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-03334

Asked by: Craig Hoy, MSP for Dumfriesshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 16 September 2026
Current Status: Answered by Stephen Flynn on 29 September 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the Scottish Retail Consortium’s suggestion, in its Budget 2027-28 recommendations paper, that Primary Authority should be implemented to aid regulatory consistency across all 32 local authorities.

There are no current plans to implement a Primary Authority system for devolved regulation. However, as part of Programme for Government we have set out our approach to regulation. We will work with stakeholders to consider how regulation can be used to support economic and societal aims and use this work to continuously improve the approach to regulation in the future. Existing powers and processes will be considered to identify where changes could be made to support both businesses and regulators in achieving our strategic aims.

Question reference: S7W-03333

Asked by: Craig Hoy, MSP for Dumfriesshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 16 September 2026
Current Status: Answered by Hannah Mary Goodlad on 24 September 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the Scottish Retail Consortium’s recommendation in its Budget 2027-28 paper that it should introduce a timetabled plan to ensure that retailers of all sizes benefit from business rates that are at least as competitive as those in England.

Policy decisions on non-domestic rates, including the poundage and any reliefs, are considered in the context of the Scottish Budget and in line with other government priorities.

To support businesses and communities, including the retail sector, the Scottish Budget 2026-27 decreased all three Property Rates for 2026-27, ensuring the lowest Basic Property Rate since 2018-19. This delivered a broadly revenue-neutral revaluation in real terms over the revaluation. In fact, as a result of the decisions in the budget and the additional relief announced at Stage One of the Budget Bill, the revenues raised from non-domestic rates are estimated to be 6% lower in real terms (using GDP) in 2026-27 than pre-COVID, despite the number of non-domestic properties increasing in that time.

Differences in rateable value growth at the 2026 revaluation between Scotland and England mean that it is no longer possible to directly compare tax rates between Scotland and England. By way of example, at the 2026 revaluation shops saw an increase in total rateable value of 6% in Scotland and 10% in England.

This difference in rateable value growth may be partly due to differences in the tone date for revaluation. The tone date is shorter in Scotland (one year before revaluation) than in England (where it is still two years before revaluation) following a recommendation of the independent Barclay Review of Non-Domestic Rates which reported in 2017. This decision was widely welcomed by business and Parliament at the time. As a result, rateable values in Scotland reflect more up-to-date market conditions than in England.

The Budget also offered a relief package worth almost a billion pounds in 2026-27 including the Small Business Bonus Scheme which remains the most generous scheme of its kind in the UK. Almost all (96%) of retail, hospitality and leisure businesses in Scotland can benefit from some form of rates relief in 2026-27.

We will consider with interest the detail of the UK Government’s business rates policies for 2027-28 once these are announced, and the Deputy First Minister has written to the Finance and Public Administration Committee to confirm she will present the draft Scottish Budget 2027-28 to Parliament on Thursday 3 December 2026.

Question reference: S7W-03335

Asked by: Craig Hoy, MSP for Dumfriesshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 16 September 2026
Current Status: Answered by Hannah Mary Goodlad on 24 September 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the Scottish Retail Consortium’s suggestion, in its Budget 2027-28 recommendations paper, that Ministers should resurrect the previous commitment to levelling the business rate playing field with England for larger premises.

Question reference: S7O-00305

Asked by: Craig Hoy, MSP for Dumfriesshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 23 September 2026
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 29 September 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the potential impact of its plans to replace the 14 territorial NHS boards with two strategic health boards on healthcare provision in Dumfriesshire, including access to locally delivered services.

Question reference: S7W-03448

Asked by: Craig Hoy, MSP for Dumfriesshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 22 September 2026
Current Status: Answer expected on 6 October 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what plans NHS Scotland has to offer superior cluneal nerve (SCN) hydro-dissection and pulsed radio frequency treatment for carpal tunnel syndrome, ulnar nerve entrapment and other peripheral nerve or fascial impingements, which is available in England.

