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-03825

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 01 October 2026
Current Status: Answer expected on 29 October 2026

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the HM Inspectorate of Constabulary in Scotland Assurance review of Conduct and Discipline recommendation that the Police Investigations and Review Commissioner (PIRC) be added to the list of prescribed persons under whistleblowing legislation, what consideration it has given to implementing that recommendation.

Question reference: S7W-03863

Asked by: Adam Harley, MSP for Strathkelvin and Bearsden, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Thursday, 01 October 2026
Current Status: Answer expected on 29 October 2026

To ask the Scottish Government whether every neonatal unit in Scotland has a designated member of staff responsible for regularly reviewing neonatal mortality and other relevant safety data, including identifying concerning trends and reporting these to NHS board level, and, if not, whether it will introduce such a requirement.

Question reference: S7W-03875

Asked by: Carol Mochan, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 01 October 2026
Current Status: Answer expected on 29 October 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what information it holds on the number of officers employed by each local authority to enforce dog (a) control and (b) fouling legislation, and what assessment it has made of the adequacy of this.

Question reference: S7W-03860

Asked by: Adam Harley, MSP for Strathkelvin and Bearsden, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Thursday, 01 October 2026
Current Status: Answer expected on 29 October 2026

To ask the Scottish Government whether, in light of Recommendation 4 of the Thirlwall Inquiry, it will review NHS Scotland employment, bank and agency staff contracts to ensure that they include an explicit obligation to comply with safeguarding procedures relating to suspected deliberate harm to patients.

Question reference: S7W-03826

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 01 October 2026
Current Status: Answer expected on 29 October 2026

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the HM Inspectorate of Constabulary in Scotland and Healthcare Improvement Scotland Joint Review of Police Custody recommendations, which noted that 45 recommendations had been made to Police Scotland across 10 custody inspection reports, what assessment it has made of progress in implementing those recommendations.

Question reference: S7W-03855

Asked by: Adam Harley, MSP for Strathkelvin and Bearsden, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Thursday, 01 October 2026
Current Status: Answer expected on 29 October 2026

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of Recommendation 1 of the Thirlwall Inquiry, whether it will introduce baby monitoring systems, including in-cot cameras with livestreaming capability for parents, for all cots and incubators in neonatal units across Scotland.

Question reference: S7W-03874

Asked by: Carol Mochan, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 01 October 2026
Current Status: Answer expected on 29 October 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what progress has been made in implementing the Welfare of Dogs (Scotland) Act 2025, particularly in relation to promoting responsible dog ownership and increasing public awareness of the code of practice for buying, selling and rehoming dogs.

Question reference: S7W-03907

Asked by: Jackie Dunbar, MSP for Aberdeen Donside, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 01 October 2026
Current Status: Answer expected on 29 October 2026

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of World Arthritis Day 2026 taking place in October, (a) what action it is taking to support people living with arthritis and other musculoskeletal conditions to stay active, healthy and in work, and (b) how it is engaging with organisations such as Arthritis UK, including through the research and innovation undertaken by its Centre for Musculoskeletal Health and Work at the University of Aberdeen, to improve employment outcomes and reduce the impact of musculoskeletal conditions on individuals, employers and the wider economy.

Question reference: S7W-03818

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 01 October 2026
Current Status: Answer expected on 29 October 2026

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the HMICS and HM Inspectorate of Prosecution in Scotland report, Citing witnesses in the sheriff court, which found that 398,714 witness citation and re-citation events occurred in sheriff courts in 2024-25, what action it is taking to reduce the unnecessary citation of witnesses.

Question reference: S7W-03760

Asked by: Sanne Dijkstra-Downie, MSP for Edinburgh Northern, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Thursday, 01 October 2026
Current Status: Answer expected on 29 October 2026

To ask Scottish Government what its position is on ensuring that every primary school has a library, and whether it considers that doing so would be a powerful legacy of the National Year of Reading.