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.

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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-01911

Asked by: Martyn Day, MSP for Falkirk East and Linlithgow, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 22 July 2026
Current Status: Answer expected on 19 August 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with (a) network operators, (b) local authorities and (c) fleet infrastructure providers regarding mapping future power demand from (i) bus depots, (ii) logistics sites, (iii) local authority depots and (iv) public-sector fleet locations.

Question reference: S7W-01905

Asked by: Ariane Burgess, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 22 July 2026
Current Status: Answer expected on 19 August 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of whether inheritance law contributes to any monopolisation of land ownership in Scotland.

Question reference: S7W-01927

Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Edinburgh and Lothians East, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 22 July 2026
Current Status: Answer expected on 19 August 2026

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the reported growth in online and rapid alcohol delivery services, what its assessment is of the adequacy of the current licensing framework for regulating such services.

Question reference: S7W-01901

Asked by: Ariane Burgess, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 22 July 2026
Current Status: Answer expected on 19 August 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to improve transparency regarding who receives public subsidies for (a) forestry, (b) farming, (c) nature restoration and (d) other land use in the current parliamentary session.

Question reference: S7W-01899

Asked by: Ariane Burgess, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 22 July 2026
Current Status: Answer expected on 19 August 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to improve transport infrastructure to ensure that outdoor spaces are accessible and affordable for (a) disabled people and (b) minority ethnic groups.

Question reference: S7W-01934

Asked by: Graham Simpson, MSP for Central Scot and Lothians West, Reform UK
Date lodged: Wednesday, 22 July 2026
Current Status: Answer expected on 19 August 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking, through guidance, engagement or training, to raise awareness among licensing authorities, taxi and private hire vehicle drivers and operators, and disabled passengers in Scotland, of the duties under sections 164A and 165A of the Equality Act 2010, as inserted by the Taxis and Private Hire Vehicles (Disabled Persons) Act 2022 and the associated requirement to (a) carry disabled passengers and their mobility aids, (b) provide such mobility assistance as is reasonably required and (c) assist passengers who need help to identify and find their vehicle or assist them to their destination, and not to make any additional charge for doing so.

Question reference: S7W-01897

Asked by: Ariane Burgess, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 22 July 2026
Current Status: Answer expected on 19 August 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what action it takes to meet its duties under Part 11 of the Equality Act 2010 with regard to the accessibility and affordability of outdoor areas for (a) minority ethnic groups and (b) disabled people, and what assessment it has made of whether these duties are being fully met.

Question reference: S7W-01938

Asked by: David Linden, MSP for Glasgow Baillieston and Shettleston, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 22 July 2026
Current Status: Answer expected on 19 August 2026

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S7W-01302 by Neil Gray on 17 July 2026, what training is offered to prison officers to support neurodivergent prisoners; whether such training is compulsory, and (a) how many and (b) what proportion of current officers have completed such training.

Question reference: S7W-01924

Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Edinburgh and Lothians East, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 22 July 2026
Current Status: Answer expected on 19 August 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what progress has been made in implementing the Scottish Health Technologies Group's recommendation of February 2026 that lidocaine infusions, lidocaine injections and radiofrequency treatment should be available for suitable patients with chronic pain.