Parliamentary questions
Mark Griffin
2,186 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.
25 Jun 2026 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many patients with suspected aggressive cancers currently receive (a) a diagnosis within 10 days of urgent referral and (b) treatment within 14 days of diagnosis.
Answer · Angela Constance: Aggressive cancer is not a term recognised or used in NHS Scotland. This information is not held centrally by the Scottish Government.
25 Jun 2026 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether any mandatory escalation procedures are currently in place where an NHS board is unable to meet cancer waiting time standards.
Answer · Angela Constance: A refresh to the Framework for Effective Cancer Management (FECM) and supporting toolkit has now been published and supports NHS Boards to effectively manage suspected cancer patients through diagnostic and treatment pathways.NHS Boards have been asked to com…
25 Jun 2026 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether a rapid cancer diagnostic pathway for aggressive cancers is currently in place across all NHS boards, and if so, how consistently it is implemented across Scotland.
Answer · Angela Constance: Rapid Cancer Diagnostic Services are a useful addition to how cancer can be diagnosed in Scotland. They provide primary care with access to a new fast-track diagnostic pathway for people with non-specific symptoms suspicious of cancer, such as weight loss and…
25 Jun 2026 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of current surgical and oncology workforce capacity in relation to cancer treatment waiting times.
Answer · Angela Constance: Following annual reviews of the number of specialty training places needed to meet anticipated future service demand and consultant need, the Scottish Government has funded the creation of approximately 850 additional posts across multiple specialities since …
25 Jun 2026 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what work has been undertaken to expand and/or standardise rapid diagnostic pathways specifically for aggressive cancers.
Answer · Angela Constance: ‘Aggressive Cancer’ is not a term recognised or used by NHS Scotland.As stated in the response to S7W-01350 on 8 July 2026, The Scottish Government has commissioned Healthcare Improvement Scotland to undertake an independent scalability assessment…
25 Jun 2026 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what the current median and maximum waiting times are for (a) diagnosis following urgent suspicion referral and (b) treatment following diagnosis for aggressive cancers.
Answer · Angela Constance: The data on cancer waiting times is routinely published by Public Health Scotland and available on its website.
25 Jun 2026 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what assessment has been made of the accessibility and effectiveness of existing rapid cancer diagnostic pathways for patients with suspected aggressive cancers.
Answer · Angela Constance: The University of Strathclyde was invited by the Centre for Sustainable Delivery (CfSD), following a competitive procurement process, to evaluate Scotland’s RCDSs in November 2021. This aimed to better understand their role in detecting cancer and ensur…
25 Jun 2026 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, regarding meeting faster cancer diagnosis targets, what assessment it has made of current diagnostic capacity, including imaging and pathology.
Answer · Angela Constance: The Scottish Government accepts that continued diagnostic pressure is affecting 62-day performance. This is seen particularly in the high-volume pathways including colorectal, urological and breast cancer pathways.Cancer remains a national priority for the NH…
25 Jun 2026 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what plans are in place to increase diagnostic, surgical and oncology capacity to support faster diagnosis and treatment of aggressive cancers.
Answer · Angela Constance: We have invested over £40m over the past five years to support cancer services and improve waiting times, with a focus on urology, colorectal and breast as our most challenged pathways.In response to oncology pressures, we have committed to additional f…
25 Jun 2026 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of current waiting times between diagnosis and treatment for aggressive cancers.
Answer · Angela Constance: 94.5% of patients are being treated within 31 days of a decision to treat, with the median wait for treatment just two days – the joint lowest on record. We are treating more patients with cancer on time, within both standards, compared to pre-pandemic …
23 Jun 2026 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what engagement it has had with mortgage lenders, brokers and underwriters to ensure that its First Time Buyer Fund can be consistently applied in mortgage assessments, what assessment it has made of any barriers identified by the sector and how they have been addressed.
