Asked by: Choudhury, Foysol (Independent - Lothian)
Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether any public body holds and is able to publish practice-level data on the total number of complaints made about individual dental practices that receive NHS General Dental Services payments, including complaints relating to private treatment provided by those practices in each of the last five years.
Answered by Minto, Jenni - Minister for Public Health and Women's Health
Complaints about dentists and dental practices can be made through a number of different mechanisms - directly with the practice; with the NHS Board in relation to NHS treatment; through Healthcare Improvement Scotland (HIS) for private treatment; and through the General Dental Council (GDC) as the independent statutory regulator for members of the dental team.
As complaints can be made through one or more of these mechanisms, and each body is responsible for the data they hold, it is not possible for Scottish Government to publish practice-level data on the total number of complaints made, including those relating to private treatment, about individual practices that receive NHS General Dental Services (GDS) payments.
Asked by: Ross, Douglas (Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party - Highlands and Islands)
Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether the Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Local Government is ashamed that the written case for Scottish ministers and the Lord Advocate in the judicial review of the Scottish Prison Service policy for the management of transgender people in custody did not include a single mention of women’s rights.
Answered by Robison, Shona - Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Local Government
I refer the member to the answer to question S6O-05505 on 12 February 2026. All answers to Oral Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at Meeting of the Parliament: 12/02/2026 | Scottish Parliament Website
Asked by: Lennon, Monica (Scottish Labour - Central Scotland)
Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will allocate any of the £50 million committed to whole family support in its draft Budget 2026-27 to organisations that provide expert, joined-up support to families from pregnancy through to age two.
Answered by Somerville, Shirley-Anne - Cabinet Secretary for Social Justice
The Scottish Government draft Budget 2026-27 put in place a new annual £50m package of Whole Family support that will wrap around families and help to break the cycle of poverty. This will further enhance existing support and includes £20m for third sector organisations. Details of how the funding will be allocated will be published in the third Tackling Child Poverty Delivery Plan in March.
Asked by: Ruskell, Mark (Scottish Green Party - Mid Scotland and Fife)
Question
To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to address any issues regarding the potential financial burden or loss of living-cost funding associated with the different Student Awards Agency Scotland (SAAS) funding paths for modular routes of study, such as HNC/HND to degree progression courses, which are not currently recognised as one continuous matriculation.
Answered by Macpherson, Ben - Minister for Higher and Further Education
Eligibility for higher education student support is assessed by the Student Awards Agency Scotland (SAAS) at the beginning of each separate course. Students progressing from an HNC or HND to a degree are therefore subject to a new assessment and there are existing funding pathways to support students who are progressing.
The outcome will depend on individual circumstances and what previous study they have undertaken and what financial support they have received.
Asked by: Regan, Ash (Independent - Edinburgh Eastern)
Question
To ask the Scottish Government what mechanisms are in place to monitor, escalate and publicly report on the ongoing delivery of the 55 recommendations of the Independent Review of Audiology Services in Scotland report, and how it ensures that workforce shortages, variability between NHS boards and incomplete quality assurance systems do not prevent the implementation of all 55 recommendations.
Answered by Minto, Jenni - Minister for Public Health and Women's Health
The publication of the final report in March 2025 on the Implementation of the Recommendations from the Review of Audiology Services in Scotland marked the conclusion of the national programme of work.
As set out in the final report, responsibility for ongoing monitoring of the implementation of the remaining Independent Review of Audiology Services in Scotland report now lies primarily with NHS Boards themselves via their Audiology Local Action Plans.
Asked by: Mackay, Gillian (Scottish Green Party - Central Scotland)
Question
To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to support GP surgeries to (a) improve energy efficiency and (b) reduce their carbon footprint.
Answered by Gray, Neil - Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care
It is for individual NHS Boards to develop and implement plans to decarbonise their estates, including GP surgeries. The Scottish Government is contributing funding to support boards with this work.
The Scottish Government established the NHS Scotland Sustainability Action Programme to provide strategic oversight and support NHS Scotland to achieve their target of achieving net zero emissions by 2040 and aims for a net zero supply chain by 2045.
Asked by: Gosal, Pam (Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party - West Scotland)
Question
To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of (a) the prevalence of respiratory disease and (b) the number of emergency hospital admissions for respiratory conditions in the West Scotland region compared with national averages in each of the last five years.
Answered by Minto, Jenni - Minister for Public Health and Women's Health
I refer the member to answer to questions S6W-43676 and S6W-43744 on 24 February 2026. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers.
