Parliamentary questions
Jackie Baillie
9,379 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.
15 Dec 2025 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-42077 by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 9 December 2025, whether it will list the membership of the Working Group on the Supreme Court Judgement.
Answer · Shirley-Anne Somerville: The Working Group was convened by the Permanent Secretary and is chaired by the Director General for Education and Justice. The membership of the Working Group includes representatives from every relevant portfolio area across the Scottish Government, includi…
15 Dec 2025 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-42077 by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 9 December 2025, whether there are minutes taken and papers considered by the Working Group on the Supreme Court Judgement and, if so, by what date these will be published.
Answer · Shirley-Anne Somerville: There are both minutes taken and papers considered by the Working Group. The minutes are published on the Scottish Government’s website here: UK Supreme Court Judgment (For Women Scotland Ltd v The Scottish Ministers): working group - gov.scot The outst…
15 Dec 2025 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-42080 by Angela Constance on 9 December 2025, whether all 21 transgender people in the prison estate are housed in the women's prison estate.
Answer · Angela Constance: I have asked Teresa Medhurst, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service (SPS), to respond. Her response is as follows:As explained in the answer to S6W-42080; as a public body we must uphold our statutory obligation to ensure everyone in our care has the…
15 Dec 2025 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, following the Supreme Court judgment that sex, for the purposes of the Equality Act 2010, is biological, whether it considers that a woman needs to complain to her employer before action is taken to follow the law.
Answer · Shirley-Anne Somerville: The Scottish Government accepts the judgment of the Supreme Court. It is the responsibility of employers and service providers to interpret and comply with the Equality Act 2010, and for the regulator - the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) - to enf…
15 Dec 2025 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-42078 by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 9 December 2025, what monitoring of NHS boards is being undertaken to ensure compliance with the law following the Supreme Court judgement.
Answer · Neil Gray: Application of the law following the Supreme Court ruling remains a matter for Boards, in accordance with their own legal advice. As advised in response to your previous question answered by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 9 December 2025, we have written to Healt…
15 Dec 2025 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-42078 by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 9 December 2025, by what date the review of facilities across its estate will be completed.
Answer · Shirley-Anne Somerville: The review of facilities across the Scottish Government core estate is progressing at pace, though it is important that this work is completed thoroughly. While no fixed end date has been set, physical building surveys are complete and contractor reporting is…
8 Dec 2025 · First Minister's Question
To ask the First Minister what the Scottish Government's response is to the independent investigation into NHS Scotland by the retired consultant surgeon and former President of the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Glasgow, Mr Mike McKirdy.
27 Nov 2025 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what consideration it has given to any impacts of the changes to the UK Drug Tariff Part IX's medical device listing process in England and Wales on patients and NHS services across Scotland.
Answer · Jenni Minto: The Scottish Government does not envisage that there will be any discernible impact on patients resulting from changes to Part IX of the UK Drug Tariff. The Scottish Government uses the UK Drug Tariff to populate medical device listings and pricing, which are…
27 Nov 2025 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what impact its publication, Equipment and Adaptations Review: Guidance on Provision 2023, has had on waiting times for the supply of mobility aids, other daily living aids and complex assistive technologies.
Answer · Neil Gray: The Scottish Government is committed to delivering a more equitable and accessible approach to the provision of equipment and adaptations. Our revised guidance on the Provision of Equipment and Adaptations is statutory guidance issued under Section 53 of the …
27 Nov 2025 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to improve value-based standards that consider whole life costs in health and social care procurement services in integration authorities, local authorities and NHS Scotland.
Answer · Neil Gray: The Scottish Government is taking a range of actions to strengthen value-based standards in health and social care procurement, with a particular emphasis on whole-life costs across integration authorities, local authorities and NHS Scotland.Central to this w…
27 Nov 2025 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how it plans to improve the transparency and accountability of public sector health and social care procurement services.
Answer · Neil Gray: The Scottish Government is taking a range of measures to strengthen transparency and accountability in public sector health and social care procurement.Under the Procurement Reform (Scotland) Act 2014, all public bodies are required to publish Procurement Str…
27 Nov 2025 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what impact the collapse of NRS Healthcare Limited, which supplied mobility aids and complex assistive technologies, has had on NHS Scotland and social services across Scotland.
Answer · Neil Gray: The Scottish Government is aware of how critical equipment is to allow individuals to participate fully in daily life and to support the person being cared for to live safely within their home environment. Anyone requiring equipment should experience a seamle…
27 Nov 2025 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the theme of Crohn's and Colitis Awareness Week 2025, "How it feels", and how it plans to better incorporate lived experience in the formulation of government policy on invisible illnesses such as inflammatory bowel disease.
Answer · Jenni Minto: The Scottish Government welcomes the theme of Crohn's and Colitis Awareness Week 2025, How it feels, and values the work of charities like Crohn’s and Colitis UK in highlighting the challenges of managing often invisible symptoms.We are committed to a p…
27 Nov 2025 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of any psychosocial impact of living with long-term fluctuating conditions such as Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis, including any impact on mental health and quality of life.
