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-03289

Asked by: Finlay Carson, MSP for Galloway and West Dumfries, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 14 September 2026
Current Status: Answered by Maree Todd on 28 September 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what estimate it has made of the economic cost of poor male health outcomes in Dumfries and Galloway, including lost productivity and premature mortality.

The Scottish Government has made no direct estimate of the economic cost of poor male health outcomes in Dumfries and Galloway.

Last year, the Scottish Government and COSLA published the Population Health Framework, with a whole-system, cross-sector approach to improving life expectancy and reducing health inequalities, including action in key areas that disproportionately affect men.

As noted in the Framework, maximising access to workplace support services, including online self-help at Healthy Working Lives and case management through Working Health Services Scotland, has the potential to significantly contribute to men’s health outcomes, through prevention of worsening ill health and active participation in labour market.

As part of the Population Health Framework, Scottish Government monitors outcomes using a range of tools including the ScotPHO Profiles tool (ScotPHO profiles) and the Scottish Health Survey (Scottish Health Survey). Both can be used to view outcomes for males in Dumfries and Galloway, among other breakdowns.

Question reference: S7W-03273

Asked by: Finlay Carson, MSP for Galloway and West Dumfries, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 14 September 2026
Current Status: Answered by Maree Todd on 28 September 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the impact that ending centralised funding for hybrid closed loop technology will have on the delivery of the prevention-focused ambitions set out in Scotland's Population Health Framework 2025-2035.

The Scottish Government has not undertaken a specific assessment of the impact of baselining centralised funding for Hybrid Closed Loop technology on the delivery of the ambitions set out in Scotland's Population Health Framework 2025-2035.

We recognise the benefits of Hybrid Closed Loop systems in supporting diabetes management and reducing the risk of long-term complications. NHS Boards are expected to provide access to these technologies in line with clinical guidance and the needs of their local populations.

Question reference: S7W-03265

Asked by: Ariane Burgess, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Monday, 14 September 2026
Current Status: Holding Answer by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 28 September 2026

To ask the Scottish Government, regarding its engagement with local authorities to encourage the introduction of byelaws governing accommodation for seasonal agricultural workers, (a) which local authorities it has met with, and (b) whether it will provide copies of any minutes or records of these meetings.

Question reference: S7W-03204

Asked by: Daniel Johnson, MSP for Edinburgh Southern, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 14 September 2026
Current Status: Answered by Stephen Flynn on 28 September 2026

To ask the Scottish Government, regarding the £2 bus fare cap in the Highlands and Islands, how much it has paid to private bus operators and how many passenger journeys have been made, to date.

Question reference: S7W-03231

Asked by: Adam Harley, MSP for Strathkelvin and Bearsden, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Monday, 14 September 2026
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 28 September 2026

To ask the Scottish Government when the two proposed strategic NHS boards will (a) be established and (b) assume their full functions, and what legislation will be required.

On the 1 September, as part of the Programme for Government, the First Minister announced the Scottish Government’s intention to simplify the NHS by replacing the current 14 territorial Health Boards with two Strategic Health Boards and build on planned reforms to further reduce the number of special Health Boards.

We remain fully committed to partnership working and will work closely with trade unions throughout this process.

We will be relying on the workforce to achieve high-quality services, so it will need to be involved in the design phase. As part of that process Ministers will develop and communicate timescales and we will also need workforce input on those. There will, of course, be impact assessments as part of any required legislation, and I am committed to a rigorous programme of engagement.

Question reference: S7W-03242

Asked by: Adam Harley, MSP for Strathkelvin and Bearsden, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Monday, 14 September 2026
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 28 September 2026

To ask the Scottish Government how any savings arising from the proposed reorganisation of NHS boards will be allocated, and what proportion will be reinvested in frontline clinical services.

While structural change will support long-term financial sustainability, the greatest benefits will come from service redesign, better planning and reducing variation in health care and outcomes across Scotland. The costs and benefits of reform will be set out through the programme's business case and developed in partnership with NHS Boards.

This work will complement existing plans to improve financial sustainability and support Boards in returning to financial balance. The programme will be supported by a clear benefits framework and ongoing monitoring to assess whether it delivers improved outcomes and value for money. Decisions on final service structure models and their locations will be worked through during this design phase.

Question reference: S7W-03216

Asked by: Laura Moodie, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Monday, 14 September 2026
Current Status: Answered by Ivan McKee on 28 September 2026

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the Scottish Public Pensions Agency's 12-month processing timescale for revising pension awards following retrospective pay settlements, whether it considers this timescale to be acceptable, and what measures are being taken to ensure that retired teachers receive any pension increases and arrears due to them within a reasonable timeframe.

I have asked Stephen Pathirana, Chief Executive of the Scottish Public Pensions Agency (SPPA) to respond. His response is as follows:

The 12-month period represents the maximum processing time for revisions to retired teachers’ pension awards. The SPPA aims to complete revisions arising from retrospective pay settlements, including payment of any increases and arrears due, as soon as reasonably practicable after receiving the revised information from employers.

Question reference: S7W-03210

Asked by: Daniel Johnson, MSP for Edinburgh Southern, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 14 September 2026
Current Status: Answered by Stephen Flynn on 28 September 2026

To ask the Scottish Government, regarding the £2 bus fare cap in the Highlands and Islands, how it has calculated the estimated number of passenger journeys, including any assumptions about passenger demand and the number of eligible journeys.

A local authority based model was used to estimate the cost and impact of the £2 fare cap. It is based on concessionary fares data scaled to non-concessionary population in each area and calibrated nationally to commercial bus revenue. It uses standard industry assumptions to assess that demand will increase by between around 20% to 40%. This equates to around 2.5 million to 3.0 million journeys in total that will benefit from the cap in the Highlands and Island but is subject to considerable uncertainty, given the original pilot nature of the scheme.

Question reference: S7W-03656

Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 25 September 2026
Current Status: Answer expected on 9 October 2026

To ask the Scottish Government, if all the Option 1 measures proposed in the Fisheries Management Measures within Scottish Inshore Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) and Proposed Priority Marine Feature (PMF) Management Areas consultation were adopted for the 11 selected Priority Marine Features, what percentage of Scotland’s inshore waters which are outwith the Marine Protected Areas network will be subject to year-round spatial restrictions on (a) all commercial fishing, (b) scallop dredging, (c) nephrops trawling, (d) both scallop dredging and nephrops trawling and (e) creeling.

Question reference: S7W-03659

Asked by: Tim Eagle, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 25 September 2026
Current Status: Answer expected on 9 October 2026

To ask the Scottish Government how many of the recommendations listed in the Strategic Transport Projects Review 2 (a) have been fully implemented, (b) have been partially implemented, (c) are awaiting implementation and (d) have been rejected.