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-04644

Asked by: Sanne Dijkstra-Downie, MSP for Edinburgh Northern, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Friday, 30 October 2026
Current Status: Answer expected on 13 November 2026

To ask the Scottish Government how many whole-time equivalent respiratory consultants were employed by each NHS board in each year since 2016.

Question reference: S7W-04651

Asked by: Sanne Dijkstra-Downie, MSP for Edinburgh Northern, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Friday, 30 October 2026
Current Status: Answer expected on 13 November 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what the average waiting time was from referral to diagnosis for patients subsequently diagnosed with lung cancer in each NHS board area in the latest year for which information is available.

Question reference: S7W-04656

Asked by: Sanne Dijkstra-Downie, MSP for Edinburgh Northern, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Friday, 30 October 2026
Current Status: Answer expected on 13 November 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what percentage of adults in each NHS board area were estimated to smoke in each year since 2016.

Question reference: S7W-04648

Asked by: Sanne Dijkstra-Downie, MSP for Edinburgh Northern, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Friday, 30 October 2026
Current Status: Answer expected on 13 November 2026

To ask the Scottish Government how many people were admitted to hospital with a primary diagnosis of pneumonia in each NHS board area in each year since 2016.

Question reference: S7W-04657

Asked by: Sanne Dijkstra-Downie, MSP for Edinburgh Northern, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Friday, 30 October 2026
Current Status: Answer expected on 13 November 2026

To ask the Scottish Government how many children and young people were admitted to hospital due to asthma in each NHS board area in each year since 2016.

Question reference: S7W-04647

Asked by: Sanne Dijkstra-Downie, MSP for Edinburgh Northern, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Friday, 30 October 2026
Current Status: Answer expected on 13 November 2026

To ask the Scottish Government how many emergency hospital admissions for asthma there were in each NHS board area in each year since 2016.

Question reference: S7W-04196

Asked by: Sanne Dijkstra-Downie, MSP for Edinburgh Northern, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Friday, 09 October 2026
Current Status: Answered by Kirsten Oswald on 30 October 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to ensure that people who are eligible for civil legal aid can access legal representation in family court proceedings where they have experienced difficulties securing such representation.

The Scottish Government continues to meet all legal aid costs in full with expenditure in 2024-25 at its highest level of £169 million.

Whilst the legal aid system is generally effective in delivering help to those in need, the Scottish Government does recognise there are some challenges in relation to certain types of cases. Solicitors cannot be compelled to undertake work, and family cases, especially those involving children, can be particularly demanding and resource-intensive however, the vast majority of parties in section 11 cases are represented.

The Scottish Government provides funding for law centres and third-sector advice services, as well as to localised advice providers. Funding is also available for public legal services through the Civil Legal Assistance Office. All of these services can operate across a wide geographical area.

To further increase capacity and capability in the legal aid profession, further funding of £1.5 million has been provided for legal aid traineeships with 40 new trainees expected to be in place by the end of 2026.

The Scottish Government also recently consulted on a future Legal Aid Bill to ensure we have an adaptable, flexible, affordable and sustainable legal aid system in Scotland that supports people who are facing challenging issues and problems. Responses will inform the development of the Legal Aid (Scotland) Bill and future policy decisions.

Question reference: S7W-03941

Asked by: Sanne Dijkstra-Downie, MSP for Edinburgh Northern, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Friday, 02 October 2026
Current Status: Answered by Gillian Martin on 30 October 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the impact that the closure of the incinerator at Polmadie will have on Scotland’s waste sector.

No specific assessment was made regarding the impact of the temporary closure of the Glasgow Recycling and Renewable Energy Centre (GRREC) by the Scottish Government as the management of municipal waste is the responsibility of the relevant local authority. It is for them to ensure that their waste material is appropriately processed in accordance with all applicable regulations.

However, the Scottish Government is aware of the pressures facing parts of the waste management sector, and recognises the importance of ensuring that there is sufficient capacity and resilience to manage Scotland’s waste safely and effectively.

Question reference: S7W-03943

Asked by: Sanne Dijkstra-Downie, MSP for Edinburgh Northern, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Friday, 02 October 2026
Current Status: Answered by Gillian Martin on 30 October 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to ensure that reductions in incineration capacity, including the closure of the Polmadie incinerator, do not result in waste accumulating in communities.

Question reference: S7W-03944

Asked by: Sanne Dijkstra-Downie, MSP for Edinburgh Northern, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Friday, 02 October 2026
Current Status: Answered by Gillian Martin on 30 October 2026

To ask the Scottish Government whether any residual waste will be transported to (a) England or (b) another part of the UK, in light of reported capacity issues in the remaining three landfill sites in Scotland.

The Scottish Government’s objective is that we take responsibility for reducing emissions and environmental impacts of our waste, and preventing the loss of economic opportunities by managing and processing - in Scotland - all waste Scotland generates. However, it is for waste management businesses to determine where and how to process their waste.

The most recent data from 2023 show a total of 1.8 million tonnes of Scottish waste was landfilled, down substantially from 4.7 million tonnes in 2011. A small proportion of Scottish waste landfilled in 2023 (29,415 tonnes, 1.6%) was managed outwith Scotland. It is not possible at this time to state for certain what amount of this waste was specifically landfilled in England, however when Digital Waste Tracking is fully implemented across the UK, this level of information should be available going forward.

Please note that SEPA published statistics on 27 October 2026 on waste landfilled in Scotland up to 2025, but those statistics do not include Scottish waste landfilled elsewhere.