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-00177

Asked by: David Green, MSP for Caithness, Sutherland and Ross, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Wednesday, 20 May 2026
Current Status: Answered by Gillian Martin on 1 June 2026

To ask the Scottish Government how many rural and island communities currently rely on a single remaining shop, pub, post office or other essential community business.

Question reference: S7W-00211

Asked by: Craig Hoy, MSP for Dumfriesshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 20 May 2026
Current Status: Answered by Alison Thewliss on 1 June 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what steps are being taken to ensure adequate access to NHS dentistry in rural areas.

The Scottish Government has committed to respond directly to the concerns of rural and island communities which includes the review and refreshment of existing financial incentives available to the sector, such as Golden Hello payments, to better support patient access in rural and island areas. This work is currently underway and we hope to have revised arrangements in place later in this financial year.

In the meantime, we continue to make available a range of additional financial support to areas where access is particularly challenging, including rural and Island areas.

Question reference: S7W-00120

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 18 May 2026
Current Status: Answered by Mairi McAllan on 1 June 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what research it has commissioned, reviewed or relied upon regarding any impact of digital device use in schools on children’s concentration, literacy, communication skills and social development.

The Scottish Government keeps emerging national and international evidence under review, including work from bodies such as UNESCO and the OECD, to understand how digital tools can support learning, wellbeing and positive educational outcomes. This research highlights both the opportunities offered by well-designed digital approaches and the importance of ensuring device use is purposeful and balanced. The Scottish Government will continue to consider international research and good practice.

Question reference: S7W-00278

Asked by: Tim Eagle, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 26 May 2026
Current Status: Answered by Jim Fairlie on 1 June 2026

To ask the Scottish Government how many businesses were awarded funding from the Islands Business Resilience Fund in 2025-26, broken down by local authority area.

Question reference: S7W-00019

Asked by: David Linden, MSP for Glasgow Baillieston and Shettleston, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 14 May 2026
Current Status: Answered by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 1 June 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what policies it has in place to support and encourage the maintenance of residential tenement buildings.

Owners of tenement properties have a shared responsibility to maintain the tenement. The Housing (Scotland) Act 2014 introduced powers for local authorities to pay a missing share on behalf of an owner who is unwilling or unable to contribute to costs of common works. From October 2018, these powers were extended to registered social housing.

However, we know that tenement properties with multiple owners often still struggle to organise and finance shared repairs, maintenance and enhancement works.

This Government has committed to reform the Tenement (Scotland) Act 2004 and Property Factors (Scotland) Act 2011 by the end of this parliament, to better meet the needs of relevant owners and tenants to enable repairs, maintenance and enhancement of such properties, and improve delivery of services by factoring organisations, including considering costs, where they manage properties.

We are currently considering a report from the Scottish Law Commission on potential new measures and, should ministers consider that change is necessary to existing tenement law, primary legislation will be required to enable the introduction of new measures.

Question reference: S7W-00003

Asked by: Alan Brown, MSP for Kilmarnock and Irvine Valley, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 14 May 2026
Current Status: Answered by Hannah Mary Goodlad on 1 June 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what Barnett consequential funding is expected to arise from the support granted to the British Steel plant, Scunthorpe steelworks.

Question reference: S7W-00150

Asked by: Ariane Burgess, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 19 May 2026
Current Status: Answered by Stephen Gethins on 29 May 2026

To ask the Scottish Government, regarding reports that Scottish residents participating in humanitarian flotillas to Gaza have been detained by Israeli forces in international waters, what (a) representations it has made to the UK Government, and (b) discussions it has had with the UK Government to ensure that all appropriate consular and diplomatic steps are taken to protect their welfare and secure their safe return.

The Scottish Government has raised this issue with the UK Government’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) at both Ministerial and official level.

I recently wrote to the Foreign Secretary, welcoming the release of detainees and pressing the UK Government to seek reassurance from the Israeli Government regarding the safety and wellbeing of all UK nationals during their detention. I also urged the UK Government to make clear to the Israeli Government that the treatment evidenced is unacceptable, as well as raising concerns on the potential detention of those on the flotilla in international waters. Officials have been in regular contact with FCDO on this issue.

Question reference: S7W-00145

Asked by: David Green, MSP for Caithness, Sutherland and Ross, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Tuesday, 19 May 2026
Current Status: Answered by Gillian Martin on 29 May 2026

To ask the Scottish Government whether the proposed Rural Renewal Bill will include provisions to introduce a formal rural-proofing requirement for all new legislation, policy and major spending decisions.

Question reference: S7W-00142

Asked by: David Green, MSP for Caithness, Sutherland and Ross, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Tuesday, 19 May 2026
Current Status: Answered by Gillian Martin on 29 May 2026

To ask the Scottish Government when it will provide further details on its proposed Rural Renewal Bill, including the intended aims of the legislation, the anticipated timetable for consultation and introduction, and how rural communities and stakeholders will be involved in its development.

Question reference: S7W-00153

Asked by: Tim Eagle, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Date lodged: Tuesday, 19 May 2026
Current Status: Answered by Jim Fairlie on 29 May 2026

To ask the Scottish Government how many investigations were carried out in each of the last two years under the Dogs (Protection of Livestock) (Amendment) (Scotland) Act 2021; how many led to a report being made to the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service and how many subsequent (a) prosecutions and (b) convictions there were, broken down by how many people convicted were given a (i) fine and (ii) custodial sentence.

Please see the following data from both the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service (COPFS) and the Scottish Government’s Justice Analytical Service. Please note that The Dogs (Protection of Livestock) (Amendment) (Scotland) Act 2021 came into force on 5 November 2021. The 2021 Act amends the offence under the 1953 Act, so all proceedings are still under the 1953 Act (as amended).

Data on charges under Dogs (Protection of Livestock) (Scotland) Act 1953 or the amendment, reported to COPFS, prosecuted, and convicted are given in Table 1.

Table 1: Charges under:- Dogs (Protection of Livestock) Act 1953 S1(1)&(6)-Worry livestock on a farm – attack, reported to COPFS, prosecuted, and convicted.

Financial Year Reported

	2024-25	2025-26
Charges reported	66	69

Charges prosecuted	6	22

of which:-
Convicted	4	4

Source: COPFS management information.

The number of accused convicted with at least one charge under Dogs (Protection of Livestock) (Scotland) Act 1953 or the amendment, and how many were given a fine or a custodial sentence was extracted from the management information data used to prepare the Scottish Government Justice Analytical Services Criminal Disposals Dashboard and is shown in Table 2.

Table 2: Number of accused convicted with at least one Protection of livestock from dogs crime and how many of those were given a fine or a custodial sentence.

Financial Year of conviction	Number of accused	Number of accused sentenced with Fines	Number of accused with custodial sentences
2024-2025	8	6	1
April 2025 -Sep 2025	1	0	0

Source: Scottish Government Justice Analytical Services Criminal Disposals Dashboard.