Question reference: S7W-02742

Asked by: Craig Hoy, MSP for Dumfriesshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 31 August 2026
Current Status: Answered by Gillian Martin on 11 September 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what funding is available to assist community-led flood protection activities.

Since 2016, the Scottish Government has provided £612 million to local authorities to support flood resilience. This includes flood protection schemes and wider flood resilience activity. Local authorities are responsible for managing flood risk and delivering flood protection schemes in their areas.

In August, we announced £15 million of new funding to improve the resilience of communities across Scotland most at risk from flooding. This funding will support measures including community-led projects, nature-based solutions, improved flood data, and targeted local interventions .Following preparatory work this year, funding for local projects will be available from 2027-28.

Question reference: S7W-02744

Asked by: Craig Hoy, MSP for Dumfriesshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 31 August 2026
Current Status: Answered by Gillian Martin on 10 September 2026

To ask the Scottish Government how it plans to empower communities to engage in basic flood protection and flood preparedness activities.

The National Flood Resilience Strategy focuses on building community flood resilience and resilient placemaking, by putting people at the heart of the process and supporting an increase in the range and rate of delivery of actions both to manage our flood exposure and reduce the impacts of flooding when it does occur.

The Scottish Government supports the Scottish Flood Forum to deliver practical action for individuals and communities at risk of flooding across Scotland. It helps people understand their flood risk and prepare for flood events, which includes supporting new local flood resilience groups to form, and then provide training and build capacity. We also fund SEPA's Scottish Flood Forecasting and Warning Service, which provides vital warning information to communities at risk of flooding. Following research we commissioned to design a Household Flood plan, we are working with stakeholders to develop and roll that out to raise awareness of flood risk and promote improved preparedness.

In addition to the £42m of the local government General Capital Grant allocated to flood resilience activity in communities, we have also committed £15m to improve the resilience of communities across Scotland most at risk from flooding.

Question reference: S7W-02743

Asked by: Craig Hoy, MSP for Dumfriesshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 31 August 2026
Current Status: Answered by Gillian Martin on 10 September 2026

To ask the Scottish Government how much it has committed to flood defence schemes in 2026-27, and how much it plans to commit in each year of the current parliamentary session.

In 2026-27 £42 million of the local government General Capital Grant will be allocated to flood resilience activity. Local authorities are responsible for developing and delivering flood protection schemes in their areas and funding provided to local authorities this year has been provided on a flexible basis to support local needs and priorities.

Funding allocations for future years of the current parliamentary session will be considered through future budget and local government finance settlements. In parallel, we are working with COSLA to reform funding arrangements for major flood resilience projects to ensure greatest efficiency for public funds.

Question reference: S7O-00229

Asked by: Craig Hoy, MSP for Dumfriesshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 09 September 2026
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 16 September 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to increase funding for policing and community safety initiatives in rural areas, in light of recent data indicating upward trends in criminality in Dumfries and Galloway.

Question reference: S7W-02603

Asked by: Craig Hoy, MSP for Dumfriesshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 20 August 2026
Current Status: Answered by Tom Arthur on 4 September 2026

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the commitment in the 2026 Scottish National Party manifesto to enact a statutory price cap on essential food items, what its response is to the comments reportedly made by Scotland Food and Drink and published in Scottish Daily Mail on 20 August 2026 that the policy must avoid "unintended consequences" for food producers, manufacturers and supply chains.

The Scottish Government is aware of concerns raised regarding unintended consequences for food producers, manufacturers and supply chains in relation to the proposed price cap on essential food items.

That is why we are engaging constructively with all relevant stakeholders to support considered and informed discussion on this. We are consulting on draft proposals before any decisions are taken. The consultation seeks views and evidence from consumers, retailers, producers and other stakeholders on the potential benefits, risks and unintended consequences of any food price cap scheme including impacts on product availability, supply chains and implementation.