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-34116

Asked by: Douglas Lumsden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 29 January 2025
Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 13 February 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what policies or procedures are in place to address any situations where patients who are deemed “surgically fit for discharge” refuse to leave hospital.

Where a patient deemed ready for discharge refuses to leave hospital, there is a clearly defined procedure in place:

Healthcare staff will arrange a meeting with the patient to discuss the reason they are unwilling to be discharged from hospital and discuss a way forward.
Where no progress is made, the case will be referred to a Medical Director. The Medical Director will then write to the patient, reiterating their planned date of discharge.
Throughout the discharge process, it is made clear to patients that a person is not entitled to remain in hospital indefinitely, and that staying in hospital longer that necessary can have adverse health effects.

Therefore, in such limited cases, it is the responsibility of the Health Board and Medical Directors to manage reluctant discharges.

Question reference: S6W-34091

Asked by: Douglas Lumsden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 29 January 2025
Current Status: Answered by Gillian Martin on 13 February 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what progress was made on securing partnerships to advance Scotland’s green hydrogen capabilities during the Acting Cabinet Secretary for Net Zero and Energy’s recent visit to Berlin.

Question reference: S6W-34122

Asked by: Douglas Lumsden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 29 January 2025
Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 13 February 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what guidance is provided to NHS boards regarding the management of so-called medical boarders in surgical wards to minimise disruption to scheduled surgeries.

Question reference: S6W-34087

Asked by: Douglas Lumsden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 29 January 2025
Current Status: Answered by Gillian Martin on 13 February 2025

To ask the Scottish Government how the Acting Cabinet Secretary for Net Zero and Energy’s visit to Berlin supports the Scottish Government’s objectives for expanding innovation opportunities in renewable energy.

Question reference: S6W-34088

Asked by: Douglas Lumsden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 29 January 2025
Current Status: Answered by Gillian Martin on 13 February 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what financial or policy commitments it made during the Acting Cabinet Secretary for Net Zero and Energy’s meetings at the Handelsblatt Energy Summit in Berlin.

Question reference: S6W-34117

Asked by: Douglas Lumsden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 29 January 2025
Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 13 February 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to work with NHS boards and other stakeholders to reduce instances of patients refusing to leave hospital after being deemed “surgically fit for discharge.”

In addition to existing policies in place that address situations where patients who are deemed ready for discharge refuse to leave hospital, the Scottish Government continues to meet with NHS Boards to understand what actions can be taken to inform policy development and seek assurances on the implementation of Discharge without Delay and Home First principles, and reduce instances of patients refusing to leave hospital after being deemed fit for discharge.

Question reference: S6W-34119

Asked by: Douglas Lumsden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 29 January 2025
Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 13 February 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what legislative or policy changes it is considering to ensure that hospital capacity is not unduly impacted by any patients who are deemed “surgically fit for discharge” but refuse to leave, while ensuring patient rights are upheld.

Question reference: S6W-34120

Asked by: Douglas Lumsden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 29 January 2025
Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 13 February 2025

To ask the Scottish Government how many surgeries have been delayed due to the presence of so-called medical boarders in surgical wards in each year since 2018, broken down by NHS board.

Question reference: S6W-34107

Asked by: Douglas Lumsden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 29 January 2025
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 13 February 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what the annual cost is of maintaining cat’s eyes on (a) the A90 in the (i) section north of Dundee and (ii) other sections and (b) other trunk roads.

Maintenance/replacement costs for road studs on the A90 from August 2022 can be seen in table A.

Table A

Route	2022-23 (16th August onwards	2023-2024	2024-25
A90 North of Dundee	£48,069	£85,721	£29,746
A90 South of Dundee	£19,696	£14,240	£7,053

The above figures exclude expenditure on the Aberdeen Western Peripheral Route / Balmedie to Tipperty section of the A90. The contract with the DBFO Company, Aberdeen Roads Limited (ARL) requires it to fulfil the contractual obligations in respect of maintenance at ARL’s own cost. These associated costs are not shared with Transport Scotland.

The total cost of road stud maintenance/replacement for all trunk roads within the North East Unit (including the A90 but excluding the AWPR/B-T Project) from August 2022 is as follows:

Table B

Unit	2022-23	2023-24	2024-25
NE	£109,906	£171,719	£316,325

Question reference: S6W-34085

Asked by: Douglas Lumsden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 28 January 2025
Current Status: Answered by Gillian Martin on 13 February 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions took place during the Acting Cabinet Secretary for Net Zero and Energy’s recent visit to Berlin regarding collaboration between Scotland and Germany on achieving net zero targets.