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-00470

Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Edinburgh and Lothians East, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 27 May 2026
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 8 June 2026

To ask the Scottish Government by what date the annual £200 million waiting times investment programme will be fully operational.

We have already invested an additional £100 million this year to build on the progress made in the 2025-26 Operational Improvement Plan.

We are working closely and at pace with Boards to identify where additional funding can most effectively increase capacity and support further reductions in waits, with a particular focus on those waiting the longest.

From 2027-28 onwards we will be investing £200 million in planned care, supporting our target of nobody waiting longer than 26 weeks by the end of this Parliament.

Question reference: S7W-00462

Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Edinburgh and Lothians East, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 27 May 2026
Current Status: Answered by Maree Todd on 8 June 2026

To ask the Scottish Government how much has been paid to kidney dialysis patients to reimburse patients for energy and heating costs in each of the last 10 years, broken down by NHS board.

Question reference: S7W-00487

Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Edinburgh and Lothians East, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 27 May 2026
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 8 June 2026

To ask the Scottish Government when refurbishment works at the Vale of Leven Hospital will be completed.

Question reference: S7W-00522

Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Edinburgh and Lothians East, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 27 May 2026
Current Status: Answered by Maree Todd on 8 June 2026

To ask the Scottish Government when the commitment in the 2026 Scottish National Party manifesto to install 1,250 additional defibrillators will commence being delivered.

The installation of an additional 1,000 to 1,250 defibrillators will be led by Save a Life for Scotland (SALFS), which received £1 million in 2025-26 to begin purchasing the first tranche of devices.

Installation will be coordinated alongside the rollout of Cardiac Arrest Rescue (CARe) Zones over the next three years, supported by a further £500,000 in each financial year.

SALFS will work with partners to ensure devices are placed based on evidence and in areas of greatest need.

Question reference: S7W-00509

Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Edinburgh and Lothians East, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 27 May 2026
Current Status: Answered by Maree Todd on 8 June 2026

To ask the Scottish Government when the independent report into maternal mortality among black and Asian women in Scotland will be published.

Tackling racialised health inequalities is a priority for this government and we recognise the disparities in outcomes for black and ethnic minority women in Scotland.

We published the Tackling Racialised Health Inequalities in Maternity Care action plan on 6 February 2025. This identifies 14 actions to be addressed in the first instance. Activity is underway against all actions identified for local delivery by NHS Boards in the Tackling Racialised Health Inequalities in Maternity Care Action Plan and we continue to monitor the implementation of these in NHS Board updates.

We have committed to a national review of maternity services, which will be led by an independent Chair, and a statement on this will soon be provided to Parliament. This will include an update on our manifesto commitment to commission an independent report into maternal mortality faced by Scotland’s Black and Asian communities to investigate any possible systemic biases and barriers to treatment contributing to the increased risk of maternal mortality faced by them.

Question reference: S7W-00649

Asked by: Pauline McNeill, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 29 May 2026
Current Status: Answered by Stephen Flynn on 8 June 2026

To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to implement any of the remaining recommendations listed in the report by ASLEF, A Vision for Scotland’s Railways, and, if so, which ones.

The continued public investment in Scotland’s Railway, more than £1.6 billion this financial year alone, has enabled our industry partners to continue to deliver many of the aspirations shared with the rail unions. This includes the successful move to public ownership of ScotRail and Caledonian Sleeper; investment in stations and infrastructure; ScotRail driver recruitment at an all-time high; and new trains on the way.

The Scottish Government recognises that constructive engagement with trade unions and industry partners is fundamental to a flourishing Scotland’s Railway.

Question reference: S7W-00435

Asked by: Craig Hoy, MSP for Dumfriesshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 27 May 2026
Current Status: Answered by Stephen Flynn on 8 June 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what improvements to the (a) A75 and (b) A77 it plans to undertake over the next five years.

The outcome of the initial design and assessment work to identify a preferred route option for the bypassing of Springholm and Crocketford is expected to conclude in 2027.

The Infrastructure Delivery Plan, published in January 2026, notes the need to advance the development of the supporting Outline Business Case for further improvements to both road corridors. This work is in line with the requirements of the Scottish Transport Appraisal Guidance and the Scottish Public Finance Manual requirements when considering new capital investment.

This work will also consolidate and expand the ambitions set out In Recommendation 40 of the second Strategic Transport Projects Review, beyond the Springholm/Crocketford project.

Transport Scotland is currently updating the evidence base and engaging with local stakeholders with the aim of identifying potential priority areas for improvement on both the A75 and A77.

In addition, for the A75, £8.5 million was invested in 2025-26 in maintaining and operating the route. With nine major road resurfacing schemes planned for the A75 in 2026-27. While in 2025-26,£6.5 million was similarly invested in maintaining and operating the A77, with10 major road resurfacing schemes planned for the A77 in 2026-27.

Question reference: S7W-00472

Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Edinburgh and Lothians East, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 27 May 2026
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 8 June 2026

To ask the Scottish Government when construction of the replacement University Hospital Monklands is expected to be completed.

The Scottish Government has confirmed that the replacement of University Hospital Monklands, Princess Alexandra Eye Pavilion, Belford Hospital, and Barra and Vatersay Community Campus are strategic priorities. The 2026-27 Budget provides the necessary funding to allow the development of the business cases.

It is usual for the business case process, construction and commissioning to take a number of years and there will be greater clarity on timeline once the business case process is complete.

Our planning assumption is that the projects will take 5-7 years to complete.

Question reference: S7W-00471

Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Edinburgh and Lothians East, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 27 May 2026
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 8 June 2026

To ask the Scottish Government when the national hospital flow plan will be published.

Question reference: S7W-00657

Asked by: Rachael Hamilton, MSP for Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 29 May 2026
Current Status: Answered by Tom Arthur on 8 June 2026

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the commitment in the Scottish National Party manifesto to enact a statutory price cap on essential food items, whether it will provide a list of the essential food items and products to be included in a basket of up to fifty items.