– in the Scottish Parliament at 4:52 pm on 4 December 2025.
Keith Brown
Scottish National Party
4:52,
4 December 2025
On a point of order, Deputy Presiding Officer. Earlier today, First Minister’s Question Time included an exchange between Anas Sarwar and the First Minister in which the First Minister referenced comments made by Mr Sarwar about the number of people using private healthcare in Scotland. The First Minister said that he believed that Anas Sarwar had previously claimed that one in six of the population were using private healthcare, describing that as “a ludicrously nonsensical figure”. However, when I checked the record of what Anas Sarwar said on 26 June, I found that, in fact, he claimed that “almost one in three” Scots were using private healthcare—which is an even more ludicrously nonsensical suggestion, given the reality that the figure is closer to one in 25.
Can the Deputy Presiding Officer advise whether the First Minister should correct the record, given the importance of accuracy and the fact that Mr Sarwar’s claim was even more ridiculous than was previously suggested?
Liam McArthur
Liberal Democrat
Mr Brown, as you will be aware, the contents of members’ contributions are not a matter for the chair.
Question Time is an opportunity for MPs and Members of the House of Lords to ask Government Ministers questions. These questions are asked in the Chamber itself and are known as Oral Questions. Members may also put down Written Questions. In the House of Commons, Question Time takes place for an hour on Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays after Prayers. The different Government Departments answer questions according to a rota and the questions asked must relate to the responsibilities of the Government Department concerned. In the House of Lords up to four questions may be asked of the Government at the beginning of each day's business. They are known as 'starred questions' because they are marked with a star on the Order Paper. Questions may also be asked at the end of each day's business and these may include a short debate. They are known as 'unstarred questions' and are less frequent. Questions in both Houses must be written down in advance and put on the agenda and both Houses have methods for selecting the questions that will be asked. Further information can be obtained from factsheet P1 at the UK Parliament site.
Ministers make up the Government and almost all are members of the House of Lords or the House of Commons. There are three main types of Minister. Departmental Ministers are in charge of Government Departments. The Government is divided into different Departments which have responsibilities for different areas. For example the Treasury is in charge of Government spending. Departmental Ministers in the Cabinet are generally called 'Secretary of State' but some have special titles such as Chancellor of the Exchequer. Ministers of State and Junior Ministers assist the ministers in charge of the department. They normally have responsibility for a particular area within the department and are sometimes given a title that reflects this - for example Minister of Transport.
