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-38168

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 17 June 2025
Current Status: Answer expected on 15 July 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what urgent action it is taking to address the governance weaknesses in the NHS in Scotland as identified by Audit Scotland in its recent publication, NHS in Scotland: Spotlight on governance.

Question reference: S6W-35968

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 17 June 2025
Current Status: Answer expected on 15 July 2025

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will publish any data analysis that it has carried out on any regional differences in health outcomes for young women.

Question reference: S6W-38174

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 17 June 2025
Current Status: Answer expected on 15 July 2025

To ask the Scottish Government for what reason the budget for the Care Reform (Scotland) Bill in 2025-26 is £11 million, in light of its decision to withdraw plans for a national care service.

Question reference: S6W-38532

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 10 June 2025
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 17 June 2025

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will publish any clinical evidence underpinning its decision to centralise neonatal services in Aberdeen.

Under the new model Neonatal Intensive Care will be delivered in three Units - the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital in Glasgow, Edinburgh Royal Infirmary and Aberdeen Maternity Hospital. The change was recommended in the Best Start report published in 2017 and was supported by a review of evidence carried out by Dr Anna Gavine, Dr Steve MacGillivray and Prof Mary Renfrew of the University of Dundee and published alongside The Best Start.

The approach to high volume neonatal intensive care for the smallest and sickest babies is further supported by the publication in 2021 of the British Association for Perinatal Medicine (BAPM) Framework for Practice.

On the basis of this evidence, and data for Scotland, three units would be the best model for Scotland. The decision on the location of the final three units was based on advice from clinical experts who undertook an options appraisal to identify the units. The appraisal was published in July 2023.

Question reference: S6W-38576

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 10 June 2025
Current Status: Answered by Ivan McKee on 17 June 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what economic justification it used in determining that the Flamingo Land Lomond Banks development should proceed.

The Scottish Ministers have decided to recall the Lomond Banks appeal as the proposed development raises issues of national significance in view of its potential impact on Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park. Ministers will make the decision on this appeal and will give full and proper consideration to it.

The economic impact of a proposed development is one of several factors considered when determining appeals. In reaching a decision, Ministers are required by law to have regard to the development plan and to all relevant material factors, including all submissions made by parties involved in the case and all representations made.

This remains a live appeal, and it would not be appropriate to comment on the merits of the case, nor on any specific issues that may be involved in the consideration and decision-making process.

This remains a live case and each case is considered on its individual merits.

Question reference: S6W-38531

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 10 June 2025
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 17 June 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what impact assessment it has conducted of NHS staff capacity at Aberdeen Royal Infirmary, in light of proposed changes to neonatal services affecting Glasgow and Wishaw.

Scottish Government commissioned Consulting firm RSM UK Consulting LLP to undertake detailed modelling work to fully map the capacity requirements across the system to inform capacity building and implementation of the new model. The report was published on the 29 May 2024.

Each of the three Regional Planning Chief Executives has produced a plan outlining how they will move to the new model of care in their region. The plans are based on the capacity modelling work undertaken by RSM-UK and describe how the units will increase cot capacity to deliver the new model. Wishaw and Glasgow babies are included in the West Region, and are reflected in the capacity building in that plan.

Question reference: S6W-38543

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

To ask the Scottish Government how many vacancies currently exist in (a) radiology and (b) oncology posts.

Question reference: S6W-38420

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 06 June 2025
Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 17 June 2025

To ask the Scottish Government how much in total has been spent since 2015 on initiatives aimed at reducing delayed discharge in hospitals.

While the Scottish Government has overall responsibility for health and social care policy in Scotland, the statutory responsibility for delivering, commissioning and providing appropriate social care services at a local level lies with local authorities and Health and Social Care Partnerships. This includes the responsibility to reduce the number of people being delayed in hospital unnecessarily.

Since 2015-16, the Scottish Government has provided additional funding for social care and integration. This annual investment has risen to almost £2.2 billion in the 2025-26 Scottish Budget.

However, decisions on how best to deliver services to local communities are ultimately for Health and Social Care Partnerships and locally elected representatives to make.

Question reference: S6W-38400

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 06 June 2025
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 17 June 2025

To ask the Scottish Government how many additional deaths it estimates there could potentially be each year due to the reported absence of a 24/7 thrombectomy provision.

Question reference: S6W-38103

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 03 June 2025
Current Status: Answered by Gillian Martin on 17 June 2025

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the detailed Project Willow report by EY-Parthenon, what its position is on whether the A9 dualling project is necessary to enable the delivery of the nine projects identified in the Project Willow report.

Dualling of the A9 will improve connectivity of the Highlands with the Central Belt of Scotland, reducing journey times and improving journey time reliability. Whilst dualling of the A9 between Perth and Inverness is likely to support delivery of some of the projects identified in the Project Willow report, where those entail transportation of materials by road to or from the Highlands, it is unlikely that dualling would be necessary for delivery of those projects.