Parliamentary questions

Ash Regan

428 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.

4 Nov 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the work undertaken by the NHS Research Scotland Mental Health Network, sponsored by Compass Pathways, in relation to a trial that commenced in Edinburgh in 2024 as part of a Scottish phase of a worldwide clinical study into the safety and effectivene…

Answer · Jenni Minto: Legitimate use of Controlled Drugs is enabled through scheduling under the Misuse of Drugs Regulations 2001, which regulates their availability according to their medicinal value and perceived risk of misuse. Controlled Drugs are placed in one of five schedul…

4 Nov 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, regarding its potential use in Scotland, whether it will assess the reasons for three states in the USA legalising psilocybin for the treatment of major treatment-resistant depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, substance-use disorders and in end-of-life care, and what lessons can …

Answer · Jenni Minto: The regulation for the licensing, safety and efficacy of medicines is currently reserved to the UK Government and is the responsibility of the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency. As a result, the Scottish Government has no plans to assess the…

4 Nov 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of any lessons learned, that may be relevant to Scotland, regarding the Australian Government's approval in 2023 for psychiatrists to prescribe MDMA for post-traumatic stress disorder, and psilocybin for treatment-resistant depression.

28 Oct 2025 · Portfolio Question

To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to improve the provision of mental health support for vulnerable women and girls with complex PTSD and other trauma-related conditions, including where this is the result of commercial sexual exploitation in prostitution.

27 Oct 2025 · First Minister's Question

To ask the First Minister for what reason the Scottish Government has reportedly abandoned key provisions of the Fireworks and Pyrotechnic Articles (Scotland) Act 2022, including the proposed licensing system, as communities prepare for potential disorder during Bonfire Night.

14 Oct 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what information it has regarding who has the ownership of the Musselburgh seawall; what responsibility Scottish Power has under the Musselburgh Agreement regarding it carrying out any repairs required to the wall; what its response is to concerns that Scottish Power might ask …

Answer · Gillian Martin: Local authorities are responsible for the development, design, consultation and delivery of flood protection schemes within their jurisdiction. This includes full assessment of all technical, environmental, financial and ownership-related considerations.The M…

9 Oct 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many GPs there are, and what the recruitment target is for additional GPs in each of the next five years.

Answer · Neil Gray: NHS Education of Scotland are responsible for the publication of GP workforce data. GP Headcount data is now published on a bi-annually basis with reference points relating to March and September. While the Scottish Government do not set annual recruitment ta…

9 Oct 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, regarding any implications for the Scottish economy, whether it remains its policy position to seek the devolution of immigration powers to the Scottish Parliament.

Answer · Kaukab Stewart: The Scottish Government’s position remains that the current UK immigration system is not working for Scotland.We continue to call on the UK Government for urgent changes to ensure that the immigration system reflects Scotland’s distinct demographi…

9 Oct 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will put in place funding to complete the roll-out of free school meals to all primary school children.

Answer · Jenny Gilruth: The Scottish Government remains committed to the universal provision of free school meals in primary schools. Current financial constraints mean that we are prioritising investment to reach those pupils most in need.Currently over 230,000 pupils across Scotla…

9 Oct 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of reports that a number of local authorities are considering increases of around 10% to council tax in 2026-27, whether it will fund a council tax freeze or a cost of living cap.

Answer · Shona Robison: Council Tax is a local tax, set and administered by individual local authorities. Future local government finance settlements, including any decisions on council tax, will be set out in the usual way as part of the annual Scottish Budget.The Scottish Governme…

9 Oct 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with the UK Government regarding what progress has been made in assigning a share of VAT revenues raised in Scotland to the Scottish Parliament, in light of the provisions set aside at section16 of the Scotland Act 2016 to allow this.

Answer · Shona Robison: VAT Assignment was most recently discussed with the Chief Secretary to the Treasury at a meeting of the Joint Exchequer Committee on 17 October 2025.The Scottish Government has noted the comments from the House of Commons Scottish Affairs Committee and the Sc…

9 Oct 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on using a sustainable aviation fuel as a means of implementing Air Departure Tax at a rate 50% less than the current Air Passenger Duty administered by HMRC.

Answer · Shona Robison: The Scottish Government strongly welcomes efforts to boost the production and use of Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF). SAF is one of the most promising ways of reducing aviation emissions and is therefore important in supporting the Scottish Government’s…

9 Oct 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the Air Departure Tax (Scotland) Act 2017 being in force, by what date it will implement the provisions of the tax.

