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-43161

Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 16 January 2026
Current Status: Answer expected on 30 January 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what the specific quality standards are for continence products supplied for home use under the national procurement framework, and what the cost-differential is per unit between products supplied in acute hospital settings compared with those provided to patients in the community.

Question reference: S6W-43156

Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 16 January 2026
Current Status: Answer expected on 30 January 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what specific key performance indicators or service level agreements are in place for NHS contractors regarding delivery response times for terminally ill patients requiring continence products, and how it monitors NHS boards' compliance with these standards to prevent geographic disparities in care.

Question reference: S6W-43164

Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 16 January 2026
Current Status: Answer expected on 30 January 2026

To ask the Scottish Government how many delayed discharge bed days in the last 12 months were attributed specifically to delays in the availability of home care equipment or domestic adaptations.

Question reference: S6W-42839

Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 06 January 2026
Current Status: Answered by Gillian Martin on 16 January 2026

To ask the Scottish Government for what reason plastics are not referenced in its Circular Economy Strategy.

The draft Circular Economy Strategy provides a high-level framework for Scotland’s transition to a circular economy, setting out a broad vision and outcomes as well as priorities across policy mechanisms, priority sectors, product stewardship and a monitoring and indicator framework to help us continue to cut waste levels, create consistent and easy to use waste services across Scotland, and drive the sustainable use of plastic and other resources.

The draft Strategy takes a sector-led, not a materials-led, approach which allows consideration of interventions that can tackle the impact of material use, including plastics, along supply chains via multiple mechanisms.

It is important that plastics are considered alongside the broader issues and impacts relating to material use and that the full impact of a product’s design, use and disposal can be considered within the system within which it will be used.

All consultation responses will be considered when finalising the Strategy.

Question reference: S6W-42838

Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 06 January 2026
Current Status: Answered by Gillian Martin on 16 January 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to reduce the impact of microplastics on people's health and wellbeing.

We are committed to exploring options to reduce the use of microplastics and reducing plastic pollution in general by supporting the growth of the circular economy.

The Environmental Protection (Single-use Plastic Products) (Scotland) Regulations 2021 bans certain single-use plastic items including plastic cutlery, plastic plates, and plastic straws, which will reduce the amount of microplastics formed in the environment due to plastic degradation.

In addition, we are committed to helping address microplastic pollution from pellets, flakes and powders that are used to make plastic products. Our work has been key to informing international policy that aims to reduce pellet loss from across the entire supply chain, and led to the first standard for pellet handling and management. We are learning from the application of best practice in industry and considering how best to progress this issue following the introduction of regulations in the EU.

Question reference: S6W-42863

Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 07 January 2026
Current Status: Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 15 January 2026

To ask the Scottish Government how many times it has met with Salmon Scotland since 2021.

The Scottish Government does not routinely collate information on how often if meets with individual sectors and so is unable to provide an accurate and comprehensive response. The details of all Ministerial engagements are proactively published by the Scottish Government and can be accessed here: Ministerial engagements, travel and gifts - gov.scot

However, the following information released in response to requests for information under the Environmental Information (Scotland) Regulations 2004, and which relate to meetings between Ministers or officials and the Scottish salmon sector may be of interest.

52 Ministerial-sector meetings, plus five meetings of the Scottish Aquaculture Council took place between 11 September 2019 and 12 December 2024.
13 meetings took place between the Head of the Fish Health Inspectorate and Salmon aquaculture companies between 1 January 2022 to 26 July 2025.

Meetings are reflective of the need for Scottish Government to engage with industries and organisations which are subject to government policy and regulation.

Question reference: S6W-42828

Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 06 January 2026
Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 14 January 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to reduce and end so-called hospital "corridor care".

The Scottish Government recognises that care in non-standard areas, sometimes referred to as “corridor care,” is not acceptable as a routine practice. This arises from acute capacity pressures and poor patient flow, which we are working hard to address.

Through the NHS Scotland Operational Improvement Plan, we are investing £220 million in 2025-26 to improve hospital flow, reduce waiting times and minimise delayed discharges. This includes expanding Hospital at Home services, strengthening Same Day Emergency Care, and providing additional social care capacity to relieve pressure on emergency departments.

Question reference: S6W-42606

Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 16 December 2025
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 14 January 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what investment has been made in active travel infrastructure in Lanarkshire in each of the last five years to improve road safety for children walking and cycling to school.

The principle fund for Local Authorities to develop Active Travel routes, including routes to schools, is the Active Travel Fund Infrastructure Fund (ATIF), in particular Tier 1 formerly known as Cycling Walking and Safe Routes. Since 2021 North Lanarkshire Council have received £10,866,076 and South Lanarkshire Council have received £9,937,001 from this funding route.

Additional awards have been granted to both Lanarkshire Local Authorities from other tiers of funding which have contributed to improving active travel routes to schools, these are set out below;

In 2023-24 £1,230,000 was awarded to North Lanarkshire Council to deliver active travel links that improved school active travel connections in Airdrie and Wishaw through the Active Travel Transformation Fund.

In 2024-25 £420,000 was provided to North Lanarkshire Council through ATIF Tier 2 for pedestrians improvements around Motherwell Train Station with cycling and walking improvements on Oakfield Road, Watsonville Park, Camp Street and West Hamilton Street, creating safer corridors to schools.

In 2025-26 £1,074,898 has been awarded to North Lanarkshire Council for two additional projects. The first in Orbiston on key school routes that will upgrade crossings, lighting and drainage, with improvements to bus stops and cycle by-passes. The second in Wishaw aims to create high quality accessibility links between the train station, sports centre and hospital, benefits the whole community, including pupils journeying to school.

Design funding has been award for 2025-26 for South Lanarkshire Council, partnering with Strathclyde Passenger Transport. £65,2220 will be used to plan a safer route from Glespin to Douglas.

Question reference: S6W-42987

Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 13 January 2026
Current Status: Answer expected on 27 January 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to close any (a) survival and (b) research gap for the less survivable common cancers of the lungs, liver, brain, oesophagus, pancreas and stomach, in light of reports that they collectively result in over 9,000 deaths, or around 44% of all cancer deaths, in Scotland each year.

Question reference: S6W-42988

Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 13 January 2026
Current Status: Answer expected on 27 January 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to ensure that people who require mental health support through the NHS do not feel the need to self-fund private treatment as a result of long NHS waiting times, and what provision is in place for people to be reimbursed for any consultations, treatment or support that has been clinically recommended to them in a private healthcare setting.