Parliamentary questions
Beatrice Wishart
693 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.
12 Mar 2026 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-42091 by Richard Lochhead on 9 December 2025, when in Spring 2026 it expects the outcome of the procurement process for Lot 6 (Scotland) of the Project Gigabit Infrastructure Subsidy Scheme.
Answer · Richard Lochhead: The outcome of the regional Project Gigabit in Scotland (PGiS) procurement which covers Orkney and Shetland - also known as Lot 6 - is expected to be announced shortly after the May 2026 election.Modest changes in contract award dates are common in complex pr…
10 Mar 2026 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what discussions are planned with the residents of Fair Isle regarding (a) (i) the repair of and (ii) funding for the existing energy grid on the island and (b) a sustainable replacement for the current system to ensure the long-term viability of the community.
Answer · Gillian Martin: In 2018, the Fair Isle Electricity Company (FIEC) secured £1.5 million funding from the Scottish Government’s Low Carbon Infrastructure Transition Programme (LCITP) and £250,000 from Highlands and Islands Enterprise. This funding helped to e…
6 Mar 2026 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what action it will take to ensure that electric vehicles are guaranteed passage in the next Northern Isles Ferry Services contract.
Answer · Jim Fairlie: Electric vehicles are carried by the current operator in line with standard booking requirements. Serco Northlink Ferries applies additional safety measures by identifying and segregating EVs on board, in accordance with evolving maritime regulations, and pro…
5 Mar 2026 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the First Minister’s visit to SaxaVord Spaceport in Unst, Shetland, and in light of the site progress that was reportedly evident, what consideration it has given to support further progress to ensure that Scotland can continue to aim to be a key player in the space sec…
Answer · Richard Lochhead: The Scottish Government recognises the progress being made at SaxaVord as the UK’s first fully licensed spaceport and the important role it can play in supporting Scotland’s ambition to develop a thriving space industry.We are supporting the conti…
3 Mar 2026 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to reduce waiting times for access to endometriosis services.
Answer · Jenni Minto: Reducing endometriosis diagnosis times continues to be a priority for the Scottish Government.This year we have invested £13 million in additional funding to Health Boards to target long waits for gynaecology.We are beginning to see the impact of that i…
3 Mar 2026 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to reports that the average waiting time for an endometriosis diagnosis is now 10 years and two months.
Answer · Jenni Minto: We are disappointed to see the results of the Endometriosis UK survey and are clear action is needed to address endometriosis diagnosis times. That is why we have invested £13 million in additional funding to Health Boards this year to target long waits…
2 Mar 2026 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government when it last met with the Scottish Veterans Commissioner to discuss matters relating to veterans' housing, and what the outcome of that meeting was.
Answer · Mairi McAllan: I last met with the Scottish Veterans Commissioner (SVC) on 4 December 2025 to discuss matters relating to veterans housing.At that meeting, several actions were agreed, which are now being taken forward by Scottish Government officials. These include, updati…
2 Mar 2026 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what progress it has made on developing a method to capture and measure the activity of veterans’ start-up businesses.
Answer · Graeme Dey: The Scottish Government does not currently gather data specifically relating to the activity of veterans’ start-up businesses, however we know from Scotland’s Census in 2022 that around 10,000 veterans identified as self-employed.With a new UK wid…
2 Mar 2026 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, regarding the forthcoming publication of its Alcohol and Drugs Plan, what steps it has taken to ensure that the plan’s objectives and funding commitments will be sustained beyond the end of the current parliamentary session in 2026.
Answer · Maree Todd: The Scottish Government is committed to sustaining the objectives of the Alcohol and Drugs Strategic Plan (the Plan) and associated funding commitments beyond 2026. The Plan sets out our long-term strategic direction for alcohol and drugs policy through to 20…
2 Mar 2026 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what consideration it has given to permitting alcohol and drug partnerships to carry forward underspends between financial years.
