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-02805

Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 01 September 2026
Current Status: Answered by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 16 September 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the specific impact that the introduction of Compulsory Sales Orders would have on the ability of local authorities to tackle the reported backlog of long-term empty homes and derelict commercial properties.

Last year’s consultation, Compulsory Purchase Reform in Scotland, also included questions on compulsory sale orders, including whether they would add any benefits beyond a reformed compulsory purchase order process, as a tool for tackling long-term vacant or derelict properties. It is unclear from the analysis of responses whether compulsory sale powers would in practice be a simpler, quicker or cheaper option than compulsory purchase powers. Not all action on empty homes requires legislative reform and in 2026-27 we are investing £2 million to support the work of the successful Scottish Empty Homes Partnership to continue to drive down the number of empty homes.

Question reference: S7W-02542

Asked by: Paul McLennan, MSP for East Lothian Coast and Lammermuirs, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 18 August 2026
Current Status: Answered by Ivan McKee on 16 September 2026

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide details of its approach and timeline for the development of the National Indicators that underpin the National Outcomes, and how it plans to consult with relevant sectors and organisations as part of this process.

The Scottish Government is in the process of finalising a streamlined set of National Indicators, drawing on international good practice such as the recent United Nations (UN) Expert Group on Beyond GDP report and which aligns with the UN Sustainable Development Goals. The Chief Statistician will recommend a National Indicator set to ministers. We intend to launch the reformed NPF, including the National Indicators, later this year and will continue to keep Parliament informed of progress.

Question reference: S7W-02837

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 02 September 2026
Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 16 September 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to work proactively with the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service to address any systemic delays in the prosecution of sexual offences and to improve support for survivors of sexual violence.

Survivors show great bravery and trust in our justice system when they come forward to report sexual violence. There has been a long-term increase in the reporting and prosecution of sexual offence cases, which in part reflects the growing confidence victims have in reporting, as well as the success of the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service (COPFS) in prosecuting these cases.

The Scottish Government and COPFS meet regularly at both Ministerial and official level, and improving the experiences of survivors of sexual offences is a key area of focus. Through the Victims Taskforce, co-chaired by myself and Lord Advocate, we are working with justice partners to improve the experiences of victims and survivors, including those affected by sexual violence - in particular COPFS are members of the Trauma-informed Workstream of the Taskforce, dedicated to implementing the trauma informed knowledge and skills framework, and the Communications Workstream, which focuses on improving communication with victims and witnesses. The Taskforce’s work is informed by the Victims and Survivors Advisory Board, ensuring that lived experience is central to the development of a trauma-informed and person-centred justice system that better meets the needs of victims and survivors.

The Scottish Government has also significantly increased investment in COPFS over recent years, recognising the growing volume and complexity of casework, including the increase in sexual offence cases. The Crown Office budget allocation for 2026-27 is £259.9 million – more than double the Service’s published budget for 2019-20.