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-01214

Asked by: Katy Clark, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 22 June 2026
Current Status: Answer expected on 20 July 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what recent discussions it has had with the accountable bodies for the (a) Forth and (b) Inverness and Cromarty Firth Green Freeports regarding compliance by employers in designated tax and customs sites with Fair Work Charter conditions.

Question reference: S7W-01212

Asked by: Katy Clark, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 22 June 2026
Current Status: Answer expected on 20 July 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what proportion of its Budget 2026-27 that was allocated to grants for piers and harbours will be spent on Ardrossan Harbour.

Question reference: S7W-01208

Asked by: Katy Clark, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 22 June 2026
Current Status: Answer expected on 20 July 2026

To ask the Scottish Government how many jobs have been created in designated tax and customs sites in the (a) Forth and (b) Inverness and Cromarty Firth Green Freeports since March 2024 to date.

Question reference: S7W-01210

Asked by: Katy Clark, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 22 June 2026
Current Status: Answer expected on 20 July 2026

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide a list of the routes in the current Clyde and Hebrides Ferry Services contract (CHFS3) for which a Community Needs Assessment has been completed.

Question reference: S7W-01213

Asked by: Katy Clark, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 22 June 2026
Current Status: Answer expected on 20 July 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of any impact that restoring roll-on roll-off ferry connections between Scotland and France would have on (a) rail freight (i) infrastructure and (ii) capacity, and (b) jobs in Scotland.

Question reference: S7W-01209

Asked by: Katy Clark, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 22 June 2026
Current Status: Answer expected on 20 July 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is planning to take in 2026 to engage with (a) CalMac, (b) CMAL, (c) island stakeholders and (d) trade unions on proposals to reform the governance of public ferry contracts.

Question reference: S7W-01211

Asked by: Katy Clark, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 22 June 2026
Current Status: Answer expected on 20 July 2026

To ask the Scottish Government when it plans to review the findings from CalMac’s deck space reservation pilot on Mull, Coll and Tiree ferry services.

Question reference: S7W-00771

Asked by: Katy Clark, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 04 June 2026
Current Status: Answered by Mairi McAllan on 18 June 2026

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the Recording and Monitoring in Schools Short Life Working Group's progress in developing guidance for improved reporting systems.

As part of the National Action Plan for relationships and behaviour in schools, the Recording and Monitoring Short Life Working Group are developing a set of principles to underpin recording and monitoring of behaviour in schools. The Principles will support consistency in approach and process in recording and monitoring across Local Authorities and schools. These principles are expected to be published in Summer 2026.

Question reference: S7W-00770

Asked by: Katy Clark, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 04 June 2026
Current Status: Answered by Mairi McAllan on 18 June 2026

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of reports by BBC Scotland News that five local authorities were unable to provide figures on physical attacks in school settings because they did not store data in academic year format, what assessment it has made of the extent of underreporting of physical, verbal, and sexual assaults against school staff.

It is the Scottish Government’s expectation that all violent and abusive incidents against school staff should be recorded. Guidance published as part of the Relationships and Behaviour in Schools Action Plan 2024-27 has provided clear messaging to schools and local authorities about recording and monitoring incidents, including incidents affecting school staff. Information should be recorded in a way that supports it being utilised for monitoring of trends and patterns. This allows schools and organisations to assess the effectiveness of policy and practice and to ensure the necessary support is in place for children, young people, and for staff.

Question reference: S7W-00769

Asked by: Katy Clark, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 04 June 2026
Current Status: Answered by Mairi McAllan on 18 June 2026

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of data obtained by BBC Scotland News through a Freedom of Information request, which indicates a 55% increase in physical assaults in schools over two years, whether it plans to reverse reductions in behavioural specialists, educational psychologists and speech and language staff to create a safer learning environment.

Scotland’s schools should be safe, consistent learning environments for everyone. While the Behaviour in Scottish Schools Research (BISSR) (2023), which surveyed almost 4000 school staff, showed the majority of school staff think children and young people behave well most or all of the time, the Scottish Government recognises concerns about violent incidents in schools and is taking action through our Relationships and Behaviour in Schools Action Plan and wider investment in prevention.

Local Authorities are responsible for employment of staff in schools.

We published our Early Years Speech Language and Communication Action Plan in December last year. This plan sets out a preventative, system-wide approach to improving early speech, language and communication outcomes through leadership, support for families and a skilled workforce, at the earliest opportunity.

On behavioural psychologists, we are investing £1.9m per annum with local government in the training of educational psychologists to ensure that they are available across Scotland to support children and young people with additional support needs.

As regards Additional Support Needs (ASN), the Scottish Ministers are committed to improving the educational experiences of children and young people with ASN and recognise the vital role all staff play in this. 2026-27 budget set out a further £29m of investment for local and national programmes to support the recruitment and retention of the ASN workforce. We will also continue to work in partnership with local government support schools to develop positive learning environments and promote positive relationships and behaviour through the delivery of our Relationships and Behaviour in Schools Action Plan.