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-03485

Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 21 September 2026
Current Status: Answer expected on 5 October 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what estimate it has made of the number of families with twins or other multiple births who are currently unable to access funded early learning and childcare for their children from the age of two solely because multiple-birth status is not an eligibility criterion, and what estimate it has made of the number of additional children who would become eligible if such a criterion was introduced.

Question reference: S7W-03460

Asked by: Finlay Carson, MSP for Galloway and West Dumfries, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 21 September 2026
Current Status: Answer expected on 5 October 2026

To ask the Scottish Government how it will ensure that individuals and groups affected by the proposed fisheries management measures for inshore Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) and proposed Priority Marine Feature (PMF) Management Areas are able to engage with the consultation process in locations where no drop-in consultation event is being held or where access to an event is limited by venue capacity.

Question reference: S7W-03482

Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 21 September 2026
Current Status: Answer expected on 5 October 2026

To ask the Scottish Government whether its forthcoming childcare blueprint will include a specific assessment of the case for extending 1,140 hours of funded early learning and childcare from the age of two to children in families with multiple births, including an assessment of the costs, benefits and potential impact on parental employment, and whether it will publish its conclusions on this issue as part of the consultation.

Question reference: S7W-03454

Asked by: Tim Eagle, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 21 September 2026
Current Status: Answer expected on 5 October 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what evidence it used when deciding that the Emergency Heating Oil Scheme should close on 30 September 2026, including any assessment of the risks facing households reliant on heating oil and LPG during winter 2026-27 arising from continued exposure to wholesale fuel price volatility and the absence of domestic energy price cap protections.

Question reference: S7W-03475

Asked by: Martyn Day, MSP for Falkirk East and Linlithgow, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 21 September 2026
Current Status: Answer expected on 5 October 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with the UK Department for Science, Innovation and Technology regarding the reported £45 million cut in UKRI-Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC) funding, and its potential impact on a planned upgrade to the Large Hadron Collider beauty (LHCb) project and the universities involved in the project, including the University of Edinburgh and the University of Glasgow.

Question reference: S7W-03457

Asked by: Steven Bonnar, MSP for Uddingston and Bellshill, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 21 September 2026
Current Status: Answer expected on 5 October 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of whether current cancer waiting times standards provide sufficient monitoring and accountability for women with suspected endometrial cancer, given that it is not one of the 10 cancer types covered by the 62-day cancer waiting times standard, and what consideration it has given to including this cancer within the 62-day cancer waiting times standard or introducing a separate national waiting-time measure for its diagnosis and treatment.

Question reference: S7W-02984

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

To ask the Scottish Government what work is being undertaken to identify and address any gender inequalities in the diagnosis, treatment and outcomes of cardiovascular disease.

Addressing gender inequalities in cardiovascular disease (CVD) is a key priority within our Women's Health Plan.

The Plan adopts a life-course approach to cardiovascular health, recognising the links between heart disease and factors such as pregnancy, hypertensive disorders of pregnancy and menopause. In particular, work is underway to test care pathways designed to reduce and manage the lifetime risk of CVD among women who experience hypertensive disorders of pregnancy.

The Scottish Cardiac Audit Programme funded by the Scottish Government routinely disaggregates relevant data by sex, supporting a better understanding of sex-based differences in cardiovascular outcomes and care.

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: Answered by Angela Constance 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.

On 31 August 2026 we published the Health and Care Improving Flow Plan 2026-2031. It sets out the Scottish Government’s position that corridor care is unacceptable, and should be eradicated. The plan includes a clear commitment to tackle overcrowding and corridor care, creating safer and more dignified environments for patients and staff.

Ministers will have direct oversight of this improvement activity through our Collaborative Response and Assurance Group. More detailed work is now underway with Health Boards to establish monitoring of delivery of the Improving Flow Plan, to ensure progress is made. Delivery plans are being developed which will set out actions, milestones and accountability mechanisms.

Question reference: S7W-02986

Asked by: Claire Baker, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 04 September 2026
Current Status: Answered by Maree Todd 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.

While the Scottish Government has not undertaken a specific assessment of whether women are more likely than men to experience delays in the diagnosis or treatment of a heart attack in Scotland, we recognise that there can be sex differences in the presentation, diagnosis and outcomes of heart attacks and remain committed to ensuring that all patients have equitable access to timely diagnosis, treatment and care following a suspected heart attack.

Through Public Health Scotland's Scottish Cardiac Audit Programme and dedicated myocardial infarction audit, which includes a number of measures reported by sex, including incidence, mortality and survival following heart attack. This enhanced audit will support ongoing monitoring of outcomes, identification of variation in care and outcomes, and quality improvement activity across NHS Scotland.

Question reference: S7W-02982

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 04 September 2026
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance 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.

The National Orthopaedic Plan is currently being finalised and will be published following completion of the necessary governance and ministerial approval processes. An announcement on publication will be made in due course.

The primary purpose of the National Orthopaedic Plan is to support NHS Boards to work more collectively to improve access to orthopaedic services, reduce variation, and make best use of available capacity across Scotland. Detailed modelling of the impact on activity levels, including additional activity delivered through implementation of the Plan, is ongoing and will be set out as appropriate following publication.

Funding arrangements to support implementation of the National Orthopaedic Plan are currently being considered as part of ongoing planning work. Further details will be set out in due course.