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-01651

Asked by: Martyn Day, MSP for Falkirk East and Linlithgow, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Friday, 24 July 2026
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 11 August 2026

To ask the Scottish Government, with respect to NHS services, what contingency measures it has put in place to be implemented in the event that surge planning does not deliver the anticipated improvements in patient flow and hospital capacity.

The Scottish Government's surge and resilience preparedness approach includes established monitoring, escalation and assurance arrangements to support NHS Boards and their partners in responding to periods of sustained operational pressure. These arrangements do not rely on any single intervention to deliver improvements in patient flow or hospital capacity.

Where pressures exceed local capacity, NHS Boards can implement local escalation procedures and access support through existing regional and national coordination arrangements. Alongside these arrangements, the Scottish Government is developing a National Flow Plan to support longer-term improvements in patient flow, occupancy management, delayed discharge and system resilience. The Scottish Government continues to work closely with NHS Boards and Health and Social Care Partnerships to monitor pressures, support appropriate action and maintain safe and effective services.

Question reference: S7W-01648

Asked by: Martyn Day, MSP for Falkirk East and Linlithgow, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Friday, 24 July 2026
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 11 August 2026

To ask the Scottish Government, with respect to the provision of health and social care services, what its definition of "surge planning" is, and how this differs from the "winter planning" approach used in previous years.

The Scottish Government's approach to surge and resilience preparedness is the year-round process through which health and social care services prepare for, respond to and recover from periods of increased demand and operational pressure.

As set out in the National Planning Priorities and Principles for Surge and Winter Preparedness in Health and Social Care, there are periods when demand increases beyond the normal levels planned for by health and social care services and there is a surge in the number of people requiring care and treatment. While winter remains the most predictable period of increased demand, similar pressures can arise at other times of the year.

The Scottish Government's approach is therefore to consider winter preparedness within a broader year-round surge and resilience preparedness framework. This supports NHS Boards and Health and Social Care Partnerships to plan for sustained pressures on services while ensuring people receive the right care, in the right place, at the right time. This approach is also being supported through development of the National Flow Plan, which aims to improve patient flow, reduce delays and strengthen whole-system resilience across health and social care services.

Question reference: S7W-01649

Asked by: Martyn Day, MSP for Falkirk East and Linlithgow, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Friday, 24 July 2026
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 11 August 2026

To ask the Scottish Government whether it has instructed NHS boards to prepare surge plans for winter 2026/27 and, if so, whether these plans will be published.

The Scottish Government works with NHS Boards and Health and Social Care Partnerships to support local surge and winter preparedness arrangements through nationally agreed planning priorities and principles. Local systems are expected to develop preparedness arrangements that reflect the needs of their populations and local circumstances.

The Scottish Government is currently refreshing the National Planning Priorities and Principles for Surge and Winter Preparedness and associated expectations for NHS Boards and Health and Social Care Partnerships for 2026-27. This work is aligned with development of the National Flow Plan, which forms part of wider activity to improve patient flow, reduce delayed discharge and make best use of capacity across health and social care services.

Operational preparedness plans are developed and maintained locally. Decisions regarding publication of local planning documents are a matter for individual NHS Boards and partner organisations. The Scottish Government intends to publish national guidance and planning priorities following completion of the current review process.

Question reference: S7W-01825

Asked by: Martyn Day, MSP for Falkirk East and Linlithgow, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 20 July 2026
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 11 August 2026

To ask the Scottish Government, for the treatment of prostate cancer, what plans NHS Scotland has to provide focal therapy, which targets and destroys only the cancerous area rather than the whole gland.

Question reference: S7W-01958

Asked by: Martyn Day, MSP for Falkirk East and Linlithgow, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 23 July 2026
Current Status: Answered by Kirsten Oswald on 10 August 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what consideration it has given to granting prescribed status to Independent Humanist Ceremonies under the Marriage (Scotland) Act 1977 and the Civil Partnership Act 2004.

Under the Marriage (Scotland)Act 1977 and the Civil Partnership Act 2004, there are a number of different systems for religious or belief celebrants to be approved to solemnise marriage or register civil partnership. At the moment, Independent Humanist Ceremonies(IHC) nominate persons to the Registrar General to be registered as celebrants under section 9 of the 1977 Act.

