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: S6O-05703

Asked by: Neil Bibby, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 18 March 2026
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 25 March 2026

To ask the Scottish Government when it last met NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde, and what issues were discussed.

Question reference: S6O-05697

Asked by: Bob Doris, MSP for Glasgow Maryhill and Springburn, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 18 March 2026
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 25 March 2026

To ask the Scottish Government how much it has paid to the agricultural sector in direct support payments over the course of the current parliamentary session.

Question reference: S6O-05707

Asked by: Maggie Chapman, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 18 March 2026
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 25 March 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of any excess deaths associated with long waiting times in A&E departments, including the action it is taking to reduce preventable mortality.

Question reference: S6W-44457

Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 12 March 2026
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 18 March 2026

To ask the Scottish Government how it is monitoring the effectiveness of the pavement parking ban in (a) South Lanarkshire and (b) Glasgow since its implementation.

The Transport (Scotland) Act 2019 places a duty upon all local authorities to enforce the new parking prohibitions. It is for each local authority to determine how best to monitor the effectiveness of enforcement in their area. However, Transport Scotland does collate figures on annual income/expenditure and Penalty Charge Notices issued, which now includes pavement parking. Scottish Ministers publish an annual report and the most of which, covering 2024-25, was published in January 2026 and can be found at the following link: Decriminalised Parking Enforcement (DPE) Report 2024-2025 | Transport Scotland

Question reference: S6W-44448

Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 12 March 2026
Current Status: Answered by Natalie Don-Innes on 18 March 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what data it collects on how early learning and childcare funding is spent in local authorities.

Local Authority level expenditure data is published annually in the Scottish Local Government Finance Statistics (SLGFS). This Official Statistics publication includes details of Local Authority spending on all pre-primary education and details spending on the 1140 funded early learning and childcare offer.

The most recent SLGFS publication was published on the 3rd of February 2026 and covers expenditure from the financial year 2024-25. This data is available online at: Scottish Local Government Finance Statistics 2024-25 - gov.scot, with individual workbooks available at: Scottish local government finance statistics (SLGFS) 2024-25: workbooks - gov.scot

Question reference: S6W-44315

Asked by: Sharon Dowey, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 12 March 2026
Current Status: Answered by Kaukab Stewart on 18 March 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what account it takes of the additional costs associated with rurality when making funding provisions for rape crisis centres across the country.

The Scottish Government is committed to tackling all forms of violence against women and girls and to supporting specialist services, including Rape Crisis Centres, that provide vital support to victims and survivors of gender based violence.

Our Equally Safe strategy recognises that women in rural and island communities, and the specialist organisations that support them, can face particular challenges, and that abuse may be even more hidden than in urban areas.

Through our Delivering Equally Safe Fund we are supporting services across every local authority in Scotland. From the £21.6 million allocated in 2025-26, almost £2 million is going directly to Rape Crisis Centres that support women and girls in our most rural and island communities. We have provided a 5% uplift to the Delivering Equally Safe Fund from 2026-27.

At the time of awarding funding to the Delivering Equally Safe fund, applications were sought from service providers who were able to direct operational activity towards those most in need of assistance, based on an independent expert assessment of local and sectorial priorities. Funding decisions were determined by a range of measures including what funds were requested, ensuring funding coverage in every local authority area of Scotland and the overall amount of funding available.

Funding to Rape Crisis Centres is also provided through Victim Centred Approach funding of £2,017,872 for the National Advocacy Project, which supports advocacy for survivors within the criminal justice system and is distributed to the rape crisis network by Rape Crisis Scotland.

Question reference: S6W-44182

Asked by: Ariane Burgess, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 11 March 2026
Current Status: Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 18 March 2026

To ask the Scottish Government, in the interest of helping to ensure the sustainability of fishing activity in Scottish waters, whether it has any plans to call on other fisheries administrations that are responsible in adjacent waters to align with Scotland’s remote electronic monitoring requirements for relevant pelagic boats.

