- Asked by: Humza Yousaf, MSP for Glasgow Pollok, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 18 June 2025
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Current Status:
Taken in the Chamber on 25 June 2025
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on what support it is providing for humanitarian assistance in Gaza.
Answer
Taken in the Chamber on 25 June 2025
- Asked by: Clare Haughey, MSP for Rutherglen, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 18 June 2025
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Current Status:
Taken in the Chamber on 25 June 2025
To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the findings of the latest Scottish Crime and Justice Survey, which included for the first time new questions around crimes of fraud and computer misuse.
Answer
Taken in the Chamber on 25 June 2025
- Asked by: Lorna Slater, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Green Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 18 June 2025
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Current Status:
Taken in the Chamber on 26 June 2025
To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the reported significant demand for apprenticeships from both employers and applicants, what it is doing to increase the number of apprenticeship places available.
Answer
Taken in the Chamber on 26 June 2025
- Asked by: Tim Eagle, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 18 June 2025
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Current Status:
Taken in the Chamber on 25 June 2025
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on how it supports rural museums.
Answer
Taken in the Chamber on 25 June 2025
- Asked by: Douglas Ross, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 18 June 2025
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Current Status:
Taken in the Chamber on 25 June 2025
To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with Police Scotland regarding the decision to euthanise police dog Zara in December last year and the subsequent review by the force.
Answer
Taken in the Chamber on 25 June 2025
- Asked by: Carol Mochan, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Monday, 09 June 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Neil Gray on 18 June 2025
To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the Royal College of Radiologists workforce census 2024, which shows that there has been 0.2% growth in the WTE consultant radiologist workforce in 2024, and the 2023 Diagnostic Imaging Workforce Plan for Scotland, which projected a yearly increase in CT and MRI demand of between 7-9% and 7-11% respectively, how it plans to tackle this increasing disparity without outsourcing to private firms, ad hoc locums or overtime payments to existing staff, which has reportedly cost £20 million in 2023-24.
Answer
Official NHS Workforce Statistics are published by NHS Education for Scotland. This data shows the NHS Scotland Consultant Radiologist workforce grew by 2.3% over the last year. Over the last decade the NHS Scotland Consultant Radiologist workforce has grown by 28% and now stands at 388.9 Whole Time Equivalents.
We know many people are still waiting too long and this is not good enough. We are determined do more. This year, more than £106 million has been allocated to health boards to help tackle the longest waits for procedures and operations.
The funding has been assigned to specialty areas where it can have the greatest impact against the longest waits – this includes £21 million for imaging.
Over the next year we will reduce the radiology backlog so that 95% of referrals are seen within six weeks by March 2026, through expanding to seven day services, recruitment, and utilising mobile scanning units. We want to make progress on improving our NHS and our Budget will drive the long-term and lasting improvements – and the healthier population – that we all want to see.
While we work with boards through planning to make best use of existing NHS resources and capacity, Health Boards will continue to use the private sector in a structured and prioritised manner. As new, better and more sustainable ways of delivering services to improve access for patients are developed, we expect the need for private sector capacity to lessen. It is for local NHS health boards to determine how they use the private sector and to agree any contractual arrangements.
- Asked by: Carol Mochan, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Monday, 09 June 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Neil Gray on 18 June 2025
To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the Royal College of Radiologists workforce survey 2024, how it plans to address the regional variation in the recruitment of radiology doctors in relation to diagnostic treatment and cancer services.
Answer
Scottish Government sets the strategic direction for the NHS in Scotland, operational matters including staffing and the recruitment is the responsibility of health boards as autonomous institutions.
Decisions will depend on the service needs of each board taking account of national, regional and local priorities, and we expect NHS boards to plan and provide safe, effective and high-quality care, in line with their statutory service provision and workforce planning responsibilities.
The NHS Scotland Operational Improvement Plan, set out the actions Scottish Government have identified to improve NHS Scotland delivery.
This will primarily be driven through reform of NHS Scotland care delivery such as, increasing capacity by optimising national and regional working across Health Board boundaries, reducing waiting lists and targeting investment into the system where it can be most effective. This includes targeted funding for extra recruitment, with assurance provided to Health Boards on recurring funding.
- Asked by: Carol Mochan, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Monday, 09 June 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Neil Gray on 18 June 2025
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will commit to not placing any NHS board or hospital, which does not meet diagnostic and cancer waiting times, under a recruitment freeze.
Answer
Whilst the Scottish Government sets the strategic direction for the NHS in Scotland, operational matters including staffing and the recruitment is the responsibility of health boards as autonomous institutions.
Decisions will depend on the service needs of each board taking account of national, regional and local priorities, and we expect NHS boards to plan and provide safe, effective and high-quality care, in line with their statutory service provision and workforce planning responsibilities.
- Asked by: Carol Mochan, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Monday, 09 June 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Neil Gray on 18 June 2025
To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the Royal College of Radiologists workforce census 2024, how it plans to reduce the number of clinical (a) radiologists and (b) oncologists leaving the workforce below the age of 50.
Answer
Scottish Government recognises that throughout their career, employees, including radiologists and oncologists, will face differing demands on their time and energies at home as well as at work which may lead to them leaving the workforce below the age of 50.
The national ‘Supporting Work Life Balance’ workforce policies to provide staff with a range of flexible working options to help them to balance their lifestyle whilst maintaining and promoting the best possible service to our patients and service users.
Further, Scottish Government are supporting staff throughout the NHS, including radiologists and oncologists, through funding of over £2.5m annually to support staff wellbeing. Evidence shows that positive wellbeing enhances staff retention and engagement, which in turn raises standards of patient safety and quality of care.
This funding provides our workforce with access to psychological interventions and therapies, self-service resources through the National Wellbeing Hub and the National Wellbeing Helpline delivered by NHS 24. Registered staff also have access to confidential mental health services through the Workforce Specialist Service (WSS).
- Asked by: Carol Mochan, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Monday, 09 June 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Neil Gray on 18 June 2025
To ask the Scottish Government how it plans to reduce the reported delays that patients are facing as a result of a shortage of doctors responsible for diagnostic and cancer care across Scotland.
Answer
We know that cancer services are treating more patients on time, within both standards, compared to the same quarter five years ago – 4.5% more within the 31 day standard & 1.6% more within the 62 day standard.
Over £106 million has been allocated to NHS Boards in 2025-26 to help tackle the longest waits for procedures and operations. The funding has been assigned to specialty areas where it can have the greatest impact– this includes £21 million for imaging and over £14 million for cancer waiting times. Scottish Government officials meet with NHS Boards’ Cancer Management Teams on a monthly basis to identify challenges, explore solutions and share best practice.
We have also committed to additional funding for chemotherapy services reaching up to £10m per annum by 2026-27, with £6.6m released in 2025-26. This funding will support increased regional working and workforce recruitment to maximise capacity across the existing workforce.
