Neil Gray
Scottish National Party · Scotland
“I welcome the fact that, through the police and the courts, our justice system is ensuring that justice is done. Victims show enormous bravery and trust in our legal system in reporting crime, and I want that to continue.”
“The Scottish Government-funded Caledonian system is a good example of a community-based programme that aims to address the behaviour of men who have been convicted of domestic abuse, alongside providing support to affected women and children.”
“On the day after my appointment as justice secretary, I visited HMP Edinburgh to see the level of pressure that the Scottish Prison Service is facing due to an increasing prison population. It is clear that staff want to focus on rehabilitation and reducing reoffending but that it is increasingly difficult for them to do so.”
“Scotland shows a clear and persistent trend of increasing the length of average custodial sentences, including a 37 per cent rise between 2014-15 and 2023-24.”
“However, although the operational impact that will result from the changes is expected to be minimal, I still advise the Parliament to give legislative consent to the relevant sections of the bill.”
“I note my thanks and appreciation to the Parliament for expediting consideration of this legislative consent motion. It is regrettable that we are having to expedite scrutiny on an LCM, which is due to the UK Government’s timetabling for the National Security (State Threats) Bill.”
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“Those are some of the things that we need to talk about. By all means, let us have a candid and mature debate about the future of our energy economy, but I do not believe that the motion or the Government’s proposals are anything more than sloganeering and rhetoric from the SNP. I move amendment S7M-00159.2, to leave out from second “that” to end and insert: “Scotland needs a managed and just transition that relies on an integrated UK energy market, balancing the continuing role of oil and gas alongside the maturity of the North Sea activity and Scotland’s climate targets, and supports the examination of all energy technologies, including nuclear, to achieve a sustainable energy mix.””
“Comparable projects in countries such as Norway take three to four years. Where has been the progress on heat networks? Where is the SNP’s promised publicly owned power company? Those are just some of the many questions on matters that are within devolved competence that we need to examine, and we need a debate on them. It is all well and good to talk about renewables, but we have failed to have a public debate and discourse about what they mean in relation to infrastructure. That is why we now see renewables being used as a political football. We need a candid discussion because, if we are going to have renewables generation, we will require the infrastructure to distribute that power—not least to the rest of the UK, to which we want to sell that electricity. That infrastructure is underwritten and paid for across the United Kingdom.”
“The reality is that the strike price has been above the wholesale electricity price, not below it. The SNP needs to answer those questions if it wants a serious debate on the matter. We need a serious debate, because there are a number of areas within devolved competence on which we should be seeking to go further and faster. Why has the Scottish Government not been progressing quickly and successfully on upgrades? Consumer Scotland expects the schemes in Scotland to reach just 45 per cent of fuel-poor households, but the figure in England has been 95 per cent. On transmission and infrastructure charging and upgrades, we have failed to see the support for the planning regime that we need to accelerate progress. The reality is that it takes seven to 10 years for renewables projects to get through the planning system in Scotland.”
“Most critically, if he is talking about the lowest cost, I would ask him where in Europe has the lowest electricity cost. It is France, 80 per cent of whose generation comes from nuclear. If we are going to have a serious argument on energy costs, let us have it, but let us have it on the basis of facts, not assertion and dogma, which is what we have from the SNP Scottish Government. The reality is that, if the SNP is going to assert that independence would lower bills by a third, it needs to explain how that would happen. Where is the excess? Right now, electricity bills are underwritten by taxpayers to the tune of £39 annually. What would happen to contracts for difference under an independent regime or a devolved one? Is the SNP saying that Scottish bill payers would pick up that underwriting?”
“Mr Johnson made a rather pejorative point about the difference between rhetoric and action. I am reminded of promises made by the Labour Party in the run-up to the 2024 general election. It promised to reduce bills by up to £300 but, in fact, prices have risen by £300. Can he explain why we are seeing such a rise when other countries across Europe are investing in lowering fuel duty and bills for residents who are suffering from issues caused by the invasion of Iran? Why is the UK Government not taking the action that is being taken by those in other countries? Daniel Johnson: The cabinet secretary seems to be enjoying the new rules about interventions. Is he not aware that there have been some major changes in international circumstances? Average bills had been going down, especially for those on direct debits.”