Answer · Shirley-Anne Somerville: The Scottish Government engaged with mortgage lenders, representative bodies and key partners in the development of the First Homes Fund. This helped to identify and address potential barriers, with clarification of processes and early sharing of guidance fac…
22 Jun 2026 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-26978 by Paul McLennan on 7 May 2024, how (a) much funding spent through the National Acquisition Programme there has been and (b) many social homes have been delivered in each year since June 2023, broken down by local authority area.
Answer · Shirley-Anne Somerville: The following table provides a breakdown of spend and homes delivered through acquisitions by local authority area. The National Acquisition Programme operated in 2023-24. In 2024-25 and 2025-26 the Affordable Housing Supply Programme provided targeted acquis…
22 Jun 2026 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide information on the estimated number of properties in the private rented sector in (a) 2010, (b) 2015, (c) 2020 and (d) 2025.
Answer · Shirley-Anne Somerville: Housing stock by tenure estimates are published on an annual basis. The latest data published is up to 2024 and can be found in the Stock by Tenure Excel tables which are linked to here: Housing Statistics 2025: Key Trends Summary - gov.scot. Please note the …
22 Jun 2026 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide information on the estimated number of landlords registered with one property in (a) 2010, (b) 2015, (c) 2020 and (d) 2025.
Answer · Shirley-Anne Somerville: Information obtained from the national landlord registration system indicates that there were 177,870 landlords registered with one property in 2015, 180,971 in 2020 and 156,274 in 2025.Equivalent information for 2010 is not available from the current data he…
17 Jun 2026 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what (a) the total cost to date has been, (b) the total budgeted cost is, and (c) the average monthly cost is of "waking watch" measures implemented in any buildings affected by unsafe cladding, and how much of these costs have been met directly by the Scottish Government.
Answer · Shirley-Anne Somerville: The cost of waking watch measures implemented in buildings affected by unsafe cladding are as follows:1.The total cost to date has been circa £6.5m.2.The total budgeted costs for the 2026-27 Financial year are £1.2m.3.The average monthly cost is &…
3 Jun 2026 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether rent increase notices issued through online document portals meet the legal requirements for valid service under section 22 of the Private Housing (Tenancies) (Scotland) Act 2016 and the Private Residential Tenancies (Prescribed Notices and Forms) (Scotland) Regulations 2017.
Answer · Shirley-Anne Somerville: There are no specific requirements under the Private Housing (Tenancies) (Scotland) Act 2016 or Regulations for how a rent increase notice is to be served.The Scottish Government Model Tenancy Agreement includes a section for landlords and tenants to agree ho…
3 Jun 2026 · Portfolio Question
To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with COSLA regarding the pay negotiations for 2026-27.
3 Jun 2026 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has carried out of trends in productivity in Scotland’s construction sector, including what information it holds on output per (a) worker and (b) firm, and what analysis it has made of the relationship between growth in the number of construction businesses and o…
Answer · Stephen Flynn: The Scottish Government monitors productivity trends in Scotland’s construction sector using a range of sources, including data published by the Office for National Statistics and Scottish Government publications.Information on output per job is availab…
3 Jun 2026 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what modelling it has carried out of the construction sector’s capacity to deliver housing at scale, including what estimate it has made of the number of firms capable of delivering developments of (a) 50 to 99 and (b) 100 or more homes, and how this has changed over the last decad…
Answer · Ben Macpherson: The Scottish Government recognises the role of developers of all sizes in contributing to new housing delivery, including both large-scale housebuilders and small and medium-sized enterprise developers.More broadly, we continue to engage with the Construction…
3 Jun 2026 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what modelling it has carried out of the number of apprenticeships and training places in construction that are required to meet projected workforce demands, and how the current provision compares with this, including what assessment it has made of any shortfall.
Answer · Ben Macpherson: Sectoral Skills Assessments (SSAs), produced by Skills Development Scotland (SDS) in partnership with stakeholders, provide a consistent evidence base to inform strategic skills investment planning and understanding of workforce demand and supply across secto…
3 Jun 2026 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what modelling it has carried out of the size of the construction workforce required to meet its housing targets, including estimates of (a) total workforce demand, (b) current workforce supply and (c) any projected shortfall over the next five years.
