Monica Lennon

12 Mar 2026 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what assistance it can provide to former employees of Women’s Aid Argyll and Bute who have reported significant pension detriment due to historic financial mismanagement, and whether it will engage with the Pensions Regulator to ensure that these workers are not left financially pe…

Answer · Kaukab Stewart: I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-44387 on 20 March 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.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees…

11 Mar 2026 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how often the Union Street fire ministerial oversight group will meet, and which individuals and organisations will attend.

Answer · Angela Constance: The Ministerial Oversight Board in relation to the Union Street fire first met on 11 March 2026 and has subsequently met a further three times. These meetings drew together Cabinet Secretaries and Ministers with a role in the response to and recovery from the…

11 Mar 2026 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with the UK Government in relation to current and future provision of postal services in Scotland.

Answer · Ivan McKee: On 6 March, the Scottish Government wrote to the UK Minister for Small Business & Economic Transformation in relation to the Future of the Post Office Green Paper, and made clear that postal services are a vital lifeline for communities across Scotland, p…

11 Mar 2026 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it has been informed of any delays and disruptions to Royal Mail postal deliveries by public bodies, including NHS Scotland, the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service (COPFS) and the Scottish Courts and Tribunals Service (SCTS).

Answer · Ivan McKee: The Scottish Government has not been informed by any public body of any delays or disruptions to Royal Mail postal deliveries.

11 Mar 2026 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on assurances it has had from Royal Mail that all postal deliveries linked to the forthcoming Scottish Parliament election, including postal ballots and other election material on behalf of all candidates and parties, will be delivered at no detriment to…

Answer · Graeme Dey: Further to the answers to questions S6W-43890 on 4 March 2026 and S6W-44014 on 11 March 2026, I met with Alistair Cochrane, Interim CEO of Royal Mail Group on 19 March. We discussed planning for the election and I highlighted the major concerns which have bee…

11 Mar 2026 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it has had any discussions with Royal Mail about postal services in Scotland, and if so, on what date, and if no such discussions have taken place, what plans it has to meet with Royal Mail in this regard.

Answer · Ivan McKee: Royal Mail and postal delivery services are reserved to the UK Government.The First Minister visited the Glasgow Mail Centre on 22 December where he reiterated the importance of maintaining high service standards across Scotland.The Scottish Government engage…

11 Mar 2026 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what risk assessment it has conducted regarding the impact of Royal Mail delays on Scottish communities.

Answer · Ivan McKee: Royal Mail and postal delivery services are reserved to the UK Government. It is the UK Government’s responsibility to conduct risk and impact assessments of its postal policies on Scottish communities.The Scottish Government engages regularly with Roya…

11 Mar 2026 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to meet with the Communication Workers Union (CWU) to discuss concerns that the trade union may have about the current and future provision of postal services in Scotland.

Answer · Ivan McKee: The Communication Workers Union (CWU) has recently written to the Scottish Government with its concerns around the provision of Royal Mail services and we will provide a considered response to that communication.

11 Mar 2026 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with representatives, parents and local authorities following the reported announcement that Fernhill School in Rutherglen will close.

Answer · Jenny Gilruth: The Scottish Government is aware of the decision made by the proprietors to close Fernhill School, and recognises the impact this has for pupils, families, staff, and the wider school community.The Registrar for Independent Schools has been in contact with th…

10 Mar 2026 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what financial and other practical support it will consider making available to individuals, businesses and other organisations affected by the devastating fire on Union Street in Glasgow on 8 March 2026, including for complex legal and insurance-related matters.

Answer · Kate Forbes: On 14 March, the First Minister announced a financial package worth up to £10 million to help businesses rebuild and renew the part of Glasgow affected by the Union Corner fire. Glasgow City Council will administer the scheme based on engagement with lo…

9 Mar 2026 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to reported calls for a moratorium on hyperscale data centres until their climate impacts have been rigorously assessed.

Answer · Ivan McKee: The Scottish Government has no plans to introduce a moratorium on data centres.The environmental implications of all developments which require planning permission are considered through the planning process, and all proposed developments are considered on th…

5 Mar 2026 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions have taken place to consider reinstating email as a valid method for public objection submission since its Energy Consents Unit introduced its portal on 16 January 2026.

Answer · Gillian Martin: No discussions have taken place to consider reinstating email as a valid method of submitting public representations since the Energy Consents Unit introduced its improved portal functionality on 16 January 2026.

5 Mar 2026 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether any complaints from developers such as SSEN about the number of public objections being filed was considered when discussing removing email as a public submission route as part of changes to the Energy Consents process.

Answer · Gillian Martin: Complaints from developers about the number of public representations being submitted were not a consideration of the decision to transition from email-based submission to a structured digital portal. The decision was taken to address multiple operational, le…

5 Mar 2026 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what evidence it has published clarifying the reasons for public email objections being removed from its Energy Consents Unit process, including any reasons for developers having their email access retained.

Answer · Gillian Martin: The Scottish Government previously received an information request under the Environmental Information (Scotland) Regulations 2004, for the following:“All documents, records, assessments, briefings, reports, emails, and meeting notes created, held or co…

5 Mar 2026 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what evidence it has published in relation to its Energy Consents Unit's new representations portal system having been driven by public complaints about the email process.

Answer · Gillian Martin: The Scottish Government previously received an information request under the Environmental Information (Scotland) Regulations 2004, for the following:“All documents, records, assessments, briefings, reports, emails, and meeting notes created, held or co…

5 Mar 2026 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the salmon farming industry's reported admission that it mistakenly underestimated the amount of drugs used to treat sick fish by 66%.

Answer · Mairi Gougeon: I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-44092 on 11 March 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.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees…

5 Mar 2026 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what discussion it has had with Salmon Scotland regarding the recent misreported levels of antibiotic used to treat sick fish.