Since 7 March 2026, all relevant pelagic vessels wishing to operate in Scottish waters have been required to carry and operate a fully validated REM system onboard. All applicable pelagic vessels in Scottish waters, regardless of national origin, are required to adhere to the REM requirements as set out in the Sea Fisheries (Remote Electronic Monitoring and Regulation of Scallop Fishing) (Scotland) Regulations 2024 (https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ssi/2024/165/body/made).

The introduction of the remote electronic monitoring (REM) measures reinforces our commitment to ensure that fishing remains accountable and sustainable. Throughout the development and implementation of the REM legislation and technical specifications the Scottish Government engaged with other fisheries administrations to share learning and promote areas of future alignment on REM. Decisions on whether or not to make REM mandatory on board fishing vessels is a matter for individual authorities.

Question reference: S6W-44181

Asked by: Ariane Burgess, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 11 March 2026
Current Status: Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 18 March 2026

To ask the Scottish Government whether it can confirm that all EU-flagged pelagic freezer trawlers that have operated in Scottish waters in the last year are now compliant with Scotland’s remote electronic monitoring requirements for relevant pelagic boats.

The remote electronic monitoring (REM) requirements for pelagic vessels came into force on 7 March 2026. All applicable pelagic vessels in Scottish waters, regardless of national origin, are required to adhere to the REM requirements as set out in the Sea Fisheries (Remote Electronic Monitoring and Regulation of Scallop Fishing) (Scotland) Regulations 2024 (https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ssi/2024/165/body/made).

Relevant pelagic vessels (including EU-flagged freezer trawlers) were not required to be compliant with the REM legislation prior to 7 March. Any vessel that has yet to have its REM system installed and validated will not be in breach of the REM requirements unless they plan to fish.

Any relevant pelagic vessel that does intend to fish in Scottish waters must now carry and operate a fully validated REM system onboard. For Scottish registered vessels, this obligation applies wherever they operate.

Question reference: S6W-44284

Asked by: Tim Eagle, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 12 March 2026
Current Status: Answered by Kate Forbes on 18 March 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what the most up to date total cost is of the (a) MV Glen Sannox and (b) MV Glen Rosa, including ongoing repairs.

Question reference: S6W-44200

Asked by: Tim Eagle, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 11 March 2026
Current Status: Answered by Maree Todd on 18 March 2026

To ask the Scottish Government how much of its National Drug Mission Fund has been spent on (a) rehabilitation services and (b) non-rehabilitation services, in each year since it was launched.

National Mission on Drugs funding for rehabilitation and non-rehabilitation services can be found across the following sources in the public domain:

National Mission Annual Report

The Scottish Government publishes an annual National Mission report. The report is structured to relate to the six outcomes and six cross-cutting priorities in the National Mission Plan. Outcomes and cross-cutting priorities chapters have the following format: an overview provides context, including data, to understand the scope and purpose of the outcome. Progress set out our activities related to the outcome throughout the reporting period: the projects being delivered across sectors, locally and nationally have been highlighted, including dedicated funding and case studies.

The National Mission annual report finance sections aim to provide greater transparency of National Mission funding. Section 8.3 shows the funding distribution and section 8.4 shows the funding commitment and theme. The reports for financial years 2021-22, 2022-23, 2023-24 and 2024-25 are available at:

National Mission on Drugs: annual report 2024-2025 - gov.scot

National Mission on Drugs: annual report 2023-2024 - gov.scot

National Mission on Drugs: annual report 2022-2023 - gov.scot

National Mission on Drugs: annual report 2021-2022 - gov.scot

As the 2025-26 financial year has not yet concluded, full financial details will be published in the 2025-26 National Mission annual report, however, current forecasts suggest spending will be broadly in line with 2024-25 levels.

National Drugs Mission Funds annual report

The Corra Foundation publish an annual report on projects funded via the National Drugs Mission Funds and are available at:

National Mission Drugs Funds Report 2024-2025

National Drugs Mission Funds Report 2023-2024

National Drugs Mission Funds Report 2021-2023

Alcohol and Drug Partnerships funding allocations

Funding allocated to Alcohol and Drug Partnerships (ADPs) is available at: Alcohol and Drug Partnerships: funding allocations - gov.scot