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.

Find out more about parliamentary questions

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Question reference: S7O-00432

Asked by: Alexander Burnett, MSP for Aberdeenshire West, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 28 October 2026
Current Status: Due to be taken in the Chamber on 4 November 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the effectiveness of flood prevention measures delivered since Storm Frank.

Question reference: S7W-04111

Asked by: Alexander Burnett, MSP for Aberdeenshire West, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 08 October 2026
Current Status: Answered by Alison Thewliss on 27 October 2026

To ask the Scottish Government how many vacant special care dentistry posts there are in each NHS board, and what steps it is taking to address any workforce shortages.

Question reference: S7W-04107

Asked by: Alexander Burnett, MSP for Aberdeenshire West, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 08 October 2026
Current Status: Answered by Alison Thewliss on 27 October 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what procedures and guidelines are in place for providing special dentistry care with regard to patient preferences.

Question reference: S7W-04110

Asked by: Alexander Burnett, MSP for Aberdeenshire West, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 08 October 2026
Current Status: Answered by Alison Thewliss on 27 October 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what funding has been allocated to special care dentistry services in each NHS board in each year since 2021-22.

This information is not held by Scottish Government. Between 2020-21 and 2022-23, Scottish Government provided funding to Public Dental Services via Health Board allocations, however this did not specify funding for special care dentistry. From the financial year 2023-24, this funding has been baselined in to the general Health Board allocations and is not separately identifiable. I would advise the Member to contact each NHS Board directly to obtain this information.

Question reference: S7W-04112

Asked by: Alexander Burnett, MSP for Aberdeenshire West, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 08 October 2026
Current Status: Answered by Alison Thewliss on 27 October 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether there is sufficient specialist special care dentistry capacity to meet demand.

Scottish Government is working closely with NHS Boards to determine the position of Special Care Dentistry across Scotland. This includes engagement with Health Board Chief Executives through the Dental Reference Group which, as detailed in my response to S7W-04109 on 27 October 2026, is undertaking a review of Special Care Dentistry services and will help inform our assessment.

All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers.

Question reference: S7W-04106

Asked by: Alexander Burnett, MSP for Aberdeenshire West, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 08 October 2026
Current Status: Answered by Alison Thewliss on 27 October 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the impact of reported shortages of special care dentistry staff on patient access to treatment in NHS Grampian.

I understand that NHS Grampian is actively working to increase the capacity of its Specialist Special Care Dentistry service and expects to be in a position to advertise for a full-time Specialist in Special Care Dentistry in the near future. In addition, the Board continues to invest in postgraduate Special Care Dentistry training for Dental Officers within the Public Dental Service. While recruitment efforts continue, I have been assured that NHS Grampian has arrangements in place to ensure that patients who require Special Care Dentistry services continue to receive appropriate care and treatment.

Question reference: S7W-04109

Asked by: Alexander Burnett, MSP for Aberdeenshire West, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 08 October 2026
Current Status: Answered by Alison Thewliss on 27 October 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what improvement plans it has implemented or expects to implement to improve access to special care dentistry for people in rural communities.

Question reference: S7W-04108

Asked by: Alexander Burnett, MSP for Aberdeenshire West, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 08 October 2026
Current Status: Answered by Alison Thewliss on 27 October 2026

To ask the Scottish Government how many special care dentists there have been in each NHS board in each year since 2021-22.

Question reference: S7W-04256

Asked by: Alexander Burnett, MSP for Aberdeenshire West, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 12 October 2026
Current Status: Answered by Ivan McKee on 21 October 2026

To ask the Scottish Government, regarding the voluntary sector representatives sitting on the Programme Board for Public Service Reform, how many there are and which charities or voluntary organisations they represent.

Question reference: S7W-04253

Asked by: Alexander Burnett, MSP for Aberdeenshire West, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 12 October 2026
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 19 October 2026

To ask the Scottish Government whether it has plans to extend Hospital at Home services across all NHS boards to enable people under the age of 65, who are not living in care homes, to access such services.

Hospital at Home services are now established across all territorial NHS Boards and are a key part of delivering more care closer to home. As set out in our Improving Flow Plan, it is our ambition that 10,000 patients will benefit from Hospital at Home services this winter.

Access to Hospital at Home is based on clinical need, suitability and safety, not age alone. NHS Boards are increasingly extending Hospital at Home to a wider range of clinical pathways and patient groups.

We are continuing to work with NHS Boards and Healthcare Improvement Scotland to expand access to Hospital at Home services, so more people, including younger people where clinically appropriate, can receive safe and effective hospital-level care at home and avoid unnecessary hospital admission.