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-37999

Asked by: Martin Whitfield, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 12 June 2025
Current Status: Answer expected on 26 June 2025

To ask the Scottish Government, as part of its work to further the case for Scottish independence, what economic modelling it has undertaken of the potential impact on Scotland’s GDP growth of introducing a hard border with the rest of the UK.

Question reference: S6W-38009

Asked by: Martin Whitfield, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 12 June 2025
Current Status: Answer expected on 26 June 2025

To ask the Scottish Government, as part of its work to further the case for Scottish independence, what estimate it has made of the number of staff that would be required to operate any customs or border posts along the Anglo-Scottish border in an independent Scotland.

Question reference: S6W-38005

Asked by: Martin Whitfield, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 12 June 2025
Current Status: Answer expected on 26 June 2025

To ask the Scottish Government, as part of its work to further the case for Scottish independence, what assessment it has made of the potential additional average time per freight journey resulting from any customs procedures when crossing the border from an independent Scotland into England.

Question reference: S6W-38013

Asked by: Martin Whitfield, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 12 June 2025
Current Status: Answer expected on 26 June 2025

To ask the Scottish Government, as part of its work to further the case for Scottish independence, whether it has (a) sought and (b) received any legal advice on its potential ability to allow an independent Scotland to avoid any border checks with the rest of the UK while applying EU single market rules, and, if so, whether it will publish any such advice.

Question reference: S6W-38011

Asked by: Martin Whitfield, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 12 June 2025
Current Status: Answer expected on 26 June 2025

To ask the Scottish Government, as part of its work to further the case for Scottish independence, what assessment it has made of what potential reduction in trade volumes for the (a) whisky, (b) meat and (c) dairy sector could result from any introduction of a hard border between an independent Scotland and the rest of the UK.

Question reference: S6W-38000

Asked by: Martin Whitfield, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 12 June 2025
Current Status: Answer expected on 26 June 2025

To ask the Scottish Government, as part of its work to further the case for Scottish independence, what recent estimate it has made of the potential reduction in Scotland’s trade volume with the rest of the UK in the event of customs checks at the border in an independent Scotland.

Question reference: S6W-38010

Asked by: Martin Whitfield, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 12 June 2025
Current Status: Answer expected on 26 June 2025

To ask the Scottish Government, as part of its work to further the case for Scottish independence, what assessment it has made of what the total cost would be of (a) building and (b) operating any new customs infrastructure at the border with England in the first year of an independent Scotland.

Question reference: S6W-38004

Asked by: Martin Whitfield, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 12 June 2025
Current Status: Answer expected on 26 June 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what its policy is on (a) how many border inspection points would be required along the Anglo-Scottish border and (b) where any such inspection points would be located, in an independent Scotland.

Question reference: S6W-38047

Asked by: Martin Whitfield, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 30 May 2025
Current Status: Answered by Natalie Don-Innes on 12 June 2025

To ask the Scottish Government whether any (a) national and (b) regional targets were set as part of the £60 million play park renewal programme, and how performance against any such targets is being (i) measured and (ii) recorded.

Question reference: S6W-38046

Asked by: Martin Whitfield, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 30 May 2025
Current Status: Answered by Natalie Don-Innes on 12 June 2025

To ask the Scottish Government whether any formal evaluation of the £60 million play park renewal programme has been commissioned, and whether this will include full access to delivery data by local authorities.