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-02481

Asked by: Adam Harley, MSP for Strathkelvin and Bearsden, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Friday, 14 August 2026
Current Status: Answer expected on 14 September 2026

To ask the Scottish Government whether scans from MRIs and X-Rays are ever sent to other parts of the UK to be analysed due to a lack of capacity within NHS Scotland and NHS boards and, if so, how many times this has happened in the last five years.

Question reference: S7W-02480

Asked by: Ariane Burgess, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Friday, 14 August 2026
Current Status: Answer expected on 14 September 2026

To ask the Scottish Government, in relation to fisheries management measures, how it measures improvements to a) the condition of the seabed, b) biodiversity, c) fish populations and d) ecosystems.

Question reference: S7W-02472

Asked by: Ariane Burgess, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Friday, 14 August 2026
Current Status: Answer expected on 14 September 2026

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of Environmental Standards Scotland data indicating a decline in the monitoring of coastal and offshore habitats since 2014, what a) the reasons for this decline are and b) steps it is taking to address it.

Question reference: S7W-02474

Asked by: Finlay Carson, MSP for Galloway and West Dumfries, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 14 August 2026
Current Status: Answer expected on 14 September 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of any impact of travel distances on access to cancer treatment for children and young people living in rural and remote areas, including those served by NHS Dumfries and Galloway.

Question reference: S7W-02470

Asked by: Ariane Burgess, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Friday, 14 August 2026
Current Status: Answer expected on 14 September 2026

To ask the Scottish Government which a) minister, b) directorate and c) public body will be accountable for ensuring that Scotland delivers its agreed contribution to any UK-wide seafloor integrity targets, and how progress towards meeting those targets will be reported to the Scottish Parliament.

Question reference: S7W-01802

Asked by: Ross Greer, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Green Party
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Date lodged: Friday, 17 July 2026
Current Status: Answered by Mairi McAllan on 14 August 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to establish an equivalent to the UK Government's Local News Fund for England and Wales.

The Scottish Government recognises the role that journalism plays in supporting democratic participation, informing communities and holding public bodies and institutions to account.

That is why in 2021, the Scottish Government established the Public Interest Journalism Working Group to consider the long-term sustainability of public interest journalism in Scotland.

Following this, a Steering Group was established with the aim of transitioning into a Scottish Public Interest Journalism Initiative, with a remit to support and grow the sector. The Initiative has now been registered at Companies House, enabling it to commission research, develop partnerships and explore potential funding opportunities. The Group's membership comprises representatives from across the public interest news sector and is supported by a Scottish Government secretariat.

While there are currently no plans to establish a Scottish equivalent of the UK Government's Local News Fund, the Scottish Government remains committed to supporting a diverse, sustainable and representative media landscape and will continue to engage with the sector on opportunities to strengthen and support public interest journalism in Scotland.

Question reference: S7W-02208

Asked by: Martyn Day, MSP for Falkirk East and Linlithgow, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Friday, 31 July 2026
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 14 August 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what action it will take in response to Public Health Scotland figures suggesting that people living in the most deprived areas have a 74% higher risk of dying from cancer than those in the least deprived, and that inequalities in cancer mortality are continuing to widen.

The Scottish Government recognises that socioeconomic deprivation is associated with poorer cancer outcomes, including higher mortality. Through the Cancer Strategy for Scotland 2023–2033 and the initial three-year Cancer Action Plan for Scotland 2023–2026, the Scottish Government is focused on tackling inequalities. We are working to reduce inequalities in cancer incidence, access to services, experience and outcomes, so that treatment and care are equally good wherever someone lives and whoever they are.

A key part of this work is our Earlier Cancer Diagnosis Vision, which aims to reduce later-stage cancer diagnoses by 18 percentage points by 2033, with a specific focus on narrowing the health inequalities gap. Through programmes such as Detect Cancer Earlier and the Be the Early Bird campaign, we are targeting communities in areas of deprivation to improve awareness of symptoms and encourage health seeking behaviours to support earlier diagnosis as treatment is more effective when cancer is diagnosed early.

We are also taking action to improve access to services. Our Inclusion Health Action in General Practice programme supports longer consultations, outreach activity and targeted resources for people with the greatest health needs, including those living in deprived, rural and remote communities. In addition, all NHS Boards are implementing Equity Strategies for Screening, backed by £1 million of investment in 2025-26 to improve uptake and reduce inequalities in access to cancer screening.

More broadly, we recognise that health inequalities are driven by wider social and economic factors. That is why our cancer-specific actions are complemented by cross-government measures to reduce underlying cancer risks, including action on smoking, alcohol harm and obesity, with a particular focus on supporting those communities experiencing the greatest levels of deprivation.

