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: S6W-39387

Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness and Nairn, Independent
Date lodged: Wednesday, 16 July 2025
Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 28 July 2025

To ask the Scottish Government, in the event of any deaths as a result of vaccinations not being administered in NHS Highland prior to the service being shared with GPs as planned, what its position is on whether (a) it and (b) NHS Highland would be responsible for any deaths.

Question reference: S6W-39385

Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness and Nairn, Independent
Date lodged: Wednesday, 16 July 2025
Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 28 July 2025

To ask the Scottish Government whether NHS Highland was aware that its system could not share data on vaccinations with GPs prior to the board taking over responsibility for vaccinations from GPs.

Question reference: S6W-39305

Asked by: Carol Mochan, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 10 July 2025
Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 28 July 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of making it a requirement for NHS boards to proactively publish learnings from Significant Adverse Event Reviews in a way that does not breach data protection or patient confidentiality, in order to support public scrutiny, transparency and accountability in this area.

Healthcare Improvement Scotland (HIS) recently reviewed and published an updated version of A national framework for reviewing and learning from adverse events in NHS Scotland in February this year. The revised framework includes an updated shareable learning template which NHS Health Boards should complete following a Significant Adverse Event Review (SAER). These summaries, which will support local and national learning, will be published on an online community of practice for NHS staff which HIS will launch later this year.

The framework is clear that those people directly affected by a significant adverse event should have the opportunity to be involved in the review process and should be made fully aware of the circumstances surrounding the event. This includes sharing the final report with the individual concerned, or their family in the event of a death.

The Scottish Government does not require NHS Health Boards to publish SAER reports more widely. It is the responsibility of the Health Boards to consider relevant legislation and guidance when releasing or publishing information.

Question reference: S6W-39389

Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness and Nairn, Independent
Date lodged: Wednesday, 16 July 2025
Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 28 July 2025

To ask the Scottish Government whether it has made an estimate of any potential savings that could result from NHS Highland restoring the vaccination services to GPs that were previously administered by them prior to 2023, and, if so, what any such estimate is.

Highland HSCP are putting in place a mixed-model for vaccinations. GP delivery is expected to be key in some aspects of this model, but the plan is for a collaborative approach rather than one that relies solely on GP delivery.

Oversight of how the mixed model is developed and deployed to deliver local and accessible vaccination and immunisation services in a cost effective way will ultimately remain the responsibility of Highland HSCP.

Health boards are funded to offer vaccination in a way that best suits the needs of their communities, supported by national frameworks, such as Public Health Scotland’s (PHS) 5-year Vaccination and Immunisation Framework and Delivery Plan. This plan specifically sets out that boards should “ensure availability of a range of flexible, responsive, and good-quality immunisation services that meet the needs of all communities, including our rural and island communities”.

Question reference: S6W-39388

Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness and Nairn, Independent
Date lodged: Wednesday, 16 July 2025
Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 28 July 2025

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will propose a ministerial statement for after the summer recess 2025 on vaccination policy and any need for action to prevent deaths in relation to this matter.

There are currently no plans for a Ministerial statement on vaccination.

The 5-year Scottish Vaccination and Immunisation Framework and Delivery Plan was published in November 2024. This lays out our vision, mission, goals and priorities for the Programme, with a key goal being to reduce morbidity and mortality from vaccine preventable diseases in the most vulnerable members of our communities.

Vaccination policy on our free NHS Programmes is also communicated regularly, and as required through the dissemination of Chief Medical Officer (CMO) letters.

Question reference: S6W-39383

Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness and Nairn, Independent
Date lodged: Wednesday, 16 July 2025
Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 28 July 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether the provision of a centralised vaccination service, such as that in NHS Highland, is safe, in light of reports that NHS Highland is not able to share data with GPs on the vaccinations being provided.

Since April 2022, Health Boards have been responsible for delivering vaccines. The vast majority of adult vaccinations, including flu, Covid, RSV, shingles and pneumococcal are visible to GPs via their GP-IT system.

Currently, childhood and non-routine vaccinations do not automatically flow into GP-IT from the separate systems that record them, but this pre-dates the move from GP to Health Board delivery.

Any associated patient risk is mitigated by Health Boards providing GPs with a list of childhood and non-routine vaccinations they have administered. The Scottish Government funds GPs to manually input these into their GP systems.

Question reference: S6W-39382

Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness and Nairn, Independent
Date lodged: Wednesday, 16 July 2025
Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 28 July 2025

To ask the Scottish Government whether it is aware of any fatal accident inquiries being undertaken in relation to any infant deaths due to whooping cough, and, if so, whether it will (a) publish details of these and (b) propose a ministerial statement on the matter.

Question reference: S6W-39306

Asked by: Carol Mochan, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 10 July 2025
Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 28 July 2025

To ask the Scottish Government when it last met Healthcare Improvement Scotland to discuss the development and implementation of the national framework for reviewing and learning from adverse events.

Question reference: S6W-39549

Asked by: Alex Cole-Hamilton, MSP for Edinburgh Western, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Friday, 25 July 2025
Current Status: Answer expected on 22 August 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether the PV2 assessment process remains an appropriate methodology for considering new pedestrian crossings.

Question reference: S6W-39551

Asked by: Jamie Greene, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Friday, 25 July 2025
Current Status: Answer expected on 22 August 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to ensure that businesses, particularly small and medium-sized businesses, are equipped and supported to implement artificial intelligence into their work.