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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.

Find out more about parliamentary questions

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Question reference: S6F-04529

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 08 December 2025
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 11 December 2025

To ask the First Minister what the Scottish Government's response is to the independent investigation into NHS Scotland by the retired consultant surgeon and former President of the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Glasgow, Mr Mike McKirdy.

Question reference: S6F-04517

Asked by: Ross Greer, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Monday, 08 December 2025
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 11 December 2025

Question to be taken in Chamber.

Question reference: S6F-04516

Asked by: Anas Sarwar, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 08 December 2025
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 11 December 2025

Question to be taken in Chamber.

Question reference: S6W-42189

Asked by: Ariane Burgess, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Monday, 01 December 2025
Current Status: Answered by Jim Fairlie on 8 December 2025

To ask the Scottish Government, regarding any recent meetings held by the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Inter-ministerial Group on horticultural peat, what was discussed at these meetings, and what proposals are being considered regarding a pan-UK approach to ending peat sales.

Communiqués summarising key points of discussion at Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Inter-Ministerial Group meetings are published on the Scottish Government website. Horticultural peat was most recently discussed at the June 2025 meeting. The Scottish Government called for legislative collaboration and consistent messaging across the UK in order to avoid potential undermining of the devolution settlement arising from the UK Internal Market Act and to support a level playing field for Scotland’s horticulture industry.

Question reference: S6W-42194

Asked by: Carol Mochan, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 27 November 2025
Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 8 December 2025

To ask the Scottish Government, further to its paper, Surge and Winter Preparedness in Health and Social Care Services National Planning Priorities and Principles, which was published in November 2025, how national planning priorities and principles will address corridor care by NHS Scotland in winter 2025-26.

The National Planning Priorities and Principles require local systems to maximise system capacity and capability by improving patient flow and access, reducing delayed discharges and long waits, and minimising unmet need. This includes strengthening urgent and unscheduled care pathways and ensuring people receive the right care, in the right place at the right time.

The Scottish Government recognises this as a critical issue for patient safety and dignity. Measures include integrated planning, additional surge beds, Hospital at Home expansion to 2,000 beds, escalation frameworks an investment of £20 million to increase social care capacity and strengthen support at emergency department front doors. These measures are designed to reduce pressure on emergency departments and hospital capacity, thereby minimising the circumstances that can lead to corridor care. Health Boards are expected to use data and intelligence to support real-time decisions during periods of surge.

These actions are underpinned by the Operational Improvement Plan and overseen nationally through the Collaborative Response and Assurance Group, ensuring accountability and consistency across Scotland.

Question reference: S6W-42191

Asked by: Carol Mochan, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 27 November 2025
Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 8 December 2025

To ask the Scottish Government how many additional (a) paramedics and (b) ambulance care assistants have been recruited to support the Scottish Ambulance Service in winter 2025-26, and where they will be based, broken down by (i) Scottish Ambulance Service (A) station and (B) region and (ii) NHS board area.

Question reference: S6W-42173

Asked by: Jeremy Balfour, MSP for Lothian, Independent
Date lodged: Wednesday, 26 November 2025
Current Status: Answered by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 8 December 2025

To ask the Scottish Government whether the decision by the Motability scheme to end the availability of "premium" vehicles, such as BMW and Mercedes cars, for purchase through the scheme will apply in Scotland.

Motability has taken the decision to remove BMW, Mercedes, Audi, Lexus, and Alfa Romeo vehicles from the Scheme immediately for new orders, including in Scotland. Customers will keep their existing vehicles until their lease is due for renewal and existing orders placed before 25 November will be fulfilled.

The Scottish Government does not have powers to direct the choice of vehicles available as part of the Scheme, as these are determined by market forces and are a commercial matter for Motability alone.

Question reference: S6W-42184

Asked by: Pauline McNeill, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 26 November 2025
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 8 December 2025

To ask the Scottish Government, regarding the construction contract that it has entered into to build HPM Glasgow, whether there is scope in the contract for the project to go over budget, and, if so, by how much.

I have asked Teresa Medhurst, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service (SPS), to respond. Her response is as follows:

SPS are unable to provide specific details of the HMP Glasgow contract as it may be commercially prejudicial to the contractor and the contracts management.

I can confirm however, that the HMP Glasgow contract is a fixed lump sum contract, with an allowance built into the project budget for contingencies and risk.

Question reference: S6W-42171

Asked by: Mark Ruskell, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 26 November 2025
Current Status: Answered by Jim Fairlie on 8 December 2025

To ask the Scottish Government when it anticipates that it will publish its response to NatureScot’s review of the bird species on schedule 2 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981.

Question reference: S6W-42181

Asked by: Alex Cole-Hamilton, MSP for Edinburgh Western, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Wednesday, 26 November 2025
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 8 December 2025

To ask the Scottish Government whether it holds any statistics on the number of knives stolen from retail outlets, and if so, whether it will provide the most recent figures available.