Answer · Maree Todd: The Scottish Government provides Alcohol and Drug Partnership (ADP) funding on an annual basis in line with standard public finance arrangements. Any underspends are managed in accordance with the Scottish Public Finance Manual and local year-end financial pr…
2 Mar 2026 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the forthcoming publication of its Alcohol and Drugs Plan, whether it has reviewed the current formulas for funding allocation for alcohol and drug services to establish if they adequately reflect the additional challenges of delivering services in remote, rural an…
Answer · Maree Todd: The Scottish Government keeps funding approaches for alcohol and drug services under regular review to ensure they are informed by evidence and local need. Work for the forthcoming Alcohol and Drugs Strategic Plan has included consideration of the challenges …
24 Feb 2026 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how it will fund the removal of seasonal and peak fares on the Northern Isles Ferry Service (NIFS) between 24 and 31 March 2026, ahead of the £1.8 million secured for the 2026-27 budget.
Answer · Fiona Hyslop: Transport Scotland is able to manage the funding required within the existing Ferries budget allocation for 2025-26.
23 Feb 2026 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what support is offered to ovarian cancer patients who have to travel to England for hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC) surgery.
Answer · Neil Gray: Scottish Government wants people diagnosed with cancer to be treated as close to home as clinically possible.As treatments for cancer become more complex and specialist, such as hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC) surgery, it is not possible to …
23 Feb 2026 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on the introduction of an annual gynaecological check-up entitlement to improve early detection of gynaecological cancers and conditions.
Answer · Neil Gray: There are no current plans to introduce an annual gynaecological check-up entitlement for gynaecological cancers as there are no suitably accurate screening tests for Ovarian, Uterine, Vaginal or Vulva Cancers.Our national screening programmes are guided by t…
23 Feb 2026 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on the establishment of a national screening programme for ovarian and other gynaecological cancers.
Answer · Jenni Minto: Scotland, along with the other UK nations, follows the expert advice of the UK National Screening Committee (UK NSC) when implementing screening programmes. We have fully implemented the UK NSC’s recommendations regarding cervical screening.The UK NSC h…
23 Feb 2026 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what funding it provides to support gynaecological cancer research.
Answer · Neil Gray: The Scottish Government’s Chief Scientist Office (CSO) supports open competitive grant and fellowship schemes for applied health research in Scotland across a wide remit that is inclusive of consideration of research projects relating to gynaecological …
23 Feb 2026 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what work is being done to make hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC) surgery for ovarian cancer available in Scotland.
Answer · Neil Gray: The Scottish Government has no immediate plans to make hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC) surgery for ovarian cancer available in Scotland.Although the value of HIPEC could be recognised for a limited number of patients, any future service esta…
23 Feb 2026 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how ovarian cancer patients in Scotland can access hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC) surgery.
Answer · Neil Gray: Hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC) surgery is not routinely provided in Scotland at this time.NHS Boards may refer patients in Scotland meeting specific criteria who may benefit from this additional specialised therapy to specialised centres in…
23 Feb 2026 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what engagement it has had with Royal Mail regarding the reported operational pressures it faces and the possibility of late or non-delivery of election material, including postal ballots, which could compromise the democratic process ahead of the forthcoming Scottish Parliament election…
Answer · Graeme Dey: While Royal Mail and postal delivery services are reserved to the UK Government, the Scottish Government is committed to the safe delivery of the parliamentary election on 7 May.I have been concerned to see recent reports from the BBC and other media outlets …
23 Feb 2026 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how much funding for Shetland it (a) has provided in each financial year since 2023-24, including 2025-26 to date, and (b) plans to provide in 2026-27 (i) for healthcare provision, (ii) for a new hospital to replace the Gilbert Bain Hospital and (iii) directly to NHS Shetland.
Answer · Neil Gray: In 2026-27, NHS Shetland will receive £86.6 million in baseline funding. Information regarding the funding provided to NHS Shetland between 2023-24 and 2024-25 is available within the Board’s published Annual Reports and Accounts for each respecti…
18 Feb 2026 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what engagement it has had with Royal Mail in relation to issues around recruitment and retention of staff in Scotland and their impact on postal deliveries.
