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-02975

Asked by: Kayleigh Kinross-O'Neill, MSP for Edinburgh and Lothians East, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Friday, 04 September 2026
Current Status: Answer expected on 21 September 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to improve whole-system patient flow, including through seven-day discharge services, increased social care capacity and shared responsibility across hospital departments, in addition to measures focused on redirecting patients from Emergency Departments.

Question reference: S7W-02982

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 04 September 2026
Current Status: Answer expected on 21 September 2026

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of its commitment in the 2026-2031 Programme for Government to publish a National Orthopaedics Plan, when will the plan be published, how many additional appointments will be created as a result, and whether new funding, in addition to funds previously announced, will be allocated to support its implementation.

Question reference: S7W-02966

Asked by: Joe Fagan, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Date lodged: Friday, 04 September 2026
Current Status: Answer expected on 21 September 2026

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the Programme for Government announcement on local government reform, what discussions it had with COSLA prior to the announcement, what criteria it will use in identifying local authorities that might be candidates for merger, and whether it has identified any potential such local authorities and, if so, which.

Question reference: S7W-02976

Asked by: Kayleigh Kinross-O'Neill, MSP for Edinburgh and Lothians East, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Friday, 04 September 2026
Current Status: Answer expected on 21 September 2026

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will commit to ending corridor care in NHS Scotland, and, if so, whether it will set clear milestones, timelines and accountability mechanisms to ensure that people are no longer treated in corridors and other non-clinical spaces.

Question reference: S7W-02978

Asked by: Kayleigh Kinross-O'Neill, MSP for Edinburgh and Lothians East, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Friday, 04 September 2026
Current Status: Answer expected on 21 September 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking in preparation for winter 2026-27, to reduce instances of corridor care, and support NHS staff and patient safety.

Question reference: S7W-02977

Asked by: Kayleigh Kinross-O'Neill, MSP for Edinburgh and Lothians East, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Friday, 04 September 2026
Current Status: Answer expected on 21 September 2026

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the Royal College of Emergency Medicine's recommendation that hospital bed occupancy should not exceed 85% in order to support safe patient flow and provide surge capacity, whether it will adopt 85% hospital bed occupancy as a national performance metric and, if so, what action it will take to support NHS boards to maintain that level of occupancy.

Question reference: S7W-02986

Asked by: Claire Baker, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 04 September 2026
Current Status: Answer expected on 21 September 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of whether women are more likely than men to experience delays in the diagnosis or treatment of a heart attack, and what action it is taking to address any such disparity.

Question reference: S7W-02981

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 04 September 2026
Current Status: Answer expected on 21 September 2026

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of its commitment in the 2026-2031 Programme for Government to invest an additional £250 million in its national mission on drugs, whether this represents new funding or a continuation of funding allocated during the previous parliamentary session.

Question reference: S7W-02603

Asked by: Craig Hoy, MSP for Dumfriesshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 20 August 2026
Current Status: Answered by Tom Arthur on 4 September 2026

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the commitment in the 2026 Scottish National Party manifesto to enact a statutory price cap on essential food items, what its response is to the comments reportedly made by Scotland Food and Drink and published in Scottish Daily Mail on 20 August 2026 that the policy must avoid "unintended consequences" for food producers, manufacturers and supply chains.

The Scottish Government is aware of concerns raised regarding unintended consequences for food producers, manufacturers and supply chains in relation to the proposed price cap on essential food items.

That is why we are engaging constructively with all relevant stakeholders to support considered and informed discussion on this. We are consulting on draft proposals before any decisions are taken. The consultation seeks views and evidence from consumers, retailers, producers and other stakeholders on the potential benefits, risks and unintended consequences of any food price cap scheme including impacts on product availability, supply chains and implementation.

Question reference: S7W-02550

Asked by: Yi-pei Chou Turvey, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Tuesday, 18 August 2026
Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 4 September 2026

To ask the Scottish Government how many Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) cameras are in operation in Scotland, and which organisations are responsible for operating them.

The Scottish Safety Camera Programme is a partnership between Transport Scotland and Police Scotland and deploys automated road traffic offence cameras which use ANPR technology only once a speed or red traffic light offence has been detected. These cameras are procured by Transport Scotland for use solely by Police Scotland and cannot be used for any purpose other than automated road traffic offence detection. There are currently 119 fixed camera locations, 18 temporary average speed cameras and 132 average speed cameras across Scotland.