Monica Lennon

16 Jan 2026 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will review the discharge process for older and terminally ill patients to ensure that the provision of essential equipment and support is mandated within 48 hours of a discharge plan being finalised.

Answer · Neil Gray: The Scottish Government is aware how crucial equipment is in supporting a patient to be cared for and to live safely within their home environment and is committed to delivering a more equitable and accessible approach to the provision of equipment. All indiv…

16 Jan 2026 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how the actions outlined in the Palliative Care Matters for All Strategy 2025–2030 will specifically address reports of a so-called postcode lottery of equipment provision for terminally ill patients living at home.

Answer · Jenni Minto: The Palliative Care Matters for All Strategy, which was published on 10 September 2025, provides a strategic framework to help improve the delivery of palliative care support to communities across Scotland.The Strategy is underpinned by an initial 3-year deli…

16 Jan 2026 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what non-digital routes are available for patients and carers to escalate concerns about NHS-supplied home care products, and whether it will require NHS boards to provide physical information packs at the point of discharge as part of its Palliative Care Matters for All Strategy 20…

Answer · Neil Gray: If a patient or carer has concerns about NHS supplied home care products, these can be addressed at a local level through the NHS complaints handling procedure. The Patient Rights (Scotland) Act 2011 provides a specific right for people to make complaints, ra…

16 Jan 2026 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what the average time was in 2024-25 for cancer patients tobe discharged from hospital once home adaptations were identified as arequirement, set out as the (a) mean, (b) median and (c) mode figure, and whatmeasures are in place to introduce a fast-track adaptation scheme specificallyfor…

Answer · Neil Gray: It is the statutory responsibility of the Health and Social Care Partnerships and NHS Health Boards to meet the need of any individual assessed as needing home adaptations and therefore, the Scottish Government do not hold this information. Information collec…

16 Jan 2026 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will review the prescribing powers of (a) district nurses and (b) community care providers to allow for immediate adjustments to continence product absorbency or quantity without GP referral, and what assessment it has made of the impact of current administrative barriers on t…

Answer · Jenni Minto: We want people who need continence support to receive the care that is right for them and their medical circumstances, including those with palliative care needs.Patient assessment and the subsequent prescription of continence products are typically the respo…

16 Jan 2026 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether the current national procurement framework for continence products allows for clinical exception where a patient's specific medical condition requires a higher grade of product than is available on the standard board-approved list.

Answer · Neil Gray: Products are supplied via the NHS National Services National Procurement Framework NP57123. The framework provides a range of products for the bladder and bowel and is not a limiting factor to local health board formularies/availability.Clinical leads can rev…

16 Jan 2026 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many delayed discharge bed days in the last 12 months were attributed specifically to delays in the availability of home care equipment or domestic adaptations.

Answer · Neil Gray: There were 10,524 bed days attributed to delay reason 25E (Awaiting completion of care arrangements in order to live in their own home – awaiting procurement/delivery of equipment/adaptations fitted) during the past 12 months (Dec 2024 – Nov 2025)…

16 Jan 2026 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will mandate that every NHS board maintains a palliative buffer stock of high-absorbency continence products to allow district nurses to provide immediate relief to patients without waiting for central supplier delivery.

Answer · Jenni Minto: It is for Health Boards and their planning partners to design, resource and provide services that meet the needs of local people in line with national policies, frameworks and best practice. This includes ensuring that patients have access to the continence p…

16 Jan 2026 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what specific key performance indicators or service level agreements are in place for NHS contractors regarding delivery response times for terminally ill patients requiring continence products, and how it monitors NHS boards' compliance with these standards to prevent geographic dispari…

Answer · Neil Gray: NHS National Services Scotland provides national logistics services to all Health Boards. Currently the KPIs record the availability of product, as well as the on-time delivery of product. It does not differentiate between patient groups as the delivery is to…

14 Jan 2026 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of 2025 reportedly being the driest hydrological year since 1976, what discussions it has had with SEPA to minimise and mitigate water scarcity in 2026.

