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: S6W-44027

Asked by: Daniel Johnson, MSP for Edinburgh Southern, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 04 March 2026
Current Status: Answered by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 11 March 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what the (a) target and (b) current average processing time is for Social Security Scotland to recognise the legal authority of a power of attorney document when presented with it, and to permit and enable a person granted such a power of attorney to manage the Social Security Scotland benefits of the claimant in question.

Social Security Scotland does not measure the average processing time for accepting a power of attorney, and does not have a target for this.

There are four types of power of attorney that may be put in place in Scotland; however, only those that confer financial powers can be used in relation to benefits administered by Social Security Scotland.

When a power of attorney document is provided, and both the individual and the document are verified, this forms part of the client’s broader case handling. As this activity is undertaken as part of routine application management rather than through a separately defined or measured process, no specific performance data is collected or reported.

Question reference: S6W-43882

Asked by: Daniel Johnson, MSP for Edinburgh Southern, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 23 February 2026
Current Status: Answer expected on 9 March 2026

To ask the Scottish Government whether the Central Legal Office has made an assessment of the reliability of the electronic patient records system used by NHS Scotland.

Question reference: S6W-43629

Asked by: Daniel Johnson, MSP for Edinburgh Southern, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 09 February 2026
Current Status: Answered by Natalie Don-Innes on 13 February 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what the total number of registered foster carers has been in each of the last five years.

The Scottish Government does not hold this information centrally.

Local authorities and independent fostering agencies are responsible for foster care recruitment. The Care Inspectorate is the official body responsible for registering, inspecting, and publishing national statistics regarding fostering services in Scotland. It publishes annual statistics on fostering services and foster carer numbers, with the latest report published on 28 October 2025. Fostering_and_adoption_statistical_bulletin_2024-2025.pdf

Question reference: S6W-43639

Asked by: Daniel Johnson, MSP for Edinburgh Southern, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 10 February 2026
Current Status: Answer expected on 24 February 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to monitor the performance of Scottish Canals, in light of the Audit Scotland finding in June 2023 that it was "unable to provide public assurance over Scottish Canals’ financial position, how it spent public money allocated to it or its performance".

Question reference: S6W-43635

Asked by: Daniel Johnson, MSP for Edinburgh Southern, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 10 February 2026
Current Status: Answer expected on 24 February 2026

To ask the Scottish Government when it published its most recent assessment of the condition of Scotland's road network.

Question reference: S6W-43633

Asked by: Daniel Johnson, MSP for Edinburgh Southern, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 10 February 2026
Current Status: Answer expected on 24 February 2026

To ask the Scottish Government when it will publish updates on the (a) progress made and (b) costs associated with the major harbour development projects outlined in its Infrastructure Investment Plan 2021-26

Question reference: S6W-43640

Asked by: Daniel Johnson, MSP for Edinburgh Southern, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 10 February 2026
Current Status: Answer expected on 24 February 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what the grant funding that it has provided to Scottish Canals has delivered in each of the last five years, and what it expects funding in 2026-27 will deliver.

Question reference: S6W-43636

Asked by: Daniel Johnson, MSP for Edinburgh Southern, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 10 February 2026
Current Status: Answer expected on 24 February 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment of the condition of Scotland's trunk roads it has (a) made and (b) published since the discontinuation of the Performance Audit Group annual audit in 2021-22.

Question reference: S6W-43637

Asked by: Daniel Johnson, MSP for Edinburgh Southern, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 10 February 2026
Current Status: Answer expected on 24 February 2026

To ask the Scottish Government when it will next commission a national audit on maintaining Scotland's road network.

Question reference: S6W-43634

Asked by: Daniel Johnson, MSP for Edinburgh Southern, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 10 February 2026
Current Status: Answer expected on 24 February 2026

To ask the Scottish Government when it will publish updates on the (a) progress made and (b) costs associated with the procurement of replacement vessels for the passenger services outlined in its Infrastructure Investment Plan 2021-26.