The Scottish Parliament

Question reference: S7W-03225

Asked by: Adam Harley, MSP for Strathkelvin and Bearsden, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Monday, 14 September 2026
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 21 September 2026

To ask the Scottish Government how, and by when, it will communicate with NHS staff whose employment might be affected by the proposed replacement of the 14 territorial NHS boards with two strategic NHS boards.

On the 1 September, as part of the Programme for Government, the First Minister announced the Scottish Government’s intention to simplify the NHS by replacing the current 14 territorial Health Boards with two Strategic Health Boards and build on planned reforms to further reduce the number of special Health Boards.

This work will be done with the workforce, not to the workforce. We remain fully committed to partnership working and will work closely with trade unions throughout this process.

For NHS staff the principal change will, in due course, be the transfer of their employment from their current Board to one of the new NHS Boards.

Staff in NHS Scotland continue to receive the best reward package in the UK, and pay, terms and conditions will remain the same, all underpinned by the Scottish Government’s Fair Work principles, and our ongoing commitment to no compulsory redundancies.

Any future workforce changes will be done in full partnership with NHS Trade Unions in a structured and managed way, in line with existing NHS Scotland policies which have been agreed in partnership with trade unions.

Question reference: S7W-03226

Asked by: Adam Harley, MSP for Strathkelvin and Bearsden, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Monday, 14 September 2026
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 21 September 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what engagement it undertook with frontline NHS and social care staff before announcing its proposal to replace the 14 territorial NHS boards with two strategic boards.

On the 1 September, as part of the Programme for Government, the First Minister announced the Scottish Government’s intention to simplify the NHS by replacing the current 14 territorial Health Boards with two Strategic Health Boards and build on planned reforms to further reduce the number of special Health Boards.

This work will be done with the workforce, not to the workforce. We remain fully committed to partnership working and will work closely with trade unions throughout this process.

For NHS staff the principal change will, in due course, be the transfer of their employment from their current Board to one of the new NHS Boards.

Staff in NHS Scotland continue to receive the best reward package in the UK, and pay, terms and conditions will remain the same, all underpinned by the Scottish Government’s Fair Work principles, and our ongoing commitment to no compulsory redundancies.

Any future workforce changes will be done in full partnership with NHS Trade Unions in a structured and managed way, in line with existing NHS Scotland policies which have been agreed in partnership with trade unions.

Question reference: S7W-03228

Asked by: Adam Harley, MSP for Strathkelvin and Bearsden, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Monday, 14 September 2026
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 21 September 2026

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will publish the results of any analysis that it has carried out on international models for the structure of social care and its integration with primary and secondary care.

Integration arrangements will be reviewed as part of wider health, social care and public service reform. Over the next three months, we will undertake an intensive programme of engagement with local government and partners to consider how health, social care and wider public services can work more effectively together, make best use of public investment and improve outcomes for people and communities. Partnership working across local government, health, social care and community planning organisations will remain essential. Detailed arrangements will be developed as part of wider public service reform.

Question reference: S7W-02714

Asked by: Adam Harley, MSP for Strathkelvin and Bearsden, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Wednesday, 26 August 2026
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 21 September 2026

To ask the Scottish Government when it will publish its new national plan for hospital flow and whether the plan will include structural changes to the NHS and NHS boards.

The Scottish Government published the Health and Care Improving Flow Plan 2026-2031 on 31 August, delivering our commitment to publish a National Flow Plan within the first 100 days of this administration.

The Plan sets out our ambition for one connected system, simple routes to care, ensuring every person receives the most appropriate response as quickly as possible. It outlines action to improve navigation into care, expand home and community-based services, strengthen discharge arrangements, improve acute hospital flow, and tackle overcrowding and corridor care

The Plan has been developed jointly with Scotland East and Scotland West Sub-National Planning Committees and informed through engagement with NHS Boards, Health and Social Care Partnerships, clinicians, national agencies, care providers and other partners. Detailed operational implementation arrangements an collaboration with partners will continue to be developed following publication. Through delivery of this Plan we will improve access to care, support more care closer to home, reduce delays and improve outcomes for people across Scotland.

The Health and Care Improving Flow Plan does not set out proposals for structural reform of NHS Boards. Separate proposals for NHS structural reform were announced in the Programme for Government on 1 September 2026.

Question reference: S7W-02893

Asked by: Adam Harley, MSP for Strathkelvin and Bearsden, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Thursday, 03 September 2026
Current Status: Answered by Stephen Gethins on 17 September 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what funding is available for community (a) benefit projects and (b) organisations.

Community benefits from renewable energy developments are voluntary arrangements between developers and local communities. Around £40 million in community benefits were offered to communities across Scotland in the last year, supported by the Scottish Government’s Good Practice Principles, which are currently being refreshed.

The Scottish Government recognises the vital role of community and third sector organisations across Scotland. In 2023, it invested over £1 billion in the third sector and is implementing its Fairer Funding Principles, including increasing multi-year funding across government.

Question reference: S7O-00259

Asked by: Adam Harley, MSP for Strathkelvin and Bearsden, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Wednesday, 16 September 2026
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 23 September 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what support it provides to organisations seeking to purchase woodland for community use.

Question reference: S7W-02600

Asked by: Adam Harley, MSP for Strathkelvin and Bearsden, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Thursday, 20 August 2026
Current Status: Answered by Maree Todd on 15 September 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether 23 publicly-funded beds for drug rehabilitation is a sufficient number.

Question reference: S7W-02598

Asked by: Adam Harley, MSP for Strathkelvin and Bearsden, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Thursday, 20 August 2026
Current Status: Answered by Maree Todd on 15 September 2026

To ask the Scottish Government whether it has given any consideration to mobile drug consumption rooms.

The Scottish Government has not received any proposals for the introduction of a mobile drug consumption unit, as a result has not undertaken any detailed consideration of this model.

The Scottish Government's focus has been on supporting the establishment and operation of Scotland's first safer drug consumption facility, The Thistle, in Glasgow. The Lord Advocate’s Statement of Prosecution Policy applies only to that fixed facility and does not extend to mobile units.

Question reference: S7W-02607

Asked by: Adam Harley, MSP for Strathkelvin and Bearsden, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Thursday, 20 August 2026
Current Status: Answered by Maree Todd on 15 September 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what its strategy is for the future of curling.

The Scottish Government support Scottish Curling’s strategy ‘Sweeping Change: The Future of Curling 2023-2027’. The strategy aims to create a nationwide network of thriving curling communities by increasing participation, strengthening clubs and facilities, developing coaches and volunteers, supporting athlete pathways, improving engagement, and embedding sustainability across the sport.

The Scottish Government, through sportscotland, works in partnership with, and invests in, Scottish Curling to support the delivery of these objectives.

Question reference: S7W-02609

Asked by: Adam Harley, MSP for Strathkelvin and Bearsden, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Thursday, 20 August 2026
Current Status: Answered by Maree Todd on 15 September 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to raise public awareness of curling.

Our national agency for sport, sportscotland, supports efforts to increase awareness and participation in curling through its investment and partnership work with Scottish Curling.

This includes supporting initiatives such as the national Try Curling programme, club development activity, workforce development, and investment in projects designed to strengthen pathways and create more opportunities for people to experience and participate in the sport.

In addition, Scottish Curling and sportscotland are committed to helping to raise the awareness of curling by hosting major international events. In March 2025, Scotland hosted the World Wheelchair Curling Championships and the World Wheelchair Mixed Doubles Curling Championships in Stevenston, North Ayrshire, helping to showcase the sport to wider audiences.

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