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-24485

Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for Midlothian South, Tweeddale and Lauderdale, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Friday, 12 January 2024
Current Status: Answered by Siobhian Brown on 24 January 2024

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the First Minister’s announcement on 11 January 2024 that it will, in essence, replicate in Scotland the legislation that exists in England and Wales on XL bully dogs, what alternative protections it considered in order to address the potential displacement of XL bully dogs to Scotland from England and Wales, and for what reason it dismissed any such alternative options.

In light of the UK Government failing to ensure English and Welsh XL Bully dog owners cannot evade the new safeguards through selling or otherwise disposing of their dogs in Scotland, the Scottish Government has been left with little choice to decide to replicate the new safeguards in Scotland. Through replicating the new regime, this will ensure owners in England and Wales have no ability to evade the new controls in England and Wales by selling their dogs to people in Scotland.

More generally, we are considering how best the preventative dog control regime in the Control of Dogs (Scotland) Act 2010 could be improved. The need for the new safeguards for XL Bully dogs specifically arises separately from the general Scottish Government continuing policy focus on ‘deed, not breed’.

Question reference: S6W-24488

Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for Midlothian South, Tweeddale and Lauderdale, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Friday, 12 January 2024
Current Status: Answered by Siobhian Brown on 24 January 2024

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the First Minister’s announcement on 11 January 2024 that it will, in essence, replicate in Scotland the legislation that exists in England and Wales on XL bully dogs, whether it has decided not to proceed to amend the Control of Dogs (Scotland) Act 2010 as an alternative means of protecting the public, and, if this is the case, for what reason it has taken that decision.

Question reference: S6W-24490

Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for Midlothian South, Tweeddale and Lauderdale, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Friday, 12 January 2024
Current Status: Answered by Gillian Martin on 22 January 2024

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will increase the penalties that can be imposed on (a) breeders who are found to be breeding dogs to be aggressive and (b) owners who are found to knowingly fail to keep their dog(s) under control.

Dog breeding is regulated under the Animal Welfare (Licensing of Activities Involving Animals) (Scotland) Regulations 2021. The penalties for offences committed under these regulations were increased in 2020 when the Animals and Wildlife (Penalties, Protections and Powers) (Scotland) Act 2020 came into effect. The changes introduced increased the maximum period of imprisonment from 6 to 12 months and the maximum fine from level 5 (£5,000) on the standard scale to a maximum of £40,000. Given this recent increase in penalties, the Scottish Government has no plans at this time for further revisions.

The Scottish Government will however be looking in the medium term to work with key stakeholders and interested parties to look at potential improvements to the 2010 Act that could enhance and strengthen the general preventative dog control notice regime in Scotland.

Question reference: S6W-24492

Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for Midlothian South, Tweeddale and Lauderdale, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Friday, 12 January 2024
Current Status: Answered by Gillian Martin on 22 January 2024

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will support the principles of the Welfare of Dogs (Scotland) Bill to introduce a code of practice specifically aimed at prospective owners of dogs, which would place various duties on them to increase responsible ownership by educating and requiring them to sign a certificate that they and the breeder have understood and complied with the code.

Question reference: S6O-03005

Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for Midlothian South, Tweeddale and Lauderdale, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 17 January 2024
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 24 January 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what research it has undertaken on the impact of changing demographics on NHS services.

Question reference: S6O-02968

Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for Midlothian South, Tweeddale and Lauderdale, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 10 January 2024
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 17 January 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with the UK Government regarding the potential future devolution of Vehicle Excise Duty.

Question reference: S6O-02853

Current Status: Withdrawn

Question reference: S6O-02774

Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for Midlothian South, Tweeddale and Lauderdale, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 15 November 2023
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 23 November 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what measures it has in place to reduce disruption to public services due to severe winter weather.

Question reference: S6O-02677

Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for Midlothian South, Tweeddale and Lauderdale, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 25 October 2023
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 2 November 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what data it has on rates of winter admissions to accident and emergency as a result of winter falls, since October 2020.

Question reference: S6O-02605

Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for Midlothian South, Tweeddale and Lauderdale, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 27 September 2023
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 5 October 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will commission independent analysis of the impact that its interventions, including the Scottish Child Payment, Carer’s Allowance Supplement and the Baby Box, have had on social justice.