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-36524

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 03 April 2025
Current Status: Answered by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 22 April 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on the Scottish Fiscal Commission’s reported assessment that benefits spending is being driven by increased eligibility rather than population need.

We welcome the Scottish Fiscal Commission’s report which provides an independent assessment of how much the Scottish Government’s policies are likely to raise and cost. The Scottish Fiscal Commission’s forecasts are used to set the Scottish Budget, and Scottish Government officials work closely with the Scottish Fiscal Commission to provide the data necessary to inform its forecasts.

The Scottish Fiscal Commission consider a wide range of factors and assumptions to produce their published forecasts and review these in light of the latest evidence. As the Scottish Fiscal Commission have noted, in part the forecast increase to the end of the decade is being driven by factors common across the UK such as the increasing demand for disability payments, increased cost of living, and rises in payment rates due to inflation and uprating, and the conscious policy choices that we have made in Scotland to mitigate the decisions made by the UK Government.

Question reference: S6W-36541

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 03 April 2025
Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 22 April 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what contingency measures are in place in the event that the NHS seven-day diagnostic model and digital outpatient system is again not delivered within the timetable.

Some Health Boards are already delivering additional activity 7 days a week, 12 hours a day, to help people get diagnostic tests they need. Since 2021, we have provided three permanent CT scanners to support core diagnostic imaging capacity within Boards, including a mobile CT pod which is deployed flexibly to Boards that require additional capacity. In addition, four further mobile CTs and thirteen mobile MRI scanners are being used across multiple NHS Boards to provide additional capacity.

Additional funding provided through the £200 million investment contained in the Budget to reduce waiting times and improve flow through hospital, will support further reductions to the radiology backlog so that 95% of referrals are seen within six weeks by March 2026.

There is currently no digital outpatient system in development at a national level, although the online app for health & social care, which is being developed as part of our Digital Front Door Programme, will provide digital access to outpatient appointments. More details can be found in the NHS Scotland Operational Improvement Plan, available at https://www.gov.scot/publications/nhs-scotland-operational-improvement-plan/pages/5/.

Question reference: S6W-36447

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 03 April 2025
Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 22 April 2025

To ask the Scottish Government how much it has spent since 2021 on administrative NHS restructuring, and what its position is on whether this spending could have instead been used to increase frontline GP provision.

Question reference: S6W-36429

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 02 April 2025
Current Status: Answered by Tom Arthur on 22 April 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to stimulate employment in areas with persistently high welfare dependency.

The Scottish Government’s "National Strategy for Economic Transformation" sets out our aim to make Scotland’s regions, businesses, industries, communities and public services more productive and innovative.

It is important to note that in Scotland, not everyone who is receiving Social Security benefits are out of work. Our data shows that 33% of people on Universal Credit are in employment.

However, the Scottish Government aims to improve employment opportunities for those who face barriers in the labour market. Our No One Left Behind approach delivers an all-age, place-based, person-centred model of employability support in Scotland. Services are designed local to ensure the needs of that particular demographic are met. Services are voluntary, aiming to support individuals towards the right job at the right time.

Scotland also has 2 Investment Zones designed to deliver economic growth, more high skilled jobs, investment, and future opportunities for local people, as well as 2 Green Freeports which will boost innovation and inclusive growth within communities and both will support economic transformation and stimulate employment opportunities.

Question reference: S6W-36431

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 02 April 2025
Current Status: Answered by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 22 April 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what proportion of families in Scotland in relative poverty are in working households.

Question reference: S6W-36432

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 02 April 2025
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 22 April 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to ensure the continuity of public services in the event that any proposed local authority industrial action goes ahead.

The Scottish Government values the contribution of Local Government workers to delivering essential public services across the country and urges all parties to work together to avoid disruptive industrial action.

The Scottish Government respects the independence of Local Government and has no formal role in pay negotiations which take place between COSLA and Scottish Joint Council (SJC) trade unions. It is also the responsibility of individual local authorities to manage their own budgets and workforce, including any contractual changes regarding terms and conditions.

The Scottish Government will continue to engage with Local Government, including through COSLA, to mitigate the impact of any industrial action that does take place.

Question reference: S6W-36808

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 10 April 2025
Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 17 April 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to address any (a) pest infestations and (b) basic hygiene failures in NHS buildings.

Question reference: S6W-36807

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 10 April 2025
Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 17 April 2025

To ask the Scottish Government how many incidents involving (a) patient and (b) staff exposure to sewage leaks in NHS hospitals have been reported in each of the last three years.

Question reference: S6W-36809

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 10 April 2025
Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 17 April 2025

To ask the Scottish Government how many NHS hospital sites have been reported for vermin infestations in each of the last five years, and what action was taken.

Question reference: S6W-36573

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 04 April 2025
Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 17 April 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what engagement it has had with legal experts regarding any (a) constitutional and (b) ethical implications of the Assisted Dying for Terminally Ill Adults (Scotland) Bill.

Scottish Government decisions are informed by appropriate analysis of any legal considerations. All legal advice is confidential. It is a long-established convention that legal advice provided to the Scottish Government is not disclosed, and that the Scottish Government does not disclose the source of legal advice other than in the most exceptional circumstances.

The Scottish Government set out its position on the constitutional implications of the Bill, as well as that, given the strong feelings and deeply felt views on this matter, Scottish Ministers would be given a free vote at Stage 1, in a Memorandum to the Health, Social Care and Sport Committee on 30 September 2024. This can be accessed at: Assisted Dying Bill for Terminally Ill Adults SG Memorandum (parliament.scot)