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

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Question reference: S6W-38473

Asked by: Oliver Mundell, MSP for Dumfriesshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 06 June 2025
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 20 June 2025

To ask the Scottish Government for what reason young carers are reportedly discriminated against in relation to school absences and claiming Education Maintenance Allowance.

No young person should not be discriminated against if they are a young carer and are entitled to claim the Education Maintenance Allowance (EMA).

Receipt of the EMA is linked to attendance - that is why we strongly encourage delivery partners to consider a young person’s personal circumstance and apply flexibility to their attendance pattern.

This approach is clearly highlighted in the EMA guidance document which gives local authorities and colleges the necessary guidelines to help them administer the EMA programme effectively and fairly by using their own discretion, and in line with both local and national policies.

We also advise that young people inform their school or Local Authority of their circumstances (such as those with caring responsibilities) in order for flexibility to be applied.

Question reference: S6W-38474

Asked by: Oliver Mundell, MSP for Dumfriesshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 06 June 2025
Current Status: Answered by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 16 June 2025

To ask the Scottish Government for what reason the Young Carer Grant is only available to carers aged 16 to 18, in light of many young carers being younger than this.

The Young Carer Grant is part of a package of measures to support young carers alongside non-cash support through the Young Scot Young Carers Package, which is available to young carers aged 11-18 and provides tailored discounts and opportunities including high value e-vouchers, wellbeing boxes and vouchers for family days out.

The eligibility criteria for Young Carer Grant were developed with carers and those that represent and support them. As highlighted in the Equality Impact Assessment for the grant it is “…targeted at young adults at a transition point in their lives. There was a firm consensus among stakeholders that it would be inappropriate to pay benefits to people under the age of 16.”

The interim evaluation of the Young Carer Grant, published in 2021, showed the grant was having a positive impact on young carers' ability to take part in opportunities that are the norm for their peers and that stakeholders were generally supportive of the age criteria.

Question reference: S6O-04810

Asked by: Oliver Mundell, MSP for Dumfriesshire, 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 what action it is taking to ensure that residents in Eskdale can access patient transport for hospital appointments.

Question reference: S6O-04757

Asked by: Oliver Mundell, MSP for Dumfriesshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 28 May 2025
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 4 June 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to ensure that pupils with additional support needs receive consistent and adequate support.

Question reference: S6W-37550

Asked by: Oliver Mundell, MSP for Dumfriesshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 13 May 2025
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 16 May 2025

To ask the Scottish Government for what reason local councillors are not exempt from jury duty.

Jury service is an important civic duty, and I am grateful to all those who undertake it.

It is the view of the Scottish Government that the pool of potential jurors should be as wide as possible, to ensure that an accused person is being judged by their peers from all walks of life. This also prevents the burden of jury service falling on a narrower section of society than can reasonably be helped.

However, it is recognised that there will always be people who have difficulty in serving as jurors. Therefore, in addition to those eligible to be excused as of right as set out in Schedule 1 of the Law Reform (Miscellaneous Provisions) Scotland Act 1980, individuals may also apply for excusal.

Clerks of Courts will be as sympathetic as they can to requests for excusal, and will consider, amongst other things; commitments at work, the cancellation of which would cause abnormal inconvenience - while at the same time balancing the need to have sufficient numbers of prospective jurors from which to ballot a jury.

Question reference: S6W-37471

Asked by: Oliver Mundell, MSP for Dumfriesshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 08 May 2025
Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 15 May 2025

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-25968 by Jenni Minto on 18 March 2024, whether it still anticipates that the Primary Care Data and Intelligence platform will be delivered by March 2026, and whether it will include data on the number of people in Scotland with myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS).

Question reference: S6O-04668

Asked by: Oliver Mundell, MSP for Dumfriesshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 07 May 2025
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 15 May 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to ensure that those identified with dyslexia at school leave education with the appropriate supporting information needed to secure reasonable adjustments in the workplace.

Question reference: S6W-36269

Asked by: Oliver Mundell, MSP for Dumfriesshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 01 April 2025
Current Status: Answered by Kate Forbes on 28 April 2025

To ask the Scottish Government on what date Bhagat Holdings first had contact with its (a) ministers and (b) agencies in relation to the former Pinneys of Scotland plant in Annan.

Question reference: S6W-36270

Asked by: Oliver Mundell, MSP for Dumfriesshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 01 April 2025
Current Status: Answered by Kate Forbes on 28 April 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what due diligence Scottish Enterprise undertook prior to its ministers announcing the grant offer of £1.7 million for Bhagat Holdings in relation to the former Pinneys of Scotland plant in Annan.

Prior to the announcement of support for Bhagat Holdings, Scottish Enterprise's due diligence included appraisal of the project and its benefits to the Scottish economy, assessment of eligible Scottish Enterprise support and consideration of the conditions attached to any support offered. Checks on bank accounts and funds, money laundering checks and Human Rights (level 1) checks were also undertaken. The company was required to sign all contracts relating to the offer of support.

Question reference: S6W-36771

Asked by: Oliver Mundell, MSP for Dumfriesshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 09 April 2025
Current Status: Answered by Alasdair Allan on 24 April 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what further consideration it has given to the protected status for feral goats in the Eskdale area, in light of media and public interest, including the reported gathering of 4,000 signatures by campaigners.

As set out in my answer to S6W-35250 on 5 March 2025, the Scottish Government does not intend to provide feral goats with protected status. Feral goats are a non-native species and it is an offence to release any non-native species without a licence from NatureScot.

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

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