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-03010

Asked by: Finlay Carson, MSP for Galloway and West Dumfries, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 07 September 2026
Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 18 September 2026

To ask the Scottish Government how many helicopters it plans to have on standby in advance of the next wildfire season.

Deployment of specific firefighting assets, including aerial support, is an operational matter for the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS).

There is currently a Public Sector Framework contract in place for the provision of helicopter services, including for the use of firefighting.

Although arrangements for the next wildfire season are currently under review, new improved standby arrangements will maximise the availability of aerial support, including wherever possible, the locality of that support.

Question reference: S7W-02934

Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Edinburgh and Lothians East, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 03 September 2026
Current Status: Answered by Maree Todd on 18 September 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what additional funding it has allocated in 2026-27 to support the expansion of thrombectomy services to 24/7 national coverage, and what further funding it estimates will be required to achieve that commitment.

Question reference: S7W-02991

Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 07 September 2026
Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 18 September 2026

To ask the Scottish Government whether it has considered strengthening the role of wildfire prevention, preparedness and response within Scotland’s civil contingencies arrangements under the Civil Contingencies Act 2004, including whether the current arrangements adequately reflect the increasing risk posed by large-scale and protracted wildfire incidents to communities, infrastructure, the environment and emergency service capacity.

The Civil Contingencies Act 2004 already provides the statutory framework concerning preventing, planning for and responding to emergencies in Scotland, including wildfires. To strengthen preparedness for wildfire specifically, the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) have developed a multi-agency Wildfire Concept of Operations (CONOPS) for consideration by the Scottish Resilience Partnership. It promotes a greater emphasis on prevention, risk reduction, readiness and multi-agency coordination, alongside operational response.

The Scottish Government’s Wildfire Strategic Action Plan sets out a coordinated approach to preventing, preparing for and responding to wildfires, and was published on 5 March 2026.

Question reference: S7W-02937

Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Edinburgh and Lothians East, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 03 September 2026
Current Status: Answered by Maree Todd on 18 September 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what targets and performance indicators it plans to use to assess progress towards national 24/7 thrombectomy coverage, including for treatment rates, treatment times and geographical coverage.

Question reference: S7W-03127

Asked by: Ariane Burgess, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 09 September 2026
Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 18 September 2026

To ask the Scottish Government how many wildfires have been attended by the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service since its establishment in 2013.

Question reference: S7W-02963

Asked by: Ross Greer, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Friday, 04 September 2026
Current Status: Answered by Stephen Flynn on 18 September 2026

To ask the Scottish Government which companies have been considered ineligible for grant funding since the First Minister's statement to Parliament on 3 September 2025, in which he stated that the Scottish Government would “pause new awards of public money to arms companies whose products or services are provided to countries where there is plausible evidence of genocide being committed by that country”.

Scottish Enterprise has previously advised that 13 organisations had been identified as ineligible for support under the policy.

Records relating to applications for support are held by the relevant delivery body. Where those records are held by a public body, decisions regarding the publication or disclosure of information are operational matters for that organisation.

However, I have requested that officials ask delivery bodies to provide the Scottish Government with the same information released by Scottish Enterprise, and I will come back to Ross Greer MSP in due course.

Question reference: S7W-03167

Asked by: Kate Nevens, MSP for Edinburgh and Lothians East, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 10 September 2026
Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 18 September 2026

To ask the Scottish Government, regarding witnesses who are deemed to be vulnerable under the Vulnerable Witnesses (Scotland) Act 2004, what plans it has to (a) provide all such witnesses with the same presumption that their evidence may be taken by a commissioner, (b) expand the scope of the Vulnerable Witnesses (Criminal Evidence) (Scotland) Act 2019 so that in cases involving any form of assault they are afforded the same presumption that their evidence may be taken by a commissioner, and (c) ensure that those whose vulnerability arises from a mental disorder are provided with the same protections and special measures as those afforded under the 2019 Act.

