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: S6O-04599

Asked by: Colin Smyth, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 23 April 2025
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 1 May 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to reports that one in three diagnoses of prostate cancer in Scotland are at stage 4, which is a higher proportion compared with the rest of the UK.

Staging prostate cancer is often complex and whilst data published by Prostate Cancer UK in 2023 shows apparent variation across the UK nations. Comparison to other nations should be approached with caution due to differences in staging data collection methodology and definitions.

Survival rates, the most crucial measure for any patient, can however be robustly compared and Scotland’s five-year survival rate for prostate cancer is 85.7%, similar to that of the other UK nations.

Question reference: S6W-36922

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 16 April 2025
Current Status: Answered by Kate Forbes on 1 May 2025

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will publish a breakdown of the £785 million committed to investment by the Scottish National Investment Bank, including the nature and scale of the returns delivered so far.

Full details of the Bank’s investment portfolio can be found on its website, including the level of investment committed by the Bank.

Our investment portfolio supports businesses, projects and communities that align with our missions | Scottish National Investment Bank.

The Bank also publishes its Annual Report and Accounts detailing financial performance and financial statements, and an annual Impact Report which illustrates the Bank’s progress against its three missions. The Bank’s investments are made with the intention to generate positive, measurable social and environmental impact alongside a commercial return.

Our key publications feature insights reports and blogs relating to out core missions | Scottish National Investment Bank.

Question reference: S6W-36958

Asked by: Jamie Halcro Johnston, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 17 April 2025
Current Status: Answered by Siobhian Brown on 1 May 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what the average response time was to wildfire incidents by the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service in each of the last 10 years.

Question reference: S6W-36612

Asked by: Rachael Hamilton, MSP for Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 07 April 2025
Current Status: Answered by Maree Todd on 1 May 2025

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-35639 by Maree Todd on 27 March 2025, which NHS boards will be supported to provide suicide bereavement support.

We are continuing to work closely with partners to design and plan the expansion of suicide bereavement support across Scotland, taking account of the evaluation findings and existing local provision.

In addition to delivering suicide bereavement support services in Highland and Ayrshire & Arran Health Boards, Suicide Prevention Scotland has progressed discussions to establish suicide bereavement support which connects to existing local and national provision in several NHS Board areas. These are: Borders, Tayside, Fife, Shetland, Dumfries & Galloway and Greater Glasgow & Clyde.

We will continue our discussions with the remaining health boards over the coming months.

Question reference: S6W-36614

Asked by: Rachael Hamilton, MSP for Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 07 April 2025
Current Status: Answered by Maree Todd on 1 May 2025

To ask the Scottish Government when it will publish its next Creating Hope Together suicide prevention action plan.

The first three year Creating Hope Together action plan was published in 2022 and covers the period 2022-2025.

As outlined in the answer S6W-35639 on 27 March 2025, we are starting to develop our next three-year action plan which we intend to publish in early 2026. This will build on the existing suicide prevention work and the significant insights gathered over the lifespan of the current action plan, as well as reflecting emerging and new evidence on suicide prevention. We will be engaging with our key stakeholders, our lived experience panels and others in the coming months so that they can help shape the next action plan.

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: S6W-36726

Asked by: Douglas Lumsden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 07 April 2025
Current Status: Answered by Maree Todd on 1 May 2025

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the Mental Welfare Commission for Scotland report, Investigation into the care and treatment of Mr TU, published in March 2023, what the findings were of any assessment it has carried out on the impact of a lack of continuity in senior medical staffing on patient care.

The Scottish Government has not undertaken any specific assessment in regards to the impact of a lack of continuity in senior medical staffing on patient care. However, we regularly engage with Boards at official level to ensure they are providing a safe, high-quality service to patients.

In addition, we are progressing the actions within the Mental health and wellbeing: workforce action plan 2023-2025 which seeks to address key workforce challenges. This includes the Mental Health Nursing Review and Psychiatry Recruitment and Retention Working Group, which are due to report shortly. This work has been informed by views from each profession and people with lived and living experience.

Question reference: S6W-36613

Asked by: Rachael Hamilton, MSP for Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 07 April 2025
Current Status: Answered by Maree Todd on 1 May 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with NHS Borders regarding suicide bereavement support.

Suicide Prevention Scotland, the delivery vehicle for Creating Hope Together, has been engaging with Suicide Prevention Leads in local areas to facilitate the development of local suicide bereavement approaches that meet the needs of their communities.

Specifically, in the Borders region, there has been good engagement with the local suicide prevention lead within the Health and Social Care Partnership to progress work to develop a local Suicide Bereavement Service. It is anticipated this will connect to the existing After a Suicide Working Group and Wellbeing Hub resources.

Question reference: S6W-36374

Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 07 April 2025
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 1 May 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what (a) review it (i) has undertaken and (ii) plans to undertake and (b) engagement it has had with the UK Government in light of reports that an estimated 30,000 women across the UK were prescribed stilbestrol, and how many women affected were resident in Scotland.

I have the utmost sympathy for the women who may have been adversely affected by diethylstilbestrol (otherwise known as DES or stilbestrol).

The regulations for the licensing, safety and efficacy of medicines is currently reserved to the UK Government and is the responsibility of the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA). Any review of diethylstilbestrol (otherwise known as DES or stilbestrol) would ultimately be a matter for them to consider.

Question reference: S6W-36630

Asked by: Tim Eagle, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 07 April 2025
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 1 May 2025

To ask the Scottish Government how many hours per week Public Dental Service senior dental officers/tutors are expected to perform clinical work on patients.

Question reference: S6W-36631

Asked by: Tim Eagle, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 07 April 2025
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 1 May 2025

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-21266 by Jenni Minto on 22 September 2023, whether NHS Highland was successful in recruiting a replacement Public Dental Service senior dental officer/tutor in Campbeltown, and, if so, whether they remain in post.