Answer · Gillian Martin: Meetings between Scottish Government and SEPA officials focusing on measures to minimise and mitigate water scarcity take place regularly.Over the summer, the Scottish Government officials met weekly with SEPA, Scottish Water, and key stakeholders for 28 cons…

12 Jan 2026 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government when the new "ask and act" obligations included in the Housing (Scotland) Act 2025 will be fully implemented, to ensure that people are not being discharged from hospital into street homelessness.

Answer · Mairi McAllan: The Scottish Government is committed to full and successful implementation of the new homelessness prevention duties.The Housing (Scotland) Act 2025 includes a provision that Part 5 (homelessness prevention, including ask and act) should be commenced no later…

12 Jan 2026 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to ensure that people who require mental health support through the NHS do not feel the need to self-fund private treatment as a result of long NHS waiting times, and what provision is in place for people to be reimbursed for any consultations, treatment or suppo…

Answer · Tom Arthur: We are committed to improving the mental health support provided to people across Scotland, not only through the NHS and statutory services, but through our investments in community and grassroots organisations. We are seeing progress, with record numbers of …

12 Jan 2026 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to close any (a) survival and (b) research gap for the less survivable common cancers of the lungs, liver, brain, oesophagus, pancreas and stomach, in light of reports that they collectively result in over 9,000 deaths, or around 44% of all cancer deaths, in Scot…

Answer · Neil Gray: Key to improving survival rates for less survivable cancers is ensuring timely diagnosis. The updated Scottish Referral Guidelines for Suspected Cancer, published on 6th August 2025, now include a nationally agreed non-specific symptoms referral criteria for …

8 Jan 2026 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what the outturn spend on physical path infrastructure work has been for each of the four statutorily designated long distance routes in Scotland, broken down by (a) routine repair and maintenance and (b) capital works on restoration and improvement, in each financial year from 2022-23 t…

Answer · Mairi Gougeon: Neither Scottish Government or NatureScot provide funding for the maintenance or improvement of the four statutory long distance routes. The respective local authorities and national park authorities lead on maintenance and improvements using a variety of app…

7 Jan 2026 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the Fair Work agenda, what its position is on whether bargaining agreements are important to help improve pay and working conditions, such as health and safety, and whether the salmon industry should enter into collective bargaining agreements to help make improvements to he…

Answer · Richard Lochhead: The Scottish Government will continue to promote trade union recognition and collective bargaining, at both local and sectoral levels, to achieve improved conditions and enhance effective voice. However, while collective bargaining can improve working conditi…

7 Jan 2026 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what meetings have taken place, in the current parliamentary session, between any government minister and/or civil servant and any salmon farming company and/or their umbrella body, Salmon Scotland, and whether the issue of (a) health and safety and (b) workers' rights and trade uni…

Answer · Richard Lochhead: Salmon farming is important for Scotland and the Scottish Government is ambitious for the sector’s future in Scotland. As such, Ministers and officials meet regularly with representatives from salmon farming companies and Salmon Scotland on a range of m…

7 Jan 2026 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the Fair Work agenda, what its response is to the reported refusal of Mowi to meet with and engage with the Bakers Food and Allied Workers Union (BFAWU) to help improve health and safety at its processing plant at Rosyth. 

Answer · Richard Lochhead: Employment and industrial relations are matters reserved to the UK Government and therefore the Scottish Government cannot mandate that employers engage with trade unions. The Scottish Government fully expects employers to maintain workplaces that are safe fo…

7 Jan 2026 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether the reported poor treatment of workers and the level of reportable incidents in the salmon industry risks tainting the reputation of this iconic Scottish product.

Answer · Richard Lochhead: Scottish salmon provides a high quality source of protein which is valued across the globe and its production is of significant economic importance to the Scottish economy and to the local rural communities employed in salmon production and processing.The pro…

7 Jan 2026 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many times it has met with Salmon Scotland since 2021.

Answer · Mairi Gougeon: The Scottish Government does not routinely collate information on how often if meets with individual sectors and so is unable to provide an accurate and comprehensive response. The details of all Ministerial engagements are proactively published by the Scotti…

7 Jan 2026 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many times it has met the Bakers Food and Allied Workers Union (BFAWU) regarding the working conditions of salmon farm workers since 2021.