The published Implementation Plan for the Vulnerable Witnesses (Criminal Evidence) (Scotland) Act 2019, which has been agreed in discussion with justice partners, sets out our current plans to extend the presumption in favour of pre-recorded evidence to child witnesses aged 16 and 17 in the most serious sheriff and jury cases and all deemed vulnerable adult witnesses in the most serious cases in the High Court. In addition, through the provisions within the Victims, Witnesses and Justice Reform (Scotland) Act 2025, we will extend the presumption in favour of pre-recorded evidence to all vulnerable complainers and child witnesses in the Sexual Offences Court when that is operational.

We all recognise that the expansion of taking evidence by commissioner is a significant reform for the justice system and will bring with it several practical and operational challenges. That is why it needs to be introduced in a controlled and achievable way, targeting first the youngest witnesses in the most serious cases. It is also important that any extension of the presumption is appropriately evaluated so that vital lessons can be learned before progressing further. It is essential that in all respects that we do what we can to ensure that any new intervention does not inadvertently overwhelm the system to the detriment of victims and witnesses.

While we do not currently have any plans to expand eligibility for a presumption in favour of pre-recorded evidence beyond what I have outlined, the court can approve applications for the use of pre-recorded evidence as a special measure in their individual cases. A deemed vulnerable adult witness is a victim of a serious intimate or sexual offence, such as sexual offences, human trafficking, domestic abuse or stalking; a vulnerable witness is someone who may, for example, suffer from fear or distress in giving their evidence, or who may have more difficulty in giving their evidence due to a learning disability. Vulnerable adult witnesses are also able to access pre-recorded evidence as a special measure upon application.

Question reference: S7W-03130

Asked by: Ariane Burgess, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 09 September 2026
Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 18 September 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the level of access that Scottish Fire and Rescue Service operational personnel have to appropriate (a) personal protective equipment (PPE) and training, and (b) decontamination facilities, in wildfire situations.

The provision of PPE, training and decontamination are all operational matters for SFRS. All firefighters in Scotland are equipped with PPE and trained for the emergency situations they face. Following the greater awareness of the possible dangers of fire contamination on firefighter health, SFRS has fundamentally changed its processes and procedures the minimise the exposure. This includes post incident decontamination, including wildfires.

Question reference: S7W-02929

Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Edinburgh and Lothians East, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 03 September 2026
Current Status: Answered by Maree Todd on 18 September 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what progress it has made towards developing the delivery plan for achieving national 24/7 thrombectomy services coverage, as committed to in the Programme for Government, and when it anticipates publishing the plan.

Work to publish the delivery plan for 24/7 thrombectomy, as committed to in the Programme for Government, will begin after Public Services Delivery Scotland(PSDS)have obtained the necessary clinical, planning, financial and workforce information from NHS Boards. This work will help establish what is required to make 24/7 thrombectomy available across Scotland.

We expect this information to be available by the end of October and will then work at pace to develop the delivery plan, including timescales for service expansion.

Question reference: S7W-02990

Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 07 September 2026
Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 18 September 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what measures it has put in place to mitigate firefighters’ and other personnel’s exposure to toxic fire effluents during large-scale and protracted wildfire incidents, including to ensure that firefighters and volunteers can shower and undertake appropriate decontamination within one hour of exposure, in light of the particular risks associated with prolonged grass and peat fires and any differences in PPE provision between professional firefighters and volunteers.

Decisions concerning deployment of firefighters and personnel regarding exposure to contaminants is an operational matter for the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS), who has a responsibility to ensure that firefighters, including volunteers, are not exposed to unacceptable levels of risk while supporting wildfire operations.

The Scottish Government is aware that the SFRS has established decontamination arrangements to support firefighters operating at prolonged incidents, including wildfires. Where local facilities are unavailable, alternative arrangements are in place to support access to decontamination facilities.

All firefighters deployed to wildfire incidents are provided with PPE which conforms to Health and Safety standards for the role they are undertaking and the risk assessment being applied by incident commanders.