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-44295

Asked by: Russell Findlay, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 12 March 2026
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 23 March 2026

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answers by Angela Constance to question S6W-41854 on 25 November 2025 and question S6W-43390 on 28 January 2026, whether it will provide an update on any enquiries it has made regarding the likely timescales of the work conducted on behalf of the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service in relation to the Scottish Government’s commitment to hold an inquiry into malicious prosecutions relating to Rangers Football Club.

As previous answers indicated, COPFS advise Shelagh McCall KC has been instructed to independently consider reports of criminal conduct relating to the Rangers prosecutions to ensure any allegations are considered fairly and objectively. COPFS has also advised as the investigation by Shelagh McCall KC is being progressed independently of COPFS, the timescale for concluding the investigation is a matter for Shelagh McCall KC.

Question reference: S6W-44379

Asked by: Maggie Chapman, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 12 March 2026
Current Status: Answered by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 23 March 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the ability of charities to fulfil their charitable duties in the face of any hostility towards their work.

We fully appreciate the concerns being raised by the third sector about the rise in confrontational behaviour towards charity staff and volunteers. Officials in volunteering and in safer communities policy are working together with Police Scotland, local authorities and the third sector to identify and provide guidance and support.

While we are committed to upholding the rights to peaceful public assembly and freedom of expression, instances of hate, violence, or intimidation towards others will not be tolerated. We fully support Police Scotland to take appropriate action in response to criminal behaviour against charities and other voluntary organisations.

Question reference: S6W-44334

Asked by: Sharon Dowey, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 12 March 2026
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 23 March 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to increase capacity in Scottish prisons.

To maintain a safe and secure prison estate, we are investing just over £1 billion in our prisons to support frontline staff and progress improvements. We have already optimised the existing estate by creating 400 additional spaces and the Scottish Budget 2026-27 will provide £458.5 million in capital funding to allow SPS to finalise the HMP Highland project and continue to progress HMP Glasgow. HMP Glasgow will add 357 places while HMP Highland will provide an additional 107 places and will allow more adult men from the Highlands and Islands to be accommodated in their local area, improving access for families and services.

Question reference: S6W-44281

Asked by: Tim Eagle, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 12 March 2026
Current Status: Answered by Richard Lochhead on 23 March 2026

The following table captures the number of businesses registered on the GlobalScot platform:

Date	End of Reporting Period	No. of business registrations
April 2023	22-23	1134
April 2024	23-24	1408
April 2025	24-25	1690
March 2026	To date	1868

The GlobalScot network is administered by Scottish Enterprise. As this is an operational matter for Scottish Enterprise, I have asked their CEO, Adrian Gillespie to respond to you directly with further information.

Question reference: S6W-44280

Asked by: Tim Eagle, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 12 March 2026
Current Status: Answered by Richard Lochhead on 23 March 2026

The following table captures the number of GlobalScots registered across 2023 - 2026:

Date	End of Reporting Period	No. of GlobalScots
April 2023	22-23	1210
April 2024	23-24	1276
April 2025	24-25	1287
March 2026	To date	1299

Question reference: S6W-44328

Asked by: Russell Findlay, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 12 March 2026
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 23 March 2026

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide details of all identified breaches of the Register of Tobacco and Nicotine Vapour Product Retailers since 2020-21, broken down by (a) year and (b) local authority area.

Question reference: S6W-44279

Asked by: Tim Eagle, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 12 March 2026
Current Status: Answered by Richard Lochhead on 23 March 2026

To ask the Scottish Government whether it monitors the social media activity of GlobalScots.

Question reference: S6W-44278

Asked by: Tim Eagle, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 12 March 2026
Current Status: Answered by Richard Lochhead on 23 March 2026

To ask the Scottish Government when it last conducted a review of its GlobalScot programme.

Question reference: S6W-44338

Asked by: Rachael Hamilton, MSP for Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 12 March 2026
Current Status: Answered by Jim Fairlie on 23 March 2026

To ask the Scottish Government when it plans to publish its Rural Support Plan as required by the Agricultural and Rural Communities (Scotland) Act 2024.

Question reference: S6W-44335

Asked by: Sharon Dowey, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 12 March 2026
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 23 March 2026

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of its review into grooming gangs changing to a public inquiry, what assessment it has made of the Scottish prison capacity to accommodate any future prisoners resulting from the inquiry.