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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-43571

Asked by: Brian Whittle, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 04 February 2026
Current Status: Answered by Tom Arthur on 18 February 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to address diagnostic overshadowing impacting people with mental illness.

The Scottish Government is fully committed to ensuring people have access to advice and support for their physical and mental health, at the point they need it. We are also committed to healthcare being delivered in an integrated, person-centred way, both to improve patient outcomes and mitigate the risk of diagnostic overshadowing.

All NHS Boards in Scotland adhere to clinical guidelines and best practice when planning services, and the NHS medical workforce is trained to identify and manage risks of diagnostic overshadowing. These staff also work within their competencies and in accordance with professional practice guidance to ensure the most appropriate assessment, diagnosis and treatment is carried out. In practice, this means the healthcare workforce gives ongoing consideration to the presence and interaction between physical and mental health in order to identify and support comorbidities and mitigate the risk of diagnostic overshadowing.

Our Mental Health & Wellbeing Strategy includes a priority outcome of ensuring ‘people with mental health conditions, including those with co-existing health conditions, experience improved quality and length of life, free from stigma and discrimination’. This priority has led to our associated Mental Health and Wellbeing Delivery Plan identifying groups most likely to be affected by diagnostic overshadowing, along with a range of actions to mitigate this risk. For example, by May 2024, professional learning resources were delivered for all NHS professionals working in adult services (or with adults) to help ensure our communities’ mental health and wellbeing needs are better understood and met.

Additionally our Core Mental Health Quality Standards make clear that NHS Boards should take a whole person approach to assessing and meeting an individual’s mental health needs, by considering their physical, social, communication and psychological and neuordivergent needs.

Finally, our National Specification for Psychological Therapies and Interventions sets standards for the delivery of psychological therapies by NHS Boards. These therapies are proven to make a real difference to people’s mental and physical health. A key element of the specification is for psychological therapies to be delivered in a person-centred way and integrated way in order to improve an individual’s psychological and physical health. Positively, in 2024-25 more than 74,000 people started treatment in psychological therapies in the NHS in Scotland, with over 63% of the psychology workforce delivering therapies within mental health settings and the remaining 37% in other settings – showing how mental health needs are being identified and met across a range of healthcare settings.

Question reference: S6W-43570

Asked by: Brian Whittle, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 04 February 2026
Current Status: Answered by Tom Arthur on 18 February 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to tackle the mortality gap between people with mental illness and the rest of the population.

A key focus of the Mental Health and Wellbeing Delivery Plan is improving the quality of life for people with mental health conditions, recognising that poorer physical health outcomes are a contributor to the mortality gap.

To achieve this, we are improving access to timely, effective, and person-centred mental health support, care and treatment, ensuring people can access the right care when they need it. Between the Scottish Government and NHS Boards, we expect spending on Mental Health to exceed £1.5 billion in 2026-27 based on the most recent cost book data.

There are a wide range of factors, including poverty, employment, financial wellbeing and housing and homelessness, that can contribute to whether a person is mentally healthy or not. That is why our Mental Health and Wellbeing strategy recognises mental health as a cross-government priority and why we are working across portfolios and with a range of partners to address the wider social determinants of mental health more broadly.

Question reference: S6W-43573

Asked by: Brian Whittle, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 04 February 2026
Current Status: Answered by Tom Arthur on 18 February 2026

To ask the Scottish Government whether there is an entitlement to annual health checks for people with mental illness in Scotland, in the same way as there is (a) in England and (b) for people with learning disabilities.

In Scotland, there is no requirement for annual physical health checks for people with mental illness. However, the Scottish Government has issued National Directions requiring NHS Boards to deliver annual health checks to people aged 16+ with learning disabilities. GPs are best placed to advise and guide people about treatment and management of symptoms relating to their mental and physical health. Routine assessment through general practice services remains the primary route for addressing concerns and we would encourage anyone, including people living with mental illness, to contact their GP whenever they have concerns about their physical or mental health.

Question reference: S6W-43565

Asked by: Jamie Greene, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Wednesday, 04 February 2026
Current Status: Answered by Richard Lochhead on 18 February 2026

To ask the Scottish Government how much export revenue has originated from businesses in each local authority area, in each of the last five years.

Export Statistics Scotland is the primary source of export data in Scotland. ESS is designed for national and sectoral analysis, but does not provide estimates at local authority level. As such we do not hold the data requested.

Geographically disaggregated trade data is available in HMRC trade in goods data, but this only covers export of goods only (not services) it is not a complete measure of total export revenue. Furthermore, HMRC Regional Trade Statistics are also at higher geographies than at local authority level (e.g. UK national level).

Question reference: S6W-43660

Asked by: Richard Leonard, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Date lodged: Wednesday, 11 February 2026
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 18 February 2026

To ask the Scottish Government how many additional full-time equivalent employees have been employed by Network Rail Scotland in each year since 2024, including tier 1 and 2 contractors in Network Rail Scotland’s supply chain.

Question reference: S6W-43659

Asked by: Richard Leonard, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Date lodged: Wednesday, 11 February 2026
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 18 February 2026

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will take steps to establish Network Rail Scotland’s actual spend on drainage works to date in Control Period 7, and what percentage this represents of the total Control Period 7 budget for drainage works on Scotland’s rail infrastructure to 2029.

Question reference: S6W-43658

Asked by: Richard Leonard, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Date lodged: Wednesday, 11 February 2026
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 18 February 2026

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will take steps to establish the number of (a) Network Rail Scotland full-time equivalent employees and (b) Network Rail Scotland supply chain contractors allocated to drainage works on track infrastructure in Scotland since 2024 to date.

Question reference: S6W-43643

Asked by: Oliver Mundell, MSP for Dumfriesshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 11 February 2026
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 18 February 2026

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-43529 by Fiona Hyslop on 10 February 2026, what recent communication Transport Scotland and Amey have had with Dumfries and Galloway Council regarding litter along the A75.

Transport Scotland officials met with representatives from Amey and Dumfries and Galloway Council on 14 January 2026. At this meeting, Transport Scotland reiterated to the Council its statutory responsibilities for litter management under the Environmental Protection Act 1990.

Transport Scotland will continue to work collaboratively with the Council, sharing forward works programmes to help coordinate traffic management where possible and to support efforts to address the litter issue.

Question reference: S6W-43780

Asked by: Audrey Nicoll, MSP for Aberdeen South and North Kincardine, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 17 February 2026
Current Status: Initiated by the Scottish Government. Answered by Gillian Martin on 18 February 2026

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on its refresh of the Good Practice Principles for Community Benefits from Onshore Renewable Energy Developments.

The Scottish Government will today publish a Working Paper setting out our proposals for refreshing priority areas of the Good Practice Principles for Community Benefits from Onshore Renewable Energy Developments. It is vital that our Good Practice Principles are as effective as possible in securing benefits for communities across Scotland.

We are therefore seeking views on our proposals to increase the fund level recommendation for onshore wind; make clearer how the guidance applies for different types of development, such as solar and battery energy storage; and improve our guidance, tools and support for communities to get the most from community benefits. These proposals are based on evidence gathered from our consultation and our extensive engagement with groups from across the community benefit landscape.

We are seeking further views to refine these proposals before developing the final updated Good Practice Principles planned for publication later in 2026. This programme of engagement will include online feedback on the Scottish Government Dialogue platform, regional discussion events, and targeted engagement with community groups and developers over the coming weeks. We encourage all those with an interest to share their views, so that the Good Practice Principles continue to support clear, lasting benefits for communities across Scotland.

Question reference: S6W-43778

Current Status: Withdrawn