Chamber and committees

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: S7W-02929

Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Edinburgh and Lothians East, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 03 September 2026
Current Status: Answered by Maree Todd on 18 September 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what progress it has made towards developing the delivery plan for achieving national 24/7 thrombectomy services coverage, as committed to in the Programme for Government, and when it anticipates publishing the plan.

Work to publish the delivery plan for 24/7 thrombectomy, as committed to in the Programme for Government, will begin after Public Services Delivery Scotland(PSDS)have obtained the necessary clinical, planning, financial and workforce information from NHS Boards. This work will help establish what is required to make 24/7 thrombectomy available across Scotland.

We expect this information to be available by the end of October and will then work at pace to develop the delivery plan, including timescales for service expansion.

Question reference: S7W-02937

Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Edinburgh and Lothians East, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 03 September 2026
Current Status: Answered by Maree Todd on 18 September 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what targets and performance indicators it plans to use to assess progress towards national 24/7 thrombectomy coverage, including for treatment rates, treatment times and geographical coverage.

Question reference: S7W-02933

Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Edinburgh and Lothians East, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 03 September 2026
Current Status: Answered by Maree Todd on 18 September 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the number of patients who are currently unable to access thrombectomy because the service is not available at the time they require treatment, including overnight and at weekends.

Question reference: S7W-02930

Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Edinburgh and Lothians East, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 03 September 2026
Current Status: Answered by Maree Todd on 18 September 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what definition it is using to define a “24/7 thrombectomy service”, and whether this definition means that a patient requiring thrombectomy will have access to the procedure at any time of day, seven days a week, subject to clinical eligibility.

Question reference: S7W-02935

Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Edinburgh and Lothians East, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 03 September 2026
Current Status: Answered by Maree Todd on 18 September 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the additional clinical workforce required to provide a national 24/7 thrombectomy service, including interventional neuroradiologists, radiographers, anaesthetists and other relevant staff, and what steps it is taking to address any workforce gaps.

The Scottish Government has not conducted a specific assessment of additional clinical workforce required to provide a national 24/7 thrombectomy service.

Public Services Delivery Scotland (PSDS) are currently working to obtain the necessary clinical, planning, financial and workforce information from NHS Boards. This work will inform the development of a delivery plan for 24/7 thrombectomy services and help identify any additional work force requirements.

Question reference: S7W-02936

Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Edinburgh and Lothians East, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 03 September 2026
Current Status: Answered by Maree Todd on 18 September 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what progress it has made towards implementing artificial intelligence technology to support the identification and triage of patients who may be eligible for thrombectomy, and whether any outstanding approvals or financial sign-offs are currently delaying implementation.

Question reference: S7W-02938

Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Edinburgh and Lothians East, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 03 September 2026
Current Status: Answered by Maree Todd on 18 September 2026

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide regular updates to Parliament on progress made towards delivering national 24/7 thrombectomy coverage, including on funding, workforce, geographical coverage and implementation milestones.

Question reference: S7W-02710

Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Edinburgh and Lothians East, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 26 August 2026
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 18 September 2026

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will consider wider reform of property taxation, including a review of Land and Buildings Transaction Tax, with a view to enhancing the benefits of the First Homes Fund.

The progressive rates and bands for residential Land and Buildings Transaction Tax (LBTT) and the first time buyer relief that increases the nil rate band to £175,000 are intended to support first-time buyers in Scotland.

The Scottish Government has no current plans to review LBTT for the purpose of enhancing the benefits available through the First Homes Fund. However the Scottish Government keeps all taxes under review as part of the annual Budget process and wider tax policy development.

Question reference: S7W-03077

Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Edinburgh and Lothians East, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 09 September 2026
Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 18 September 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions the Scottish Ministers have had regarding the availability of disposable barbecues and any potential ban on their sale or use.

The Scottish Government recognises the seasonal dangers and damage associated with disposal barbeques.

I welcome the steps the UK Government took to temporarily restrict the sale of disposable barbeques across the England, Scotland and Wales given the risks they can pose to the environment, local communities and agricultural land, particularly during periods of warm and dry weather when the risk of wildfire is heightened.

I believe there needs to be consideration of this issue on a more permanent basis when there is a high risk of wildfires and a more permanent approach would provide greater protection for communities and the environment. This is therefore an issue I will look to raise with the UK Government in early course.

In Scotland, local authorities have powers to ban the use of disposable barbeques within relevant spaces. Whilst it is for Scottish Ministers to approve byelaws proposed by local authorities, it is a matter for each council to decide how to manage its day-to-day business, including whether there is a need to introduce byelaws within their local areas to implement a ban on the use of barbeques at times of high risk.

This includes new wildfire prevention byelaws that came into effect in the Cairngorms National Park. This means that fires and barbecues are banned in public places within the National Park between 1 April and 30 September every year unless there is a lawful authority to do so.

Question reference: S7O-00263

Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Edinburgh and Lothians East, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 16 September 2026
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 23 September 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions ministers are having with SEPA regarding the reported discharge of waste directly into the sea impacting on communities across East Lothian.