Asked by: Whittle, Brian (Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party - South Scotland)
Question
To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to address recent reports that 90% of people with disabilities do not meet the recommended levels of physical activity.
Answered by Todd, Maree - Minister for Drug and Alcohol Policy and Sport
The Scottish Government welcomes Scottish Disability Sport’s (SDS) National Survey and Call to Action. We acknowledge that disabled people are less likely to be active, and we remain committed to working with SDS and wider partners to reduce barriers to participation.
Our national agency for sport, sportscotland, has invested £750,000 into SDS for 2025/26, and is working to create an inclusive sporting system through initiatives such as the Moving to Inclusion Framework, which supports governing bodies of sport to tackle inequalities in participation.
Addressing inequalities in participation of sport and physical activity requires a whole-system approach beyond sport, encompassing transport, education, social security, and health. Our Physical Activity for Health Framework sets out a vision for a more active Scotland across eight strategic areas. Implementation of this Framework will help ensure that physical activity is embedded into everyday life for all.
Asked by: Dowey, Sharon (Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party - South Scotland)
Question
To ask the Scottish Government, in light of material relating to Freedom of Information request 202500493769, which states that "a delegation of the Council of Europe's Committee for the Prevention of Torture and Inhumane or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (CPT) has visited prisons in Scotland and picked up on issues around drugs and the impact on prisoners and staff", what specific concerns were raised by the CPT; what actions have been taken in response, and whether it will publish any observations CPT shared with its ministers or officials.
Answered by Todd, Maree - Minister for Drug and Alcohol Policy and Sport
The European Committee for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (CPT) visited Scotland in June 2025 to review the treatment and conditions of people deprived of liberty in prisons and secure care for minors. The visit assessed progress since inspections in 2018 and 2019 and included checks on police custody facilities, focusing on treatment, detention conditions, and safeguards. The CPT will publish the report in due course, and the Scottish Government will carefully consider its findings.
Asked by: Sweeney, Paul (Scottish Labour - Glasgow)
Question
To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the state purchasing land and property at Grangemouth Refinery, to facilitate and control new industrial development.
Answered by Martin, Gillian - Cabinet Secretary for Climate Action and Energy
The Scottish Government will consider all viable propositions for securing the long term and sustainable future of Grangemouth industrial cluster including all opportunities that support securing new investment, highly skilled jobs and sustainable economic development.
Asked by: Lumsden, Douglas (Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party - North East Scotland)
Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-42412 by Gillian Martin on 16 December 2025, whether it will confirm by what date the proactive release covering all ministerial engagements and expenses for November 2025 will be published, and whether this will include the information that was requested on what information it has regarding the total cost to it of the Cabinet Secretary for Climate Action and Energy’s travel to attend the COP30 UN climate summit in Belem, Brazil, broken down by (i) travel, (ii) accommodation, (iii) subsistence and (iv) any other associated costs.
Answered by Martin, Gillian - Cabinet Secretary for Climate Action and Energy
The proactive release of ministerial engagements and overseas travel covering November 2025 will be published in February 2026. This release will confirm all costs for my trip to Brazil for COP30.
Asked by: Whittle, Brian (Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party - South Scotland)
Question
To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to address reported inequality in sports participation for children living in a household with a disabled parent.
Answered by Todd, Maree - Minister for Drug and Alcohol Policy and Sport
The Scottish Government acknowledges that households with a disabled family member often face challenges such as accessibility issues and increased poverty, which in turn can create barriers to participation. The Scottish Government’s devolved disability benefits help with the additional costs of being disabled. These vital payments can reduce barriers to equal participation in communities and increase life opportunities, including for children and young people.
The Scottish Government remains committed to increasing opportunities for children and young people to participate in sport and physical activity, no matter their background. The Active Schools programme provides access to sport before, during, and after school. It is delivered free of charge, making it is accessible, irrespective of socio-economic background. Active School’s mainstream extracurricular programmes target groups in greatest need of inclusion and operate in both mainstream and ASN schools across all 32 local authorities. In 2024-25, Active Schools delivered approximately 265,000 sessions to 280,000 participants.
Asked by: Wishart, Beatrice (Scottish Liberal Democrats - Shetland Islands)
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.