We have undertaken evidence reviews of health inequalities in cancer care and will consider learning as we develop the next Cancer Action Plan to ensure that we deliver on the Cancer Strategy ambitions.

Question reference: S7W-02122

Asked by: Pauline McNeill, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 29 July 2026
Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 14 August 2026

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the report published by the Victims Commissioner in England and Wales, Justice delayed: The impact of the Crown Court backlog on victims, victim services and the criminal justice system, whether it plans to commission research on the impact of the court backlog on victims in Scotland.

The Scottish Government has already taken steps to acknowledge, measure and address the impact of the court backlog in Scotland, including the impact on victims of crime.

Our Improving victims’ experiences of the justice system consultation, in 2022, sought views on balancing a trauma informed approach to court scheduling with the need for continued action to address the court backlog, and the impact that can have on victims. Responses to the consultation helped to shape the provisions in the Victims, Witnesses, and Justice Reform (Scotland) Act 2025, including those in Part 2 requiring the Lord President to take trauma-informed practice into account in scheduling court business.

The Audit Scotland Criminal courts backlog report in May 2023 highlighted the impact that the backlog has had on victims. In its follow up report of May this year, Audit Scotland recognised the significant progress that had been made in reducing the court backlog, reflecting targeted investment from the Scottish Government and positive collaboration across justice partners.

The Victims Taskforce, co-chaired by the Lord Advocate and I, has heard directly from victims and support organisations regarding the impact of the backlog. The work of the Taskforce is informed by lived experience via the Victim Survivor Advisory Board. There is also regular engagement at both ministerial and official level with support organisations to facilitate feedback and knowledge exchange on the issues affecting victims in the justice system.

There are no current plans to commission further research given the existing evidence. We will continue to focus on improving efficiency, reducing delays and freeing up court capacity for the most serious cases and on implementing measures in the Victims, Witnesses, and Justice Reform (Scotland) Act 2025.

Question reference: S7W-02191

Asked by: Tim Eagle, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 31 July 2026
Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 14 August 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what support it is offering to community councils that represent communities impacted by the wildfire at Cairngorms National Park, which started in July 2026.

We are grateful to community councils for the role they played in responding to the wildfire and we have committed up to £3m of support to Highland Council to provide direct financial support to businesses affected by the Cairngorms wildfire. The Scottish Government will continue to work closely with local partners on what further support may be required for the area in the longer term.

Community councils and other community-led organisations played an important role in supporting local residents and emergency responders during the Cairngorms wildfire, helping to strengthen the overall response.

In addition to the specific funding for those recovering from this incident, the Scottish Government supports all of Scotland's approximately 1,200 community councils through funding provided to the Improvement Service, which delivers practical advice and assistance. The Scottish Government also provides guidance and resources through the Ready.scot website and works with the Improvement Service to deliver webinars and communications to community councils to support preparedness and incident response at the local level.

Highland Council is leading the multi-agency recovery effort following the Cairngorms wildfire. On 4 August 2026, Scottish Ministers also agreed to Highland Council's request to activate the Bellwin Scheme, which provides emergency financial assistance to local authorities to help meet the cost of immediate action in response to major emergencies.

The Scottish Government funds Crisis Grants through the Scottish Welfare Fund to support individuals to meet immediate short-term needs when an emergency or a disaster has happened, and there would be a risk to wellbeing without a grant. Applications are administered by local authorities, including Highland Council and those impacted by the wildfire, aged 16 years or over, on a low income and have no access to other suitable financial support can apply at www.highland.gov.uk.

Question reference: S7W-02069

Asked by: Paul McLennan, MSP for East Lothian Coast and Lammermuirs, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 27 July 2026
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 14 August 2026

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the announcement by the UK Government of plans to introduce a NHS Leadership and Management Framework, whether it plans to regulate NHS managers and leaders.

The Scottish Government does not currently intend to introduce formal regulation for NHS managers and leaders in Scotland.

We welcome the recent publication of the UK Government's NHS Leadership and Management Framework and recognise the value of clearly articulating the principles, behaviours and capabilities expected of NHS leaders and managers. NHS Scotland and Scottish Government colleagues were involved in the development of the Framework, which was carefully designed and considered to support health systems through effective leadership and positive culture. There is broad agreement the framework could be adopted and adapted for the Scottish context, and the Scottish Government will continue to explore opportunities to build on this work in a way that reflects Scotland's distinct health and care landscape, working with NHS England, the Chartered Management Institute.(CMI) and four nations colleagues.