“I move amendment S7M-00105.4, to leave out from “welcomes” to end and insert: “recognises the need for bold and ambitious reform in Scotland following the Scottish General Election; acknowledges that the majority of people in Scotland want the Scottish Government to focus on the issues that impact their day-to-day lives; considers that the priority of the Scottish Government should therefore be to improve the NHS and public services, make life more affordable, support communities and high streets, grow a fair and prosperous economy, which tackles inequality, and ensure that every child has the opportunity to succeed; believes that this ambitious future can and should be achieved through the devolved powers of the Parliament and rejects any attempt by the Scottish Government to delay this work by dedicating resources towards returning to divisive arguments of the past.” The Presiding Officer: Members who take interventions do not have the time taken from them, but it is still up to members to decide whether they take interventions.”
“We need a Parliament and a Government that have ambition to match that of the people of this great country. That can be achieved only if John Swinney focuses on the issues at hand and the issues that matter every day, rather than looking for reasons to divide us.”
“It requires honesty and transparency and it requires actually putting into words what the First Minister said in much of his opening statement, rather than using those issues to divide us and set Scot against Scot. We need real ambition to bring down waiting lists, real ambition to end the 8 am rush for a general practitioner appointment, real ambition to make life more affordable for families, real ambition to bring down bills, real ambition to return police to our streets, real ambition to build the homes that this country needs, real ambition to make sure that we have economic growth for every part of our country, real ambition so that every child gets the opportunities that they need to succeed, and real ambition to end homelessness and eradicate poverty in this country.”
“The reality is that, when the SNP talks about ambition, what it really means is its own party’s ambition or its own individuals’ ambition. We got a really stark example of that this week. People who are its most vociferous supporters were asked to put their hard-earned cash into a movement that they believed in and that they support—which is their democratic right—and what did the people who were charged with the responsibility do? They robbed them of that opportunity. They embezzled that opportunity. The reality is that countless opportunities for people across this country have been embezzled by this SNP Government for 20 years. We need ambition and we need to deliver for people across this country, but that requires a different kind of Government.”
“Families are ambitious about what happens to them and are ambitious for their children and their communities. Where is the ambition to return the national health service to its founding principles of being free and available at the point of need? That principle has been broken by the SNP Government. The record shows that people are paying £12,000 for a hip replacement, £8,000 for a knee replacement and £5,000 for cataract surgery under the SNP Government. That is how it returns that ambition. Where is the ambition to make Scotland’s schools the best in the world again? They are falling down the international league tables under this Government. Where is the ambition to make people feel safe and secure in their communities?”
“This Parliament must redefine community benefit and community ownership across the country. We also need a different kind of Government—not one with more gimmicks and grievances, but one that actually gets things done. There is another area where I agree with John Swinney: there is global insecurity and instability. At the time of such insecurity and instability, people across the country need a relentless focus on the issues that matter to them right now. Those issues include access to vital public services, seeing their bills brought down and ensuring that they do not keep paying more and more while getting less and less in return. That is the ambition that I will speak about today. There is no shortage of ambition in our country.”
“We have had a test of some of Mr Sarwar’s theories in recent weeks because we have had an election and the people have decided. Would it not be better if Mr Sarwar were to allow power to be in the people’s hands and to allow them to decide on their own future by supporting the motion? Anas Sarwar: Mr Gray will argue his view and I am going to argue mine—that is democracy. The reality is that there is a mix of views across the country, as was clear during the election. That was clear from the First Minister’s own statement. He did not say that we had had an independence election; he said that it was a cost of living election. People voted in the election based on what was happening in their pockets and in their public services. He also mentioned energy, but the reality is that the SNP Government sold our energy wealth on the cheap.”
“I, Neil Charles Gray, do solemnly, sincerely and truly declare and affirm, that I will be faithful and bear true allegiance to His Majesty King Charles, his heirs and successors, according to law. I, Neil Charles Gray, tak on tae bide faithful an cairry true allegiance tae His Majesty King Charles, his heirs and successors, accordin tae laa.”
