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-42534

Asked by: Clare Haughey, MSP for Rutherglen, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 11 December 2025
Current Status: Answer expected on 8 January 2026

To ask the Scottish Government when it anticipates that all eligible recipients of the Pension Age Winter Heating Payment will receive payments in 2025-26.

Question reference: S6W-42502

Asked by: Clare Haughey, MSP for Rutherglen, Scottish National Party
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Date lodged: Wednesday, 10 December 2025
Current Status: Initiated by the Scottish Government. Answered by Neil Gray on 11 December 2025

To ask the Scottish Government when it will publish its findings on the Future Medical Workforce project.

I am pleased to announce that today we have published our Phase 1 report on the Future Medical Workforce Project. You can access the report here.

The report follows an extensive exploratory process to understand the challenges and opportunities for Scotland’s medical workforce over the next 15 to 20 years.

Over the past six months, we have engaged widely with the profession, we have listened to over 2,000 doctors through a national survey and 40 focus groups.

The report reflects these candid views and explores how technology, service redesign, and cultural change can help create a better future for the profession, enabling high-quality care in a rapidly changing health system. It also makes the case for meaningful change.

Phase 2 of the project will begin in January 2026 and will focus on designing solutions in partnership with the profession. This will include workstreams on training reform, workforce planning, and service redesign.

A letter will be sent to the Health, Social Care and Sport Committee to provide an update on the report and to invite them, along with key stakeholders, to a cross-party discussion in the new year to review the findings and consider how best to take forward Phase 2 of the project.

Question reference: S6O-05305

Asked by: Clare Haughey, MSP for Rutherglen, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 10 December 2025
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 17 December 2025

To ask the Scottish Government how it is supporting NHS boards, in light of the increase in hospital admissions of people affected by influenza.

Question reference: S6O-05276

Current Status: Withdrawn

Question reference: S6T-02772

Asked by: Clare Haughey, MSP for Rutherglen, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 24 November 2025
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 25 November 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the warning from Scottish Care that the UK Government’s immigration proposals risk destabilising care provision in Scotland.

Question reference: S6F-04468

Asked by: Clare Haughey, MSP for Rutherglen, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 17 November 2025
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 20 November 2025

To ask the First Minister, in light of the UK Government’s reported decision to revisit compensating Women Against State Pension Inequality, what assessment the Scottish Government has made of the potential social security implications for those affected in Scotland.

Question reference: S6W-41855

Asked by: Clare Haughey, MSP for Rutherglen, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 13 November 2025
Current Status: Initiated by the Scottish Government. Answered by Jenni Minto on 14 November 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what progress has been made towards its commitment to review the law on abortion to ensure that abortion services are a healthcare matter.

The Scottish Government committed in our Programme for Government 2023-24 to ensuring that abortion services are first and foremost a healthcare matter.

That is why in August 2024 I established an Expert Group chaired by Professor Anna Glasier, the Scottish Government’s Women’s Health Champion, to provide an independent assessment of the current law on abortion and, if appropriate, make recommendations for reform. The independent Expert Group’s report has been published today.

The Group examined the current law, and reviewed international examples, stakeholder contributions and other evidence. It sets out 36 recommendations for the Scottish Government to consider and the minutes for the Expert Group meetings, along with their terms of reference, can be found here.

The report represents the views of the independent Expert Group, and it will form only one part of the overall review.

The Scottish Government will now begin its own programme of stakeholder engagement on these recommendations with the many individuals and organisations interested in this subject. I am clear that any future consideration of legislative proposals would also be subject to a full public consultation.

Question reference: S6O-05161

Asked by: Clare Haughey, MSP for Rutherglen, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 12 November 2025
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 19 November 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the UK Government's Pride in Place Programme in relation to its impact on devolved issues.

Question reference: S6O-05072

Asked by: Clare Haughey, MSP for Rutherglen, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 22 October 2025
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 29 October 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what engagement it has had with local authorities regarding their implementation of Scottish Government legislation.

Question reference: S6W-41302

Asked by: Clare Haughey, MSP for Rutherglen, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 13 October 2025
Current Status: Initiated by the Scottish Government. Answered by Neil Gray on 13 October 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what it is doing to explore every avenue to support the sector and bring new care workers into social care roles in Scotland.

The UK Government’s hostile and restrictive migration policies are damaging Scotland’s health and social care sector.

In Scotland we need a migration system that works for our NHS, our social care sector, our businesses and third sector. Until we have the full powers over migration that will come with independence, we will do all we can within the devolved powers of the Scottish Parliament to mitigate the UK Government’s harmful approach to migration.

I am therefore pleased to confirm today that the Scottish Government will create a bespoke offering to help social care workers who have been displaced to come to Scotland and contribute to our care sector.

We will provide £500,000 to mitigate the devastating impact of the UK Government’s closure of the care worker visa route and provide targeted support to help displaced social care workers.

This will support international social care workers already in the UK who have lost their social care jobs as a result of their employer losing their visa sponsor licence, to come to Scotland and contribute their valuable skills to our social care sector. It is our intention for this work to begin immediately so that social care workers can settle into new jobs before Christmas.