Anne Somerville: We are grateful to the National Advisory Council on Women and Girls and their Empowering Women Panel for their dedication and invaluable insights as we have worked in partnership to develop an Equality Strategy for Women and Girls. Subject to the outcome of t…

10 Mar 2026 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, whether a fall in the rate of successful applications for Adult Disability Payment, reportedly at an all-time low, and now lower than the equivalent payment in England and Wales, is the result of a policy decision(s) by the Scottish Government or Social Security Scotland.

Answer · Shirley-Anne Somerville: The Scottish Government is committed to ensuring disabled people get the support they are entitled to and Social Security Scotland has robust quality assurance and evaluation processes to ensure the accuracy and integrity of decision making. Since the launch …

10 Mar 2026 · Written Question

To as the Scottish Government for what reason the rate of successful applications for Adult Disability Payment is reportedly at an all-time low, and now lower than the equivalent payment in England and Wales.

Answer · Shirley-Anne Somerville: Since the launch of Adult Disability Payment (ADP) in March 2022,45% of new applications have been approved–slightly higher than the 44% of new applications awarded Personal Independence Payment (PIP) in England and Wales over the same period.Social Sec…

10 Mar 2026 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether any payments made by the Republic of Ireland's Mother and Baby Institutions Payment Scheme will be disregarded for the purpose of awarding means-tested entitlements, such as help with care charges and Scottish Welfare Fund payments, in line with current practice for similar payme…

Answer · Shirley-Anne Somerville: The Scottish Government welcomes the commitment made by the UK Government on 13 March 2026 to disregard payments under the Mother and Baby Institutions Payment Scheme. Correspondingly, reflecting our position that compensation payments can be disregarded wher…

10 Mar 2026 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it is considering a faster roll-out of the Housing First approach, in response to the latest statistics on the number of deaths of homeless people in Scotland, which show that 231 people died in 2024, representing an increase of 40% since the data was first collected in 2017.

Answer · Mairi McAllan: The Scottish Government remains firmly committed to the delivery of Housing First and continues to support its growth across Scotland through sustained investment in rapid rehousing and the implementation of rapid rehousing transition plans. Between 2018 and …

10 Mar 2026 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the latest statistics on the number of deaths of homeless people in Scotland, which show that 231 people died in 2024, representing an increase of 40% since the data was first collected in 2017.

Answer · Mairi McAllan: Behind every statistic is a human being. We know that experience of multiple forms of extreme disadvantage, including homelessness, poor mental health and opioid dependence, is linked to higher rates of ill health and premature death. The Scottish Government …

25 Feb 2026 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the forthcoming International Women’s Day, what action it is taking to ensure that Scotland’s economy provides women with equitable access to economic opportunity, including how it supports them to live free from poverty and financial inequality.

18 Feb 2026 · Portfolio Question

 To ask the Scottish Government what assessment the finance secretary has made of the impact of lengthy national budget consultation processes on the financial sustainability of third sector organisations in north east Scotland.

16 Feb 2026 · First Minister's Question

To ask the First Minister whether he will provide an update on the development of a Just Transition plan for the north east of Scotland, including how communities and workers have been engaged.

6 Feb 2026 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of reported concerns regarding a greater need for agility and clear information, whether it will support SCOTS (Scottish Collaboration of Transportation Specialists) and others to develop a database of equipment, including vehicles and other kit, that can be mobilised to suppor…

Answer · Fiona Hyslop: The Scottish Government recognises the importance of effective coordination, clear information and agility in responding to severe weather. We work closely with local authorities, SCOTS and resilience partners to strengthen preparedness and support local deci…

29 Jan 2026 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it is aware of recent media reporting, including in The Herald, The Times and The Guardian, regarding the involvement of Scotland-based shipping companies in the transport of liquefied natural gas from Russia, including reports regarding Seapeak, and what assessment it has made o…

Answer · Kate Forbes: Since the beginning of the Ukraine conflict the Scottish Government has urged businesses in Scotland to, where possible, cut ties with Russia. We fully support the UK Government’s sanctions regime against Russia and apply additional discretionary econom…

29 Jan 2026 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it has assessed any potential reputational, economic or security risks associated with Scotland-based companies being involved in the transport of Russian liquefied natural gas following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, including vessels operated or managed by Seapeak, and, in…

Answer · Kate Forbes: Since the beginning of the Ukraine conflict the Scottish Government has urged businesses in Scotland to, where possible, cut ties with Russia. We fully support the UK Government’s sanctions regime against Russia and apply additional discretionary econom…

27 Jan 2026 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Government how it is ensuring that the local authorities involved with the RAAC Housing Leadership Group are engaging appropriately and are including residents and RAAC campaigners in their activities.

27 Jan 2026 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether the review of the legislative landscape of Scotland's care system, which is being led by Professor Kenneth Norrie, will explicitly include unaccompanied asylum seeking children and young people, including whether it will consider the specific legal and immigration related process…

Answer · Natalie Don-Innes: The Independent Review of Scotland’s Legislative Framework for Children’s Care will undertake a comprehensive, independent review of Scotland’s legislative framework affecting children, young people, families and the children’s care sy…