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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-37681

Asked by: Meghan Gallacher, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 29 May 2025
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 10 June 2025

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the comment by the Minister for Public Health and Women’s Health during the debate on motion S6M-17186 on 30 April 2025, that “a task and finish group…to oversee and support a suite of national actions and co-ordination that will be required for the delivery of each region's implementation plan” would be established, whether it will confirm (a) when this group was established, (b) who has been invited to participate, (c) what its remit is, (d) on what dates it has met or is scheduled to meet and (e) how its decisions and progress are being communicated to the (i) neonatal community and (ii) public.

The three NHS Regional Chief Executives leading implementation for the North, East and West established a Task and Finish Group in March 2025. The Group’s membership comprises of the NHS Regional Chief executives, regional planners and service leaders bringing working knowledge and understanding of current services, to lead delivery of the work.

The remit of the group is to oversee and support national action and coordination required for delivery of Regional Implementation Plans to implement the move to three Neonatal Intensive Care units across Scotland. This includes work to develop a funding model, and work to model the additional impact on capacity in maternity services.

The group met on the 2 June 2025 and will meet monthly thereafter.

The Task and Finish Group will provide updates to and seek any collective agreement through the Board Chief Executives and Planning and Delivery Board reporting to NHS Scotland Executive Group.

Question reference: S6W-37685

Asked by: Meghan Gallacher, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 22 May 2025
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 3 June 2025

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the debate on motion S6M-17186 (Best Start New Model of Neonatal Care) on 30 April 2025, what (a) funding and (b) resources have been allocated for the 2025–26 financial year to each of the NHS boards hosting the three neonatal intensive care units, and what assessment it has made to ensure that this is sufficient to recruit the workforce required to deliver the increased requirements within the Best Start new model of neonatal care.

The Scottish Government recognises that funding will be required to support Boards to make the transition to a reformed maternity and neonatal service. We have provided £3,570,400 to NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde and £2,873,051 to NHS Lothian since 2019, a total contribution of almost £6.5m. We are in discussion with NHS Grampian about additional support required. This funding is focused on supporting Boards through the transition process. In parallel work is underway to develop a cross-Board funding model to ensure receiving units are funded for the additional care that they provide.

This is in addition to the £25m of support we have provided to all Boards for implementation of the package of recommendations within Best Start since 2018, including improvements such as introduction of transitional care, and neonatal community care, and establishment of the Scottish Perinatal Network.

Question reference: S6W-37682

Asked by: Meghan Gallacher, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 22 May 2025
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 3 June 2025

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the debate on motion S6M-17186 (Best Start New Model of Neonatal Care) on 30 April 2025, whether the same criteria will be used across Scotland to determine which groups of babies are prioritised for transfer at each phase of implementation of the Best Start new model of neonatal care.

Safety for the babies, families and staff is our utmost priority, which is why we have taken a phased approach to transition, allowing time to build the right levels of capacity in all areas with NHS Boards working towards full implementation by 2026.

Implementation is already underway in the East region with Fife babies transferring to Edinburgh, and in the West Region with Ayrshire babies being transferred to Glasgow.

Each of the three Regions have developed plans for implementation. The plans include a phased approach to implementation and Regions have chosen to take different approaches to phasing.

Question reference: S6W-37680

Asked by: Meghan Gallacher, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 22 May 2025
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 3 June 2025

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the debate on motion S6M-17186 (Best Start New Model of Neonatal Care) on 30 April 2025, what the timeline is for implementing the Best Start model of neonatal care by 2026, and by what date each neonatal unit will be operating under its new designation.

Implementation is already underway in the East region with Fife babies transferring to Edinburgh, and in the West Region with Ayrshire babies being transferred to Glasgow.

The Scottish Government has requested progress updates from the three regional chief executives in response to the timelines indicated within the three regional plans. These updates are expected to be provided by 31 May 2025.

Over the course of this year we will continue to work with the Regional Chief Executives and NHS Boards to continue to implement this service change.

Question reference: S6W-37684

Asked by: Meghan Gallacher, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 22 May 2025
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 3 June 2025

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the debate on motion S6M-17186 (Best Start New Model of Neonatal Care) on 30 April 2025, and in light of the previous national neonatal clinical lead for the Scottish Perinatal Network stepping down in autumn 2024, when a new national neonatal clinical lead will be appointed, and whether they will join the Task and Finish Group for the implementation of the Best Start new model of neonatal care.

The Scottish Perinatal Network (SPN) undertook recruitment to this role in December 2024 and a preferred candidate was offered the role. Finalisation of contracts and backfill recruitment is currently taking place.

The Task and Finish Group is chaired by the three regional Chief Executives and they determine membership of the group. The SPN are currently members of the group and this will be reviewed as work progresses.

Question reference: S6O-04727

Asked by: Meghan Gallacher, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 21 May 2025
Current Status: Answered by Siobhian Brown on 29 May 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to reports that rape victims who request free court transcripts under the pilot scheme are waiting seven months on average to receive their transcript.

I am sorry that anyone has had to wait to receive their transcript due to delays in the pilot scheme for transcripts. We have been working closely with Scottish Court and Tribunal Service to address the issues that have been raised in a minority of these applications. SCTS have now written to applicants to provide them with an update on their application and to advise that they will provide regular updates every three weeks. Changes have also been made to their website to provide clearer information about expected timescales and the updates that will be provided.

Question reference: S6O-04608

Asked by: Meghan Gallacher, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 30 April 2025
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 7 May 2025

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on how it is challenging the UK Government’s proposed inheritance tax changes for farmers.

Question reference: S6W-35898

Asked by: Meghan Gallacher, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 19 March 2025
Current Status: Answered by Alasdair Allan on 3 April 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on requiring (a) occupiers of non-domestic properties to provide information about unused heat on the premises and (b) buildings with unused heat to provide this to a heat network zone.

Question reference: S6W-35895

Asked by: Meghan Gallacher, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 19 March 2025
Current Status: Answered by Alasdair Allan on 3 April 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on introducing regulations that would require people purchasing a property to comply with a prohibition on polluting heating in a specified amount of time following the completion of the sale.

As I have set out in my statement to Parliament earlier today, we intend to introduce a Heat in Buildings Bill in Year 5 of this Parliamentary session.

We intend this Bill to introduce a statutory target to decarbonise our buildings by 2045, as far as possible.

We recognise that this will involve a mix of heating types, and that different solutions will be needed in different homes and non-domestic buildings.

We do not now intend to immediately take forward proposals that would have placed an obligation on those purchasing a property to transition that building to a clean heating system within a specified period of time following the completion of the sale.

This decision has been taken following analysis of the more than 1600 responses we received to our public consultation on proposals for a Heat in Buildings Bill, extensive engagement with stakeholders, and consideration of research commissioned by the Scottish Government into the impacts of these proposals on the Scottish housing market.

Question reference: S6W-35897

Asked by: Meghan Gallacher, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 19 March 2025
Current Status: Answered by Alasdair Allan on 3 April 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on legislating to give (a) it and (b) local authorities the power to require buildings in a heat network zone to end their use of polluting heating systems by a certain date, with a minimum notice period.

As I have set out in my statement to Parliament earlier today, we intend to introduce a Heat in Buildings Bill in Year 5 of this Parliamentary session.

The final decision on the provisions of the Bill will be made collectively by Cabinet ahead of its introduction. This decision will take account of the analysis of responses received in reply to our public consultation on proposals for a Heat in Buildings Bill, but it is our strong intention that this Bill will help build the investment case for new district heating projects in Heat Network Zones.