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-03367

Asked by: Heather Anderson, MSP for Dundee City West, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 16 September 2026
Current Status: Initiated by the Scottish Government. Answered by Angela Constance on 17 September 2026

To ask the Scottish Government when it will publish its response to the UK COVID-19 Inquiry’s Module 3 report examining the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on healthcare systems across the UK.

The Scottish Government has today published its response to the UK Covid-19 Inquiry’s Module 3 report. The Covid-19 pandemic touched every community and every family in Scotland in different ways. For many, it brought profound loss, separation, uncertainty and hardship. The Scottish Government extends its deepest sympathy to everyone who lost loved ones and to all those whose lives were impacted by the pandemic.

I want to express my sincere thanks to everyone who contributed to the Inquiry, including those who shared difficult and personal experiences. I also want to acknowledge the vital work of the Covid Inquiries Response Engagement Group, whose input to the response has been invaluable. The insights shared by representatives of groups disproportionately impacted by the pandemic, including bereaved families, disabled people, minority ethnic communities, older people and others most affected by the pandemic have shaped our response.

I would also like to express my sincere gratitude for the sacrifices made throughout the Covid-19 pandemic, and for the extraordinary dedication of the health and social care workforce. Their professionalism, compassion and resilience were especially evident in the care provided to those most vulnerable during an exceptionally difficult period.

The Scottish Government remains committed to taking forward the actions and timelines for implementation set out in this response, and to doing so in a way that recognises and respects the many sacrifices made by the public health workforce during the pandemic to protect our healthcare system, and the loved ones lost during the pandemic.

The Scottish Government will provide regular progress updates on the actions set out within the response. The response is available at: UK Covid-19 Inquiry - Module 3 report: Scottish Government response

Question reference: S7O-00247

Asked by: Heather Anderson, MSP for Dundee City West, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 09 September 2026
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 17 September 2026

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the rollout of the £2 bus fare cap to the City of Dundee and the wider Tayside area.

Question reference: S7O-00173

Asked by: Heather Anderson, MSP for Dundee City West, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 26 August 2026
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 3 September 2026

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on what discussions it has had with senior leadership at the University of Dundee regarding the university's ongoing programme of organisational change.

Question reference: S7W-02182

Asked by: Heather Anderson, MSP for Dundee City West, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 30 July 2026
Current Status: Answered by Jim Fairlie on 18 August 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on the introduction of a ban on the sale and possession of snares, in light of the Scottish Animal Welfare Commission's recommendation that such a ban be introduced.

The Scottish Animal Welfare Commission’s recommendations, following its review on snaring, recommended that the use and sale of snares be prohibited.

A complete ban on the use of snares, as provided for in the Wildlife Management and Muirburn (Scotland) Act 2024, came into force on 25 November 2024.

Section 11(3C) of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 (the 1981 Act” already prohibits the possession and sale of self-locking snares.

In our consultation document ‘Wildlife Management and Muirburn (Scotland) Bill: use of snares and powers of Scottish SPCA inspectors’, published in August 2023, we proposed not to extend the offence to possess or sell any other type of snare other than those already prohibited under section 11 of the 1981 Act.

This is because many snares that were set were made by practitioners using readily available materials and therefore a ban on the sale of snares would have a limited affect.

Question reference: S7W-02181

Asked by: Heather Anderson, MSP for Dundee City West, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 30 July 2026
Current Status: Answered by Jim Fairlie on 17 August 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has for the improvement of the enforcement of cat breeding licensing, to ensure that the breeding of cats with extreme characteristics, including Scottish folds and flat-faced Persians, is addressed and in line with current recommendations by the Scottish Animal Welfare Commission and UK Animal Welfare Committee.

Under the Animal Welfare (Licensing of Activities Involving Animals) (Scotland) Regulations 2021, cat breeders must be licensed and comply with conditions that prohibit breeding where a cat’s genotype or conformation could have a detrimental effect on its welfare or that of its offspring.

These provisions already restrict the breeding of cats with known welfare concerns, including Scottish Folds, and can be applied to other breeds with extreme characteristics. The Scottish Government is committed to high standards of animal welfare and we will continue to keep the licensing framework under review, including consideration of recommendations from the Scottish Animal Welfare Commission and the UK Animal Welfare Committee.

Question reference: S7W-02045

Asked by: Heather Anderson, MSP for Dundee City West, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Friday, 24 July 2026
Current Status: Initiated by the Scottish Government. Answered by Alison Thewliss on 27 July 2026

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on progress made in the development of its Infection Prevention and Control Strategy for Scotland.

I am pleased to announce the publication of An Infection Prevention and Control Strategy for Scotland: Vision and Priority Statements, developed in partnership with the Infection Prevention and Control Strategic Development and Oversight Group.

This is the first national integrated strategy of its kind across the UK and Ireland. Its publication underlines our commitment to safe, high-quality health and social care services for the people of Scotland. It will be underpinned by a series of three-year action plans that will be co-produced with wider partners and agreed by summer 2027.

This strategy was developed using a human rights based approach and sets a clear direction for Infection Prevention and Control (IPC) policy over the next decade. It has been shaped directly by the insight and expertise of key stakeholders across the health and social care landscape. At its core is a single, unifying vision: a Scotland where preventable infection is minimised for all people accessing, using or providing health and social care.

To deliver on this ambition, the strategy outlines eight priority statements essential for sustainable progress in Scotland that will guide our focus in strengthening patient and staff safety and improving system-wide preparedness. It complements our broader reform agenda and supports national ambitions to reduce health inequalities, improve population health and ensure the long-term resilience and sustainability of services.

I am clear that publication marks the beginning of this journey. Meaningful change can only be achieved through the development, implementation and evaluation of action plans and informed by an extensive engagement programme with individuals, communities and organisations across Scotland.

Question reference: S7O-00061

Asked by: Heather Anderson, MSP for Dundee City West, Scottish National Party
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Date lodged: Wednesday, 10 June 2026
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 16 June 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to calls from The Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh for a national pilot programme to monitor air pollution around city primary schools.