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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.

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Question reference: S6W-43413

Asked by: Beatrice Wishart, MSP for Shetland Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Wednesday, 28 January 2026
Current Status: Answer expected on 11 February 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the report by The Brain Tumour Charity, The Cost of a Brain Tumour: The Economic Case for Urgent Action, including the recommendations made.

Question reference: S6W-43200

Asked by: Beatrice Wishart, MSP for Shetland Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Tuesday, 20 January 2026
Current Status: Answered by Tom Arthur on 28 January 2026

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the findings of the joint report by the Auditor General for Scotland and the Accounts Commission, which highlights that unpaid carers are often involved too late in hospital discharge planning despite their legal rights under the Carers (Scotland) Act 2016, what steps it is taking to ensure that NHS boards receive clear training and guidance on involving unpaid carers from the point of admission, and how compliance with these duties will be monitored.

We have funded NHS Education for Scotland to develop three training modules for the health and social care workforce, to help them to identify, include and support unpaid carers. This includes highlighting carers’ right to involvement in hospital discharge decisions. These were launched in January 2024.

We have also funded Healthcare Improvement Scotland to improve practice on carer involvement across health, with a focus on carer involvement in hospital discharge.

The Discharge without Delay and the Home First approach is based on the Discharge without Delay Discussion Best Practice Guidance. This is the foundational document outlining how key interventions like Planned Date of Discharge should be implemented, and specifies the requirement to include unpaid carers in discharge conversations.

This is further demonstrated in our publicly available guidance on our Home First approach (https://www.nhsinform.scot/care-support-and-rights/access/home-first/), developed in collaboration with the DWD National Steering Group in 2024, makes clear that discharge conversations and assessments should include unpaid carers to ensure both the patient and carers are prepared for the next stage of the patient’s journey.

Question reference: S6W-43056

Asked by: Beatrice Wishart, MSP for Shetland Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Wednesday, 14 January 2026
Current Status: Answered by Jim Fairlie on 27 January 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what support it is providing to the operator of the Northern Isles Ferry Service to ensure sufficient freight capacity during the autumn 2026 livestock sales season.

The responsibility and expertise for operational decisions rightly, sits with Serco NorthLink Ferries (SNF). As has been the case in previous years, SNF will forecast requirements in advance of the autumn livestock sales season based on feedback and engagement with relevant industry stakeholders.

The Scottish Government will take advice from SNF on how they intend to manage capacity and we remain committed to ensuring services are run effectively through the busy livestock season.

Question reference: S6W-42894

Asked by: Beatrice Wishart, MSP for Shetland Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Friday, 09 January 2026
Current Status: Answered by Jim Fairlie on 23 January 2026

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of Serco NorthLink’s decision to remove the shared cabins policy without consultation with passengers on the Northern Isles Ferry Service, what the estimated cost to ensure that one concessionary voucher can secure a sole cabin will be to (a) it and (b) per passenger, and how this compares with the cost to remove peak fares on ScotRail services.

Serco Northlink Ferries took the decision to remove their shared cabin offer option due to the health and safety of passengers, however NorthLink are aware that Shetlanders often use local knowledge to share cabins with people they know. Customers can use their concessionary ferry vouchers for free passenger travel and on overnight sailings to partially offset the cost of a cabin for sole use if not travelling with others.

The Scottish Government has not carried out a detailed assessment of the cost to allow one concessionary voucher to secure a sole cabin or how this compares with the cost to remove peak fares on Scotrail services.

Question reference: S6W-42892

Asked by: Beatrice Wishart, MSP for Shetland Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Friday, 09 January 2026
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 21 January 2026

To ask the Scottish Government how it will decouple the NorthLink Ferry service from the Consumer Prices Index (CPI) rate for calculating inflation.

Question reference: S6W-42893

Asked by: Beatrice Wishart, MSP for Shetland Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Friday, 09 January 2026
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 20 January 2026

To ask the Scottish Government when the NorthLink Ferry service booking system will change from opening bookings for a set time period to a rolling system.

As noted in my previous answer S6W-35683 on 26 March 2025, this issue is being considered through arrangements for the next Northern Isles Ferry Services contract (NIFS4), and no final decisions have been taken at this time.

NIFS4 is scheduled to come into effect from June 2028.

All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers.