Answer · Jenni Minto: While we have not specifically assessed the psychosocial impact of living with fluctuating conditions such as Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis, the Scottish Government is committed to ensuring people with long-term conditions receive safe, effecti…
20 Nov 2025 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government for what reason it has not yet settled the costs in the Supreme Court case, For Women Scotland Ltd v The Scottish Ministers.
Answer · Shirley-Anne Somerville: There are well-established processes, set by the Courts, to assess the amount to be paid to a successful party seeking to recover its legal costs. The Scottish Government is following these processes and has committed to publish its final costs associated wit…
20 Nov 2025 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many biologically male prisoners are currently in female prisons, and what assessment it has made of any impact on female prisoners of this.
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 protects the rights and welfare of transgender people living in Scotl…
20 Nov 2025 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether the First Minister has agreed to meet For Women Scotland; if so, when he agreed to the meeting, and whether the meeting has taken place.
Answer · Shirley-Anne Somerville: The First Minister was approached by members of For Women Scotland while attending an International Women’s Day event on Saturday 8 March 2025. In conversation, it was proposed by a representative of For Women Scotland that a meeting take place with the…
20 Nov 2025 · Written Question
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.
Answer · Shirley-Anne Somerville: 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 …
20 Nov 2025 · Written Question
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 s…
Answer · Angela Constance: The Scottish Government does not regard it as appropriate to engage in public comment in respect of live court proceedings.
20 Nov 2025 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it has carried out a value-for-money assessment of defending the case brought by For Women Scotland in relation to its policy on the housing of biological male prisoners in female prisons.
Answer · Angela Constance: The Scottish Government does not regard it as appropriate to engage in public comment in respect of live court proceedings.
20 Nov 2025 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it has initiated a review of all policy and guidance following the Supreme Court judgment that sex, for the purposes of the Equality Act 2010, is biological.
Answer · Shirley-Anne Somerville: Every area of government which is or may be affected by the Supreme Court judgment is reviewing policies, guidance and legislation. This action is co-ordinated by the Working Group on the Supreme Court Judgment, convened by the Permanent Secretary, to ensure …
19 Nov 2025 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government when discussions were held with the (a) British Medical Association, (b) Royal College of General Practitioners and (c) Royal College of Nursing regarding the plans for the network of walk-in GP clinics.
Answer · Neil Gray: The Scottish Government held discussions about its plans for walk-in services with the British Medical Association on 12 and 15 October and on 12 November. Walk-in services were discussed with the Royal College of General Practitioners on 15 October and on 12…
4 Nov 2025 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many applications to the GP Sustainability Loan Scheme have been made in each year since 2018, also broken down by how many have been accepted, and how much has been allocated.
Answer · Neil Gray: GP Sustainability Loans are made by agreement between Health Boards and individual GP surgeries: the Scottish Government does not oversee an application process.The following table shows how many loans have been agreed between Health Boards and individual GP …
4 Nov 2025 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-29116 by Neil Gray on 6 September 2024, whether it will provide an update on what total cost has been incurred to date in relation to the planned National Treatment Centre in NHS (a) Ayrshire and Arran, (b) Grampian, (c) Lanarkshire, (d) Lothian and…
Answer · Neil Gray: The cost incurred to date in relation to the planned National Treatment Centre in NHS Ayrshire and Arran, NHS Grampian, NHS Lanarkshire, NHS Lothian and NHS Tayside is as follows.BoardCost incurred to date on National Treatment CentreAyrshire & Arran&poun…
4 Nov 2025 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what information it has regarding how the average resident doctor study budget in Scotland compares with that available in England.
Answer · Neil Gray: Postgraduate medical education and study leave are funded differently in England and Scotland. In England study leave is managed by each region whereas in Scotland it is managed centrally by NHS Education for Scotland and there are differences in the funding …
4 Nov 2025 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what the average annual study budget available is for resident doctors, in each NHS board.
Answer · Neil Gray: Study leave for resident doctors is managed centrally by NHS Education for Scotland. All resident doctors in training, irrespective of board location, have access to the study leave budget. This includes regional or nationally provided courses, and individual…
4 Nov 2025 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what the average annual study budget available is for resident doctors who are undertaking training or professional development within NHS boards.
Answer · Neil Gray: The notional study leave allocation for each resident doctors in training is £600 annually but this is not a limit and, as requirements vary from year to year, where necessary doctors are provided additional study leave funding depending on curricular d…
3 Nov 2025 · Topical Question
To ask the Scottish Government what action it will take, in light of reports that some people are waiting 10 hours for an ambulance.
27 Oct 2025 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government who will provide any services that will no longer be provided by community safety advocates as a result of any reduction to their numbers, including preventative work in schools and home fire safety visits for vulnerable people.
Answer · Siobhian Brown: The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) continues to employ permanent Community Safety Advocates across Scotland, who work alongside colleagues in local areas to undertake important community safety and prevention work.SFRS continues to invest significant…
27 Oct 2025 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how much funding is currently allocated for community safety advocates annually.
Answer · Siobhian Brown: The Scottish Government does not allocate specific amounts of funding for individual activities such as community safety advocates. Decisions on how the £412.2 million allocated to the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service for 2025-26 is spent is a matter fo…