“The service renewal framework sets out very clear principles on how we take forward the service delivery change that will make our health and social care services more sustainable and will make a critical shift in the balance of care, so that more care is provided in local communities, in both community and primary care settings. I encourage Mr Eagle to familiarise himself with the service renewal framework, because there is a lot that we would have in common when it comes to its principles of achieving a more sustainable health service. The Deputy Presiding Officer: That concludes portfolio questions on health and social care. There will be a short pause before we move on to the next item of business. Social Justice and Housing Tackling Child Poverty Delivery Plan 2026 to 2031 1.”
“Talks of big savings only heighten those concerns. If you are in the next Government, what guarantees can you give that, in the next session, we will finally resolve any cross-border issues between NHS boards, that we will attract new workers and that patients will get the respectful, timely care that we all want them to have? The Deputy Presiding Officer: Always speak through the chair. Neil Gray: I was going to say—if Mr McArthur is in the next Government, I wonder what the answers to those questions might be. Before we contemplate the work of the next Government, I can give the assurance that that is already the case.”
“Safe and effective delivery across all services that the board provides and the wellbeing of staff are paramount. I have made that point clear to the Government’s assurance oversight board as well as to the leadership of NHS Grampian. Tim Eagle: I was delighted to get the final health question of this parliamentary session. Ahead of today’s questions, I asked the people of Moray what issues I should raise. Katrina asked about attracting health professionals, and Helen raised concerns about children and young people. Zena, Fiona and others spoke about ensuring that patients can access the nearest suitable hospital rather than being forced to travel unnecessarily long distances. Many others also contacted me. My constituents are already worried about the health service and accessing timely local care.”
“Progress has been made by NHS Grampian since the decision to escalate it to level 4 of the NHS Scotland support and intervention framework on 12 May last year. NHS Grampian has strengthened leadership capacity significantly, with a new chief executive taking up post in September last year, and the recruitment of additional executive team members. NHS Grampian has established a value and sustainability programme to drive the development of annual plans, which will deliver efficiencies across all areas of the board’s work. Changes in the workforce profile must be facilitated through established approaches, including vacancy management, turnover and redeployment, and any proposals will and must be developed in partnership with colleagues and the staff side.”
“There is a new leadership team there, and indeed a new site director at Aberdeen royal infirmary, whom I have met. I am heartened not just by the grip and control that I see from the new leadership team, at both a site level and a board level, but by the whole- system collaboration that I want and need to see, in both city and shire, so that the issues that are driving the problems faced by the Scottish Ambulance Service may be resolved. The Deputy Presiding Officer: We can have a couple of very brief supplementaries, with brief responses.”
“When will it adopt a whole-system approach, with responsibility shared across the entire patient pathway? Neil Gray: I thank Maggie Chapman for her question and for advocating on behalf of the Royal College of Emergency Medicine, whose representatives I meet on a regular basis. After my most recent meeting, I instructed officials to have more in-depth dialogue with the college as to how we can ensure, using the whole-system basis that Maggie Chapman highlights, that the issues that we face with accident and emergency—which are driven not by accident and emergency but by the wider system—can be resolved at the same pace at which emergency medicine staff respond to issues. I am conscious of the performance issues that Maggie Chapman raises regarding NHS Grampian, and that is part of the reason why the board is currently escalated.”
“Maggie Chapman: Earlier this week, the Royal College of Emergency Medicine published its “State of Emergency Medicine in Scotland” report, and it is pretty grim reading. The college estimates that, in 2025, 818 deaths were linked to prolonged emergency department waits—a situation that remains unchanged from 2024. In the North East Scotland region, which I have had the privilege to represent for the past five years, just over a third of patients attending the Aberdeen royal infirmary ED were admitted, transferred or discharged within four hours, which is well below the 95 per cent national health service standard—some 17.4 per cent of patients waited 12 hours or more for care. What is the Scottish Government doing to reduce avoidable deaths as a result of long emergency department waits and to improve hospital flow?”
