Chamber and committees

Questions and answers

Parliamentary questions can be asked by any MSP to the Scottish Government or the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body. The questions provide a means for MSPs to get factual and statistical information.

Written questions must be answered within 10 working days (20 working days during recess)
Other questions such as Topical, Portfolio, General and First Minister's Question Times are taken in the Chamber

Urgent Questions aren't included in the Question and Answers search. There is a SPICe fact sheet listing Urgent and emergency questions.

Find out more about parliamentary questions

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Question reference: S7W-01583

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 07 July 2026
Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 4 August 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what powers Police Scotland has to search vehicles, and how often these powers have been used in each of the last five financial years.

Police Scotland has a range of statutory powers to search vehicles where these are provided for in legislation, including where an officer has reasonable grounds to suspect that a vehicle contains controlled drugs, offensive weapons, knives, firearms, stolen property or other items specified in legislation. Relevant powers are contained in a range of enactments, including the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971, the Criminal Law (Consolidation) (Scotland) Act 1995, the Firearms Act 1968 and the Civic Government (Scotland) Act 1982.

In certain limited circumstances, legislation also provides powers to search vehicles without individual reasonable suspicion, for example where a senior officer has authorised searches in a specific locality to help prevent serious violence.

Police Scotland is operationally independent, and decisions regarding the use of vehicle search powers in individual cases are a matter for the Chief Constable.

The Scottish Government does not hold data relating to vehicle searches conducted by Police Scotland, this is held by Police Scotland.

Question reference: S7W-01957

Asked by: Paul McLennan, MSP for East Lothian Coast and Lammermuirs, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 23 July 2026
Current Status: Answer expected on 20 August 2026

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of decisions by the Information Commissioner’s Office to require the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) to disclose farmed fish welfare inspection reports, whether it supports a presumption in favour of publishing farmed animal welfare inspection reports across all species, including terrestrial farmed animals, and what discussions it has had with APHA regarding the routine publication of such reports.

Question reference: S7W-01952

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 23 July 2026
Current Status: Answer expected on 20 August 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what meetings the minister with responsibility for energy has had with representatives of the Scottish National Investment Bank since 2024, on what dates, and what was discussed.

Question reference: S7W-01949

Asked by: Amanda Lindsay, MSP for Central Scot and Lothians West, Reform UK
Date lodged: Thursday, 23 July 2026
Current Status: Answer expected on 20 August 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to reduce waiting times for children for neurodevelopmental assessments, including how it will ensure that CAMHS services have the staffing and resources needed to deliver timely assessments and appropriate support.

Question reference: S7W-01941

Asked by: Claire Baker, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 23 July 2026
Current Status: Answer expected on 20 August 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to introduce an equivalent to the UK Government's Places of Worship Renewal Fund for England.

Question reference: S7W-01961

Asked by: David Barratt, MSP for Cowdenbeath, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 23 July 2026
Current Status: Answer expected on 20 August 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what consideration it has given to introducing legislation to prohibit the sale, supply and release of sky lanterns, and the release of helium balloons, into the atmosphere, in similar terms to the Sky Lanterns and Balloons (Prohibition) Act 2021 on the Isle of Man.

Question reference: S7W-01958

Asked by: Martyn Day, MSP for Falkirk East and Linlithgow, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 23 July 2026
Current Status: Answer expected on 20 August 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what consideration it has given to granting prescribed status to Independent Humanist Ceremonies under the Marriage (Scotland) Act 1977 and the Civil Partnership Act 2004.

Question reference: S7W-01953

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 23 July 2026
Current Status: Answer expected on 20 August 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what meetings the minister with responsibility for energy has had with representatives of Scottish Enterprise since 2024, on what dates, and what was discussed.

Question reference: S7W-01956

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 23 July 2026
Current Status: Answer expected on 20 August 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what meetings the minister with responsibility for energy has had with representatives of South of Scotland Enterprise since 2024, on what dates, and what was discussed.

Question reference: S7W-01955

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 23 July 2026
Current Status: Answer expected on 20 August 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what meetings the minister with responsibility for energy has had with representatives of Highlands and Islands Enterprise since 2024, on what dates, and what was discussed.