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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-42647

Asked by: Emma Harper, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 17 December 2025
Current Status: Answer expected on 14 January 2026

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on its plans to use technological innovation to improve ophthalmology services and reduce waiting lists for glaucoma treatment.

Question reference: S6W-42648

Asked by: Emma Harper, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 17 December 2025
Current Status: Answer expected on 14 January 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what support it will provide to national treatment centres to offer trabecular bypass procedures at the time of cataract surgery, where clinically appropriate, in light of the recent UK and Eire Glaucoma Society consensus statement concluding that all patients with glaucoma should be offered minimally invasive glaucoma surgery when undergoing cataract surgery, and indicating that around 4,500 people in Scotland could benefit.

Question reference: S6O-05336

Asked by: Emma Harper, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 17 December 2025
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 7 January 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to improve family support services within the prison estate.

Question reference: S6W-42295

Asked by: Emma Harper, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 03 December 2025
Current Status: Initiated by the Scottish Government. Answered by Jenni Minto on 3 December 2025

To ask the Scottish Government when the response to the recommendations set out by the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) in the February 2025 Market Study into Infant formula and Follow-on formula will be published, in light of these measures being designed to increase affordability of a vital food product for babies.

On 14 February 2025, the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) published the final report of its market study into the UK infant and follow-on formula market. CMA set out 11 recommendations to the Scottish, Welsh and UK Governments and Northern Ireland Executive.

Today, I can confirm the four nations have published a joint response: Infant formula: government response to CMA market study - GOV.UK to CMA’s recommendations. This response complements the range of measures taking place in Scotland to support new parents and carers on their infant feeding journeys, including our five year plan: 4. Our Vision - Breastfeeding and infant feeding: strategic framework 2025-2030 - gov.scot for infant feeding and breastfeeding, country wide accreditation of the UNICEF Baby Friendly Initiative and our continued commitment to protect all parents from inappropriate marketing of infant formula. Scotland can play an important and leading role in addressing Infant Food Insecurity given our Government’s core mission to eradicate child poverty.

Whilst there are important measures to welcome, I have also reiterated to the UK Government the need to do more to address challenges which necessitate a strong four-nations response. This is particularly relevant for how and where retailers are located geographically, and where baby food and infant formula prices are further inflated in different parts of the UK. This has a particularly acute impact on rural and island communities in Scotland who already face higher prices for groceries, and I am considering how we may take rapid action to both assess and address how we might mitigate this for families.

Getting the right nutrition at the start is crucial for a baby’s healthy growth and development. While we remain fully committed to supporting breastfeeding, which brings significant benefits for mothers and babies, we recognise that some families cannot, or choose not to, breastfeed. For families that do not exclusively breastfeed, infant formula is an essential item. The CMA makes a strong case that action is needed to give parents and carers confidence to choose lower priced products and encourage manufacturers and retailers to compete more on price.

There are already regulations that require all infant formula and follow-on formula manufacturers to comply with robust nutritional and compositional standards, alongside rules on how formula milk products are labelled, presented and advertised to protect parents and carers from inappropriate claims or promotions. This means all infant formula sold on the UK market is safe, when used appropriately, and meets the nutritional needs of babies, regardless of the price or brand.

In this joint UK response to the CMA’s recommendations, the four nations set out a strong package of measures. This package seeks to support parents and carers to make better-informed decisions if they need, or choose, to use infant formula and place downward pressure on the price. It focuses on ensuring comprehensive and accessible information in healthcare and retail settings, and places emphasis on encouraging retailers to voluntarily implement measures to better enable product comparison and stimulate competition between brands. In Scotland we will consider existing enforcement processes and update and clarify guidance to strengthen adherence, where needed.

The UK Government has also committed to reviewing existing infant formula legislation to ensure retailers can accept food bank vouchers, gift cards and loyalty points as part or full payment for infant formula. The Scottish Government and Food Standards Scotland will work closely with the UK Department of Health and Social Care and the other Devolved Governments on guidance clarifying what is permissible under the existing legislation in Scotland. This is due to publish shortly.

We will continue working with the UK Government and Devolved Governments. However, we will keep this package of measures under review to consider whether further action can be taken in Scotland in line with our mission to end child poverty.

Question reference: S6T-02782

Asked by: Emma Harper, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 01 December 2025
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 2 December 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking in response to the National Timber Group entering administration.

Question reference: S6O-05237

Asked by: Emma Harper, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 26 November 2025
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 3 December 2025

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of reported protests outside a primary school in Glasgow, what support it is offering to Police Scotland, local authorities and other agencies to ensure the safety and security of those using adult education services.

Question reference: S6O-05140

Asked by: Emma Harper, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 05 November 2025
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 13 November 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what support it is providing to help deliver regeneration in the south west, including any plans for future infrastructure and housing investment.

Question reference: S6F-04404

Asked by: Emma Harper, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 27 October 2025
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 30 October 2025

To ask the First Minister whether the Scottish Government has had any initial response from the UK Government in relation to the letter sent to the Minister of State for Food Security and Rural Affairs on 22 October regarding the Fishing and Coastal Growth Fund.

Question reference: S6W-41307

Asked by: Emma Harper, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 13 October 2025
Current Status: Initiated by the Scottish Government. Answered by Neil Gray on 13 October 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what further action it is taking to improve access to primary care.

Improving access to primary care is a key priority for this Government. We recognise the vital role that GPs, community nurses, pharmacists, dentists and other members of the primary care team play as the foundation of healthcare in our communities.

We are committed to strengthening the whole primary care system, building on our ongoing commitment through the Service Renewal Framework to shift more care into community settings and make services more accessible for patients.

As part of this, we will develop options for new and innovative ways to improve access to primary care, including local walk-in models which will provide more flexibility for patients. It is our intention to develop proposals for a model would see these services open Monday-Sunday. We will develop these proposals first as a pilot model which will complement current core general practice and provide a range of same-day assessment and small-scale diagnostics. To do this we will work in collaboration with NHS Boards and primary care delivery partners to ensure they strengthen, rather than duplicate, existing primary care services.

The Scottish Government will set out further details as these plans develop.

Question reference: S6W-41119

Asked by: Emma Harper, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 08 October 2025
Current Status: Initiated by the Scottish Government. Answered by Jim Fairlie on 9 October 2025

To ask the Scottish Government whether the muirburn licensing provisions in the Wildlife Management and Muirburn (Scotland) Act 2024 will be implemented on 1 January 2026, in light of the lessons learned following the wildfires in Dava and Carrbridge in summer 2025.

Following discussions with a number of stakeholders and experts over recent weeks, I have decided to delay implementation of the muirburn provisions until the start of the next muirburn season in Autumn 2026.

This decision will provide us with the time and opportunity to carefully consider the upcoming changes to muirburn and how these changes can be brought forward in a way which does not adversely affect our ability to prevent and respond to wildfires. Wildfires as I saw this summer, are very damaging to our precious peatland carbon stores and further discussions on this issue will take place with key stakeholders and at the Wildfire Summit on 14 October 2025.