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-42503

Asked by: Rona Mackay, MSP for Strathkelvin and Bearsden, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 10 December 2025
Current Status: Initiated by the Scottish Government. Answered by Kate Forbes on 11 December 2025

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on when it plans to publish its response to the UK Covid-19 Inquiry’s Module 2 report, which was published on 20 November 2025.

We welcomed the publication of the UK Covid-19 Inquiry’s Module 2 report on core decision-making and political governance on 20 November 2025.

Further to my statement to Parliament on that date, and following further consideration of the report, we can confirm today that the Scottish Government intends to publish its response before the dissolution of Parliament in 2026, in line with the timeframes set out by the Chair of the UK Covid-19 Inquiry.

The Scottish Government will now take the necessary time to engage with stakeholders, including through the dedicated Covid Inquiry Response Engagement Group. This group brings together members representing a broad range of stakeholder expertise, including organisations working with communities disproportionately impacted by the pandemic and those furthest from decision-making. Their participation ensures that the Scottish Government’s response reflects diverse perspectives and is grounded in real-world impact, while carefully considering the report’s findings and recommendations.

Question reference: S6W-42296

Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 03 December 2025
Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 11 December 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what additional support it is giving to key workers in the health sector who will have to work over the Christmas period.

We want to express our sincere thanks to all health and social care sector staff for the incredible work they do every day, and we also recognise those who will continue to provide care throughout the festive season. We know winter brings extra challenges and pressures, and the commitment to delivering high-quality care during this time is truly appreciated and makes a real difference to patients and communities.

Our Surge and Winter Preparedness in Health and Social Care Services National Planning Priorities and Principles, published last month, emphasises the importance of supporting the mental health and wellbeing of the health and social care workforce, improving capacity and retention, and supporting unpaid carers. This includes meeting the requirements of the Health & Care (Staffing) (Scotland) Act 2019 and ensuring appropriate staffing levels across services to enable safe, high-quality care and better outcomes for service users.

The wellbeing of our health, social work and care workforce remains a central priority during the winter period.

Question reference: S6W-42499

Asked by: Alex Cole-Hamilton, MSP for Edinburgh Western, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Wednesday, 10 December 2025
Current Status: Answer expected on 7 January 2026

To ask the Scottish Government when it will publish a timetable for the independent review of maternity services in Caithness, including key milestones, community engagement sessions and the anticipated publication date for the final report.

Question reference: S6W-42497

Asked by: Alex Cole-Hamilton, MSP for Edinburgh Western, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Wednesday, 10 December 2025
Current Status: Answer expected on 7 January 2026

To ask the Scottish Government how it will ensure meaningful and consistent involvement of (a) Caithness Health Action Team (CHAT), (b) local midwives and (c) families in each stage of the independent review of maternity services in Caithness.

Question reference: S6W-42494

Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness and Nairn, Independent
Date lodged: Wednesday, 10 December 2025
Current Status: Answer expected on 7 January 2026

To ask the Scottish Government, regarding the £100,000 that it has committed for tackling disruptive urban gull populations, how much in total has been distributed to date, and which organisations (a) have received and (b) will receive funding, broken down by how much has been allocated to each, including how much has been allocated to the Inverness pilot.

Question reference: S6W-42516

Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness and Nairn, Independent
Date lodged: Wednesday, 10 December 2025
Current Status: Answer expected on 7 January 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what cumulative impact assessment it has carried out of the regulatory and fiscal changes affecting microtourism businesses over the last five years.

Question reference: S6W-42517

Asked by: Alexander Burnett, MSP for Aberdeenshire West, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 10 December 2025
Current Status: Answer expected on 7 January 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to (a) develop a dedicated men’s health strategy, similar to that published by the UK Government for men in England, and (b) address any health inequalities affecting men and boys.

Question reference: S6W-42519

Asked by: Sue Webber, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 10 December 2025
Current Status: Answer expected on 7 January 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the impact of light pollution, and what measures are in place to manage and reduce this.

Question reference: S6W-42495

Asked by: Audrey Nicoll, MSP for Aberdeen South and North Kincardine, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 10 December 2025
Current Status: Answer expected on 7 January 2026

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6O-05250 by Kate Forbes on 4 December 2025, and in light of the First Minister stating on 3 September 2025 that “anyone watching the war in Ukraine would recognise the importance of defence…the invasion shows that we live in a world in which our national security faces much greater and more immediate threats”, what action it is taking to ensure that the aerospace, defence, marine and space sectors can support national resilience, economic growth and domestic capability, within the context of devolved powers.

Question reference: S6W-42498

Asked by: Alex Cole-Hamilton, MSP for Edinburgh Western, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Wednesday, 10 December 2025
Current Status: Answer expected on 7 January 2026

To ask the Scottish Government whether the independent review of maternity services in Caithness will be conducted separately from the new Scottish Maternity and Neonatal Taskforce, and whether the review will be chaired by an individual who is fully independent of both NHS Highland and the Scottish Government.