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-43912

Asked by: Brian Whittle, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 25 February 2026
Current Status: Answer expected on 11 March 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with NHS boards regarding reports of their continuing (a) purchase and (b) regular use of fax machines; how much each board has spent on the acquisition and servicing of these devices in each of the last three years; what its position is on whether such expenditure represents good value for the public purse; what plans each NHS board has to end such use, and by what date they will do so.

Question reference: S6O-05602

Asked by: Brian Whittle, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 25 February 2026
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 5 March 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to reports that the gap between secondary school leavers from the most deprived and least deprived areas going to a positive destination widened to 4.7 percentage points, which is the largest since 2020-21.

Question reference: S6W-43810

Asked by: Brian Whittle, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 18 February 2026
Current Status: Answer expected on 4 March 2026

To ask the Scottish Government, as part of efforts to reduce child poverty, whether it will consider widening the eligibility criteria of the Young Patients Family Fund to make it more accessible to the families who are most in need of financial support by (a) taking a "cash first" approach and (b) extending it to outpatients attending regular appointments.

Question reference: S6W-43836

Asked by: Brian Whittle, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 18 February 2026
Current Status: Answer expected on 4 March 2026

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the decision in the case Raeshaw Farms Limited vs The Scottish Ministers and Energiekontor UK Ltd, whether any changes will be made to the processes followed by planning reporters.

Question reference: S6W-43798

Asked by: Brian Whittle, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 18 February 2026
Current Status: Answer expected on 4 March 2026

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on its work to implement the recommendations from the Independent Review of the Skills Delivery Landscape by James Withers, particularly around engagement with business.

Question reference: S6W-43837

Asked by: Brian Whittle, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 18 February 2026
Current Status: Answer expected on 4 March 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the Opinion of the Court delivered in the case Raeshaw Farms Limited vs The Scottish Ministers and Energiekontor UK Ltd on 17 February 2026.

Question reference: S6W-43572

Asked by: Brian Whittle, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 04 February 2026
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 17 February 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to ensure that people with mental illness are provided with timely screening and treatment for preventable physical health conditions.

The Scottish Government and our NHS partners are committed to ensuring everyone in Scotland has equal access to the healthcare they need. This is reflected in The Health and Social Care Service Renewal Framework 2025-26, which sets out our vision to improve population health, including mental health; preventative healthcare and early intervention; and reducing inequalities.

The Scottish Equity in Screening Strategy 2023 - 2026 also outlines our commitment to improving access to screening for all, including those with mental health conditions. The screening programmes are working with all NHS Boards, screening programmes and a wide number of stakeholders to identify and address challenges patients may face.

To support this work, the Scottish Government have provided £1 million annually for national and local initiatives that reduce inequalities and improve access to screening. This funding has recently enabled NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde to employ a specialist nurse to deliver cervical screening in mental health inpatient settings. Screening Oversight and Assurance Scotland is also developing new guidance to improve screening access for all inpatients, including those in mental health care.

Across the NHS more generally, all patients and screening participants are encouraged to discuss any concerns or additional requirements with a relevant healthcare professional before attending appointments or receiving treatment. These must be taken account of and recorded where they have been communicated by the patient, the patient’s carer, or a medical practitioner, to ensure support can be provided throughout the entire patient pathway. This is underpinned by the Waiting Times Guidance, published November 2023, which notes that Health Boards have a duty to ensure that patients are provided with information they can easily understand, and that appropriate support is put in place as required.

Finally, Everyone should be invited every five years between the ages of 40 and 74 for a NHS health check, while people engaged with their GP’s learning disability register are entitled to a mandatory annual health check.

Question reference: S6W-43768

Asked by: Brian Whittle, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 16 February 2026
Current Status: Answer expected on 2 March 2026

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-43538 by Gillian Martin on 12 February 2026, how many times the Energy Consents Unit has corresponded with the Children’s Rights Unit by (a) email, (b) post or (c) internal memo to request a consultation or advice regarding any impacts on children.

Question reference: S6T-02902

Asked by: Brian Whittle, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 16 February 2026
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 17 February 2026

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on its decision to escalate NHS Ayrshire and Arran to Stage 4 of the national improvement framework.

Question reference: S6W-43538

Asked by: Brian Whittle, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 03 February 2026
Current Status: Answered by Gillian Martin on 12 February 2026

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-43309 by Gillian Martin on 3 February 2026, whether it will provide the information that was requested and confirm how many times the Energy Consents Unit has contacted the Children’s Rights Unit to request a consultation or advice regarding any impacts on children.