“Excessively long waits are not acceptable, and we apologise to all patients who have had to wait too long to receive treatment. We have always recognised the relationship between long waits and increased risk of harm, which is why we remain committed to deliver improved A and E performance—so that everyone in urgent need of care can receive timely treatment. As Maggie Chapman will be aware, the pressures facing our A and E services are not unique to Scotland. Our boards are responsible for investigating any incidents of harm. If an incident occurs, we expect boards to fulfil their statutory duty to be open with patients about what happened and to learn the necessary lessons to prevent it from happening again.”
“We have had eight months in a row of falling waiting times, and in NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde, there has been a 93.3 per cent reduction in long waits of more than 52 weeks in ophthalmology alone. Of course I apologise to that constituent who has felt the need to seek private care, but we are delivering shorter waiting times in ophthalmology and many other disciplines in NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde, thanks to the hard-working staff of NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde and the investment and direction given by Government. The Deputy Presiding Officer: Members have a number of supplementary questions; they will need to be brief, as will the responses.”
“Neil Bibby: This year, 8,700 Scots have waited more than eight hours to be seen at accident and emergency in the NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde area alone, and 3,141 have waited more than half a day. I recently spoke to a constituent in Paisley who has had to pay £7,000 of his own money to get a cataract removed privately because he could not wait any longer on the national health service, and he will not be alone. Will the minister take this opportunity in the final portfolio question time of the parliamentary session to apologise to the thousands of my constituents who have been waiting unacceptably long for treatment and are having to spend their savings to go private to get treatment? Neil Gray: Of course I apologise to anybody who has had to wait too long for treatment, but our NHS is undoubtedly turning a corner.”
“Ministers and Scottish Government officials regularly meet representatives of all health boards, including NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde, to discuss matters of importance to local people. I last met NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde colleagues this morning when I visited the Scottish newborn screening lab at the Queen Elizabeth university hospital campus to hear about the fact that Scotland is the first nation in the United Kingdom to deliver a new spinal muscular atrophy test for babies. I am sure that Mr Bibby will join me in welcoming that news, which is thanks to the hard work of SMA campaigners, families and, indeed, the Scottish National Party’s Bob Doris.”
“I have seen corridor care happening, and it is undignified, unacceptable and no way for us to proceed, which is why we are making the investments that we are making through NHS Dumfries and Galloway. The board has been allocated almost £4.5 million of combined core unscheduled care and operational improvement funding to increase the number of hospital-at-home services and to improve patient flow-through by implementing discharge without delay and addressing adults- with-incapacity delays. If Oliver Mundell wants to send me more details, I will be happy to look at what can be done through NHS Dumfries and Galloway in the time that I have left to do so. Silica Air Pollution 2.”
“Neil Gray: I will turn to Oliver Mundell’s substantive point in a second, but, with your indulgence, Deputy Presiding Officer, I take this opportunity to pay tribute to Oliver Mundell. I have had many dealings with him during the past five years in my ministerial roles, and I have always found him to be a constructive champion for his constituents and a tenacious parliamentarian. I have always enjoyed working with him, and I wish him and his family all the very best for the future. In addition, I thank you, Deputy Presiding Officer, and your colleagues who are standing down, for your service in the chair over the past five years. It is very much appreciated by the Scottish Government’s health team. I deeply regret the case that Oliver Mundell has put on the record. From what he has said, that is a completely unacceptable situation.”
“NHS Dumfries and Galloway is focusing on actions to reduce occupancy and improve flow by delivering additional home care capacity and ensuring early discharge planning. Oliver Mundell: The reality on the ground remains grim. In my final parliamentary contribution, I highlight the case of a constituent in her 80s who recently spent the first night of her hospital stay confused, alone and scared in a corridor. On the second night, her family was relieved to hear that she was moving to a room, only to find out that it was a temporary bed in a day unit. The woman was left with a broken doorbell in place of a buzzer and was unable to rest due to excessive noise. I understand that our hospitals are under pressure, but does the cabinet secretary agree that we should still be able to do better for our most vulnerable patients?”