Answered by Gray, Neil - Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care
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 keen interest in any outcome of the judicial review ongoing in England.
I did write to the MAPs Programme Board to commit to using the Leng Review as a framework for future discussions. Given this, and the agreement to a four-nations approach to the work, the views of Scotland are actively being considered through new structures that have been established by the Department of Health and Social Care and NHS England. This includes Scottish representation on a newly established Clinical Advisory Panel.
Asked by: Kerr, Stephen (Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party - Central Scotland)
Question
To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with the UK Government regarding any security concerns relating to MingYang entering Scotland's offshore wind supply chain.
Answered by Martin, Gillian - Cabinet Secretary for Climate Action and Energy
The Scottish Government recognises the importance of Mingyang’s potential investment to the growth and success of the offshore wind sector. The Memorandum of Understanding between the UK Government and Mingyang is a matter of public record.
The UK Government is responsible for national security, the regulation of international trade, elements of critical national infrastructure including energy, and the application of the National Security and Investment Act. The proposed Mingyang investment is subject to a national security decision by the UK Government and we await the outcome of that process.
Asked by: Kerr, Stephen (Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party - Central Scotland)
Question
To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether reducing the number of neonatal intensive care units will improve or compromise safety for premature and underweight babies, and what evidence it has to justify its position.
Answered by Minto, Jenni - Minister for Public Health and Women's Health
The recommendations for the new neonatal model of care are underpinned by strong clinical evidence that population outcomes for the most premature and sickest babies are improved by delivery and care in units looking after a critical mass of these babies.
The change in service delivery will bring Scotland in line with established practice across the rest of the UK and indeed the way neonatal care is delivered across the Western world.
This evidence has since strengthened with the publication in 2021 of the British Association for Perinatal Medicine (BAPM) ) Optimal Arrangements for Neonatal Intensive Care Units in the UK (2021) | British Association of Perinatal Medicine which sets out optimal arrangements for neonatal intensive care and is the recognised optimal model for neonatal intensive care in the UK.
A review of evidence was also carried out by Dr Anna Gavine, Dr Steve MacGillivray and Prof Mary Renfrew of the University of Dundee - Maternity and neonatal services: efficient evidence review. The evidence showed that outcomes for very low birth weight babies (VLBW) are better when they are delivered and treated in NICUs with full support services, experienced staff, and a critical mass of activity.
In November 2023, I asked the Deputy Chief Medical Officer, Marion Bain, to review the evidence, the options appraisal report and the post COVID review.
Marion Bain confirmed the process was robust and took account of the available evidence, relevant clinical advice and confirmed that her investigations produced no concerns about the process, or the validity of the conclusions reached.
She also noted that it involved clinical experts from both within Scotland and beyond, and that the process was informed by and considered existing guidance from well-respected clinical organisations.
Asked by: Whittle, Brian (Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party - South Scotland)
Question
To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of any benefit of physical activity for disabled people.
Answered by Todd, Maree - Minister for Drug and Alcohol Policy and Sport
The Scottish Government’s Physical Activity for Health Framework highlights the critical role of sport and physical activity for everyone, including disabled people. Grounded in the latest scientific evidence and key public health principles, the Framework emphasises the role physical activity plays in reducing non-communicable diseases and improving overall health.
The Framework also recognises the positive impact of physical activity on mental wellbeing, by reducing isolation, fostering community cohesion, and building resilience and confidence. Additionally, the Framework underscores the wider societal benefits of physical activity, such as supporting educational attainment, reducing reoffending, promoting sustainable transport, and enhancing engagement with the natural environment.
Asked by: Lennon, Monica (Scottish Labour - Central Scotland)
Question
To ask the Scottish Government what guidance exists to ensure consistency in surgical treatment options for patients with thumb arthritis across Scotland.
Answered by Gray, Neil - Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care
The Scottish Government is committed to ensuring that patients across Scotland receive consistent, evidence-based care for thumb arthritis.
We expect clinicians and NHS Boards to adhere to current guidelines and follow best practice including from authoritative sources such as the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE), including (NICE Guidelines NG226 on osteoarthritis care and NICE Interventional Procedure Guidance IPG111) and specialty groups including The British Society for Surgery of the Hand.