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-43570

Asked by: Brian Whittle, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 04 February 2026
Current Status: Answered by Tom Arthur on 18 February 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to tackle the mortality gap between people with mental illness and the rest of the population.

A key focus of the Mental Health and Wellbeing Delivery Plan is improving the quality of life for people with mental health conditions, recognising that poorer physical health outcomes are a contributor to the mortality gap.

To achieve this, we are improving access to timely, effective, and person-centred mental health support, care and treatment, ensuring people can access the right care when they need it. Between the Scottish Government and NHS Boards, we expect spending on Mental Health to exceed £1.5 billion in 2026-27 based on the most recent cost book data.

There are a wide range of factors, including poverty, employment, financial wellbeing and housing and homelessness, that can contribute to whether a person is mentally healthy or not. That is why our Mental Health and Wellbeing strategy recognises mental health as a cross-government priority and why we are working across portfolios and with a range of partners to address the wider social determinants of mental health more broadly.

Question reference: S6W-43573

Asked by: Brian Whittle, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 04 February 2026
Current Status: Answered by Tom Arthur on 18 February 2026

To ask the Scottish Government whether there is an entitlement to annual health checks for people with mental illness in Scotland, in the same way as there is (a) in England and (b) for people with learning disabilities.

In Scotland, there is no requirement for annual physical health checks for people with mental illness. However, the Scottish Government has issued National Directions requiring NHS Boards to deliver annual health checks to people aged 16+ with learning disabilities. GPs are best placed to advise and guide people about treatment and management of symptoms relating to their mental and physical health. Routine assessment through general practice services remains the primary route for addressing concerns and we would encourage anyone, including people living with mental illness, to contact their GP whenever they have concerns about their physical or mental health.

Question reference: S6W-43572

Asked by: Brian Whittle, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 04 February 2026
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 17 February 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to ensure that people with mental illness are provided with timely screening and treatment for preventable physical health conditions.

The Scottish Government and our NHS partners are committed to ensuring everyone in Scotland has equal access to the healthcare they need. This is reflected in The Health and Social Care Service Renewal Framework 2025-26, which sets out our vision to improve population health, including mental health; preventative healthcare and early intervention; and reducing inequalities.

The Scottish Equity in Screening Strategy 2023 - 2026 also outlines our commitment to improving access to screening for all, including those with mental health conditions. The screening programmes are working with all NHS Boards, screening programmes and a wide number of stakeholders to identify and address challenges patients may face.

To support this work, the Scottish Government have provided £1 million annually for national and local initiatives that reduce inequalities and improve access to screening. This funding has recently enabled NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde to employ a specialist nurse to deliver cervical screening in mental health inpatient settings. Screening Oversight and Assurance Scotland is also developing new guidance to improve screening access for all inpatients, including those in mental health care.

Across the NHS more generally, all patients and screening participants are encouraged to discuss any concerns or additional requirements with a relevant healthcare professional before attending appointments or receiving treatment. These must be taken account of and recorded where they have been communicated by the patient, the patient’s carer, or a medical practitioner, to ensure support can be provided throughout the entire patient pathway. This is underpinned by the Waiting Times Guidance, published November 2023, which notes that Health Boards have a duty to ensure that patients are provided with information they can easily understand, and that appropriate support is put in place as required.

Finally, Everyone should be invited every five years between the ages of 40 and 74 for a NHS health check, while people engaged with their GP’s learning disability register are entitled to a mandatory annual health check.

Question reference: S6W-43768

Asked by: Brian Whittle, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 16 February 2026
Current Status: Answer expected on 2 March 2026

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-43538 by Gillian Martin on 12 February 2026, how many times the Energy Consents Unit has corresponded with the Children’s Rights Unit by (a) email, (b) post or (c) internal memo to request a consultation or advice regarding any impacts on children.

Question reference: S6T-02902

Asked by: Brian Whittle, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 16 February 2026
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 17 February 2026

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on its decision to escalate NHS Ayrshire and Arran to Stage 4 of the national improvement framework.

Question reference: S6W-43538

Asked by: Brian Whittle, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 03 February 2026
Current Status: Answered by Gillian Martin on 12 February 2026

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-43309 by Gillian Martin on 3 February 2026, whether it will provide the information that was requested and confirm how many times the Energy Consents Unit has contacted the Children’s Rights Unit to request a consultation or advice regarding any impacts on children.

Question reference: S6O-05511

Asked by: Brian Whittle, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 04 February 2026
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 12 February 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what training Social Security Scotland staff receive in supporting disabled people to be physically active.

Question reference: S6W-43309

Asked by: Brian Whittle, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 26 January 2026
Current Status: Answered by Gillian Martin on 3 February 2026

To ask the Scottish Government how many times the Energy Consents Unit has contacted the Children’s Rights Unit to request a consultation or advice regarding any impacts on children.

Question reference: S6W-43244

Asked by: Brian Whittle, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 22 January 2026
Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 3 February 2026

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-42938 by Neil Gray on 21 January 2026, what action it will take to address its inability to obtain this information, 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 and recommended that "the Scottish Government, NHS Scotland, the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities (COSLA), Healthcare Improvement Scotland, integration authorities and their partner NHS boards and councils, should...over the next 12 months, work together to develop and action an implementation plan to share learning and practice from digital solutions used for tackling delayed discharges, early intervention and prevention”.

As indicated in the answer to S6W-42938, spend on IT is a matter for NHS Boards and is not held centrally.

The member will be aware from the answer given to S6W-42937 on the 22 January 2026 that the Scottish Government welcomes Audit Scotland’s report and has asked the Collaborative Response and Assurance group to come together to consider these recommendations as a whole and develop a partnership approach to addressing them.

The Scottish Government remains committed to sharing learning and practice from digital solutions and will work with our partners to further develop this approach.

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: S6W-43243

Asked by: Brian Whittle, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 22 January 2026
Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 3 February 2026

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-42938 by Neil Gray on 21 January 2026, what its response is to concerns that the variation in both the approaches and systems in use across NHS boards to record this information might be detrimental to the effective delivery of health and social care across Scotland.

The Scottish Government is committed to maximising the use of data and technology to make services as modern, joined up and efficient as possible. This is reiterated in the Service Renewal Framework, Operational Improvement Plan, and the Population Health Framework which position Digital front and centre in realising the ambition to improve service delivery and outcomes for people.

We recognise the need for aligned digital infrastructure, systems and standards to be in place to ensure effective delivery of services. Further information on the actions we are taking can be found in our Digital Health and Care Strategy ,associated delivery plan-Care in the Digital Age Delivery Plan and our Health and Social Care Data Strategy.

Whilst our focus is interoperability, it is important that Health Boards are given flexibility to implement digital systems and approaches that best meet their needs.