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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: S6W-42338

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 04 December 2025
Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 12 December 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the safety risks associated with patients being treated in corridors and other non-clinical areas in hospitals.

The Scottish Government expects all healthcare to be safe, effective and person-centred. On the occasions where non-standard care areas have to be used, it is the NHS Boards who are responsible for ensuring that effective and documented risk assessments, that detail the mitigating measures, are in place to support staff who are required to deliver care to patients in these areas.

The use of non-standard areas of care is scrutinised by Healthcare Improvement Scotland as part of their inspection process. HIS has encouraged NHS Boards to implement strategies to enhance patient flow and eliminate the routine use of non-standard care areas for patient care.

Question reference: S6W-42343

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 04 December 2025
Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 12 December 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to ensure that patients have access to suitable equipment and facilities when they are treated outside standard hospital wards.

This year the Scottish Government published our Operational Improvement Plan and we continue to work with local system leaders to support their health and social care improvement reforms to improve access to treatment and shift the balance of care from acute hospital services to the community, and to ensure people receive the right care in the right place.

Our commitment to expand Hospital at Home is supported by a share of over £200 million, announced as part of the 2025-26 budget. This funding will support Hospital at Home services to continue providing time-limited acute inpatient care in the comfort of the patient's home. This helps to reduce waiting times and delayed discharges by shifting the balance of care from acute, to community as well as having multiple benefits to the patient including reducing disruption to their existing care and support arrangements.

As part of this, the Scottish Government is also committed to delivering a more equitable and accessible approach to the provision of equipment. Following an assessment, individuals, regardless of where they are being treated, should experience a seamless journey through the pathway of care, which ensures they receive the right intervention at the right time. Scottish Government produced revised guidance in 2023 on the Provision of Equipment and Adaptations which underscores the importance of this.

The Scottish Government continues to monitor the implementation of this guidance and the delivery and provision of equipment via the National Network for Equipment and Adaptations.

Question reference: S6W-42339

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 04 December 2025
Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 12 December 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what information it holds on the number of patients treated in unsuitable settings due to hospital overcrowding in each of the last five years.

Question reference: S6W-42337

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 04 December 2025
Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 12 December 2025

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will commit to mandatory national reporting on corridor care in hospitals.

We are in active discussions with PHS regarding the feasibility of a national data collection however, our absolute focus is on addressing the cause of the conditions which lead to care in non-standard areas.

That is why through our NHS Scotland Operational Improvement Plan we are investing £200 million to address high hospital occupancy and improve patient flow.

Key to this work is addressing the capacity challenges which lead to care in nonstandard areas by: increasing focus on discharge planning to ensure that patients leave hospital as soon as they are medically fit; strengthening Same Day Emergency Care services to avoid unnecessary hospital admissions where appropriate; and increasing acute capacity by expanding Hospital at Home services to 2,000 beds by the end of 2026.

Question reference: S6W-42089

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 20 November 2025
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 3 December 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what (a) fees or honoraria have been paid to and (b) travel and subsistence expenses have been claimed by each named member of the Abortion Law Review Expert Group in each financial year since its establishment.

Question reference: S6W-42090

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 20 November 2025
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 3 December 2025

To ask the Scottish Government how much it has spent in total on the Abortion Law Review Expert Group, and associated work on the review of abortion law in Scotland, in each financial year since 5 September 2023, broken down by (a) the expert group costs, (b) Scottish Government staff costs and (c) any external costs, such as research, consultancy, communications and events.

Question reference: S6W-41926

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 18 November 2025
Current Status: Answered by Mairi McAllan on 2 December 2025

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-41527 by Kaukab Stewart on 11 November 2025, what the eligibility status is for homelessness support for individuals who have been placed in temporary accommodation in each local authority since April 2025.

Question reference: S6W-41906

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 14 November 2025
Current Status: Answered by Angus Robertson on 1 December 2025

To ask the Scottish Government how many board meetings of Museums and Galleries Scotland the Cabinet Secretary for Constitution, External Affairs and Culture has attended since May 2021, and on what dates.

Museums Galleries Scotland (MGS) are an independent Third Sector organisation that is funded by the Scottish Government. Since May 2021, Ministerial oversight of the Museums Galleries Scotland has been led by the Minister for Europe and International Development until January 2022, then the Minister for Culture, Europe and International Development from January 2022 until May 2024. I took over Ministerial oversight of NGS in May 2024.

In that time period, the I have not attended any board meetings of MGS. However, the myself and Ministers have met when required with the Chair and Chief Executive to discuss appropriate matters.

Question reference: S6W-41909

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 14 November 2025
Current Status: Answered by Angus Robertson on 1 December 2025

To ask the Scottish Government how many board meetings of National Museums of Scotland the Cabinet Secretary for Constitution, External Affairs and Culture has attended since May 2021, and on what dates.

Since May 2021, Ministerial oversight of the National Museums Scotland (NMS) has been led by the Minister for Europe and International Development until January 2022, then the Minister for Culture, Europe and International Development from January 2022 until May 2024. I took over Ministerial oversight of NMS in May 2024.

In that time period, I joined the NMS Board of Trustees pre-meeting session on 8 June 2022. Ministers and I have met when required with the Chief Executive as is normal convention for non-departmental public bodies.

Question reference: S6W-41907

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 14 November 2025
Current Status: Answered by Angus Robertson on 1 December 2025

To ask the Scottish Government how many board meetings of National Galleries of Scotland the Cabinet Secretary for Constitution, External Affairs and Culture has attended since May 2021, and on what dates.

Since May 2021, Ministerial oversight of the National Galleries of Scotland (NGS) has been led by the Minister for Europe and International Development until January 2022, then the Minister for Culture, Europe and International Development from January 2022 until May 2024. I took over Ministerial oversight of NGS in May 2024.

In that time period, I have not attended any board meetings of NGS. However, Minister and I have met when required with the Chief Executive as is normal convention for non-departmental public bodies.