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-43954

Asked by: Mark Griffin, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 26 February 2026
Current Status: Answered by Mairi McAllan on 11 March 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what specific housing delivery targets and key performance indicators will be assigned to the new housing agency, More Homes Scotland; what increase in annual housing completions it anticipates will result from its establishment; when policy development work on this commenced, and what stakeholder consultation (a) has been carried out and (b) is planned.

We are investing a record £926 million in 2026-27 as part of up to £4.9 billion funding over four years to help deliver 36,000 affordable homes, providing safe, warm homes for up to 24,000 children. More Homes Scotland is in its design phase, so specific delivery targets, KPIs and any anticipated increase in completions will be confirmed once this work is complete.

Since 22 January, my officials and I have started a programme of extensive stakeholder engagement as part of this design phase. I will provide an update to Parliament in March.

Question reference: S6W-43923

Asked by: Annie Wells, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 25 February 2026
Current Status: Answered by Maree Todd on 11 March 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to reports that the opening of the Thistle drug consumption facility has resulted in an increase in (a) antisocial behaviour, (b) discarded needles and (c) drug dealing in Calton.

The Scottish Government recognises the concerns of local people in the Calton area and are grateful for the continued actions being taken to address them by Glasgow Health and Social Care Partnership

While concerns have been raised, no evidence has been provided which isolates the opening of the facility as the sole cause of such activity. These issues existed in the area prior to the introduction of the service, which was established to reduce public injecting and associated harms along with reducing the levels of drug-related litter in the area. Since opening, the facility has overseen over 9,400 injecting episodes, hugely reducing the number of injecting episodes which would have taken place in public areas and leading to further discarded needles.

The Thistle operates like any other NHS facility and works closely with Police Scotland and local partners. Police Scotland maintains operational independence in policing the facility and surrounding areas, responding to reports, deterring criminal activity, and protecting public safety.

An extensive independent evaluation is underway which will include an assessment of community impact. Its findings will inform any future decision as part of an evidence-led approach.

Question reference: S6W-43918

Asked by: Annie Wells, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 25 February 2026
Current Status: Answered by Maree Todd on 11 March 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to reports that the use of naloxone by the Scottish Ambulance Service reached a post-pandemic high in 2025, and what its position is on whether this indicates that its drugs policy is working.

Naloxone is a life-saving opioid antagonist delivered through Scotland’s National Naloxone Programme to reverse overdoses and provide emergency response time for further medical intervention.

The increase in its administration by the Scottish Ambulance Service reflects the persistence of drug-related harms and demonstrates that frontline clinicians are equipped to intervene and prevent deaths.

The Scottish Government considers the effective deployment of naloxone to be clear evidence that harm-reduction measures are operating as intended by saving lives. At the same time, higher usage highlights the scale of ongoing harm. This is why we remain committed to delivering a comprehensive drugs policy that integrates harm-reduction with prevention, treatment ,recovery and enforcement measures to reduce deaths and address the underlying drivers of substance use.

Question reference: S6W-43848

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 24 February 2026
Current Status: Answered by Dorothy Bain on 11 March 2026

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answers to the Urgent Question and supplementary questions by Dorothy Bain on 18 February 2026, and in light of the Lord Advocate and the Solicitor General having recused themselves from Operation Branchform, whether this means that they should not have had any knowledge of, or dealings with, the criminal case against Peter Murrell, and, if so, for what reason a minute was sent to the First Minister.

The Solicitor General and I were not involved in decisions in this case. Recusal from operational prosecution decision-making by the Law Officers does not prevent them being advised of significant milestones in a case nor does it prevent them from notifying the government of such milestone.

As head of the system of prosecution in Scotland, I have overall responsibility for the investigation and prosecution of crime, including those cases in which they have recused themselves from decision-making. It was appropriate, therefore, to provide confirmation and necessary reassurance to the government that the normal, well-established practice of recusal had been followed.

Question reference: S6W-43801

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 24 February 2026
Current Status: Answered by Dorothy Bain on 11 March 2026

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answers to the Urgent Question and supplementary questions by Dorothy Bain on 18 February 2026, what information has been provided by the Lord Advocate to (a) the First Minister and (b) any special advisers about the criminal case against Peter Murrell, and when.

