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-00199

Asked by: Craig Hoy, MSP for Dumfriesshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 21 May 2026
Current Status: Answered by Tom Arthur on 4 June 2026

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the Scottish National Party’s 2026 manifesto commitment to enact a statutory price cap on essential food items in supermarkets, what consultation it has undertaken with farmers and farming organisations regarding this proposal.

Question reference: S7W-00203

Asked by: Craig Hoy, MSP for Dumfriesshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 21 May 2026
Current Status: Answered by Tom Arthur on 4 June 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what legal basis it has used and what assessments it has undertaken to determine the legality of plans to enact a statutory price cap on essential food items in supermarkets, as per the Scottish National Party’s 2026 manifesto commitment.

There is a longstanding convention, observed by Scottish, UK and other governments, that government does not disclose legal advice except in exceptional circumstances. This convention, which is reflected in the Scottish Ministerial Code, is intended to ensure that full and frank legal advice can be taken by governments, just as other organisations and individuals can take legal advice in confidence and subject to legal professional privilege.

Question reference: S7W-00202

Asked by: Craig Hoy, MSP for Dumfriesshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 21 May 2026
Current Status: Answered by Tom Arthur on 4 June 2026

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the Scottish National Party’s 2026 manifesto commitment to enact a statutory price cap on essential food items in supermarkets, what assessments have been undertaken on any impact the proposal will have on the farming sector in Dumfriesshire.

Question reference: S7W-00423

Asked by: Craig Hoy, MSP for Dumfriesshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 27 May 2026
Current Status: Answered by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 4 June 2026

To ask the Scottish Government when it plans to publish the regulations that are intended to audit the social security system to estimate any fraud and error.

Following the close of the public consultation on 10 June 2026, the Scottish Government will develop and bring forward the commencement and secondary legislation required to implement section 18 of the Social Security (Amendment) (Scotland) Act 2025.

Further information on the consultation is available on the Scottish Government website https://www.gov.scot/publications/estimating-fraud-error-scottish-social-security-system-consultation/.

Question reference: S7W-00215

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 4 June 2026

To ask the Scottish Government how many adult patients in Dumfriesshire are currently (a) registered and (b) not registered with an NHS dentist.

Question reference: S7W-00767

Asked by: Craig Hoy, MSP for Dumfriesshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 03 June 2026
Current Status: Answer expected on 17 June 2026

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S7W-00422 by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 3 June 2026, for what reason Social Security Scotland's Annual Report and Accounts 2025 states that ‘‘debt recovery is limited to voluntary repayment arrangements".

Question reference: S7W-00429

Asked by: Craig Hoy, MSP for Dumfriesshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 27 May 2026
Current Status: Answered by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 3 June 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what legislation it plans to introduce in relation to the social security portfolio in the current parliamentary session.

The Government will bring forward such social security legislation as is necessary to continue to ensure the effective operation of delivery and improved outcomes for clients. That will include in due course the regulations required to introduce Scottish Child Payment for children under 1, which will increase the total payment amount to £40 per week during 2027-28, benefitting an estimated 12,000 children, to implement measures in the Social Security (Amendment) (Scotland) Act 2025, and to uprate social security benefits on an annual basis.

Question reference: S7W-00562

Asked by: Craig Hoy, MSP for Dumfriesshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 27 May 2026
Current Status: Answered by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 3 June 2026

To ask the Scottish Government when provisions will be in place to allow Social Security Scotland to recover debt from any clients who were overpaid benefits through the Sheriff Court system.

Question reference: S7W-00422

Asked by: Craig Hoy, MSP for Dumfriesshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 26 May 2026
Current Status: Answered by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 3 June 2026

To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans on introducing legislation that will compel people to repay social security benefits that were overpaid.

Question reference: S7W-00434

Asked by: Craig Hoy, MSP for Dumfriesshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 27 May 2026
Current Status: Answered by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 3 June 2026

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an estimate of the individual cost of administering each of the payments that Social Security Scotland delivers.

Social Security Scotland does not report the cost of administering individual benefits as the organisation operates a flexible workforce across its 18 benefits, with shared systems and corporate functions supporting delivery. As a result, administrative costs are not incurred or recorded on a per-benefit basis and cannot be broken down by individual benefit.

The organisation deploys staff across all benefits to respond to changes in demand, including seasonal peaks, ensuring clients continue to be supported effectively. Costs may therefore fluctuate over the course of the year in line with this operational approach.

Information on Social Security Scotland’s overall administrative expenditure is published in its Annual Report and Accounts 2024-25: Social Security Scotland - Annual Report and Accounts 2024-25.