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-03840

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 01 October 2026
Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 19 October 2026

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of Police Scotland's Annual Workforce Report identifying concerns regarding assaults, injuries on duty, stress-related absence and grievances, what action it is taking to improve the wellbeing of police officers and staff.

Workforce management is an operational matter for the Chief Constable, with oversight by the Scottish Police Authority.

Attacks on our police officers are unacceptable, and the courts have extensive powers to deal robustly with them. Scotland’s police officers do an outstanding job in challenging circumstances, and the Scottish Government recognises the unique pressures and mental health risks associated with policing.

We welcome the work being undertaken by Police Scotland to support the wellbeing of its workforce, as they continue to strengthen prevention, early intervention and access to treatment through a range of measures.

Since 2024, Police Scotland has invested around £2m per year in an occupational health contract to support the health and wellbeing of its workforce.

Question reference: S7W-03921

Asked by: Joe Fagan, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Date lodged: Friday, 02 October 2026
Current Status: Answered by Alison Thewliss on 19 October 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what engagement it has had with COSLA since the publication of the Programme for Government regarding its plan to replace Integration Joint Boards.

The First Minister, Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Secretary for Public Service Reform attended a special meeting of COSLA Leaders on 11 September 2026 to discuss the Programme for Government's commitments on reform to our public services. Our focus over the coming months is to build a shared understanding of how governance and service delivery can best support the needs of diverse communities across Scotland. As the Programme for Government set out, we will be undertaking a three-month intensive period of engagement with local government on local governance reform. Any reform of health and social care integration will include engagement with NHS Boards, staff, trade unions, local government, Integration Authorities, social care partners and the public.

Question reference: S7W-03991

Asked by: Finlay Carson, MSP for Galloway and West Dumfries, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 05 October 2026
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 19 October 2026

To ask the Scottish Government whether its review of maternity services will include the downgraded units in Elgin, Galloway and Caithness, including the potential for them to be fully reopened.

Question reference: S7W-03784

Asked by: Andrew Baxter, MSP for Skye, Lochaber and Badenoch, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Wednesday, 30 September 2026
Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 19 October 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what funding and technical support are available to identify, restore and maintain strategic water supplies for wildfire response, including disused storage structures, and how environmental requirements are addressed when considering such projects.

The requirements concerning the availability and access to sufficient water resources for firefighting purposes are a matter for the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS).

The service has access to water supplies for all firefighting operations through the range of appliances within the Service. This is supported by four water carriers and four high volume pumps, strategically placed across Scotland, providing high volumes of water over longer distances from suitable open-water sources.

SFRS is currently reviewing its water carrier provision, including locations and capacity, that will enhance and support all operational incidents across Scotland.

Question reference: S7W-03785

Asked by: Andrew Baxter, MSP for Skye, Lochaber and Badenoch, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Wednesday, 30 September 2026
Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 19 October 2026

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S7W-03010 by Neil Gray on 18 September 2026, what helicopter standby arrangements are in place under the current Public Sector Framework contract for periods of very high wildfire risk, including the geographical coverage, activation criteria, contracted availability and maximum notice-to-move time, and which organisation or organisations have authority to request deployment.

The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) has the authority to request helicopters for water delivery and reconnaissance/mapping through a contract with three helicopter providers. This is part of a framework contract managed by NatureScot to which Forestry and Land Scotland has access also. We have worked with SFRS, NatureScot and the helicopter providers to put these arrangements in place with as few barriers as possible.

Therefore, when a Wildfire Danger Assessment indicates a need to do so SFRS can contact the helicopter providers to put them on standby. Depending on the particular circumstances, standby could include helicopters being at their base location or at a suitable forward deployment location.

If a wildfire occurs, SFRS makes a decision whether, where and when to deploy the helicopters and thereafter contacts the provider and confirms the aircraft, crew and rendezvous point to the Incident Commander.

Question reference: S7W-03996

Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Edinburgh and Lothians East, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 05 October 2026
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 19 October 2026

To ask the Scottish Government whether NHS Scotland systems record or verify the professional capacity and purpose for which a clinician accesses patient information, particularly where a clinician undertakes both NHS and private practice.

Electronic systems across NHS Scotland use individual credentials and role-based permissions, supported by audit and monitoring solutions, including user activity analytics, to detect and investigate potentially inappropriate access or activity.

Where a clinician also undertakes private practice, any access to patient information using NHS systems is recorded and subject to audit and monitoring.

NHS policies, professional codes of conduct, the Health and Social Care Records Management Code of Practice and confidentiality guidance are clear that accessing patient information for purposes unrelated to an individual's NHS duties would be inappropriate. Health professionals are expected to comply with these requirements at all times.

NHS Boards are responsible for ensuring that patient information is accessed only by individuals with an appropriate role and a legitimate NHS purpose.

Question reference: S7W-03787

Asked by: Andrew Baxter, MSP for Skye, Lochaber and Badenoch, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Wednesday, 30 September 2026
Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 19 October 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what support is available to community organisations seeking wildfire equipment and training, whether eligibility for such support requires applicants to own the land on which the equipment would be used, and whether it will review any such requirement to enable organisations operating with the permission of a landowner to access support.

The structures which support responders during multi-agency response activity are collectively, the North, East and West Regional Resilience Partnerships (RRPs). Each RRP has its own Local Resilience Partnership (LRP) to manage the response to localised incidents and to facilitate activity.

The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) provides training for volunteers listed on the Community Asset Register. Responding to incidents is an operational matter for SFRS, who briefs supporting volunteers on what is required of them.

SFRS does not provide equipment to non-SFRS personnel. Provision of such wildfire equipment are matters for local authorities and landowners.

Question reference: S7W-03995

Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Edinburgh and Lothians East, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 05 October 2026
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 19 October 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what controls NHS Scotland has in place to prevent clinicians from using otherwise legitimate NHS credentials to inappropriately access patient information.

NHS boards are responsible for ensuring that access to patient information is restricted to staff with a legitimate need. Controls include individual user accounts, role-based access, audit trails and privacy breach detection software that can identify potentially inappropriate access for investigation. These arrangements are supported by NHS Scotland information governance and security policies, the Records Management Code of Practice (https://www.gov.scot/publications/records-management-code-practice-health-social-care/) and the legal and professional duties applying to clinicians. Boards are also subject to wider information security assurance and audit arrangements, including under the Network and Information Systems Regulations.

Question reference: S7W-03985

Asked by: Carol Mochan, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 05 October 2026
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 19 October 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what evaluation it has carried out of the impact of GP walk-in clinics on access to primary care for people aged 65 and over, including whether there has been a reduction in waiting times for routine GP appointments.

The GP-led walk-in service programme remains in its pilot phase and is currently being evaluated. Health Improvement Scotland and Public Health Scotland have been commissioned to undertake a comprehensive national evaluation of the programme. As this work is ongoing, no conclusions have yet been drawn regarding impacts on particular patient groups or on waiting times for routine GP appointments. The findings will inform future decisions on the programme.

Question reference: S7W-04310

Asked by: Neil Bibby, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 16 October 2026
Current Status: Answer expected on 13 November 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with the chair of the Fair Work Agency regarding employment status in the parcel delivery sector in Scotland.