Answer · Shirley-Anne Somerville: The Scottish Government draws on a range of evidence to inform its understanding of construction workforce requirements, including Skills Development Scotland’s Sectoral Skills Assessments, which provide an overview of workforce demand and supply across…
3 Jun 2026 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what estimate it has carried out of the gap between planned and deliverable housing supply, and what analysis it has made of the extent to which construction sector capacity, including labour availability, firm size and contractor capability, represents a limiting factor in meeting housi…
Answer · Shirley-Anne Somerville: The Scottish Government recognises that construction sector capacity, including the availability of labour, as well as the capability and capacity of firms, is key to the delivery of housing targets.We engage regularly with local authorities who have responsi…
1 Jun 2026 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what estimates or modelling it has undertaken of the total financial returns generated from Help to Buy schemes it has previously operated, including equity repayments or profits, and what projections it has made of any future returns.
Answer · Shirley-Anne Somerville: The Scottish Government has not undertaken any modelling of the total financial returns generated from Help to Buy schemes it has previously operated.The Scottish Government has previously published information on the return made on the Scottish Government&rs…
1 Jun 2026 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to recycle or reinvest the financial returns generated through previous or current Help to Buy schemes, including any profits or equity stakes, into the delivery of additional housing supply, and, if so, how these funds will be allocated.
Answer · Shirley-Anne Somerville: Budgets are set annually by the Scottish Parliament: The Scottish Budget Process | Scottish Parliament WebsiteThe Scottish Budget incorporates all money expected to be received from the Barnett determined block grant, borrowing, taxes raised in Scotland and o…
10 Mar 2026 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it can confirm that the next quarterly all-tenure housing statistics will be published before the next parliamentary elections.
Answer · Mairi McAllan: The publication date of official statistics are pre-announced on the Official Statistics forthcoming publications list, found on the Scottish Government website: www.gov.scot/publications/official-statistics-forthcoming-publications/As pre-announced, the next…
10 Mar 2026 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide details of the Planning Hub’s (a) current staff structure, (b) resourcing capacity, (c) number of full-time equivalent staff currently in post and (d) planned resourcing for 2026-27.
Answer · Ivan McKee: The National Planning Hub has 2 dedicated Scottish Government staff – a Head of the National Planning Hub (Grade 6) and Programme Manager (Grade 7), based within Planning and Development Delivery Division. This is complemented by 2.5 posts within the Im…
10 Mar 2026 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government when the next planning performance statistics will be published.
Answer · Ivan McKee: The Planning Application Statistics are published for Q1&Q2 (midyear), Q3&Q4 (yearend) and annually (all quarters) by the Scottish Government and can be accessed at www.gov.scot/collections/planning-statistics.The statistics for Quarters 1 and 2 of th…
26 Feb 2026 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what the proposed legal status will be of the new housing agency, More Homes Scotland; under what existing or proposed legislation it will be established; whether primary or secondary legislation will be required, and what the timetable is for its formal establishment.
Answer · Mairi McAllan: We expect the agency to start operating from 2027-28 and to be fully functional in 2028-29. Insofar as this question concerns the legal status of the new housing agency, I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-43954 on 11 March 2026. All answers to w…
26 Feb 2026 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what the projected annual budget for the new housing agency, More Homes Scotland will be for each of the next five financial years; what proportion of this represents new funding as opposed to reallocated funding; what estimate it has made of the (a) administrative and (b) set-up costs; …
Answer · Mairi McAllan: We expect set-up costs to be incurred over the period 2026-27 to 2028-29, when the agency is expected to be operational, and estimate these costs to be around £2 million, although this will depend on the scope of its design and operating model.The proje…
26 Feb 2026 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what statutory powers and operational functions the new housing agency, More Homes Scotland, will exercise; whether it will have borrowing powers or the ability to directly commission, develop or own housing stock, and what assessment it has made of potential duplication of functio…
Answer · Mairi McAllan: More Homes Scotland is in its design phase: its powers and functions will be confirmed once this work is complete. I refer the Member to the answer to question S6W-43955 on 11 March 2026.I will update Parliament in March on the ongoing process to design the a…