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

Filter your results Hide all filters

Displaying 777 questions Show Answers

Order by |

Question reference: S6W-43223

Asked by: Brian Whittle, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 21 January 2026
Current Status: Answer expected on 4 February 2026

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-42932 by Neil Gray on 21 January 2026, what it expects the accelerated timeline of the national rollout of MyCare.scot to be.

Question reference: S6W-43227

Asked by: Brian Whittle, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 21 January 2026
Current Status: Answer expected on 4 February 2026

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-42980 by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 21 January 2026, whether any training is provided to (a) benefits advisors, (b) benefits assessors and (c) any other staff at Social Security Scotland on the importance of disabled people remaining physically active.

Question reference: S6O-05421

Asked by: Brian Whittle, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 21 January 2026
Current Status: Due to be taken in the Chamber on 28 January 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions the Cabinet Secretary for Constitution, External Affairs and Culture has had with ministerial colleagues regarding how to ensure that Scotland maximises the cultural legacy benefits of the 2026 Summer of Sport.

Question reference: S6W-42938

Asked by: Brian Whittle, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 13 January 2026
Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 21 January 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what percentage of the NHS budget is spent on IT, including digital (a) infrastructure and (b) innovation.

It is not possible for the Scottish Government to answer this question, as the total NHS Scotland expenditure on IT infrastructure and innovation is a matter for NHS Boardsand is not held centrally. Given the variation in approaches and systems in use across individual NHS Boards this information would need to be requested directly from each Health Board.

The Scottish Government’s funding for national digital and innovation programmes for 2025-2026 was £122.2 million. The majority of this was used to fund essential NHS Digital Services and contracts such as Digital Prescribing and Dispensing Programme and GP IT and to support delivery of the Programme for Government’s digital commitments. Investments include,

Digital and Data Infrastructure –For example, expansion of the National Digital Platform and continued development and rollout of systems such as the Digital Front Door, enabling better access to health and care information for citizens and professionals.
Cyber Security and Core Infrastructure – strengthening resilience and ensuring secure, reliable digital services across NHS Scotland.
Service Transformation – investment in digital tools that support remote monitoring, telehealth, and virtual consultations, improving access and reducing pressure on frontline services.
Workforce and Skills Development – funding to build digital capability within the health and care workforce, ensuring effective adoption and use of new technologies.
Accelerated National Innovation Adoption pathway–to deliver a “Once for Scotland” approach to the identification, assessment and accelerated national adoption of transformative medical technologies.
NHS Regional Innovation Hubs- Scotland’s three NHS Regional Innovation Hubs partner with academia and industry to accelerate the development, testing and evaluation of new technologies.

Question reference: S6W-42932

Asked by: Brian Whittle, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 13 January 2026
Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 21 January 2026

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the Audit Scotland report, Delayed discharges: A symptom of the challenges facing health and social care, which was published on 8 January 2026, what action it is taking to expedite plans for, and the delivery of, the MyCare Scotland App, and associated digital innovations.

While 97% of discharges occur without delay, further action is needed. Local systems are working to improve patient flow, supported by over £220 million of national investment, including winter funding to increase social care capacity.

The national rollout of MyCare.scot will be accelerated from April 2026. Over time, MyCare will give people in the health and social care settings secure access to key health and care information and should help to improve communication and support discharge planning.

Question reference: S6W-42980

Asked by: Brian Whittle, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 13 January 2026
Current Status: Answered by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 21 January 2026

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-42573 by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 6 January 2026, whether it will provide the information that was requested and confirm what action it is taking to address reported concerns that 40% of people with disabilities are worried their benefits will be removed if they are seen to be more active.

The Scottish Government actively encourage disabled people to improve their wellbeing by being more physically active, in a way that suits them. Sport Disability Scotland has invested £750,000 to support this work.

Social Security Scotland make it clear on their website that disabled people are encouraged to improve their wellbeing by being more physically active, in a way that suits them, without it impacting their eligibility for disability benefits. A link to this resource can be read here: Celebrating Scottish Disability Sport Week - Social Security Scotland

Question reference: S6W-43197

Asked by: Brian Whittle, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 20 January 2026
Current Status: Answer expected on 3 February 2026

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-42935 by Neil Gray on 20 January 2026, what timeline it has given to the Collaborative Response and Assurance group to consider the recommendations and report back to it.

Question reference: S6W-43192

Asked by: Brian Whittle, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 20 January 2026
Current Status: Answer expected on 3 February 2026

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-42985 by Jenni Minto on 20 January 2026, what funding has been allocated in the 2026-27 draft Scottish Budget to allow a national respiratory audit to progress.

Question reference: S6W-43198

Asked by: Brian Whittle, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 20 January 2026
Current Status: Answer expected on 3 February 2026

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-42936 by Neil Gray on 20 January 2026, what form this work is taking, and what the timeline is for completion.

Question reference: S6W-42985

Asked by: Brian Whittle, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 13 January 2026
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 20 January 2026

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-42568 by Jenni Minto on 5 January 2026, by what date the scoping exercise for a national respiratory audit by Public Health Scotland will be completed.

The scoping exercise we commissioned Public Health Scotland (PHS) to carry out for a national respiratory audit was completed in March 2024 but due to fiscal challenges PHS have been unable to progress the development of a national respiratory audit.

We continue to engage with the Scottish Respiratory Advisory Committee and stakeholders to improve standards of care and data collection for respiratory care across Scotland.