Questions and answers

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 ��˿�� 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-39027

Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 26 June 2025
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 23 July 2025

To ask the Scottish Government how many probationary teachers in (a) primary and (b) secondary schools have not completed their placement in each local authority area in each year since 1999.

Question reference: S6W-39026

Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 26 June 2025
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 23 July 2025

To ask the Scottish Government how much has been charged in total for education services for children and young people while in hospital in each local authority area in each year since 1999.

Question reference: S6W-39025

Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 26 June 2025
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 23 July 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the number of families currently being charged for education services for children and young people staying in hospital.

Question reference: S6W-39031

Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 26 June 2025
Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 18 July 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of any merits of investing in more clinical (a) oncology and (b) radiology speciality training places in order to reduce any reliance on outsourcing to private firms.

As set out in answer S6W-38508 on 18 June 2025, whilst Scottish Ministers are responsible for determining the strategic policy of the NHS in Scotland, NHS Boards are responsible for delivering their services, including making decisions to outsource NHS contracts to the independent sector where appropriate to meet the Board’s needs.

We have expanded the Clinical Oncology and Medical Oncology specialty training programmes since 2014. The Scottish Government is working directly with NHS Education for Scotland (NES) to increase supply into Clinical and Medical Oncology and promote these options as an attractive career choice by future applicants.

Further, we have been expanding Internal Medicine Training (IMT) numbers, for example, which is a pre-requisite for various higher specialties including Clinical and Medical Oncology. This will increase front-end supply into several higher-level specialties including Oncology. The IMT programme has filled at 100% for the past five years.

All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at /chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers

Question reference: S6W-39033

Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 26 June 2025
Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 18 July 2025

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the findings in the Royal College of Radiologists report, Clinical Oncology: Workforce Census 2024, how it plans to reduce the number of clinical (a) oncologists and (b) radiologists under the age of 50 leaving the NHS workforce.

As set out in answer S6W-38507, Scottish Government recognises that throughout their career, employees, including radiologists and oncologists, will face differing demands on their time and energies at home as well as at work which may lead to them leaving the workforce below the age of 50.

The national ‘Supporting Work Life Balance’ workforce policies provide staff with a range of flexible working options to help them to balance their lifestyle whilst maintaining and promoting the best possible service to our patients and service users.

Further, Scottish Government are supporting staff throughout the NHS, including radiologists and oncologists, through funding of over £2.5m annually to support staff wellbeing. Evidence shows that positive wellbeing enhances staff retention and engagement, which in turn raises standards of patient safety and quality of care.

This funding provides our workforce with access to psychological interventions and therapies, self-service resources through the National Wellbeing Hub and the National Wellbeing Helpline delivered by NHS 24. Registered staff also have access to confidential mental health services through the Workforce Specialist Service (WSS).

Question reference: S6W-38880

Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 19 June 2025
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 17 July 2025

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the timeline for providing the £5 million of funding allocated to the hospice sector in its Budget 2025-26.

The Scottish Government has already provided reassurances to independent hospices that the funding will be allocated as soon as practically possible, based on the analysis of financial data provided by the hospices.

However, it is important to reflect that it remains the responsibility of Integration Joint Boards (IJBs) to commission palliative care services, including independent hospices, to meet the needs of their local populations. As such, we expect Scottish hospices and IJBs to continue to engage on any matters that may impact on the delivery of local palliative care services.

Question reference: S6W-38818

Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 18 June 2025
Current Status: Answered by Mairi McAllan on 16 July 2025

To ask the Scottish Government how many children and young people living in temporary accommodation have been required to move school in each year since 1999, broken down by local authority area.

Question reference: S6W-39032

Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 26 June 2025
Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 14 July 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the reported finding in the Royal College of Radiologists report, Clinical Oncology: Workforce Census 2024, that the age at which clinical (a) oncologists and (b) radiologists are leaving the NHS workforce is decreasing.

Data on the average age of a doctor leaving the oncologist or radiologist NHS Scotland workforce is not held centrally.

Official Statistics published by NHS Education for Scotland, and available on the website, show that 32 doctors, across all ages, left the combined clinical oncologist, clinical radiologist and medical oncologist NHS Scotland workforce in the year to 31 March 2025. There were 43 joiners, and a turnover rate of 5.2%, which is the lowest turnover rate since at least 2010.

These Official Statistics also show that the median age of the combined clinical oncologist, clinical radiologist and medical oncologist NHS Scotland workforce was 46 years old as at 31 March 2025 – the same as 10 years prior. The proportion of this workforce aged 55 and over has increased from 17.7% at 31 March 2015 to 21.5% at 31 March 2025.

Question reference: S6W-39219

Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 11 July 2025
Current Status: Answer expected on 8 August 2025

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6O-04726 by Jenny Gilruth on 29 May 2025, whether it will provide an update on its review of the guidance regarding the levying of fees for hospital teaching costs for children who routinely attend independent schools, including when any new guidance will be published.

Question reference: S6W-39240

Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 08 July 2025
Current Status: Answer expected on 5 August 2025

To ask the Scottish Government how much has been spent from Pupil Equity Funding on additional staffing in schools since its introduction, broken down by local authority.