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-01300

Asked by: David Linden, MSP for Glasgow Baillieston and Shettleston, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 24 June 2026
Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 17 July 2026

To ask the Scottish Government how many remand prisoners have not been offered a right to work, as is stipulated in The United Nations Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners, in each year since 2015.

I have asked Linda Pollock, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service (SPS), to respond. Her response is as follows:

As part of our commitment to rehabilitation and purposeful use of time SPS provide individuals in custody with access to meaningful activity, including work and education opportunities.

Although we do not collect data on the number of untried prisoners who choose not to attend work or education activities, both the United Nations Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners (The Nelson Mandela Rules) and The Prisons and Young Offenders Institutions (Scotland) Rules 2011, provide guidance regarding access to work and rehabilitation activities; the latter noting that both civil and/or untried prisoners are not required to work, but may choose to participate if they wish.

Question reference: S7W-01502

Asked by: Rachael Hamilton, MSP for Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 02 July 2026
Current Status: Answered by Tom Arthur on 17 July 2026

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the commitment in the Scottish National Party’s 2026 manifesto to enact a statutory price cap on essential food items, which stores, retailers or categories of retailer will be affected by the proposal.

Question reference: S7W-01503

Asked by: Rachael Hamilton, MSP for Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 02 July 2026
Current Status: Answered by Tom Arthur on 17 July 2026

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the commitment in Scottish National Party’s 2026 manifesto to enact a statutory price cap on essential food items, for how long it anticipates that any such price cap would remain in force.

Question reference: S7W-01199

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 22 June 2026
Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 17 July 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what meetings have taken place between the Cabinet Secretary for Justice and/or the Minister for Victims and Community Safety with the Chair of the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service Board since the start of this parliamentary session, broken down by date.

Question reference: S7W-01442

Asked by: Michael Marra, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 02 July 2026
Current Status: Answered by Tom Arthur on 17 July 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what public funding has been provided to Dundee Airport, broken down by (a) amount and (b) purpose, in each of the last seven years.

Funding from Transport Scotland to Highlands and Islands Airports Limited (HIAL) for Dundee Airport in each of the last seven years is:

Year	Resource (£)	Capital (£)
2019-20	2,183,000	184,317
2020-21	2,557,000	1,394,047
2021-22	2,505,000	965,680
2022-23	2,185,000	55,610
2023-24	2,512,000	377,729
2024-25	2,696,000	479,530
2025-26	2,853,000	148,371

Transport Scotland provides subsidy to HIAL as a whole and it’s for HIAL to split this amongst individual airports and its Head Office as needed. The resource figures are calculated by taking the income from the airport and deducting the costs of the airport. HIAL provides corporate functions for all its airports from its Head Office which enables economies of scale for the Group as a whole. No allowance is made here for Head Office costs relating to Dundee Airport.

Question reference: S7W-01282

Asked by: Alex Cole-Hamilton, MSP for Edinburgh North Western, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Wednesday, 24 June 2026
Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 17 July 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with Police Scotland regarding reported long waiting times for callers to the 101 non-emergency telephone service, and what action is being taken to reduce waiting times and improve public access to this service.

Decisions on how resources are deployed, including the operation of contact, command and control services, are matters for the Chief Constable, reflecting the operational independence of policing. Police Scotland has been very clear that 101 is a non-emergency number and callers are advised of other means by which they can contact the service while on hold.

The Scottish Government is providing record funding of over £1.7 billion for policing in 2026–27, giving Police Scotland the resources it needs to maintain a resilient and responsive service, including the 101 service.

We expect that investment to support effective and accessible services for the public, and to ensure communities continue to receive the prompt and reliable policing response they deserve.

Question reference: S7W-01201

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 22 June 2026
Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 17 July 2026

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will ensure that all consultation responses to the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service Service Delivery Review are published in full before any decisions are taken on proposals to downgrade services.

Question reference: S7W-01376

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 26 June 2026
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 17 July 2026

To ask the Scottish Government when it first became aware that the Monklands Replacement Project had an estimated cost of around £2.1 billion.

Question reference: S7W-01371

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 26 June 2026
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 17 July 2026

To ask the Scottish Government when it received the Full Business Case for the Monklands Replacement Project from NHS Lanarkshire.

The Scottish Government received the Full Business Case (FBC) for the Monklands Replacement Project from NHS Lanarkshire on 12 December 2025. This was then shared with NHS Scotland Assure and the West of Scotland Sub-National Assurance Board on 26 and 27 January, respectively, to consider. The Minister for Public Health was briefed by officials on their assessment of the FBC in March prior to the FBC going to the Health and Social Care Management Board on 25th March 2026.

Thereafter the Scottish Parliament was in recess and the Government entered the pre-election period. On formation of the new Government Ministers assessed the FBC and value for money case and informed Parliament ahead of summer recess of the decision to pause and redesign the FBC to ensure it brings value for money for the public purse and delivers a new Monklands Hospital for the benefit of the people of Lanarkshire.

Question reference: S7W-01244

Asked by: Pauline McNeill, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 23 June 2026
Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 17 July 2026

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-42445 by Angela Constance on 9 December 2025, whether, in addition to the original 2005 investigation, the Terms of Reference for the Emma Caldwell Public Inquiry will allow for an examination of any investigations pursued by Police Scotland and the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service between 2013 and 2024.

As set out in the answer to question S6W-42445, the Terms of Reference for the Emma Caldwell Inquiry were developed following consultation with the Chair and discussions with relevant parties. The Terms of Reference remain firmly focused on the original investigation into Emma’s death, while being framed with sufficient breadth to enable the Inquiry Chair to consider any wider matters he considers pertinent to the Inquiry. From its setting up date on 9 December 2025, this statutory Public Inquiry is now independent of Ministers and the Chair is responsible for directing the Inquiry to deliver the Terms of Reference.