Answer · Ivan McKee: Royal Mail and postal delivery services are reserved policy areas for the UK Government.However, the Scottish Government engages regularly with Royal Mail, raising concerns around staffing, service performance, and local delivery issues. We continue to provid…
18 Feb 2026 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the Social Housing Net Zero Standard.
Answer · Mairi McAllan: We consulted on proposals for a new Social Housing Net Zero Standard (SHNZS), co-developed with the social housing sector, alongside proposals for a Heat in Buildings Bill. Since then we have been progressing the foundational work needed to underpin the futur…
16 Feb 2026 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the UK Government recently announcing that financial support will be available to families of children and young people with cancer to cover travel costs to and from appointments, what plans it has to make similar financial support available to families of children and young…
Answer · Neil Gray: Scottish Government recognises that families play a vital role in supporting children and young people while they are in hospital, and the cost of visiting should not be a barrier to providing that support.Financial support for travel to hospital appointments…
28 Jan 2026 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the report by The Brain Tumour Charity, The Cost of a Brain Tumour: The Economic Case for Urgent Action, including the recommendations made.
Answer · Neil Gray: The Scottish Government will continue to consider the findings of The Brain Tumour Charity’s recent report. We welcome that its recommendations closely align with our ambitions laid out in our existing Cancer Strategy for Scotland (June 2023), which set…
20 Jan 2026 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the findings of the joint report by the Auditor General for Scotland and the Accounts Commission, which highlights that unpaid carers are often involved too late in hospital discharge planning despite their legal rights under the Carers (Scotland) Act 2016, what steps it is …
Answer · Tom Arthur: We have funded NHS Education for Scotland to develop three training modules for the health and social care workforce, to help them to identify, include and support unpaid carers. This includes highlighting carers’ right to involvement in hospital discha…
14 Jan 2026 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what support it is providing to the operator of the Northern Isles Ferry Service to ensure sufficient freight capacity during the autumn 2026 livestock sales season.
Answer · Jim Fairlie: The responsibility and expertise for operational decisions rightly, sits with Serco NorthLink Ferries (SNF). As has been the case in previous years, SNF will forecast requirements in advance of the autumn livestock sales season based on feedback and engagemen…
7 Jan 2026 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how it will decouple the NorthLink Ferry service from the Consumer Prices Index (CPI) rate for calculating inflation.
Answer · Fiona Hyslop: There are no plans to move away from use of CPI in the Northern Isles Ferry Service contract which states that fares usually increase annually in line with the preceding May CPI rate, although Scottish Ministers can choose to vary this for example they have p…
7 Jan 2026 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government when the NorthLink Ferry service booking system will change from opening bookings for a set time period to a rolling system.
Answer · Fiona Hyslop: As noted in my previous answer S6W-35683 on 26 March 2025, this issue is being considered through arrangements for the next Northern Isles Ferry Services contract (NIFS4), and no final decisions have been taken at this time.NIFS4 is scheduled to come into eff…
7 Jan 2026 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, in light of Serco NorthLink’s decision to remove the shared cabins policy without consultation with passengers on the Northern Isles Ferry Service, what the estimated cost to ensure that one concessionary voucher can secure a sole cabin will be to (a) it and (b) per passenger, and…
Answer · Jim Fairlie: Serco Northlink Ferries took the decision to remove their shared cabin offer option due to the health and safety of passengers, however NorthLink are aware that Shetlanders often use local knowledge to share cabins with people they know. Customers can use the…
17 Dec 2025 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-40575 by Neil Gray on 23 September 2025, whether it can now confirm what its position is regarding the recommendations in the independent review of the anaesthesia associate (AA) and physician associate (PA) roles in England.
Answer · Neil Gray: The Scottish Government is continuing to consider the recommendations from the independent review of the AA and PA roles in England, and I await further policy and legal advice before reaching a formal position. As part of my consideration, I will also have a…