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-02922

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 03 September 2026
Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 17 September 2026

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the Prison Officers' Association Scotland report, Crisis Point Reached, what discussions it has had with the Scottish Prison Service regarding (a) ending online interviews during the prison officer recruitment process and (b) increasing training for new prison officers.

The Scottish Prison Service (SPS) is an Executive Agency of the Scottish Government and has responsibility for operation of prisons including staffing.

SPS has committed to review the end to end recruitment and selection process for Prison Officer roles. This work has commenced and will be delivered to support continuous improvement and ensure recruitment processes remain effective and fit for purpose.

I refer the member to the answer to question S7W-02875 on 17 September 2026. 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: S7W-02960

Asked by: Katy Clark, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 03 September 2026
Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 17 September 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what action the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service has taken to provide suitable alternative roles to firefighters who are below normal retirement age but are unable to continue in their operational role.

Question reference: S7W-02957

Asked by: Katy Clark, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 03 September 2026
Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 17 September 2026

To ask the Scottish Government how many times, in each of the last 10 years, Scottish Fire and Rescue Service control rooms have operated below safe staffing levels.

Question reference: S7W-02581

Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 19 August 2026
Current Status: Answered by Stephen Flynn on 17 September 2026

To ask the Scottish Government whether Transport Scotland or Caledonian Maritime Assets Ltd (CMAL) has evaluated the feasibility of procuring future vessels, including zero-emission ferries, through international tax lease structures such as the Agrupación de Interés Económico (AIE) in Spain to reduce final purchase prices while maintaining shipbuilding in Scotland.

Question reference: S7W-02835

Asked by: Amanda Lindsay, MSP for Central Scot and Lothians West, Reform UK
Date lodged: Wednesday, 02 September 2026
Current Status: Answered by Maree Todd on 17 September 2026

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S7W-02244 by Maree Todd on 31 August 2026, whether the Minister will publish statistics, including how many babies in West Lothian are admitted to Edinburgh Royal Infirmary for intensive care each year, what it anticipates the impact will be on the Simpson Neonatal Intensive Care Unit once other NHS boards stop providing a critical care unit at Level 3, and what travel and accommodation support parents in West Lothian will receive in cases where the mother and baby are receiving care on different sites.

The Scottish Government does not hold information on how many babies from West Lothian are admitted to Edinburgh Royal Infirmary each year.

The Scottish Government commissioned RSM UK to undertake detailed modelling and capacity planning to support local implementation plans. The resulting report identified a need for four additional staffed neonatal cots at the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh to meet the increased demand.

I want to be clear that the care provided to babies from West Lothian will not change under the new neonatal care model. Where there is suspected extremely pre-term labour, the aim is to transfer mothers before birth (an in-utero transfer) to a maternity unit with a neonatal intensive care unit.

All neonatal units in Scotland can provide overnight accommodation for families when needed. Neonatal intensive care units, and most local neonatal and special care units, offer rooms on or near the unit, with additional accommodation available nearby. The Young Patients Family Fund also helps families with the costs of food, travel and accommodation while their baby is receiving neonatal care.

Question reference: S7W-02848

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 02 September 2026
Current Status: Answered by Maree Todd on 17 September 2026

To ask the Scottish Government whether all the public funding required for the deployment of artificial intelligence technology proposed to support thrombectomy services has been approved, and, if not, what funding remains to be approved.

Question reference: S7W-02850

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 02 September 2026
Current Status: Answered by Maree Todd on 17 September 2026

To ask the Scottish Government who has responsibility for providing the final financial approval required for the deployment of artificial intelligence technology proposed to support thrombectomy services.

Question reference: S7O-00284

Asked by: Finlay Carson, MSP for Galloway and West Dumfries, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 16 September 2026
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 24 September 2026

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will increase support for research into brain tumour diagnostics and treatment.

Question reference: S7O-00280

Asked by: David Smith, MSP for West Scotland, Reform UK
Date lodged: Wednesday, 16 September 2026
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 24 September 2026

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of its commitment to a 16% increase in residential rehabilitation bed capacity, for what reason a right to rehabilitation enshrined in law for everyone was not included within the Programme for Government.

Question reference: S7O-00254

Asked by: Holly Bruce, MSP for Glasgow Southside, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 16 September 2026
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 22 September 2026

To ask the Scottish Government how it will include the experiences of LGBTQ+ families in its review of NHS IVF access criteria, in order to meet the review's aims of broadening eligibility, improving access to fertility preservation and reducing waiting times.