“To support improvements in hospital capacity, last year, we published the operational improvement plan, which made available up to £220 million to reduce waiting times, improve hospital flow and minimise delayed discharges. That investment is supporting the expansion of hospital-at-home capacity to at least 2,000 beds by December this year. Yesterday’s figures show that almost 7,200 people were supported by that service between November and January. We have invested in frailty services across Scotland, including in Dumfries and Galloway, where teams are now operating at both the royal infirmary and Galloway community hospital. Through that approach, we are supporting boards to shift the balance of care from acute to community, ensuring that more care is provided closer to home.”
“I repeat that long waits in our health service are now down for eight months in a row. The numbers of operations and procedures are up and are reaching record levels. That is because of the record investment that we are making, which Sandesh Gulhane voted against, and because of the incredible commitment of our hard-working NHS staff who continue to deliver for the people of Scotland. Pupil Support Assistants (Additional Support for Learning) 5.”
“Under the SNP Government, our NHS has been recklessly mismanaged, leading to countless scandals that have caused unimaginable suffering among patients and fear among staff, and patients have sat on two-year waiting lists. With that evidence in mind, how does the Scottish Government think that Scots would assess its performance on health and social care in this parliamentary session? Members of the public who are stuck on waiting lists would give it a score of zero. Neil Gray: The polls suggest that this party is the most trusted in this Parliament to be the custodian of our most cherished public asset, which is our national health service. Perhaps that is because of the progress that we are making. Sandesh Gulhane and I share a desire for the continued recovery of our health service.”
“From personal experience as an unexpected secret shopper this week, I can say that our staff deliver world-class care to the people we seek to serve. Sandesh Gulhane: I declare an interest as a practising NHS GP. It is great to see the cabinet secretary back in the chamber, but he is wrong, because, during this parliamentary session, we have seen three different health secretaries, record waiting lists, record drug deaths, problems with delayed discharge and a failure to modernise our NHS. After almost 19 years in government, this is a mess of the Scottish National Party’s own making. I came into politics because I wanted to stand up for patients, stand up for ourselves as doctors, nurses and key workers, and strengthen our greatest asset—our NHS.”
“It is clear that our NHS is turning a corner under this Government and recovering following the pandemic. Long waits are down for eight months in a row, and thousands more operations are being delivered, with the Golden Jubilee hospital being named on Monday as the United Kingdom’s largest centre for hip and knee replacements. General practitioner numbers are up, a historic deal, worth more than half a billion pounds, has been reached with GPs, and 30 new walk-in GP centres are to be delivered. There has been an increase in the number of doctors, nurses, midwives and consultants, and our MyCare.scot service will begin to be rolled out from April. There has been a record level of investment in our health service.”
“The Government’s approach has been to move boards towards NRAC parity gradually over a number of years, backed by significant additional investment. Since 2012-13, more than £4 billion of additional funding has been committed to boards that are below their NRAC parity levels, including additional funding for NHS Grampian. NHS Grampian’s £800,000 share of the £55 million additional parity funding maintains the board within 0.6 of the NRAC parity target. However, under new management and the board’s assurance process through the Scottish Government, we are seeing significant progress, and a better grip and control over the finances at NHS Grampian. As I have said repeatedly to Mr Kerr and other colleagues, that cannot be to the detriment of the services that patients receive. I am confident that we can achieve that.”
“In Aberdeen, £14.5 million-worth of cuts mean that the Rosewell House rehabilitation centre will close and budgets at city care homes will be slashed by £3 million. In Aberdeenshire, £5.7 million of savings includes a £1 million cut from prescribing and another £1 million in service redesign. Now, NHS Grampian chiefs need to cut a further £177 million over the next five years. Does the cabinet secretary agree that the £300 million shortfall that NHS Grampian experiences under the national resource allocation committee formula is outrageous, and that the next Government must review it urgently to ensure a fair share for the north-east? Neil Gray: Although I am grateful for Mr Kerr’s kind comments at the outset, I cannot agree with his conclusion. The NRAC formula provides target shares for regional national health service boards.”
