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-40693

Asked by: Michelle Thomson, MSP for Falkirk East, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 22 September 2025
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 7 October 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on the reported calls from the Scottish Retail Consortium and Scottish Tourism Alliance for the UK Government, in its upcoming Budget, to restore tax-free shopping for overseas visitors as a means of supporting Scotland’s retail, tourism and hospitality sectors.

The Scottish Government opposed the abolition of tax-free shopping when it was announced in 2020 and consistently called for the previous UK Government to listen to the industry and reconsider their position on the issue.

The Scottish Government recognises how vital tourism is to our economy. It creates jobs, sustains communities and contributes significantly to the economy and enables visitors and residents alike to experience the incredible offer we have here in Scotland. Many EU countries continue to offer tax-free shopping for non-EU visitors, which make them a more attractive tourist destination. Scotland’s vibrant retail sector is put at a disadvantage as a result.

We call on this UK Government to ensure they are listening to these consistent industry calls regarding the reinstatement of VAT free shopping.

Ultimately, the Scottish Government believes that all tax powers should be devolved to the Scottish Parliament so that we can provide the support that Scottish retailers and tourism businesses need.

Question reference: S6W-40650

Asked by: Michelle Thomson, MSP for Falkirk East, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 18 September 2025
Current Status: Answered by Natalie Don-Innes on 2 October 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to address any delays in the granting of a Protecting Vulnerable Groups (PVG) certificate from Disclosure Scotland, and what percentage of applications currently meet the 14-day service level agreement.

I have asked Gerard Hart, Chief Executive of Disclosure Scotland to respond. His response is as follows:

As of the week commencing 15 September, 94.9% of PVG applications were completed within 14 days. This meets the service level agreement of 90% completed within 14 days, with average processing times for PVG applications at 7.5 days.

Between April and August 2025, Disclosure Scotland experienced a significant rise in applications and customer enquiries following the implementation of the Disclosure Act and new digital functionality. To manage this, we temporarily onboarded agency staff to help reduce processing times, increase processing capacity and improve customer service levels.

A proportion of disclosure applications naturally take longer than 14 days where Disclosure Scotland are awaiting information from third parties in the vetting process. This is why the target is 90%, to allow for these delays which are caused by additional safeguarding enquires with third party agencies or to establish identity with certainty. The application surge meant that a higher volume of applications than normal required this step. Disclosure Scotland has improved communication with third-party organisations involved in the vetting process to expedite the return of required information and we continue to work closely with our partners to minimise delays.

Disclosure Scotland will also be improving our website and social media communications to provide regular updates to applicants and stakeholders regarding expected timescales, to improve transparency and manage expectations.

Question reference: S6O-04937

Asked by: Michelle Thomson, MSP for Falkirk East, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 10 September 2025
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 17 September 2025

To ask the Scottish Government on what basis it will assess the contribution of Scotland’s performing arts organisations in advance of the next Budget.

Question reference: S6O-04925

Asked by: Michelle Thomson, MSP for Falkirk East, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 03 September 2025
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 11 September 2025

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of Scotland’s population being around 5.5 million and the reported need to expand the housing sector capacity, whether it will provide an update on what targeted support it is providing to address the reported decline in small and medium-sized home builders.

Question reference: S6O-04873

Asked by: Michelle Thomson, MSP for Falkirk East, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 27 August 2025
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 3 September 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions the economy secretary has had with UK Government ministers regarding the potential impact on the Scottish economy of recent developments with the Grangemouth cluster.

Question reference: S6W-39721

Asked by: Michelle Thomson, MSP for Falkirk East, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 04 August 2025
Current Status: Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 20 August 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the Scottish Retail Consortium’s reported forecast that food price inflation is set to increase to 6% by the end of 2025.

The Scottish Government closely monitors food inflation data published by the Office for National Statistics and inflation projections published by the Office for Budget Responsibility and Bank of England. The British Retail Consortium’s forecast is concerning, particularly for low-income households in Scotland who are already grappling with cost-of-living pressures and are disproportionately affected by rising food prices. That is why the Scottish Government continues to allocate over £3 billion a year to policies which tackle poverty and the cost of living, as well up to £1.3 million to tackle food insecurity. The Scottish Government remains committed to improving our food security, making Scotland a global leader in sustainable and regenerative agriculture (with high quality food production one of the five objectives of the Agriculture and Rural Communities Act), and supporting Scotland in becoming a Good Food Nation.

There are a range of global and domestic factors driving food price inflation and whilst the Scottish Government is seeking to support households and local food suppliers in Scotland, there are a number of challenges that lie specifically with the Uk Government. Indeed, the Bank of England’s latest monetary report details factors such as regulatory changes and rising labour costs, which have been exacerbated by the UK Government’s increase to Employer National Insurance Contributions in autumn last year, in turn creating an additional financial burden on businesses, households, and the public sector. While many of the levers to address these challenges lie with the UK Government and could be managed more effectively in an independent Scotland, the Scottish Government remains committed in the meantime to using the powers available to us to support people across our nation with the cost of living pressures.

Question reference: S6O-04864

Asked by: Michelle Thomson, MSP for Falkirk East, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 18 June 2025
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 26 June 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what consideration it has given to supporting schools to raise awareness of, and provide the required assistance to, people with hearing and sight difficulties.

Question reference: S6W-38787

Asked by: Michelle Thomson, MSP for Falkirk East, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 17 June 2025
Current Status: Initiated by the Scottish Government. Answered by Gillian Martin on 18 June 2025

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on when it will publish its Grangemouth Just Transition Plan.

The Scottish Government has today (18 June) published the Grangemouth Industrial Just Transition Plan, following a public consultation on the draft plan. The Plan sets out our vision for the Grangemouth Industrial Cluster and will act as the framework for all activity that supports Grangemouth’s transition. It identifies 21 actions which will help us achieve our vision, including short term actions in the next 12 months and longer term actions over the next three to five years.

The Plan has been developed with industry, the community, public sector partners, Unite the Union and the workforce at Grangemouth. The Grangemouth Future Industry Board (GFIB), with members from across these sectors and led by Scottish Enterprise, will take the lead on delivering the actions set out in the Plan.

The Grangemouth Industrial Just Transition Plan is backed by our £25m Grangemouth Just Transition Fund.

Question reference: S6O-04690

Asked by: Michelle Thomson, MSP for Falkirk East, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 14 May 2025
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 22 May 2025

To ask the Scottish Government to what extent it considers workers in the health and social care sector to be skilled.

Question reference: S6F-04082

Asked by: Michelle Thomson, MSP for Falkirk East, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 12 May 2025
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 15 May 2025

To ask the First Minister what assessment the Scottish Government has made of the recently announced UK-USA trade deal and its potential implications for businesses in Scotland.