Answer · Mairi Gougeon: Scottish Government confirmed that Salmon Scotland identified an error in its 2024 antibiotic usage figures submitted to the Veterinary Medicines Directorate (VMD) and that it would correct the public record and in future introduce additional verification of …

5 Mar 2026 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, regarding salmon farming, what its position is in relation to the Scottish Environment Protection Agency’s reported total antibiotic usage for 2024 of 1,268 kilograms, which differed from Salmon Scotland’s reports of 1,564 kilograms of antibiotic usage.

Answer · Mairi Gougeon: The regulation of veterinary medicines is a reserved matter for the UK Government. The Veterinary Medicines Directorate (VMD) is responsible for market authorisation of antibiotics and undertaking appropriate monitoring. It also publishes sectoral antibiotic …

17 Feb 2026 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to Professor Pete Higgins' oral evidence to the Net Zero, Energy and Transport Committee on 17 February 2026, in which he recommended that knowledge and understanding of the Scottish Outdoor Access Code should be included within the Scottish curriculum.

Answer · Jenny Gilruth: The Scottish Government agrees that it important for every young person to be aware of, understand and actively use their access rights and responsibilities.The Curriculum for Excellence is a broad framework rather than a set of specific topics of study presc…

11 Feb 2026 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to provide a package of targeted social security increases for families with a baby under the age of one, with the aim of reducing poverty for these families by at least six percentage points.

Answer · Shirley-Anne Somerville: We put child poverty at the heart of the 2026-27 Scottish Budget and of the Scottish Spending Review, which outline how we will tackle the cost of living and drive continued progress to break the cycle of poverty. This includes a package of measures to reduce…

11 Feb 2026 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will allocate any of the £50 million committed to whole family support in its draft Budget 2026-27 to organisations that provide expert, joined-up support to families from pregnancy through to age two.

Answer · Shirley-Anne Somerville: The Scottish Government draft Budget 2026-27 put in place a new annual £50m package of Whole Family support that will wrap around families and help to break the cycle of poverty. This will further enhance existing support and includes £20m for thi…

27 Jan 2026 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what dedicated services and resources are in place for the (a) diagnosis, (b) treatment and (c) ongoing management of postural tachycardia syndrome (PoTS) in NHS (i) Lanarkshire, (ii) Greater Glasgow and Clyde and (iii) Forth Valley.

Answer · Jenni Minto: Decisions on the organisation of diagnostic, treatment and follow-up services rest with individual NHS Boards. The information requested is not held centrally.

27 Jan 2026 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on what work has been done to reduce waiting lists for the treatment of postural tachycardia syndrome (PoTS) in NHS Lanarkshire.

Answer · Jenni Minto: The Scottish Government remains focused on reducing waiting times across Scotland. This year, we have allocated more than £137 million to Health Boards to help tackle the longest waits for appointments and procedures.Funding has been directed to special…

27 Jan 2026 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what clinical pathway is currently in place for patients with suspected or confirmed postural tachycardia syndrome (PoTS) in NHS (a) Lanarkshire, (b) Greater Glasgow and Clyde and (c) Forth Valley.

Answer · Jenni Minto: Clinical pathways are designed and delivered by individual NHS Boards in line with local service structures and population needs. The information requested is not held centrally.

27 Jan 2026 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to ensure consistent, NHS board-wide referral pathways for postural tachycardia syndrome (PoTS) patients, in light of reports that some services are declining referrals.

Answer · Jenni Minto: Responsibility for service delivery rests with NHS boards which configure services based on local circumstances and the reasonable needs of their populations.The Scottish Government expects all NHS Boards to provide high-quality, safe and effective person-cen…

23 Jan 2026 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how any concerns raised by childminders are incorporated into wider workforce strategy planning.

Answer · Natalie Don-Innes: Childminders are a vital part of our childcare sector providing nurturing, flexible, high-quality care which is why we continued our support in 2025-26 with a further £1.6m funding for the Scottish Childminding Association to continue delivering a natio…

23 Jan 2026 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of any potential impact of HMRC changes to the Wear and Tear allowance for childminders on (a) the number of registered childminders in Scotland and (b) the affordability of childcare provision for families, and what discussions it has had with HMRC or the UK …

Answer · Natalie Don-Innes: Self-assessment for income tax is reserved to the UK Government, however given the devolved nature of childminding legislation and regulation, it is disappointing childminders in Scotland were not consulted regarding changes to the administration of the wear …

23 Jan 2026 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of reports that two local authorities' planning services in England have been subject to cyber-attacks, whether it plans to take advice on how to prevent similar attacks occurring in Scotland.

Answer · Angela Constance: The Scottish Government continually monitors the cyber threat landscape and works closely with public sector bodies to help prevent and mitigate cyber-attacks that may affect digital public services in Scotland.The public sector delivers a wide range of digit…

22 Jan 2026 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government by what date it will update cervical screening information to raise awareness that cervical screening cannot detect other cancers, such as ovarian cancer.

Answer · Jenni Minto: The NHS inform webpage for cervical screening has been updated to highlight that cervical cancer screening cannot detect other cancers of the reproductive system, such as ovarian cancer. In addition, NHS Scotland’s Get Checked Early cervical screening w…

16 Jan 2026 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what the specific quality standards are for continence products supplied for home use under the national procurement framework, and what the cost-differential is per unit between products supplied in acute hospital settings compared with those provided to patients in the community.

Answer · Neil Gray: Products listed in the current National Procurement framework meet the ISO11948-1 Rothwell Absorption Capacity for Incontinence Pads.Products to acute settings are fulfilled via the NSS National Distribution Service as a delivered price. This is 5% higher tha…