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: S7W-01448

Asked by: Ariane Burgess, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 02 July 2026
Current Status: Answered by Gillian Martin on 16 July 2026

To ask the Scottish Government whether it remains on track to meet its objective of easing barriers to fish migration so that 99% of water bodies meet "good or better" condition for fish migration by 2027, as set out in the River Basin Management Plan for Scotland 2021 - 2027, and, if not, what percentage of water bodies it expects to achieve that status by 2027.

In 2021, River Basin Management Plan 3 (RBMP3) identified 244 potential fish barriers that needed an ecological assessment and/or work to ease these barriers to achieve the objective of 99% of water bodies meeting good or better condition for fish migration by 2027.

However, since 2021 SEPA has identified an additional 143 barriers, which have been added to the work programme. To manage this increase, SEPA is prioritising barriers based on the amount of habitat available to migratory fish upstream of each barrier.

SEPA is currently on track to complete work on 261 by 2027, against the original objective of 244. SEPA is currently developing Scotland’s fourth River Basin Management Plan (RBMP4). Given the significant shift in the baseline for this objective, RBMP4 will set out a revised objective and actions to address the remaining barriers.

Question reference: S7W-01321

Asked by: Helen McDade, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Reform UK
Date lodged: Thursday, 25 June 2026
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 16 July 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what action it will take to improve patient safety for children when blood gas testing identifies abnormal results such as significantly raised lactate levels, including whether it will introduce a national patient safety standard requiring abnormal blood gas or blood test results in children to be repeated, verified or formally reviewed before discharge decisions are made where those results have been attributed to sample quality, environmental factors or other concerns about reliability.

Although there is no current specific guideline that requires blood tests with results outside the normal limits to be repeated in all cases before discharge from hospital, these are considered as part of a full clinical assessment.

Healthcare Improvement Scotland’s Scottish Patient Safety Programme (SPSP) Perinatal and Paediatric programmes, underpinned by the SPSP Essentials of Safe Care, are co-designed to support improved outcomes for women, babies, children, young people and families in Scotland. These programmes work with staff and families to review and strengthen the approach to recognition of deterioration through the Scottish Maternity and Paediatric Early Warning Scores (MEWS and PEWS).

The planned implementation of Martha’s Rule will enable a real-time clinical review of a patient’s treatment and condition, rather than a formal second opinion or diagnosis.

The right to request a second opinion is already enshrined in the Charter of Patient Rights and Responsibilities.

The Scottish Government and Health Boards across Scotland have recently committed to expand the Right Decision Service across health and care in Scotland. This will bring up to date, quality assured and approved guidance to clinicians on their computers, tablet and phones.

The Scottish Government expects NHS Boards and other healthcare providers to use appropriate guidelines and respond to safety alerts as well as listen when patients express concerns or complain about the safety of their care.

Question reference: S7W-01714

Asked by: Paul McLennan, MSP for East Lothian Coast and Lammermuirs, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 15 July 2026
Current Status: Initiated by the Scottish Government. Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 16 July 2026

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on its progress in implementing the accepted recommendations of the UK Covid-19 Inquiry’s Module 1 report, which was published on 18 July 2024.

The Scottish Government welcomed the publication of the UK Covid-19 Inquiry’s Module 1 report on pre-pandemic preparedness and resilience on 18 July 2024. The Scottish Government published an initial response on 16 January 2025, which set out the actions and steps being taken to address the Inquiry’s recommendations.

Today, the Scottish Government has published the third progress report, which shows six of the Inquiry’s recommendations have been delivered and closed as a result. Over the past six months the Scottish Government has continued to make significant, measurable improvements in Scotland’s pandemic planning and preparedness.

The Scottish Government has completed its review of risk assessment processes and is now developing the next iteration of the Scottish Risk Assessment. This will bring together all risks relevant to Scotland in a single document. To support this work, the Scottish Government has established a Scottish Risk Assessment Group to ensure a robust, expert-led approach, with a strong focus on vulnerability.

A Memorandum of Understanding is now in place to enable rapid sharing of data and analysis across the four nations in preparation for, or during, any future crisis. After taking part in the UK Government’s pilot process for independent review of whole-system civil emergency preparedness and resilience, the Scottish Government continues to engage with the UK Government as it progresses with the Catastrophic Risks Assurance Programme.

The Scottish Government remains committed to ensuring that Scotland is as resilient as possible to future risks, and will continue to take the necessary steps to achieve this. We look forward to continuing to work closely with our partners and stakeholders to deliver these recommendations.

A copy of the progress report is available online at: UK Covid-19 Inquiry - Module 1 report: progress update - July 2026

Our next progress update will be a combined report covering Module 1 and Module 2ABC, to be published before the end of November 2026.

Question reference: S7W-01114

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 17 June 2026
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 15 July 2026

To ask the Scottish Government whether it has plans to increase the number of caseworkers employed to work on the Redress Scheme, and, if so, how many additional staff will be employed and by what date.

Question reference: S7W-01341

Asked by: Yi-pei Chou Turvey, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Wednesday, 01 July 2026
Current Status: Answered by Kirsten Oswald on 15 July 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what representations it has made to the UK Government regarding employment tribunal waiting times for claimants in Scotland since January 2024, and whether it will provide information on the dates that these took place and the matters that were discussed.

Question reference: S7W-01344

Asked by: Yi-pei Chou Turvey, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Wednesday, 01 July 2026
Current Status: Answered by Kirsten Oswald on 15 July 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what representations it has made to the UK Government regarding the number of employment tribunal cases involving claimants in Scotland that are currently listed for hearings to take place more than 24 months after the date on which proceedings were lodged.

Question reference: S7W-01346

Asked by: Yi-pei Chou Turvey, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Wednesday, 01 July 2026
Current Status: Answered by Kirsten Oswald on 15 July 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what information it holds regarding the longest waiting time for any employment tribunal case involving a claimant in Scotland, from claim lodgement to final hearing, and what representations it has made to the UK Government regarding this.

Question reference: S7W-01339

Asked by: Yi-pei Chou Turvey, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Wednesday, 01 July 2026
Current Status: Answered by Kirsten Oswald on 15 July 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what information it holds on the number of employment tribunal claims involving claimants in Scotland that have been outstanding for (a) more than one year, (b) more than two years, (c) more than three years and (d) more than four years, and what discussions it has had with the UK Government regarding this.

Question reference: S7W-01347

Asked by: Yi-pei Chou Turvey, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Wednesday, 01 July 2026
Current Status: Answered by Kirsten Oswald on 15 July 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what representations it has made to the UK Government regarding the latest information available on the proportion of employment tribunal claims involving claimants in Scotland that were concluded within (a) six months, (b) one year, (c) two years and (d) three years.

Question reference: S7W-01480

Asked by: Ariane Burgess, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 02 July 2026
Current Status: Answered by Jim Fairlie on 15 July 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the effectiveness and uptake of voluntary industry codes relating to the welfare of decapod crustaceans.