Answer · Richard Lochhead: The Scottish Government has not met with the Bakers Food and Allied Workers Union (BFAWU) regarding the working conditions of salmon farming workers.The Scottish Government fully expects employers to maintain workplaces that are safe for workers in line with …

7 Jan 2026 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) in relation to (a) health and safety concerns and (b) reportable accidents in the Scottish salmon industry.

Answer · Richard Lochhead: The Scottish Government has not had any discussions with the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) in relation to the Scottish salmon industry. Health and Safety legislation is a matter reserved to the UK Government and HSE is the relevant regulator for workplace…

7 Jan 2026 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of reports of the scale of health and safety accidents in the salmon industry, what plans it has to urgently raise this issue with the (a) salmon industry and (b) Health and Safety Executive (HSE). 

Answer · Richard Lochhead: The Scottish Government fully expects employers to maintain workplaces that are safe for workers in line with health and safety legislation, but cannot direct them in respect of these reserved matters. The Scottish Government promotes strong, constructive rel…

7 Jan 2026 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with the UK Government regarding the level and regularity of reportable accidents that have been submitted to the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) in relation to health and safety in the Scottish salmon industry.

Answer · Richard Lochhead: The Scottish Government has not had any discussions with the UK Government regarding reportable accidents submitted to the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) in relation to the Scottish salmon industry. The Scottish Government fully expects employers to mainta…

6 Jan 2026 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government for what reason plastics are not referenced in its Circular Economy Strategy.

Answer · Gillian Martin: The draft Circular Economy Strategy provides a high-level framework for Scotland’s transition to a circular economy, setting out a broad vision and outcomes as well as priorities across policy mechanisms, priority sectors, product stewardship and a moni…

6 Jan 2026 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to reduce the impact of microplastics on people's health and wellbeing.

Answer · Gillian Martin: We are committed to exploring options to reduce the use of microplastics and reducing plastic pollution in general by supporting the growth of the circular economy.The Environmental Protection (Single-use Plastic Products) (Scotland) Regulations 2021 bans cer…

6 Jan 2026 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what progress it is making to support the switch of freight transport from road to (a) rail and (b) water.

Answer · Fiona Hyslop: The Scottish Government recognises the importance of modal shift to help achieve transport emission reduction targets and to assist companies to move goods by rail or water instead of by road. We have shown leadership in setting out positive policies that wor…

6 Jan 2026 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to reduce and end so-called hospital "corridor care".

Answer · Neil Gray: The Scottish Government recognises that care in non-standard areas, sometimes referred to as “corridor care,” is not acceptable as a routine practice. This arises from acute capacity pressures and poor patient flow, which we are working hard to ad…

6 Jan 2026 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many EV charging spaces that are suitable for heavy goods vehicles are available in each local authority area.

Answer · Fiona Hyslop: The Scottish Government does not collect this data. En route HGV charging facilities and most depot charging for HGVs are privately owned and operated.In September 2024 the Scottish Government published research on the locations required for charging or hydro…

6 Jan 2026 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to increase the number of EV charging points and associated parking spaces that are suitable for heavy goods vehicles.

Answer · Fiona Hyslop: Transitioning to zero emission HGVs plays an important role within the draft Climate Change Plan currently under consultation. The Scottish Government worked with the haulage, finance, energy, union and manufacturing sectors to co-design the HGV Decarbonisati…

19 Dec 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what arrangements are in place to enable patients in NHS Lanarkshire to be referred to other NHS boards for thumb carpometacarpal joint replacement surgery, and how many such referrals there have been in each of the last five years.

Answer · Neil Gray: Referral arrangements exist within NHS Scotland to allow patients to access specialist procedures not available locally. Where thumb carpometacarpal joint replacement surgery is clinically indicated and not provided within NHS Lanarkshire, patients may be ref…