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: S6W-41417

Asked by: Richard Leonard, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 20 October 2025
Current Status: Answered by Ivan McKee on 17 November 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what representations it has made to the UK Government regarding the release of reserve funds to pension scheme members of the British Coal Staff Superannuation Scheme.

Question reference: S6W-41627

Asked by: Carol Mochan, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 31 October 2025
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 14 November 2025

To ask the Scottish Government whether it has conducted any recent analysis of the economic value of the A77.

The South West Scotland Transport Study (SWSTS) was undertaken as an advance study to feed in to the second Strategic Transport Projects Review (STPR2) and published in March 2020. It considered the rationale for improvements to road, rail, public transport and active travel on the key strategic corridors including those served by the A77.

As part of the study, a specialist Heavy Goods Vehicle survey noted the range of goods being transported along the A77 between Ayr and Cairnryan from which it was estimated that the value of goods was approximately £10 million per day (2019 estimate).

The importance of the A77 to the economy is recognised by its inclusion in Recommendation 40 of STPR2 which recommends safety, resilience and reliability improvements are made on the A75 and A77 strategic road corridors. These improvements will support economic development in South West of Scotland to benefit the economy and local communities.

Question reference: S6W-41833

Asked by: Rachael Hamilton, MSP for Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 13 November 2025
Current Status: Answer expected on 27 November 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the Scottish Retail Consortium’s suggestion in its Scottish Budget 2026–27 recommendations paper that the business rate is at a 26-year high.

Question reference: S6W-41857

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Thursday, 13 November 2025
Current Status: Answer expected on 27 November 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of removing peak ferry fares on routes that it supports through public service contracts, including the Northern Isles Ferry Services.

Question reference: S6W-41850

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 13 November 2025
Current Status: Answer expected on 27 November 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of any impact of single-year budgets on court backlog recovery.

Question reference: S6W-41835

Asked by: Rachael Hamilton, MSP for Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 13 November 2025
Current Status: Answer expected on 27 November 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the Scottish Retail Consortium’s suggestion in its Scottish Budget 2026–27 recommendations paper that the business rate levied on shops liable for the higher property rate has resulted in them collectively paying £93 million more in rates over the past decade than their counterparts in similar sized stores in England.

Question reference: S6W-41836

Asked by: Rachael Hamilton, MSP for Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 13 November 2025
Current Status: Answer expected on 27 November 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the Scottish Retail Consortium’s suggestion in its Scottish Budget 2026–27 recommendations paper that the business rate levied on shops liable for the higher property rate makes it more expensive for them to operate and trade profitably on high streets in Scotland than for similar sized stores in England.

Question reference: S6W-41834

Asked by: Rachael Hamilton, MSP for Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 13 November 2025
Current Status: Answer expected on 27 November 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the Scottish Retail Consortium’s suggestion in its Scottish Budget 2026–27 recommendations paper that the business rate levied on the 2,400 shops liable for the higher property rate results in them collectively paying £9 million more each year in rates than counterparts in similar sized stores in England.

Question reference: S6W-41873

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 13 November 2025
Current Status: Answer expected on 27 November 2025

To ask the Scottish Government when the Minister for Children, Young People and The Promise last attended a meeting of the National Child Sexual Abuse and Exploitation Strategic Group.

Question reference: S6W-41846

Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 13 November 2025
Current Status: Answer expected on 27 November 2025

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-24400 by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 23 January 2024, what progress has been made regarding its agreement with the UK Government in principle to proceed with a Section 104 Order relating to changing marriages to civil partnerships covering the reserved law of Scotland only.