“The Scottish Government recognises the financial pressures facing NHS Grampian and continues to work closely with the board to support financial recovery and long-term sustainability. Following the board’s escalation to stage 4 for finance on 12 May 2025, an assurance board was established to support the board’s executive team to develop and implement an improvement plan. NHS Grampian’s financial grip and control have significantly improved since, with the board on track to meet its financial targets. As such, the Scottish Government remains confident that NHS Grampian will achieve its financial targets in 2025-26 and 2026-27. Liam Kerr: I thank the cabinet secretary for his answer and welcome him back to the chamber. I am pleased to see him back. [Applause.] NHS Grampian is staring into the abyss, following years of underfunding.”
“I begin with a statement that I put on the record when we were discussing last night’s last group: I absolutely appreciate the sensitivities of the subject. I have absolute sympathy with Murdo Fraser. He has my deepest sympathy for the case that he puts on the record. However, I also ask members to be careful not to conflate suicide and assisted death. I point to the Scottish Government’s suicide prevention strategy, which sets out our vision to reduce suicide deaths in”
“There is some doubt about whether, despite the terms set out in the agreement, it might still be necessary to prove that there has been a serious risk of death before a penalty can be imposed. The reference to falsifying a proxy or declaration is also unclear and does not align with the offence of knowingly signing a declaration or making false statements.”
“On amendment 190, the Scottish Government has noted several issues. First, the liabilities set out in the amendment do not follow standard procedure. For reasons of consistency across sentencing, a custodial sentence of more than 12 months should not be imposed upon conviction on a summary complaint. Furthermore, prescribing a minimum penalty in cases where death has resulted would significantly limit the discretion of the court to sentence proportionately according to circumstances. In certain cases, such as the falsifying of an address, the minimum penalty of five years could be disproportionate. There is also a lack of clarity around the penalty provisions.”
“I agree with Gordon James’s assessment, which is why NHS Ayrshire and Arran is at level 4 of the escalation framework and is getting additional assistance from the Scottish Government. The board has received support from the Government commensurate with its challenges but its financial position is not recovering, so the decision has been made to move it up to level 4. We continue to invest in NHS Ayrshire and Arran to improve services and return it to a sustainable financial position, and we will continue to work with the board to do just that. Dunblane Shootings (30th Anniversary)”
“Carol Mochan: Last month, NHS Ayrshire and Arran’s interim chief executive stated to a committee of the Parliament that “the board is not in a financially sustainable position.”— [Official Report, Public Audit Committee, 25 February 2026; c 2.] The health board has been in deficit since 2017- 18 and now owes the highest level of outstanding loans of any health board. It is not financially sustainable and, given that it was first escalated to stage 3 more than seven years ago, we have to seriously question why it has been allowed to sit on such a high level of escalation for so long. Is the cabinet secretary confident that the support and intervention framework is working as effectively as it should? Neil Gray: Yes, I am.”
“As Ms Mochan and colleagues will remember from my comments on 17 February, given concerns over its financial sustainability, NHS Ayrshire and Arran has been moved to stage 4 of the NHS Scotland support and intervention framework for finance. That will involve senior external support and monitoring from Scottish Government, including establishing an assurance board. I have confidence in the interim chief executive, Gordon James, and the refreshed leadership team. My officials will continue to work with them to return NHS Ayrshire and Arran to a sustainable financial footing while maintaining services for the people of Ayrshire and Arran.”
“Neil Gray: As someone who was born and brought up in Orkney, I recognise the importance of local services, and decisions being taken about them, being as local as possible. Mr Halcro Johnston will be aware of the work that we are doing to reform the way in which our boards co-operate and work together. That subnational planning includes rural and island workstreams to ensure leadership for rural and island service planning and to give a clear voice to rural and island communities in the planning processes. I hope that that gives Mr Halcro Johnston the assurance that he and his constituents are looking for. NHS Ayrshire and Arran (Financial Sustainability) 8.”
