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: S7F-00025

Asked by: Malcolm Offord, MSP for West Scotland, Reform UK
Date lodged: Tuesday, 23 June 2026
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 25 June 2026

Question to be taken in Chamber.

Question reference: S7W-00970

Asked by: Alexander Burnett, MSP for Aberdeenshire West, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 11 June 2026
Current Status: Answered by Tom Arthur on 23 June 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what the average daily traffic flow volume has been on the A96 trunk road between Aberdeen and Inverness, in each year since 2020.

Question reference: S7W-01145

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 17 June 2026
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 23 June 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to support leukaemia patients in remote and rural areas.

Scottish Government wants people diagnosed with cancers such as leukaemia to be treated as close to home as clinically possible. We continue to work with NHS Boards, to limit the need for travel where possible and clinically appropriate. This includes through increased use of digital and technological solutions such as Near Me, to improve flexibility of care.

However, some treatments require delivery in specialist centres to ensure the best outcomes. Where travel is necessary, patients in rural areas should be fully supported in accessing these.

The Scottish Government provides the overall guidance to NHS Boards for patient travel expenses reimbursement, with NHS Boards responsible for local arrangements. In addition, the Highlands and Islands Travel Scheme (HITS) reimburses the travel costs of eligible patients who need to travel longer distances for care.

We are also committed to supporting patients to deal with the financial, emotional, and physical health effects of cancer, including those living in a rural area. We are currently working in partnership with Macmillan to deliver the Transforming Cancer Care Programme, which ensures that people affected by cancer in Scotland have access to a specialist key support worker, who can provide and signpost to emotional, financial, and practical support.

Question reference: S7W-01252

Asked by: George Adam, MSP for Paisley, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 23 June 2026
Current Status: Initiated by the Scottish Government. Answered by Neil Gray on 23 June 2026

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the recent Court of Session judgment in the For Women Scotland v Scottish Ministers case regarding the Scottish Prison Service's Policy for the Management of Transgender People in Custody and associated Operational Guidance.

Following careful consideration of Lady Ross’s judgment the Scottish Government has decided not to appeal.

This case involved important considerations regarding Ministers’ legal obligations under the Scotland Act 1998, the Equality Act 2010 and the European Convention on Human Rights, as well as the serious practical implications arising from the issues before the Court, including the risk of suicide recognised in the judgment.

The focus now moves to implementing the law, as clarified by the court maintaining a clear focus on the safety, wellbeing and rights of all those living and working within Scotland’s prisons. The Scottish Prison Service withdrew their Transgender Policy on 22 June, and work is underway to implement transfers of prisoners on 23 June.

The safety, wellbeing and rights of all those living and working within Scotland’s prisons and the welfare of affected individuals will be the primary consideration and operational changes will be taken forward carefully, lawfully and in a managed way.

Question reference: S7W-00932

Asked by: Tim Eagle, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 11 June 2026
Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 23 June 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to introduce an instant digital access code system for Lasting Power of Attorney.

Question reference: S7W-00971

Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Edinburgh and Lothians East, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 11 June 2026
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 23 June 2026

To ask the Scottish Government when it will publish the specialist nurse strategy workforce review.

The Scottish Government published a review of clinical nurse specialist and nurse practitioner roles in Scotland in August 2021. Public Services Delivery Scotland is currently working on updating this report, focusing on education and professional development within clinical nurse specialist roles.

One of the recommendations from the report was achieved in May 2026, when Public Services Delivery Scotland published the first Clinical Nurse Specialist workforce statistical report since 2018.

Question reference: S7W-00977

Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Edinburgh and Lothians East, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 11 June 2026
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 23 June 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what information it has regarding the average NHS expenditure per head of population over the last 10 years, broken down by NHS board area.

The Scottish Government allocates funding to territorial NHS Boards based on the NRAC formula, rather than on a population basis. The NRAC formula takes into account factors including relative deprivation and need for healthcare in different NHS Board areas, as well as population.

NHS Board’s baseline revenue allocations are published annually in the Scottish Budget. In addition, resource and capital spending limits are reported in each Board’s annual report and accounts.

Between 2016-17 and 2026-27, NHS Boards’ overall resource budget increased by 24.5% in real terms and 71.6% in cash terms.

Question reference: S7W-00994

Asked by: Claire Baker, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 12 June 2026
Current Status: Answered by Maree Todd on 23 June 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what data is collected on ketamine-induced bladder damage in Scotland.

Question reference: S7W-00993

Asked by: Claire Baker, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 12 June 2026
Current Status: Answered by Maree Todd on 23 June 2026

To ask the Scottish Government how many people have received treatment for ketamine dependency in each of the last five years, broken down by (a) age group and (b) NHS board area.

The Scottish Government does not hold this information. Public Health Scotland provide information through Drug and Alcohol Information System (DAISy) the national database that holds data about drug and alcohol services.

The DAISy initial assessments report tables, provide information on ketamine which is grouped into a larger ‘dissociatives’ category and presented at NHS Board of Residence level per financial year. Tables 4.4 and 4.5 relate to the drugs cohort and report on all drugs listed at assessment and main drug only; tables 5.9 and 5.10 are the same but for the ‘both drugs and alcohol’ cohort. These figures relate to the first assessment a person has had in each year, NHS Board and substance type, so do not represent individuals. Disclosure control has been applied so values are not available for every NHS Board. Data are available for financial years 2021-22 to 2024-25 inclusive.

The quarterly RADAR management information dashboard, presents monthly data for the main drug reported at assessment, by NHS Board of treatment, which includes specific data on ketamine (Chart 2: Main Drug). These data can be found on the ‘Service Indicators’ page and are for all assessments recorded in DAISy. The data include all assessments for drugs and both alcohol and drugs so are not equivalent to individuals. Data in the dashboard currently cover November 2020 – February 2026 and no data have been suppressed. Filters at the top of the page can be used to select the area and time period of interest, and there is a filter above the chart to select the drug of interest. To note that there is a minor issue with ‘Chart 1’ in the current version of the dashboard, which means that data for individual NHS Boards are not displayed. Chart 2 is unaffected and the issue will be corrected in the next release (July 2026).

Question reference: S7W-00992

Asked by: Claire Baker, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 12 June 2026
Current Status: Answered by Maree Todd on 23 June 2026

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of a 2024 UK Government report suggesting that ketamine use among young people in England and Wales had increased by 231% since March 2013, what plans it has for related research to be carried out in Scotland.

The Scottish Government is concerned at reports of harm from ketamine, particularly amongst young people.

The Scottish Government does not publish data on treatment for ketamine dependency at the level of detail requested.

In the 2023 Scottish Health Survey, 3% of those aged 16-24 reported that they had used ketamine in the previous 12 months. The Scottish Health Survey 2023 - volume 1: main report - gov.scot.

There is the possibility for under-reporting of drug use in surveys and those who have substance use issues may be less likely to take part in a survey. To note also that the survey only samples from private households, so anyone who is homeless or living in an institution will not be included.

The Scottish Health Survey includes questions on drug use every two years and the next release of this data will be later in 2026 which will provide further data on the prevalence of ketamine use.