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 666 questions Show Answers

Order by |

Question reference: S6W-37823

Asked by: Brian Whittle, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 22 May 2025
Current Status: Answer expected on 5 June 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether legislation will be required to deliver an integrated social care and health record, as referenced in its Care in the Digital Age: Delivery Plan 2024-25.

Question reference: S6W-37646

Asked by: Brian Whittle, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 15 May 2025
Current Status: Answer expected on 29 May 2025

To ask the Scottish Government whether investment for Crohn’s disease and colitis is included as a "similar condition" in the £4.5 million of funding announced in the Programme for Government 2025-26 for new specialist support for long COVID, myalgic encephalomyelitis (ME), chronic fatigue and other similar conditions.

Question reference: S6W-37645

Asked by: Brian Whittle, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 15 May 2025
Current Status: Answer expected on 29 May 2025

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the announcement within the Programme for Government 2025-26 of £4.5 million for new specialist support for long COVID, myalgic encephalomyelitis (ME), chronic fatigue and other similar conditions, what it identifies as "similar conditions".

Question reference: S6W-37563

Asked by: Brian Whittle, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 13 May 2025
Current Status: Answer expected on 27 May 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to improve data collection and reporting on cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) training in schools, in collaboration with local authorities.

Question reference: S6W-37566

Asked by: Brian Whittle, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 13 May 2025
Current Status: Answer expected on 27 May 2025

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to the second supplementary to question S6O-04619 by Neil Gray on 7 May 2025, whether it will provide an update on the delivery of an electronic, single shared patient record system.

Question reference: S6W-37564

Asked by: Brian Whittle, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 13 May 2025
Current Status: Answer expected on 27 May 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what support it offers to local authorities and schools to help ensure that all pupils receive cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) training during their time in education.

Question reference: S6F-04062

Asked by: Brian Whittle, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 06 May 2025
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 8 May 2025

To ask the First Minister, in light of the publication of the Programme for Government, what action the Scottish Government is taking to ensure that prevention is more strongly integrated into the health system.

Question reference: S6W-36239

Asked by: Brian Whittle, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 02 April 2025
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 30 April 2025

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on when it plans to publish the independent analysis report of its consultation on restricting promotions of food and drink that is high in fat, salt and/or sugar, and what the next steps will be.

Question reference: S6W-36243

Asked by: Brian Whittle, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 02 April 2025
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 29 April 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what engagement it has had with industry and business stakeholders to understand and address reported concerns regarding cross-border online alcohol sales, including how these might impact on its policy on minimum unit pricing.

The Scottish Government, through the Licensing (Scotland) Act 2005, provides the overarching legal framework within which alcohol can be sold and supplied in Scotland. The 2005 Act makes provision for the licensing of premises in Scotland where alcohol is sold online and despatched from Scottish premises. Minimum unit pricing does not apply to alcohol sales which are despatched from outside Scotland directly to a buyer within Scotland.

The Scottish Government is aware of concerns raised about cross-border online alcohol sales in Scotland.

Officials have engaged with industry and business stakeholders, including the Scottish Grocers Federation and alcohol licensing stakeholders, on these matters to better understand these concerns. Additionally, through Scottish Enterprise, my officials have sought direct engagement with online retailers.

We will continue to engage with all relevant stakeholders to keep the potential impact of this developing market under review and to better understand the interaction between devolved and reserved matters in this area.

Question reference: S6W-36242

Asked by: Brian Whittle, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 02 April 2025
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 29 April 2025

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of (a) the level of such sales and (b) their potential impact on (i) public health and (ii) its policy on minimum unit pricing, what its position is on whether the current data collected regarding cross-border online alcohol sales is sufficient, and what consideration it has given to the collection of more detailed data.

The Public Health Scotland evaluation of MUP found some evidence of cross-border purchasing, but its extent was observed to be minimal. The evaluation also found online sales to be relatively minor at a population level.

Public Health Scotland holds alcohol retail sales data for both the on-trade and off-trade, which includes all electronic point of sale data for the main supermarkets and a representative sample of smaller retailers and independent stores. Detailed information on cross-border online alcohol sales is not available and such information is likely to be commercially confidential and would require businesses to supply this on a voluntary basis.

The Scottish Government has no current plans to make any changes to the collection of online alcohol sales data.