Libyan Abdelbaset Ali Mohmed al Megrahi returned to his home country amid triumphal scenes after his compassionate release in August because is suffering from terminal prostate cancer.

Medical reports on al Megrahi’s health taken in Greenock Prison, while he was serving a life sentence for the December 1988 atrocity that killed 270 people aboard Pan Am flight 103, along with 11 people in Lockerbie, said he was likely to live no longer than three months.

Mr MacAskill staked that claim as one of the main reasons for his decision to release him on compassionate grounds.

But that period of time passed since he was released from prison raising fresh questions about the Scottish Government’s decision that was led by Mr MacAskill

Mr MacAskill was questioned about his state of health by Labour MSP Lord Foulkes.

He replied: “No, I'm not able to do that because these matters, reports, lie currently with the council who are charged with dealing with his release."

"They will be forwarded in due course and as in previous matters we will make them available.

"As Lord Foulkes will know we have been making everything available on the internet where we have been given the opportunity to do so."

Tory justice spokesman Bill Aitken said Mr MacAskill should be "much more proactive" in trying to establish the bomber's condition.

He said the release of the Libyan had been "the subject of intense public controversy".

He added: "Many might find it surprising - bearing this in mind - that he has not been much more proactive in finding out what the position is."

Mr Aitken also said that one factor in the decision to release Megrahi was that the Libyan had a life expectancy of three months, but added that diagnosis had been made "some five months ago".

Mr MacAskill said such matters were "not an exact science" but insisted that the criteria for compassionate release had been met.

He added: "The position remains that when one dies is a matter where your body fails you, an accident befalls you or your maker calls you.

"It is not within the domain of the Cabinet Secretary for Justice, quite correctly so, and Mr Al Megrahi will die when those criteria are met."