Questions and answers

Chamber and committees

Questions and answers

Parliamentary questions can be asked by any MSP to the Scottish Government or the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body. The questions provide a means for ��˿�� to get factual and statistical information.

Written questions must be answered within 10 working days (20 working days during recess)
Other questions such as Topical, Portfolio, General and First Minister's Question Times are taken in the Chamber

Urgent Questions aren't included in the Question and Answers search. There is a SPICe fact sheet listing Urgent and emergency questions.

Find out more about parliamentary questions

Filter your results Hide all filters

Displaying 1325 questions Show Answers

Order by |

Question reference: S6W-38626

Asked by: Rachael Hamilton, MSP for Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 11 June 2025
Current Status: Answer expected on 25 June 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the fire and rescue coverage in rural areas, and how Scottish Fire and Rescue Service proposals would impact on rural communities.

Question reference: S6W-38627

Asked by: Rachael Hamilton, MSP for Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 11 June 2025
Current Status: Answer expected on 25 June 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what measures are in place to ensure that the mental health and wellbeing of Scottish Fire and Rescue Service staff is supported, in light of the service delivery review proposals.

Question reference: S6W-38621

Asked by: Rachael Hamilton, MSP for Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 11 June 2025
Current Status: Answer expected on 25 June 2025

To ask the Scottish Government how much funding has been allocated to the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service in each year since 2010, broken down by (a) capital and (b) resource budget.

Question reference: S6W-38623

Asked by: Rachael Hamilton, MSP for Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 11 June 2025
Current Status: Answer expected on 25 June 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on the proposals outlined in the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service’s service delivery review.

Question reference: S6O-04803

Asked by: Rachael Hamilton, MSP for Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 11 June 2025
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 18 June 2025

To ask the Scottish Government how many licences for gull management were awarded in Eyemouth for 2025.

Question reference: S6W-37955

Asked by: Rachael Hamilton, MSP for Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 29 May 2025
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 10 June 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what qualifications, professional registrations or training are (a) required and (b) recommended for staff undertaking initial or face-to-face Blue Badge assessments, and whether it collects data on how many assessors across Scotland have received training in assessing non-visible disabilities such as Parkinson’s disease, autism and dementia.

Transport Scotland considers it good practice for local authorities to refer applicants for an independent mobility assessment, if that is required to make a clear and robust decision on eligibility.

An independent mobility assessment should be conducted by a regulated healthcare professional, such as an occupational therapist, who acts upon the instruction of the local authority to provide an assessment of blue badge entitlement.

Occupational therapists or physiotherapists are best placed to assess an applicant's eligibility, (independent of the applicants GP) due to their specific training courses, accredited by their professional bodies and subsequent registration with the Health & Care Professions Council (HCPC).

Transport Scotland does not collect data on the numbers of assessors or their training records. This information would be held by individual local authorities.

Question reference: S6W-37961

Asked by: Rachael Hamilton, MSP for Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 29 May 2025
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 10 June 2025

To ask the Scottish Government how it evaluates the effectiveness of Transport Scotland’s delivery and oversight of the Blue Badge scheme across local authorities.

Question reference: S6W-37958

Asked by: Rachael Hamilton, MSP for Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 29 May 2025
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 10 June 2025

To ask the Scottish Government whether it provides guidance, or allows automatic or simplified Blue Badge renewal, for individuals with progressive conditions such as Parkinson’s disease, and, if so, how it makes eligible people aware of this.

The reapplication process is required by the legislation, with the maximum period of issue for a Blue Badge being 3 years. This mitigates the potential for fraudulent applications being submitted and ensures that local authorities meet the needs and demands of future audits.

At a minimum of every 3 years, local authorities need to be satisfied that existing Blue Badge holders continue to reside in the same local authority area and still meet the eligibility criteria. This helps to ensure that the Blue Badge, an extremely valuable concession, is protected from misuse and fraud.

Transport Scotland recommends that applicants who have previously been assessed by a regulated healthcare professional and have been deemed as requiring no further assessment for future badge applications should be able to experience a quicker and easier process when they come to re-apply for a blue badge.

It is recommended that the local authority or regulated healthcare professional should make eligible applicants aware of their ‘not for reassessment’ status after the assessment process has been completed. Following this process, eligible applicants can reapply by completing the ‘Not for Reassessment’ (NFR) application form issued by their local authority.

Question reference: S6W-37962

Asked by: Rachael Hamilton, MSP for Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 29 May 2025
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 10 June 2025

To ask the Scottish Government whether it has made any assessment of the accessibility of the Blue Badge application process, and, if so, what the outcomes were.

In 2022-23, Transport Scotland undertook a desk-based review of each Scottish local authority’s application process. Based on the findings, Transport Scotland provided local authorities a list of recommendations, including improved signposting, considerations for applicants requesting paper applications, regular updates on estimated waiting times and publicising the consequences of Blue Badge misuse.

Transport Scotland continues to work closely with local authorities, DfT and Social Security Scotland to continually improve the online application process. More recently, this has resulted in the successful introduction of new Social Security Scotland benefits and their eligibility towards Blue Badge.

Question reference: S6W-37960

Asked by: Rachael Hamilton, MSP for Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 29 May 2025
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 10 June 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on what role the Transport Accessibility Steering Group plays in evaluating the operation of the Blue Badge scheme, and whether this includes assessing how well local authorities implement the scheme.

Delivery of the Blue Badge scheme is the responsibility of local authorities. Transport Scotland does not formally evaluate local authority operations surrounding the scheme.

The National Transport Accessibility Steering Group brings together Transport Scotland officials and stakeholders (Regional Transport Partnerships, Community Planning Partnerships, transport operators and Disabled People’s Organisations) to support the delivery of the Accessible Travel Framework (ATF). Workstream 4 of the ATF delivery plan seeks to ensure there is continuous improvement in the delivery of the Blue Badge policy.