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-02547

Asked by: Paul McLennan, MSP for East Lothian Coast and Lammermuirs, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 18 August 2026
Current Status: Answer expected on 16 September 2026

To ask the Scottish Government how many new-start patients are planned to commence treatment with hybrid closed-loop (HCL) insulin pump systems in 2026, and how this compares with the number of new-start patients in 2024 and 2025.

Question reference: S7W-02066

Asked by: Paul McLennan, MSP for East Lothian Coast and Lammermuirs, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 27 July 2026
Current Status: Answered by Hannah Mary Goodlad on 18 August 2026

To ask the Scottish Government, regarding the assessment of solar development proposals on prime agricultural land under National Planning Framework 4, how the continued grazing of livestock beneath and between solar panels is taken into account.

National Planning Framework 4 (NPF4) is part of the development plan and contains national planning policy. Policy 5 (soils) sets out policy on prime agricultural land and policy 11 (energy) sets out policy on renewable energy. NPF4 should be read and applied as a whole, alongside the relevant local development plan and other material considerations. Factors for and against development will be weighed up in the balance of planning judgement.

Question reference: S7W-02043

Asked by: Paul McLennan, MSP for East Lothian Coast and Lammermuirs, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Friday, 24 July 2026
Current Status: Answered by Mairi McAllan on 18 August 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to ensure that childcare providers have access to appropriately trained staff to support disabled children within expanded childcare provision.

Our approach to expansion will involve working closely with local authorities, private and third sector providers, representative bodies and national skills bodies to ensure that workforce requirements are understood and addressed. This will include ensuring that the workforce has the knowledge, skills and support required to meet the needs of children with additional support needs and deliver high-quality, inclusive childcare provision.

Question reference: S7W-02042

Asked by: Paul McLennan, MSP for East Lothian Coast and Lammermuirs, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Friday, 24 July 2026
Current Status: Answered by Mairi McAllan on 18 August 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what opportunities it will provide to ensure that the lived experiences of parent carers of disabled children, including children with complex additional support needs, inform the planned expansion of childcare provision across Scotland.

Our approach to expansion will be informed by the lived experience of parent carers of disabled children, including those with complex additional support needs. We recognise that understanding the experiences of families is essential to ensuring that future childcare provision is accessible, inclusive and responsive to children's individual needs, and supports families to access the services they require.

Question reference: S7W-02065

Asked by: Paul McLennan, MSP for East Lothian Coast and Lammermuirs, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 27 July 2026
Current Status: Answered by Hannah Mary Goodlad on 18 August 2026

To ask the Scottish Government whether, for planning policy purposes, it considers land on which solar arrays are installed and where livestock grazing continues beneath and between the panels, to be in agricultural use.

Question reference: S7W-02071

Asked by: Paul McLennan, MSP for East Lothian Coast and Lammermuirs, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 27 July 2026
Current Status: Answered by Jim Fairlie on 17 August 2026

To ask the Scottish Government by what date its planned rollout of remote electronic monitoring for the inshore fisheries fleet will be completed.

Remote Electronic Monitoring (REM) systems support comprehensive data collection in fisheries by using cameras, sensors and Global Positioning System technology to independently monitor fishing activity at sea.

REM is a key component of the Scottish Government's Fisheries Management Strategy. However, there are no plans to rollout REM across the inshore fleet. Instead, the Scottish Government is taking a targeted and proportionate approach to REM implementation.

Legislation has already been introduced requiring REM systems on all scallop dredge vessels from June 2024 and on pelagic fishing vessels from March 2026. The legislation applies to all relevant vessels operating within Scottish waters, as well as to relevant Scottish vessels wherever they fish.

This approach reflects the Scottish Government's commitment to strengthening fisheries monitoring, improving transparency and supporting sustainable fisheries management, while ensuring that monitoring requirements are proportionate and tailored to different fleet segments. It recognises that REM technology is not necessary or appropriate for all vessel types.

Question reference: S7W-02069

Asked by: Paul McLennan, MSP for East Lothian Coast and Lammermuirs, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 27 July 2026
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 14 August 2026

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the announcement by the UK Government of plans to introduce a NHS Leadership and Management Framework, whether it plans to regulate NHS managers and leaders.

The Scottish Government does not currently intend to introduce formal regulation for NHS managers and leaders in Scotland.

We welcome the recent publication of the UK Government's NHS Leadership and Management Framework and recognise the value of clearly articulating the principles, behaviours and capabilities expected of NHS leaders and managers. NHS Scotland and Scottish Government colleagues were involved in the development of the Framework, which was carefully designed and considered to support health systems through effective leadership and positive culture. There is broad agreement the framework could be adopted and adapted for the Scottish context, and the Scottish Government will continue to explore opportunities to build on this work in a way that reflects Scotland's distinct health and care landscape, working with NHS England, the Chartered Management Institute.(CMI) and four nations colleagues.

Question reference: S7W-02070

Asked by: Paul McLennan, MSP for East Lothian Coast and Lammermuirs, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 27 July 2026
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 14 August 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with the UK Government regarding plans to regulate NHS managers and leaders in England, including any assessment of implications for NHS Scotland.

Scottish Government officials are in regular discussion with counterparts in the Department for Health and Social Care on a wide range of topics relating to the ongoing modernisation of health professional regulation, including the UK Government’s intention to introduce a new form of regulation for senior NHS managers through a statutory barring mechanism operated by the Health and Care Professions Council. This work is at an early stage but is expected to gather momentum in the coming months. Only once the full details of the scheme’s operation are available will it be possible to conduct a thorough assessment of its potential impact on devolved health services.

Question reference: S7W-01957

Asked by: Paul McLennan, MSP for East Lothian Coast and Lammermuirs, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 23 July 2026
Current Status: Answered by Jim Fairlie on 10 August 2026

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of decisions by the Information Commissioner’s Office to require the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) to disclose farmed fish welfare inspection reports, whether it supports a presumption in favour of publishing farmed animal welfare inspection reports across all species, including terrestrial farmed animals, and what discussions it has had with APHA regarding the routine publication of such reports.

The Scottish Government is committed to supporting high standards of animal health and welfare and to ensuring that regulatory systems operate in a transparent and proportionate manner. Any decisions on the routine publication of inspection reports must balance transparency with legal obligations, including the protection of personal data and commercially sensitive information.

Scottish Government officials engage regularly with APHA on animal health and welfare matters. However, The Scottish Government has no plans to request that the Animal and Plant Health Agency or the UK Government routinely publish fish welfare inspection reports.

Question reference: S7W-01914

Asked by: Paul McLennan, MSP for East Lothian Coast and Lammermuirs, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 22 July 2026
Current Status: Answered by Gillian Martin on 7 August 2026

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the reported increase in year-round participation in outdoor water activities, including swimming, surfing, paddling and kayaking, and the bathing water monitoring season running from 1 June to 15 September, what (a) its position is on extending the season and (b) analysis it has carried out of what public health benefits might arise from providing official water quality monitoring and information outside the current monitoring period.

Areas where large number of bathers are expected to use the water are designated as Bathing Waters for the protection of public health. This is typically throughout the summer months. SEPA convenes a Bathing Water Panel each year which makes recommendations on the duration of the bathing season and we would welcome any evidence, such as user surveys, of large numbers of bathers outside of the traditional bathing season (1 June – 15 September) to inform future decisions.

We have not undertaken analysis of the public health benefits of extending the bathing season.