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-02987

Asked by: Claire Baker, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 04 September 2026
Current Status: Answered by Maree Todd on 21 September 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what training and guidance is provided to NHS Scotland staff on recognising heart attacks in women, including presentations that may differ from the symptoms traditionally associated with myocardial infarction.

The Scottish Government does not mandate a single national training programme recognising heart attacks in women for NHS Scotland staff. Decisions on workforce training and professional development are primarily a matter for individual NHS Boards, informed by national clinical guidance, professional standards and evidence-based practice.

NHS Scotland staff are supported through a range of clinical guidelines, professional education and evidence-based resources relating to the recognition, diagnosis and management of cardiovascular disease, including myocardial infarction. For example, NHS Inform provides dedicated information on women's heart health, including information on heart attack symptoms in women and the importance of seeking urgent treatment. NHS Inform also highlights that women may experience symptoms differently and may delay seeking help, emphasising the importance of recognising symptoms and accessing emergency care promptly.

Question reference: S7W-02982

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 04 September 2026
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 21 September 2026

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of its commitment in the 2026-2031 Programme for Government to publish a National Orthopaedics Plan, when will the plan be published, how many additional appointments will be created as a result, and whether new funding, in addition to funds previously announced, will be allocated to support its implementation.

The National Orthopaedic Plan is currently being finalised and will be published following completion of the necessary governance and ministerial approval processes. An announcement on publication will be made in due course.

The primary purpose of the National Orthopaedic Plan is to support NHS Boards to work more collectively to improve access to orthopaedic services, reduce variation, and make best use of available capacity across Scotland. Detailed modelling of the impact on activity levels, including additional activity delivered through implementation of the Plan, is ongoing and will be set out as appropriate following publication.

Funding arrangements to support implementation of the National Orthopaedic Plan are currently being considered as part of ongoing planning work. Further details will be set out in due course.

Question reference: S7W-02986

Asked by: Claire Baker, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 04 September 2026
Current Status: Answered by Maree Todd on 21 September 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of whether women are more likely than men to experience delays in the diagnosis or treatment of a heart attack, and what action it is taking to address any such disparity.

While the Scottish Government has not undertaken a specific assessment of whether women are more likely than men to experience delays in the diagnosis or treatment of a heart attack in Scotland, we recognise that there can be sex differences in the presentation, diagnosis and outcomes of heart attacks and remain committed to ensuring that all patients have equitable access to timely diagnosis, treatment and care following a suspected heart attack.

Through Public Health Scotland's Scottish Cardiac Audit Programme and dedicated myocardial infarction audit, which includes a number of measures reported by sex, including incidence, mortality and survival following heart attack. This enhanced audit will support ongoing monitoring of outcomes, identification of variation in care and outcomes, and quality improvement activity across NHS Scotland.

Question reference: S7W-02975

Asked by: Kayleigh Kinross-O'Neill, MSP for Edinburgh and Lothians East, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Friday, 04 September 2026
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 21 September 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to improve whole-system patient flow, including through seven-day discharge services, increased social care capacity and shared responsibility across hospital departments, in addition to measures focused on redirecting patients from Emergency Departments.

The Health and Care Improving Flow Plan 2026-2031 sets out a coordinated national response to reduce delayed discharge, improve urgent and unscheduled care performance, strengthen community alternatives and support faster, safer discharge from hospital. All hospital departments and the wider health and social care system have a part to play and must work collaboratively to improve patient flow through the system - thereby ensuring patients can receive the right care in the right place with no unnecessary delays to the patient journey.

The Plan includes implementing Discharge Without Delay principles across all territorial NHS Boards, with discharge planning beginning on day one of a hospital stay and setting up of Integrated Discharge Teams to support patients back home with the right support throughout the full week. The DWD Programme recognises that sustainable improvements in flow cannot be achieved through hospital-based interventions alone and require a whole-system approach involving community health services, primary care, social care, rehabilitation, reablement, Home First approaches and effective discharge planning.

Question reference: S7W-02976

Asked by: Kayleigh Kinross-O'Neill, MSP for Edinburgh and Lothians East, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Friday, 04 September 2026
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 21 September 2026

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will commit to ending corridor care in NHS Scotland, and, if so, whether it will set clear milestones, timelines and accountability mechanisms to ensure that people are no longer treated in corridors and other non-clinical spaces.

On 31 August 2026 we published the Health and Care Improving Flow Plan 2026-2031. It sets out the Scottish Government’s position that corridor care is unacceptable, and should be eradicated. The plan includes a clear commitment to tackle overcrowding and corridor care, creating safer and more dignified environments for patients and staff.

Ministers will have direct oversight of this improvement activity through our Collaborative Response and Assurance Group. More detailed work is now underway with Health Boards to establish monitoring of delivery of the Improving Flow Plan, to ensure progress is made. Delivery plans are being developed which will set out actions, milestones and accountability mechanisms.

Question reference: S7W-02984

Asked by: Claire Baker, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 04 September 2026
Current Status: Answered by Maree Todd on 21 September 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what work is being undertaken to identify and address any gender inequalities in the diagnosis, treatment and outcomes of cardiovascular disease.

Addressing gender inequalities in cardiovascular disease (CVD) is a key priority within our Women's Health Plan.

The Plan adopts a life-course approach to cardiovascular health, recognising the links between heart disease and factors such as pregnancy, hypertensive disorders of pregnancy and menopause. In particular, work is underway to test care pathways designed to reduce and manage the lifetime risk of CVD among women who experience hypertensive disorders of pregnancy.

The Scottish Cardiac Audit Programme funded by the Scottish Government routinely disaggregates relevant data by sex, supporting a better understanding of sex-based differences in cardiovascular outcomes and care.

Question reference: S7W-03442

Asked by: Martyn Day, MSP for Falkirk East and Linlithgow, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Friday, 18 September 2026
Current Status: Answer expected on 2 October 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what criteria it will use to evaluate the Heat Network Fund optimisation study pilot, and whether it plans to establish a permanent funding programme for improving existing heat networks.

Question reference: S7W-03431

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 18 September 2026
Current Status: Answer expected on 2 October 2026

To ask the Scottish Government whether it considers the Anti-Racism Observatory for Scotland to be currently (a) operational, (b) fully operational, (c) established and (d) independent, and for each classification, what definition it uses to make that assessment.

Question reference: S7W-03439

Asked by: Ariane Burgess, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Friday, 18 September 2026
Current Status: Answer expected on 2 October 2026

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the analysis by Moriarty et al in Decoding persistent elevated mortality in farmed marine Scottish Atlantic salmon using artificial intelligence and logical modelling, which was published in Preventive Veterinary Medicine, what information it holds regarding which salmon farm sites were identified as having (a) persistent elevated mortality attributable to the same identified cause, and what the identified cause was at each site, and (b) recurrent elevated mortality attributable to different causes, and what the identified causes were at each site.

Question reference: S7W-03437

Asked by: David Green, MSP for Caithness, Sutherland and Ross, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Friday, 18 September 2026
Current Status: Answer expected on 2 October 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with industry about the future of the 2,125 civil nuclear jobs currently supported at Dounreay.