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-39720

Asked by: Tess White, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 04 August 2025
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 22 August 2025

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the work that it is doing to determine whether it will introduce a standalone offence of non-fatal strangulation.

As outlined in my letter to the Criminal Justice Committee on 22 July 2025, I remain committed to giving the proposal to introduce a standalone offence of non-fatal strangulation serious consideration. As part of that process our Programme for Government detailed that we will carry out a comprehensive assessment of the relevant law in order to determine next steps. I will keep Parliament updated as this work progresses.

Question reference: S6W-39716

Asked by: Tess White, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 04 August 2025
Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 21 August 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether the Central Legal Office of NHS Scotland (a) provides cost-effective advice and (b) protects the public purse from costly litigation.

The Central Legal Office (CLO) within NHS National Services Scotland provides in-house legal services to NHSScotland Boards and wider public sector organisations. They provide cost effective advice by having fees that are competitive, flexible and compliant with the requirements for the proper handling and reporting of public funds as laid out in the Scottish Public Finance Manual.

Furthermore, their specialist legal advice and representation supports clients make legally informed decisions to promote cost-efficient practice in litigation matters.

Question reference: S6W-39718

Asked by: Tess White, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 04 August 2025
Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 21 August 2025

To ask the Scottish Government whether a review of the Central Legal Office of NHS Scotland has been undertaken in the past five years, and, if so, what its conclusions were.

The Central Legal Office is a department within NHS National Services Scotland (NSS). As a sponsored statutory body, NSS is subject to Annual Reviews from Scottish Government. This forms part of the overall monitoring of operational performance, governance and delivery of National Priorities. Since 2020-21, NSS has had ministerial-led annual reviews, with their Annual Review letters made publicly available on their website.

Question reference: S6W-39692

Asked by: Tess White, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 01 August 2025
Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 18 August 2025

To ask the Scottish Government for what reason NHS Grampian was allocated £7,529.48 for the delivery of Hospital at Home in 2024-25.

Last year we invested £3.6m into H@H for Older People, this funding was awarded through an application process in partnership with Healthcare Improvement Scotland. Aberdeen City requested and received £7,529.48 for 2024-25 to support the expansion of their Hospital at Home service for older people and acute adults.

This funding enabled the team to focus on improving and standardising processes, and efficiency of their service. This included additional GP input to enable further engagement with primary care and increase direct referrals into their service which now operates 7 days a week. Ensuring those experiencing frailty can be managed at home is the core focus of the service, however further pathways have been developed in respiratory, acute medicine and Outpatient Parenteral Antibiotic Therapy (OPAT).

Question reference: S6W-39693

Asked by: Tess White, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 01 August 2025
Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 18 August 2025

To ask the Scottish Government how many Hospital at Home beds have been delivered across Scotland to date, broken down by NHS board, and whether it is on track to meet its 2,000 virtual bed target by December 2026.

Published figures from Healthcare Improvement Scotland estimate that in March 2025, acute and older people’s Hospital at Home services provided care equivalent to approximately 575 beds with an assumed occupancy rate of 80%. This is similar to the size of Western General Hospital and larger than University Hospital Wishaw.

In 2024-25, it is estimated that Hospital at Home services prevented 15,470 people being admitted to hospital, reducing pressure on unscheduled care and delayed discharges.

Officials are working with PHS Scotland to develop a new national data set for Hospital at Home activity and related admission alternative services. Data collection is due to commence later this year and will be expanded to include other Hospital at Home pathways such as heart failure, respiratory, paediatrics and Outpatient Parenteral Antibiotic Therapy (OPAT). Public Health Scotland plan to publish figures as this develops during 2026.

Question reference: S6W-39695

Asked by: Tess White, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 01 August 2025
Current Status: Answered by Gillian Martin on 18 August 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking with local partners to ensure that flood defence measures are rigorously tested across Scotland.

The Flood Risk Management (Scotland) Act 2009 allocates clear roles and responsibilities for managing flood risk in Scotland.

Local authorities are responsible for implementing and maintaining flood protection schemes. It is up to the local authority to determine what defence measures are appropriate as part of implementing any scheme and to consider the most appropriate arrangement for inspecting and carrying out any required work on their flood protection schemes.

Scottish Government regularly works in collaboration with local authorities, and other responsible bodies, to improve flood resilience in communities across Scotland, a significant and growing challenge, especially as climate change brings more severe and frequent flood events.

Question reference: S6W-39865

Asked by: Tess White, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 13 August 2025
Current Status: Answer expected on 10 September 2025

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-36754 by Angela Constance on 8 May 2025, whether it will provide an update regarding the specific date on which it plans to lay the SSI to propose adding the characteristic of “sex” to the Hate Crime and Public Order (Scotland) Act 2021.

Question reference: S6W-39864

Asked by: Tess White, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 12 August 2025
Current Status: Answer expected on 9 September 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what action it has taken to ensure that people are protected against misogyny, in light of the decision not to proceed with the introduction of the proposed Misogyny Bill.

Question reference: S6W-39395

Asked by: Tess White, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 16 July 2025
Current Status: Answered by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 8 August 2025

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the letter of 11 July 2025 from its Director of People to the human rights charity, Sex Matters, whether it will provide further details of the consultation that is referred to; when it anticipates that the consultation will start; who will be consulted; how long the consultation will run for, and whether the results will be published in the public domain.

The letter of 11 July sets out that the Scottish Government internal Trans and Non Binary Equality employment policy is under active review in light of the ruling in For Women Scotland V The Scottish Ministers.

This is an internal employer policy that covers Scottish Government staff. Changes to our workplace policies and procedures will be consulted on in line with normal practice, including: internal staff engagement in line with our organisational vision and values; engagement with relevant corporate and policy teams; and partnership working with the Council of Scottish Government Unions.

The timing and approach will be shaped by the emerging advice. This is a complex area of law involving the interaction between different pieces of legislation, and we want to ensure we get it right for all our staff.

Question reference: S6W-39694

Asked by: Tess White, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 06 August 2025
Current Status: Answer expected on 3 September 2025

To ask the Scottish Government whether it has considered the implications of the High Court decision relating to Northumbria Police participating in Pride marches for the impartiality of school teachers in Scotland.