Questions and answers

Question reference: S6W-43538

Asked by: Brian Whittle, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 03 February 2026
Current Status: Answer expected on 17 February 2026

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-43309 by Gillian Martin on 3 February 2026, whether it will provide the information that was requested and confirm how many times the Energy Consents Unit has contacted the Children’s Rights Unit to request a consultation or advice regarding any impacts on children.

Question reference: S6W-43309

Asked by: Brian Whittle, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 26 January 2026
Current Status: Answered by Gillian Martin on 3 February 2026

To ask the Scottish Government how many times the Energy Consents Unit has contacted the Children’s Rights Unit to request a consultation or advice regarding any impacts on children.

Question reference: S6W-43244

Asked by: Brian Whittle, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 22 January 2026
Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 3 February 2026

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-42938 by Neil Gray on 21 January 2026, what action it will take to address its inability to obtain this information, in light of the Audit Scotland report, Delayed discharges: A symptom of the challenges facing health and social care, which was published on 8 January 2026 and recommended that "the Scottish Government, NHS Scotland, the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities (COSLA), Healthcare Improvement Scotland, integration authorities and their partner NHS boards and councils, should...over the next 12 months, work together to develop and action an implementation plan to share learning and practice from digital solutions used for tackling delayed discharges, early intervention and prevention”.

As indicated in the answer to S6W-42938, spend on IT is a matter for NHS Boards and is not held centrally.

The member will be aware from the answer given to S6W-42937 on the 22 January 2026 that the Scottish Government welcomes Audit Scotland’s report and has asked the Collaborative Response and Assurance group to come together to consider these recommendations as a whole and develop a partnership approach to addressing them.

The Scottish Government remains committed to sharing learning and practice from digital solutions and will work with our partners to further develop this approach.

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.

Question reference: S6W-43243

Asked by: Brian Whittle, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 22 January 2026
Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 3 February 2026

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-42938 by Neil Gray on 21 January 2026, what its response is to concerns that the variation in both the approaches and systems in use across NHS boards to record this information might be detrimental to the effective delivery of health and social care across Scotland.

The Scottish Government is committed to maximising the use of data and technology to make services as modern, joined up and efficient as possible. This is reiterated in the Service Renewal Framework, Operational Improvement Plan, and the Population Health Framework which position Digital front and centre in realising the ambition to improve service delivery and outcomes for people.

We recognise the need for aligned digital infrastructure, systems and standards to be in place to ensure effective delivery of services. Further information on the actions we are taking can be found in our Digital Health and Care Strategy ,associated delivery plan-Care in the Digital Age Delivery Plan and our Health and Social Care Data Strategy.

Whilst our focus is interoperability, it is important that Health Boards are given flexibility to implement digital systems and approaches that best meet their needs.

Question reference: S6W-43192

Asked by: Brian Whittle, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 20 January 2026
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 3 February 2026

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-42985 by Jenni Minto on 20 January 2026, what funding has been allocated in the 2026-27 draft Scottish Budget to allow a national respiratory audit to progress.

Our 2026-27 draft Scottish Budget is published and awaiting Parliamentary approval. All indicative funding commitments are subject to the outcome of any spending review by the Scottish Government and approval of the annual Budget Bills by the Scottish Parliament during this period.

There is no specific funding allocated in the draft 2026-27 Scottish Budget for a national respiratory audit. However, broader work in this area is being progressed through the Health and Social Care Service Renewal Framework, which provides the basis for strengthening national data and supporting more robust performance and outcome measures, building on earlier work to address gaps and enhance quality.

Question reference: S6F-04651

Asked by: Brian Whittle, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 02 February 2026
Current Status: Due to be taken in the Chamber on 5 February 2026

To ask the First Minister what the Scottish Government’s response is to reported warnings that a significant proportion of the medical workforce is experiencing stress, anxiety and burnout.

Question reference: S6W-43223

Asked by: Brian Whittle, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 21 January 2026
Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 28 January 2026

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-42932 by Neil Gray on 21 January 2026, what it expects the accelerated timeline of the national rollout of MyCare.scot to be.

Question reference: S6W-43227

Asked by: Brian Whittle, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 21 January 2026
Current Status: Answered by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 28 January 2026

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-42980 by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 21 January 2026, whether any training is provided to (a) benefits advisors, (b) benefits assessors and (c) any other staff at Social Security Scotland on the importance of disabled people remaining physically active.

As noted in the previous question, S6W-42980, Social Security Scotland makes it clear on their website that disabled people are encouraged to improve their wellbeing by being more physically active, in a way that suits them, without it impacting their eligibility for disability benefits.

Social Security Scotland staff receive training on disability awareness, equality and trauma-informed practice, with in-house health and social care practitioners focusing on how conditions affect daily living.

Social Security Scotland does not provide training on promoting physical activity, as it is not a healthcare provider.

Question reference: S6W-42982

Asked by: Brian Whittle, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 13 January 2026
Current Status: Answered by Maree Todd on 27 January 2026

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-42573 by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 6 January 2026, what action it is taking to encourage households with a disabled parent to take part in sport or physical activity with their children.

Sport and physical activity is crucial for the health and wellbeing of our communities and we want everyone to have the opportunity to be active.

Our devolved disability benefits help with the additional costs of being disabled. They are non-means tested and people can spend them as they choose in line with their needs. These vital payments can reduce barriers to equal participation in communities and increase life opportunities.

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-42574 on 7 January 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.

Question reference: S6W-42981

Asked by: Brian Whittle, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 13 January 2026
Current Status: Answered by Maree Todd on 27 January 2026

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-42575 by Maree Todd on 7 January 2026, how it is working with (a) local authorities and (b) NHS boards to encourage disabled people to participate in physical activity or sport.

The Scottish Government remains committed to increasing opportunities for everyone to participate in sport and physical activity, no matter their background. This involves working closely with a wide range of partners across the sector, including both local authorities and NHS boards.

Our national agency for sport, sportscotland, invests in all 32 Scottish local authorities. This investment includes support for Community Sport Hubs and the Active Schools programme, which provide inclusive opportunities to participate, including for disabled people.

sportscotland has increased investment in Scottish Disability Sport (SDS) to £750,000 in 2025-26. This investment helps SDS to deliver a range of programmes to increase the participation of disabled people in sport and physical activity across Scotland, including through their work with local authorities and wider partners in the delivery of Parasport Festivals.

Our Physical Activity for Health Framework was delivered in partnership with CoSLA and recognises the important role that local authorities play to help increase rates of physical activity for all across the population.

In addition, the Framework acknowledges the vital role of health professionals in encouraging and supporting their patients to be active, including disabled people. The Framework includes an action to integrate the NHS Physical Activity Pathway into routine healthcare and exiting clinical pathways as part of treatment and rehabilitation. Public Health Scotland are working with NHS Boards to review progress with implementation.

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