“In my Highlands and Islands region, our local boards, particularly the island boards, remain a valuable means of local accountability in response to local needs, while a north-of-Scotland approach would significantly reduce decision making by people who live and work in the communities that they are supposed to serve. Although the Scottish National Party, too, has a track record of centralising health services away from local communities, does the health secretary at least agree with me that Labour’s plans to axe health boards across the Highlands and Islands would be a backwards step? Does he accept that, as well as more local delivery of services, communities want local decision making and accountability to be protected in our NHS?”
“The Scottish Government remains fully committed to involving people and communities in the decision making that affects them and their NHS. Boards have used our “Planning with People: Community engagement and participation guidance” to involve local communities in planning local services from community hubs to out-of-hours services and models of care. The guidance sets out boards’ responsibilities for community engagement when services are being planned or changes are being considered and ensures that local people and communities are meaningfully involved. Jamie Halcro Johnston: The Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care will be aware of Scottish Labour’s proposals to axe local health boards such as NHS Orkney, NHS Shetland, NHS Western Isles and NHS Grampian in favour of three health boards for the whole of Scotland.”
“An oversight board that is co-chaired by Sir Lewis Ritchie is looking at the issue. The incident management team has also been set up, and it is receiving independent clinical assurance from a colleague in Newcastle. The HIIAT is in place to ensure there is on-going transparency and the action that is required. As I said in my initial answer to Meghan Gallacher, this morning, I have also impressed on NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde the importance that ministers place on NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde getting the issue resolved as soon as possible.”
“What further action is the Government taking to ensure that wards other than the ones that the cabinet secretary has mentioned have also been inspected for mould and water ingress? When will the bone marrow ward be safe for use? Who will ultimately be held accountable for this latest incident at Queen Elizabeth university hospital? Neil Gray: I had the pleasure of visiting ward staff last Wednesday and hearing directly from them about the mitigations that are being taken by clinical staff to ensure that the ward continues to be safe, because it continues to be used. There are rooms that are closed in order to manage safety, to ensure a risk-averse approach and to ensure—as Meghan Gallacher rightly says—that the risks are being managed, given that there are immunosuppressed patients, with clinically driven mitigations in place.”
“In the interests of full transparency, I am making the Parliament aware that, this morning, it was confirmed that a swab taken from room 85, which was closed on 19 February, has shown mould growth. As colleagues would expect, I have made it clear to NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde that I expect its continued focus to see those issues resolved as soon as possible. Meghan Gallacher: The cabinet secretary is right to say that there is media interest, but the public will be concerned at the developments that the cabinet secretary has just outlined. Bone marrow transplant patients are among the most vulnerable in the national health service, and common airborne mould can cause life- threatening infections.”
“Regarding media interest in potential mould and water ingress, antimicrobial resistance and healthcare associated infection Scotland—ARHAI Scotland—notified the Scottish Government of an incident of water ingress in ward 4B in the Queen Elizabeth university hospital on 26 February 2026. Ministers were made aware of that late in the afternoon on the same day. At the time, the alert was assessed as amber. On 5 March, ministers were made aware that NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde had reassessed the alert as red following significant public anxiety and media interest. Meghan Gallacher will know that the First Minister made the Parliament aware of that on 5 March during First Minister’s question time. That healthcare infection incident assessment tool red alert has now been reassessed and reduced to amber.”
“Taken together, the amendments in this group concern the matter of advance care directives. On amendments 149, 159 and 303, the Scottish Government would highlight that requiring advance care directives as part of the process raises legal and deliverability considerations. At present, advance care directives are not legally binding in Scotland, although they are generally treated as strong evidence of a person’s wishes. Mandating their use in this context could create uncertainty for medical practitioners and patients about their legal status and how they should be applied in practice. I have nothing further to add.”
“For my part, I have lodged amendments that I deem necessary and consequential to the section 30 order that has been agreed by the Scottish and UK Governments to cover the identification and regulation of substances and medical devices for use in assisted dying. I am of the view that section 18 should be removed from the bill in its entirety, as the provision may relate to the H1 employment reservation, and possibly to the G2 regulation of health professions reservation, of the Scotland Act 1998. Likewise, I am of the view that the training provisions in the bill should be removed, as they may relate to the G2 reservation.”