Answer · Shona Robison: The Scottish Government is actively working with the UK Government to implement Air Departure Tax in a way that protects Highlands and Islands connectivity and complies with the UK Government’s subsidy control regime.Implementation of Air Departure Tax …

9 Oct 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government which local authorities have exercised their powers to designate firework control zones, and which area each zone covers.

Answer · Siobhian Brown: The City of Edinburgh Council will be implementing 9 Firework Control Zones in Edinburgh at Balerno, Calton Hill, Corstorphine, Gracemount, Longstone, Moredun, Niddrie, Seafield, and Sighthill between 31st October to 9th November 2025.Glasgow City Council wil…

9 Oct 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it has a presumption against new oil and gas licences, and, if so, whether it will end this presumption, in light of the UK Government reportedly considering a policy change on its opposition to granting licences for new oil and gas fields adjacent to existing ones.

Answer · Gillian Martin: Offshore oil and gas licensing, as well as consenting and the associated fiscal regime, are all matters that are currently reserved to the UK Government.The Scottish Government continues to call on the UK Government to approach decisions for North Sea oil and…

9 Oct 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what preparations have been made since the First Minister stated in July 2025 that he plans to set up a Scottish constitutional convention to “marshal support for Scotland’s right to decide through gathering support from the people of Scotland, civic bodies and international …

Answer · Angus Robertson: The proposed constitutional convention is being taken forward by the Scottish National Party.Since July 2025, the Scottish Government has published Your Right to Decide which sets out the Scottish Government’s view that that it is for the people of Scot…

9 Oct 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many crimes have been recorded in each month since January 2024 involving male violence against women.

Answer · Angela Constance: Information on the sex of victims and perpetrators is not held centrally as the data the Scottish Government receive from Police Scotland is a simple count of recorded crimes by crime type. The two exceptions to this are where separate Official Statistics pro…

9 Oct 2025 · SPCB Written Question

To ask the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body, in light of 12 October 2025 marking the first anniversary of the death of the former First Minister, Alex Salmond, whether it will consider commissioning a memorial to be located within the Scottish Parliament.

Answer · Claire Baker (on behalf of the SPCB): The SPCB’s Memorials Policy sets out its approach to marking the deaths of prominent individuals and other significant events. In line with this policy, the SPCB does not commission permanent memorials within the Scottish Parliament building or gro…

23 Sep 2025 · Portfolio Question

To ask the Scottish Government what benefits it anticipates the Land Reform (Scotland) Bill will deliver for rural and island communities, including in relation to breaking up concentrated land ownership and ensuring that land is used in the public interest and communities are not locked out of decision-making.

16 Sep 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what action it can take to prevent the closure of Marionville Fire Station in Edinburgh, and to ensure the continued provision of fire and rescue services in the area served by the station.

Answer · Siobhian Brown: The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) has commissioned independent analysis of its public consultation concerning its Service Delivery Review (SDR) which closed on 17th September 2025. This analysis will inform considerations by the SFRS Board when it t…

11 Sep 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what information it has on the reasons for the removal of commitments to openness and transparency, including the sharing of Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA) risk registers with the Scottish Government, from the NDA’s 2024 Framework Document, compared with the 2021 version.

Answer · Gillian Martin: The NDA Framework document underwent routine three yearly revision in 2024 and text was updated throughout the document. On pages 36-38 of the updated 2024 Framework Document there is a commitment that the NDA will comply with a range of government guidance, …

11 Sep 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA) governance meetings its officials have attended in each of the last five years.

Answer · Gillian Martin: Scottish Government officials have attended four governance meetings between Scottish Ministers and senior NDA officials in the last five years. Scottish Ministers also have a role in approving governance documents such as the NDA Business Plan and NDA Strate…

27 Aug 2025 · Portfolio Question

To ask the Scottish Government what role the finance secretary has in authorising any continued expenditure of public bodies that incur substantial legal costs, including those covered by the Clinical Negligence and Other Risks Indemnity Scheme.

13 Aug 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of its public appointments guide, which states that “terms of appointment vary from role to role and are usually between one and five years” and that “the total period of appointment in one role on one board may not exceed eight years”, for what reason a…

Answer · Natalie Don-Innes: Under the Children’s Hearings (Scotland) Act 2011, board members of Children’s Hearings Scotland are appointed through a public appointments process regulated by the Ethical Standards Commissioner (ESC). Appointments are typically made for a stand…