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-43855

Asked by: Richard Leonard, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Date lodged: Friday, 20 February 2026
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 2 March 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the impact of severe weather conditions in Scotland on (a) port infrastructure and (b) the road network supporting private ferry services operated between Scotland and Northern Ireland, since 1 November 2025 to date, and whether it will raise these matters with its counterparts in the UK Government.

The Scottish Government has not made an assessment of the impact of severe weather conditions in Scotland on the port infrastructure supporting private ferry services operated between Scotland and Northern Ireland. Port authorities across Scotland continue to assess the impact of changing conditions on their operations.

Regarding assessment of the impact of severe weather conditions on the road network, our Operating Companies are required to prepare and maintain a Disruption Risk Management Plan. This brings together the range of processes, tools, records, and operational plans that collectively describe the activities undertaken to enable timely and effective action to mitigate the effects of emergencies, as they affect the trunk road network.

The Transport Scotland Manual for the Management of the Risk of Unplanned Network Disruption provides direction to Operating Companies on managing and mitigating the effects of disruptive events, such as those caused by weather events. The on-going recording of events and subsequent revisions to the plans provide a platform for early detection of changing conditions that may have an impact on the network.

Operation Overflow at Castle Kennedy has provided HGV parking facilities for wider civil contingencies issues in the area such as severe weather. Several mobilisations were stood up for severe weather events affecting the Irish Sea ferry operations, with the most recent activation in January 2026.

Transport Scotland officials regularly liaise with UK Government officials across a range of transport issues, but there are no current specific plans to discuss the impact of severe weather on the port infrastructure and road network supporting the ferry services between Scotland and Northern Ireland.

Question reference: S6W-43856

Asked by: Richard Leonard, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Date lodged: Thursday, 19 February 2026
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 2 March 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to monitor the effect of recent severe weather conditions on the resilience of Scotland’s rail infrastructure, and when it last met officials from Network Rail Scotland to discuss these matters.

Transport Scotland officials meet regularly with Network Rail to discuss and monitor the resilience of Scotland’s rail infrastructure, especially in the context of our changing climate.

The Scottish Government is committed to the continued investment in our railways, including in strengthening its resilience. It is investing £4.2 billion in Control Period 7, 2024-29, which includes additional spending of circa £400m to improve the network’s resilience to climate change and to strengthen its ability to withstand extreme weather events.

Question reference: S6W-43858

Asked by: Richard Leonard, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Date lodged: Thursday, 19 February 2026
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 2 March 2026

To ask the Scottish Government whether it can provide a list of the (a) delays to and (b) cancellations of (i) CalMac Ferries, (ii) Serco NorthLink Ferries and (iii) Orkney Ferries services as a result of severe weather conditions since 1 November 2025 to date.

A table has been placed in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre (BIB Number 66507) that provides delays and cancellations of CalMac Ferries and Serco NorthLink Ferries.

Weather related cancellation and delay figures for CalMac Ferries have been provided to the end of January 2026 as February’s statistics have still to be validated.

The Scottish Government does not hold the information for Orkney Ferries Ltd. You may wish to request this information directly from Orkney Ferries Ltd.

Question reference: S6W-43859

Asked by: Richard Leonard, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Date lodged: Thursday, 19 February 2026
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 2 March 2026

To ask the Scottish Government whether it can provide a list of the (a) delays to and (b) cancellations of (i) Western Ferries and (ii) Pentland Ferries services as a result of severe weather conditions since 1 November 2025 to date.

Question reference: S6W-43857

Asked by: Richard Leonard, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Date lodged: Thursday, 19 February 2026
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 2 March 2026

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide a list of the (a) delays to and (b) cancellations of (i) ScotRail and (ii) Caledonian Sleeper services as a result of severe weather conditions since 1 November 2025 to date.

Question reference: S6O-05592

Asked by: Richard Leonard, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 25 February 2026
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 4 March 2026

To ask the Scottish Government whether it is confident that the changes to the working week for NHS Agenda for Change staff will be fully implemented by 1 April 2026.

Question reference: S6W-43791

Asked by: Richard Leonard, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 18 February 2026
Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 25 February 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what rights patients, their families and carers currently have to secure an urgent review when they consider that a patient’s condition is deteriorating and their concerns are not being acted upon.

The Charter of Patient Rights and Responsibilities (Patient Charter) was established by the Patient Rights(Scotland) Act 2011 which enshrined the right to request a second opinion. It works along with the Scottish Patient Safety Programme’s work in the recognition, response and review of deteriorating patients which includes a strong focus on listening to and acting on the concerns of patients, their families, carers and staff, to ensure action is taken.

It also sets out the rights of everybody in Scotland when using the NHS, including the right that the health care they receive will consider their needs, and what would most benefit their health and wellbeing, encouraging them to take part in decisions about their health and wellbeing, and providing them with the information and support they need to do so.

Question reference: S6W-43792

Asked by: Richard Leonard, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 18 February 2026
Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 24 February 2026

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will introduce interim national safeguards to empower healthcare staff as well as patients, their families and carers, to trigger an urgent clinical review where there are concerns that a patient’s condition is deteriorating, pending the recommendations of the short-term working group established to consider this matter.

The Scottish Government is committed to ensuring that everyone in Scotland has fair and reliable access to the protections offered by Martha’s Rule, which empowers patients and families to escalate concerns about care.

The right to request a second opinion is already enshrined in the Patient’s Charter, along with the Scottish Patient Safety Programme’s work in the recognition, response and review of deteriorating patients which includes a strong focus on listening to and acting on the concerns of patients, their families, carers and staff, to ensure action is taken. A short-life group will be further developing these principles, including clear escalation and independent advocacy.

Question reference: S6W-43790

Asked by: Richard Leonard, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 18 February 2026
Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 24 February 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what specific lessons learnt, if any, it has taken from the pilot of Martha’s Rule initiative across 143 hospital sites in NHS England, and for what reason it considers it necessary to duplicate the pilot process prior to introducing a similar initiative in Scotland.

The Scottish Government has considered the learning from NHS England’s pilots and recognised that there is opportunity to further embed the principles of Martha’s Rule alongside the Essentials of Safe Care approach that already forms part of the Scottish Patient Safety Programme.

Healthcare Improvement Scotland is establishing a short-life working group which will include stakeholders from across the NHS. The group will consider learning from NHS England as well as gathering views from those with lived experience of the NHS in Scotland. The Group will develop robust and consistent guidance, underpinned by the clear principle of escalation and advocacy. The first meeting of the group is scheduled for March 2026.

Question reference: S6O-05576

Asked by: Richard Leonard, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Date lodged: Wednesday, 18 February 2026
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 26 February 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what action it takes to ensure that public transport workers can go to work without the fear of assault.