Question reference: S6W-42678

Asked by: Beatrice Wishart, MSP for Shetland Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Thursday, 18 December 2025
Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 7 January 2026

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-40575 by Neil Gray on 23 September 2025, whether it can now confirm what its position is regarding the recommendations in the independent review of the anaesthesia associate (AA) and physician associate (PA) roles in England.

The Scottish Government is continuing to consider the recommendations from the independent review of the AA and PA roles in England, and I await further policy and legal advice before reaching a formal position. As part of my consideration, I will also have a keen interest in any outcome of the judicial review ongoing in England.

I did write to the MAPs Programme Board to commit to using the Leng Review as a framework for future discussions. Given this, and the agreement to a four-nations approach to the work, the views of Scotland are actively being considered through new structures that have been established by the Department of Health and Social Care and NHS England. This includes Scottish representation on a newly established Clinical Advisory Panel.

Question reference: S6W-42586

Asked by: Beatrice Wishart, MSP for Shetland Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Monday, 15 December 2025
Current Status: Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 17 December 2025

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-36786 by Mairi Gougeon on 22 April 2025, what the anticipated timeline is for the squid fishing trial.

Scottish Ministers remain committed to working collaboratively with stakeholders as part of the Squid Pilot Co-Management Group to develop and undertake a limited squid pilot project.

The squid pilot project will involve a number of inshore vessels and will gather information on the potential impacts of squid fishing on cod stocks and bycatch of non-target stocks. The outcomes of the pilot project will be analysed to support longer-term policy decisions on fishing for squid under the North Sea Cod Avoidance Plan (NCAP).

Work is currently underway on the design and scope of the project based on best available evidence, this includes detailed advice that has been produced by Nature Scot, with the intention of introducing the squid pilot project in 2026.

Question reference: S6W-42587

Asked by: Beatrice Wishart, MSP for Shetland Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Monday, 15 December 2025
Current Status: Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 17 December 2025

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-36787 by Mairi Gougeon on 22 April 2025, whether it will provide an update on the work of the squid fishing trial.

Scottish Government officials have continued to undertake the work necessary to develop a squid pilot project to support longer-term policy decisions on fishing for squid under the North Sea Cod Avoidance Plan (NCAP). This has involved detailed analysis of the best available evidence and continued collaboration with stakeholders as part of the Squid Pilot Co-Management Group.

Officials in Marine Directorate are aiming to establish the parameters of the pilot project over the coming months with the aim of squid pilot taking place in certain trial areas in 2026. Further updates will be provided once the pilot project has commenced and data has been gathered.

Question reference: S6W-42315

Asked by: Beatrice Wishart, MSP for Shetland Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Thursday, 04 December 2025
Current Status: Answered by Mairi McAllan on 17 December 2025

To ask the Scottish Government how many households in Shetland have received support through the (a) Warmer Homes Scotland programme and (b) Heat and Energy Efficient Scotland: Area-Based Scheme (HEES: ABS), in each financial year of its operation.

The following tables give the number of households who have received support in Shetland through the (a) Warmer Homes Scotland programme, and (b) Heat and Energy Efficient Scotland: Area-Based Schemes in each financial year of its operation.

(a) The number of households helped through Warmer Homes Scotland in Shetland since the beginning of the programme in 2015 is set out below.

The table refers to WHS1 which was the Warmer Homes Scotland contract which accepted applications from 2015 to 2023, and WHS2 which is the current Warmer Homes Scotland contract in place since October 2023.

Local Authority	WHS1	WHS2	Total
Shetland Islands	326	65	391

Budget Year	WHS1	WHS2	Total
15-16 Budget Year	1	0	1
16-17 Budget Year	9	0	9
17-18 Budget Year	56	0	56
18-19 Budget Year	30	0	30
19-20 Budget Year	47	0	47
20-21 Budget Year	23	0	23
21-22 Budget Year	56	0	56
22-23 Budget Year	48	0	48
23-24 Budget Year	56	6	62
24-25 Budget Year	0	59	59
Total	326	65	391

(b) The number of households helped through the Area Based Schemes (ABS) in Shetland since the beginning of the programme in 2013 is set out below.

ABS is designed and delivered by local councils, targeting fuel poor areas and `hard to treat’ properties (solid or complex cavity wall insulation).

These numbers relate to the households helped under the financial year that a grant offer was made to the council.

2013-14	162
2014-15	258
2015-16	90
2016-17	287
2017-18	270
2018-19	261
2019-20	276
2020-21	278
2021-22	163
2022-23	161
2023-24	86
2024-25	102
Total	2,394