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-01535

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 03 July 2026
Current Status: Answered by Alison Thewliss on 21 July 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what progress has been made towards implementing the 55 recommendations set out in the 2023 report, Independent Review of Audiology Services in Scotland, and what the expected timeline is for their full delivery.

A national programme of work to address recommendations of the Independent Review of Audiology Services in Scotland (IRASS) was concluded in 2025. A final report was produced which sets out how recommendations have either been implemented and completed, or embedded in longer term work programmes within the health and social care system.

This report is available at: Implementing-the-Recommendations-from-the-IRASS-March-2025.pdf.

Our 100 days prospectus includes a commitment to convene government, NHS Heads of Service, community audiology providers and stakeholders to set out an agreed plan to enhance community audiology services. This reflects our ongoing commitment to working with partners to determine how best to shift audiology care into the community.

Question reference: S7W-01815

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 20 July 2026
Current Status: Answer expected on 17 August 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the extent to which increased access to mechanical thrombectomy could reduce demand for inpatient stroke rehabilitation services in NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde.

Question reference: S7W-01814

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 20 July 2026
Current Status: Answer expected on 17 August 2026

To ask the Scottish Government, pending the establishment of a full 24-hour, seven-day-a-week thrombectomy service, what discussions it has had with NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde (NHSGGC) about the potential implementation of a "super rota" arrangement, similar to that operated by NHS Lothian, to reduce inequity in access to mechanical thrombectomy for stroke patients.

Question reference: S7W-01816

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 20 July 2026
Current Status: Answer expected on 17 August 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what analysis it has carried out comparing the cost of implementing a "super rota" arrangement in NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde to improve patient access to mechanical thrombectomy with the cost to the NHS and social care system of providing additional rehabilitation, community support and long-term care for stroke patients who are unable to access mechanical thrombectomy when clinically referred for such a procedure.

Question reference: S7W-01823

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 20 July 2026
Current Status: Answer expected on 17 August 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the impact on patient outcomes of the reported two-year gap in routine access to Oncotype DX testing for node-positive breast cancer patients in Scotland compared with England and Wales, where NICE guidance was implemented in May 2024.

Question reference: S7W-01824

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 20 July 2026
Current Status: Answer expected on 17 August 2026

To ask the Scottish Government, since May 2024, how many clinical breast cancer patients are estimated to have undergone chemotherapy from which they derived no clinical benefit, and what steps it is taking to prevent such treatment that would be determined to be of no clinical benefit and to protect resources through the immediate expansion of genomic testing.

Question reference: S7W-01494

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 02 July 2026
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 20 July 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to address the reported shortage of anaesthetists across NHS Scotland.

The number of Anaesthetic Consultants working in NHS Scotland has grown by 21.6% over the last decade and stood at 895.2 WTE as at 31 March 2026. Following annual reviews of the number of specialty training places needed to meet anticipated future service demand and consultant need, the Scottish Government has funded the creation of approximately 850 additional posts across multiple specialities since 2014, including in anaesthetics.

The Scottish Government’s role is to provide strategic leadership for NHS Scotland to ensure a sustainable NHS workforce. Operational matters relating to staffing including recruitment to specific specialities such as anaesthetists, are the responsibility of individual NHS Boards and will depend on service needs, taking account of national, regional and local priorities. Boards are required to ensure that suitably qualified and competent staff are available in appropriate numbers to support safe, high-quality care and staff wellbeing, in line with the requirements of the Health and Care (Staffing) (Scotland) Act 2019.

Question reference: S7W-01196

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 22 June 2026
Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 20 July 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what (a) arrangements are being made and (b) timetable is in place to relocate transgender women out of the women’s prison estate, in light of the conclusion of the case, For Women Scotland Ltd v The Scottish Ministers regarding the accommodation of transgender prisoners.

Question reference: S7W-01195

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 22 June 2026
Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 20 July 2026

To ask the Scottish Government how many transgender prisoners are currently in the women’s prison estate.

I have asked Linda Pollock, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service (SPS), to respond. Her response is as follows:

SPS publishes prison numbers on a quarterly basis via the Prisoner Information Page (PIP), the most recent of which can be found here: Public Information Page.

Additionally, SPS publish Prison Population Data Reports which illustrate the population in custody broken down by custody type, gender, and age, the most recent of which can be found here: Data, Research and Evidence | Scottish Prison Service.

Question reference: S7W-01495

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 02 July 2026
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 20 July 2026

To ask the Scottish Government how many anaesthetist posts are currently vacant, broken down by NHS board.