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 MSPs 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.

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Question reference: S7W-03394

Asked by: Katy Clark, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 17 September 2026
Current Status: Answered by Maree Todd on 1 October 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with NHS Scotland regarding the safe use of weight loss drugs in industries where workers are subject to a maximum weight limit.

Obesity medicines offer a highly effective treatment for obesity, as part of a range of weight management interventions for eligible patients, used alongside a reduced calorie diet and increased physical activity.

Individual Health Boards are responsible for decisions on the implementation and availability of medicines, including obesity medicines. These decisions are supported by guidance set out in the national consensus statement published in September 2024.

NHS Lothian is partnering with Ministry of Defence (Defence Medical Command) to develop obesity medicines pathways for military personnel, including policy that may have application across all safety critical industries. Learning from this national innovation programme will be shared widely and used to inform future treatment pathways across the NHS in Scotland.

Question reference: S7O-00345

Asked by: Katy Clark, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 30 September 2026
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 6 October 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to support domestic abuse advocacy services.

Question reference: S7W-03393

Asked by: Katy Clark, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 17 September 2026
Current Status: Answered by Stephen Gethins on 30 September 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with (a) the UK Government and (b) employers regarding the potential impact on offshore workers of any maximum worker weight limits applied in the oil and gas industry.

Question reference: S7W-03015

Asked by: Katy Clark, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 08 September 2026
Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 22 September 2026

To ask the Scottish Government, regarding the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service's (a) resource and (b) capital budget, how much has been allocated, and how much would have been allocated had budgets increased in line with the inflation measure used by the Scottish Government, in each year since its creation.

Scottish Fire and Rescue Service Budget from 2013-14

Year	Resource £m	Depreciation £m	Capital £m	Total £m
13-14	277.230	22.016	15.3	314.5
14-15	287.541	22.625	22.3	332.5
15-16	259.221	24.679	25.3	309.2
16-17	259.221	24.679	10.8	294.7
17-18	259.221	24.679	32.5	316.4
18-19	264.4	24.679	32.5	321.6
19-20	269.9	24.753	32.5	327.2
20-21	276.007	24.753	32.5	333.26
21-22	287.4	26.0	32.5	343.2
22-23	294.207	26.0	32.5	352.7
23-24	304.2	27.0	32.5	363.7
24-25	317.3	33.0	43.0	393.3
25-26	332.1	33.0	47.0	412.1
26-27	353.56	34.0	48.4	435.96

The budget for the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service is set each year as part of the annual Budget Act process. The Scottish Government provides SFRS with the budget it needs to keep communities safe and therefore the budget is not allocated in line with inflation.

In terms of comparisons with hypothetical inflation figures, I refer the member to the answer to question S7W-02951 on 17 September 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/written-questions-and-answers.

Question reference: S7W-02961

Asked by: Katy Clark, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 03 September 2026
Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 17 September 2026

To ask the Scottish Government how many of the recommendations contained in the University of Central Lancashire report, Minimising firefighters’ exposure to toxic fire effluents, have been implemented and how many remain outstanding.

The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) has made substantial progress in implementing the recommendations contained within the University of Central Lancashire report, Minimising Firefighters' Exposure to Toxic Fire Effluents.

Measures implemented include the introduction of a dedicated Fire Contaminants Standard Operating Procedure, enhanced decontamination arrangements, improvements to PPE and laundering arrangements, exposure recording processes and investment in firefighter welfare measures.

The majority of recommendations have been implemented or incorporated into ongoing programmes of work.

Further work continues in longer-term areas including health surveillance, exposure monitoring, welfare infrastructure and future estate improvements. SFRS continues to review emerging evidence and participate in research to inform future developments.

Question reference: S7W-02960

Asked by: Katy Clark, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 03 September 2026
Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 17 September 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what action the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service has taken to provide suitable alternative roles to firefighters who are below normal retirement age but are unable to continue in their operational role.

Question reference: S7W-02952

Asked by: Katy Clark, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 03 September 2026
Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 17 September 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the extent to which the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service's budget has fallen in real terms since its creation in 2013.

Question reference: S7W-02957

Asked by: Katy Clark, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 03 September 2026
Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 17 September 2026

To ask the Scottish Government how many times, in each of the last 10 years, Scottish Fire and Rescue Service control rooms have operated below safe staffing levels.

Question reference: S7W-02959

Asked by: Katy Clark, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 03 September 2026
Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 17 September 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of any correlation between reports of falling firefighter numbers and increased Scottish Fire and Rescue Service incident response times.

There are many causal factors influencing Operational Response Times and their change in recent years. The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service is supporting work being carried out by Northumbria University looking at why response times to incidents in Scotland are changing, and what this means for people and communities in Scotland. This is fundamental academic research – it is about improving the understanding of patterns and causes.

Question reference: S7W-02950

Asked by: Katy Clark, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 03 September 2026
Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 17 September 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to provide long-term funding certainty to the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service.