A religious or belief body can also be prescribed by Scottish Statutory Instrument made by the Scottish Ministers so that all of its celebrants, or persons recognised by the body as entitled to do so, may solemnise marriages under the 1977 Act or register civil partnerships under the 2004 Act.

The Scottish Government is currently considering requests from three organisations to be so prescribed, including that of IHC. The decision on whether to prescribe a religious or belief body which has made a request is entirely at the discretion of the Scottish Ministers. In prescribing the Humanist Society Scotland in 2016 and more recently the Free Church of Scotland (Continuing) in 2023, we have set out the factors that we take into account in doing so in the Policy Notes published alongside each Scottish Statutory Instrument: The Civil Partnership, Marriage Between Persons of Different Sexes and Same Sex Marriage (Prescribed Bodies) (Scotland) Amendment Regulations 2016 - Policy Note (pdf 54.2KB) and The Marriage Between Persons of Different Sexes (Prescribed Bodies) (Scotland) Amendment Regulations 2023 - Policy Note (PDF 50.5KB)

Being prescribed gives a religious or belief body the power to decide who can and cannot solemnise ceremonies on their behalf without any outside authorisation or approval from the Registrar General. Given the level of responsibility this status holds, we have to give careful consideration to such requests.

However, we recognise that the consideration of these requests has taken too long. The information and evidence already provided on behalf of IHC is currently being reviewed as a matter of priority. I have been assured that my officials will be in touch with IHC if further information is required and that, in any event, they will be updated on progress with their request before the end of this summer.

The member will wish to be aware that celebrants from IHC can still conduct legally recognised marriages and civil partnerships through being authorised by the Registrar General for Scotland.

Question reference: S7W-01669

Asked by: Martyn Day, MSP for Falkirk East and Linlithgow, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 13 July 2026
Current Status: Answered by Jim Fairlie on 10 August 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what consideration it is giving to developing a national wool strategy, with a view to supporting Scotland's wool sector.

Scotland’s wool industry is an important part of our wider agricultural sector. I know that Scotland benefits from the work of the British Wool Board which works to maximise the value of wool on behalf of its members. Given British Wool works in Scotland, managing the collection, grading, promotion and sale of fleece wool to the global textile industry, I expect that they would lead on any wool strategy.

The recently introduced Scottish Wool Certification Logo gives brands and consumers a clear way to identify products made entirely from Scottish-sourced wool and is an example of where British Wool can take the lead.

Question reference: S7W-02087

Asked by: Martyn Day, MSP for Falkirk East and Linlithgow, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 27 July 2026
Current Status: Answered by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 7 August 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what consideration it has given to a) paying the Carer Support Payment in full to carers receiving state pension and b) introducing a carer recognition payment for carers with underlying entitlement.

We considered both paying Carer Support Payment in full to carers receiving state pension and a recognition payment for those with underlying entitlement, including those receiving State Pension, as part a Multi Criteria Analysis that informed proposals in our 2022 consultation on Scottish Carer’s Assistance. It found that while such payments would have a positive impact on recognising the contribution of these carers, it would require significant investment not targeted at carers on the lowest incomes. Many carers with ‘underlying entitlement’ receive State Pension which is typically paid at a much higher rate than Carer Support Payment.

The 2022 consultation and our response considered a recognition payment for long term carers that could be available to those with underlying entitlement. No decision has been taken on this proposal to date. Any decisions on increasing support for carers will need to take affordability and sustainability into account.

Question reference: S7W-02338

Asked by: Martyn Day, MSP for Falkirk East and Linlithgow, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 06 August 2026
Current Status: Answer expected on 3 September 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what consideration it has given to offering retail bonds to (a) the Scottish public, (b) credit unions or (c), exclusively, Scottish Local Government Pension Funds.

Question reference: S7W-02341

Asked by: Martyn Day, MSP for Falkirk East and Linlithgow, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 06 August 2026
Current Status: Answer expected on 3 September 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what percentage of funds in Scottish Local Government Pension Funds has been invested in social and affordable housing in Scotland over the past 10 years.

Question reference: S7W-02340

Asked by: Martyn Day, MSP for Falkirk East and Linlithgow, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 06 August 2026
Current Status: Answer expected on 3 September 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what it estimates to be the total value of assets held in Scottish Local Government Pension Funds