In my letter to the Presiding Officer of 24 February 2026 I confirmed that there have been two minutes to the First Minister, in March 2025 and January 2026. These were to advise the First Minister that separate procedural milestones had been reached, to confirm that the appropriate processes had been followed in relation to Law Officers not being involved in decision-making, and to remind him that it would not be appropriate to make any public comment on the matter.

Question reference: S6W-43799

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 24 February 2026
Current Status: Answered by Dorothy Bain on 11 March 2026

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answers to the Urgent Question and supplementary questions by Dorothy Bain on 18 February 2026, whether the Lord Advocate has ever contacted any minister or special adviser about any criminal case, aside from the case against Peter Murrell, and, if so, on what occasions, and who was contacted.

Question reference: S6W-43847

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 24 February 2026
Current Status: Answered by Dorothy Bain on 11 March 2026

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answers to the Urgent Question and supplementary questions by Dorothy Bain on 18 February 2026, how many times the Lord Advocate has advised ministers of an indictment in criminal cases, and in which cases.

Question reference: S6W-43899

Asked by: Elena Whitham, MSP for Carrick, Cumnock and Doon Valley, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 24 February 2026
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 11 March 2026

To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans for the new arrangements for withdrawal from religious education and religious observance in schools to come into force in time for the start of the academic year 2026-27.

Question reference: S6W-44119

Asked by: Elena Whitham, MSP for Carrick, Cumnock and Doon Valley, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 09 March 2026
Current Status: Initiated by the Scottish Government. Answered by Maree Todd on 10 March 2026

To ask the Scottish Government when it will publish the new Alcohol and Drugs Strategic Plan.

The Scottish Government and COSLA have jointly published ‘Preventing Harm, Promoting Recovery: Scotland’s Alcohol and Drugs Strategic Plan’ today. Grounded in human rights, the Strategic Plan reaffirms our commitment to a public health, evidence-informed approach to alcohol and drug use.

It builds on the significant progress made throughout the National Mission, with a renewed focus on prevention and early intervention, while strengthening vital harm reduction measures and improving treatment and care pathways to support long term recovery.

Whilst there has been a decrease in the most recent National Records of Scotland figures for both alcohol and drugs deaths, we know there is much more to do including addressing the escalating threat from synthetic drugs.

The Strategic Plan is a key component of Scotland’s broader public health reform agendas including the Population Health Framework and Service Renewal Framework.

Alongside the Plan, a revised Partnership Delivery Framework for Alcohol & Drugs Partnerships, and a National Specification for Alcohol and Drugs Services have also been published.

To deliver on our ambitions, we are sustaining the significant increase in investment made over the course of the National Mission. We are maintaining record levels of funding for alcohol and drug policy of more than £160 million in total. This includes £115 million for Alcohol and Drugs Partnerships across Scotland and continued investment in the third sector and voluntary organisations that provide invaluable support.

The Strategic Plan is available at: https://www.gov.scot/isbn/9781806436835

The Partnership Delivery Framework is available at: https://www.gov.scot/isbn/9781806439843

The National Specification is available at: https://www.gov.scot/isbn/9781806439836

Question reference: S6W-44120

Asked by: Clare Adamson, MSP for Motherwell and Wishaw, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 09 March 2026
Current Status: Initiated by the Scottish Government. Answered by Angela Constance on 10 March 2026

To ask the Scottish Government when it will publish the report on the Scottish Law Officers’ roles and functions.

The report on the Scottish Law Officers’ roles and functions was published today and is available on the Scottish Government's website: https://www.gov.scot/isbn/9781806439737

We are grateful to Malcolm McMillan for the diligent and comprehensive research and engagement undertaken to produce this report. The report provides robust factual information, context and analysis on the Law Officers’ numerous roles and functions, including the history, development and safeguards in place which protect their independence.

The report clearly sets out how and why the current system works and its considerable strengths. Careful consideration would be required if there were to be any changes made to the ways in which the Law Officers’ various functions were allocated. As protected by the Scotland Act, the Law Officers operate with integrity and entirely independently of any other person as they undertake their prosecutorial functions. Separating the functions would require legislation by the UK Parliament.