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-39841

Asked by: Annabelle Ewing, MSP for Cowdenbeath, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 18 August 2025
Current Status: Answer expected on 15 September 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what cross-departmental discussions it has had regarding its strategy for providing a substantial response to the Equality and Human Rights Commission’s upcoming updated Code of Practice following the Supreme Court ruling in For Women Scotland Ltd v The Scottish Ministers, and whether it can provide details of its proposed process for responding to the updated Code of Practice, including its proposed timeframes.

Question reference: S6O-04848

Asked by: Annabelle Ewing, MSP for Cowdenbeath, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 18 June 2025
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 25 June 2025

To ask the Scottish Government when the Scottish Prison Service will conclude any work required to ensure that it fully complies with the judgment of the UK Supreme Court handed down on 16 April 2025 in the case, For Women Scotland v The Scottish Ministers.

Question reference: S6O-04804

Asked by: Annabelle Ewing, MSP for Cowdenbeath, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 11 June 2025
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 18 June 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the latest export statistics for Scotland’s food and drink sector.

Question reference: S6O-04714

Current Status: Withdrawn

Question reference: S6W-37344

Asked by: Annabelle Ewing, MSP for Cowdenbeath, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 08 May 2025
Current Status: Answered by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 21 May 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of whether its response to the Supreme Court ruling regarding For Women Scotland Ltd v The Scottish Ministers is in full compliance with said ruling.

The Scottish Government accepts the judgment of the Supreme Court.

Work is underway across the Scottish Government reviewing legislation, guidance and policies impacted by the judgment. A working group – convened by the Permanent Secretary - has been established to take this forward. The Scottish Government has updated the Equality and Human Rights Commission on the approach we are taking.

As the enforcer and regulator of the Equality Act and we expect all organisations to consider its revised Code of Practice and guidance when published to ensure there is a consistent and clear understanding of the correct application of the law for all involved in this complex area.

Question reference: S6W-37326

Asked by: Annabelle Ewing, MSP for Cowdenbeath, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 08 May 2025
Current Status: Answered by Jim Fairlie on 19 May 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to tackle any impact that sea eagles have on livestock and small birds.

The Scottish Government and NatureScot support farmers and crofters through the Sea Eagle Management Scheme (SEMS).

As set out in March 2025, we have increased the funding for SEMS from £436,000 to £970,000 this year. We are committed to continuing to support farmers and crofters, especially those who feel the negative impacts most acutely, through SEMS.

Alongside this we are working on the development of future rural support to explore how it could assist in delivering support to farmers and crofters, where protected species such as white-tailed eagles have an impact on agricultural interests, and to support enhanced biodiversity in years to come.

We have not been made aware of any concerns regarding the impact that sea eagles are having on small birds.

More details on the Sea Eagle Management Scheme are available on the NatureScot website at https://www.nature.scot/professional-advice/land-and-sea-management/managing-wildlife/sea-eagle-management-scheme

Question reference: S6W-36246

Asked by: Annabelle Ewing, MSP for Cowdenbeath, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 24 April 2025
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 6 May 2025

To ask the Scottish Government how many cases that are currently lodged with the First-tier Tribunal for Scotland (Housing and Property Chamber) are yet to have an initial hearing date set.

Question reference: S6O-04610

Asked by: Annabelle Ewing, MSP for Cowdenbeath, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 30 April 2025
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 7 May 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to promote horticulture.

Question reference: S6W-36271

Asked by: Annabelle Ewing, MSP for Cowdenbeath, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 02 April 2025
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 24 April 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what up-to-date assessment it has made of the safety of biological women, on the basis of the protected characteristic of sex, in the prison estate.

I have asked Teresa Medhurst, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service (SPS), to respond. Her response is as follows:

SPS Women’s Strategy delivers a focus on both therapeutic and trauma informed environments for women in our care, and through individualised case management processes, women’s safety is managed in a way that is sensitive to their individual and gender specific needs and risks.

SPS’ person-centred approach and Women’s Strategy acknowledges that safety and wellbeing needs can be different for each woman, and traumatic experience can show that one woman’s feeling of safety and secure looks very different from another’s.

In practice our approach allows us to create an environment that promotes safety in a way that is sensitive to individual past experiences of distress, abuse and trauma.

Additionally, SPS are acutely aware of the Supreme Courts Judgement regarding the ‘biological definition’ of a woman and are currently considering any impact this may have on existing policies and operations.

Question reference: S6O-04463

Asked by: Annabelle Ewing, MSP for Cowdenbeath, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 12 March 2025
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 20 March 2025

To ask the Scottish Government when it last met the chief executive of Fife Council to discuss the housing emergency.