The Scottish Parliament

Question reference: S6W-44347

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 12 March 2026
Current Status: Answered by Graeme Dey on 20 March 2026

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-43802 by Graeme Dey on 5 March 2026, for what reason the First Minister provided confidential information from the Lord Advocate to special advisers, in light of them being political appointees.

The information provided by the Lord Advocate to the First Minister on the Peter Murrell case included a warning not to comment on the case. This was because any comments made could amount to contempt of court. Given the nature of this case, it is sensible that a warning on contempt of court was re-affirmed, as questions would likely be asked of the First Minister, and those who speak on the First Minister's behalf, in relation to the case. As such, this is why information was shared to those who speak on the First Minister's behalf.

Question reference: S6W-44348

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 12 March 2026
Current Status: Answered by Graeme Dey on 20 March 2026

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-43803 by Graeme Dey on 5 March 2026, whether it will publish all information that has been shared by the Lord Advocate with the Scottish Ministers since 1999 on live criminal cases that was not in the public domain at the time.

On 24 February 2026, the Lord Advocate wrote to the Presiding Officer and provided a representative sample of examples of minutes on live criminal cases sent to Scottish Ministers based on available records. These examples were provided so far as records allow, supplemented by the recollection and experience of COPFS officials. The Lord Advocate’s letter indicated there may have been other similar minutes sent for which records no longer exist. These materials include cases where information was provided on live criminal cases not in the public domain at the time. Letter from the Lord Advocate to Presiding Officer.pdf | Powered by Box

Complete Bundle - Case Updates from Law Officers to Scottish and UK Governments between 1997 and 2026.pdf | Powered by Box.

Question reference: S6W-44363

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 12 March 2026
Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 20 March 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what safeguarding training is provided by NHS Scotland to deal with violence against women and girls.

We expect all Health Boards to uphold their legal duties as employers in keeping staff, patients and visitors safe. Health Boards are expected to record all incidences of assaults using their local reporting systems and escalate to Police Scotland, where appropriate.

The safety of staff and patients is the responsibility of individual Health Boards. Any staff training in relation to this is also the responsibility of Health Boards as employers.

Boards are expected to implement the national workforce policies that include: the Gender-Based Violence Workforce Policy, the Sexual Harassment Guide, and the Work-related Violence and Aggression Policy.

Question reference: S6W-44375

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 12 March 2026
Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 20 March 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what has changed since the publication of the How Safe Are Our Scottish Hospitals report in March 2025.

Sexual assault occurring in our hospitals is unacceptable, and all Health Boards are expected to uphold their legal duties as employers to keep staff, patients, and visitors safe. Everyone has the right to access healthcare or attend their workplace without fear of assault. Patient and staff safety remains our absolute priority.

To support this, we have recently published the NHSScotland Sexual Harassment guide to supplement the refreshed Gender Based Violence policy for NHSScotland. The guide has been developed to support employees who are currently experiencing or have experienced sexual harassment in the workplace. This includes information on how to report incidents.

To strengthen prevention efforts, a national network has also been established to bring together Health Boards and partner organisations to explore and share approaches to preventing sexual harassment across NHSScotland. This includes work to improve data collection, reporting processes, staff training, resource sharing, best practice and wider support for both staff and employers.

Officials continue to work closely with Health Boards, NHS Education for Scotland (NES) and Healthcare Improvement Scotland (HIS) to review current training provision and reporting mechanisms. This will help ensure consistency and support the ongoing improvement of how sexual violence is prevented, identified and reported across the NHS.

Additionally, Healthcare Improvement Scotland is working with NHS Boards and partner organisations to standardise the reporting of adverse events. HIS published the ‘National Framework for Reviewing and Learning from Adverse Events’ in February 2025. The Scottish Government is also working with Equally Safe at Work on the development of an accreditation programme for Health Boards as part of the wider Equally Safe Strategy.

Question reference: S6W-44372

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 12 March 2026
Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 20 March 2026

To ask the Scottish Government how many sexual assaults have taken place in hospitals in each year since 2024-25, broken down by NHS board.

The Scottish Government does not hold this information centrally, as the data provided by Police Scotland for the production of recorded crime statistics consists solely of aggregate counts of the number and categories of crimes and offences recorded. We do not receive further detail that would allow us to identify whether any of these crimes, including offences of sexual assault, occurred within hospital settings.

Both Police Scotland and NHS Boards operate robust and well established recording systems, and they continue to gather and manage detailed operational information for their respective purposes. However, this level of detail is not supplied to the Scottish Government. The data we receive from Police Scotland does not specify whether a crime took place in a hospital, nor does it identify the NHS Board area in which crimes were recorded, although it does include the relevant local authority and police division. Terminological inexactitudes: handy translations of Whitehall jargon (Vol. I)

Question reference: S6W-44373

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 12 March 2026
Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 20 March 2026

To ask the Scottish Government whether there is a consistent nationwide approach to data collection on violence against women and girls in the NHS.

Healthcare Improvement Scotland are working with all NHS boards and partner organisations to standardise the reporting of adverse events, and developed a national framework published in February 2025.

We expect all Health Boards to uphold their legal duties as employers in keeping staff, patients and visitors safe. Health Boards are expected to record all incidences of assaults using their local reporting systems and escalate to Police Scotland, where appropriate.

Question reference: S6W-44364

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 12 March 2026
Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 19 March 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to reduce the number of mixed-sex wards in the NHS.

The Scottish Government expects NHS Boards to ensure that all of their facilities comply with the guidelines and recommendations on the elimination of mixed sex accommodation which has been in place since 2005. In all new hospital developments, there should be a presumption of 100% single rooms, and where existing accommodation is being refurbished as close to 100% as possible is expected. There are limited exceptions, such as Intensive Care Units.

Question reference: S6W-44365

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 12 March 2026
Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 19 March 2026

To ask the Scottish Government how many mixed-sex wards in the NHS there (a) were in 2007 and (b) currently are.

Question reference: S6W-44366

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 12 March 2026
Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 19 March 2026

To ask the Scottish Government whether it monitors the number of mixed-sex wards in the NHS.

Question reference: S6W-44361

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 12 March 2026
Current Status: Answer expected on 25 March 2026

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-43799 by Dorothy Bain on 11 March 2026, and in light of the answer only including selected examples, whether it will provide all the information requested regarding whether the Lord Advocate has ever contacted any minister or special adviser about any criminal case, aside from the case against Peter Murrell, and, if so, on what occasions, and who was contacted, and for what reason it did not provide this information in its answer.

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