Assessments of respiratory prevalence and emergency hospital admissions are produced and published by Public Health Scotland. These official statistics include data for every NHS Board area, as well as national level figures. The Scottish Government draws on these official statistics rather than undertaking separate board-level assessments.
Public Health Scotland data shows that respiratory conditions are a major contributor to unplanned hospital demand. Emergency inpatient activity accounts for almost half of all hospital admissions nationally, reflecting sustained pressure on acute services. Longer term projections indicate that unplanned acute inpatient admissions for respiratory conditions are expected to rise by around 23% between 2024 and 2034, confirming the growing burden of respiratory illness across Scotland. A link to PHS data can be found at: Projecting future demand for health and care services in Scotland (2024-2034) - Long term service demand projections in Scotland - Publications - Public Health Scotland.
The Scottish Government recognises these pressures and is taking action. We recently published the Foreword - NHS Scotland operational improvement plan - gov.scot, the Scotland's Population Health Framework - gov.scot and the Health and Social Care Service Renewal Framework - gov.scot in which we outline our shared, long-term vision for reforming and renewing health and social care services to ensure they are more sustainable, preventative, and equitable.
Our Respiratory care - action plan: 2021 to 2026 - gov.scot has supported national work to strengthen prevention, diagnosis, care and support for people living with respiratory conditions. Through the Centre for Sustainable Delivery, national pathways are being developed for severe asthma, COPD, sleep apnoea and interstitial lung disease. Work is also underway to improve access to pulmonary rehabilitation, a key intervention for people with chronic respiratory conditions.
This work supports resilience across the health system throughout the year, including during periods of increased pressure. Prioritising prevention, early detection and supporting effective long term self-management helps reduce avoidable exacerbations which often drive urgent and unscheduled demand during winter.
Asked by: Carson, Finlay (Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party - Galloway and West Dumfries)
Question
To ask the Scottish Government what consideration the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care has given to the role of a respiratory Modern Service Framework in reducing winter pressures on the NHS by simultaneously improving outcomes for long-term respiratory conditions and short-term respiratory illness such as flu.
Answered by Minto, Jenni - Minister for Public Health and Women's Health
I refer the member to answer to questions S6W-43695 and S6W-43745 on 24 February 2026. The Scottish Government is aware of calls from respiratory stakeholders in England for a Modern Service Framework focused on respiratory care. To clarify, the UK Government has not introduced such a framework. Modern Service Frameworks are being developed for major conditions such as cardiovascular disease and dementia, but respiratory conditions are not currently included.
The Scottish Government will continue to monitor emerging approaches from across the UK while taking forward our own long term, evidence informed approach.
The Scottish Government’s strategic direction for respiratory care is currently set through the Respiratory care - action plan: 2021 to 2026 - gov.scot. This work supports resilience across the health system throughout the year, including during periods of increased pressure. Prioritising prevention, early detection and effective long term management helps reduce avoidable exacerbations which often drive urgent and unscheduled demand during winter.
All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers.
Asked by: Johnson, Daniel (Scottish Labour - Edinburgh Southern)
Question
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.
Answered by Gray, Neil - Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care
This is a matter for NHS Boards and Central Legal Office, the Scottish Government does not hold this information. I would encourage Mr Johnson to contact NHS National Services Scotland to request this information.
Asked by: Gosal, Pam (Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party - West Scotland)
Question
To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to ensure that respiratory health is prioritised nationally, including through the introduction of a Modern Service Framework for respiratory care.
Answered by Minto, Jenni - Minister for Public Health and Women's Health
I refer the member to answer to questions S6W-43695 and S6W-43745 on 24 February 2026. The Scottish Government is aware of calls from respiratory stakeholders in England for a Modern Service Framework focused on respiratory care. To clarify, the UK Government has not introduced such a framework. Modern Service Frameworks are being developed for major conditions such as cardiovascular disease and dementia, but respiratory conditions are not currently included.
The Scottish Government will continue to monitor emerging approaches from across the UK while taking forward our own long term, evidence informed approach.
The Scottish Government’s strategic direction for respiratory care is currently set through the Respiratory care - action plan: 2021 to 2026 - gov.scot. This work supports resilience across the health system throughout the year, including during periods of increased pressure. Prioritising prevention, early detection and effective long term management helps reduce avoidable exacerbations which often drive urgent and unscheduled demand during winter.
All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers.