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-04793

Asked by: Jamie Langan, MSP for South Scotland, Reform UK
Date lodged: Wednesday, 04 November 2026
Current Status: Answer expected on 18 November 2026

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S7W-03990 by Mairi McAllan on 29 October 2026, what the scope of the National ASN Data Improvement Programme is expected to be, and what its proposed delivery timescale is.

Question reference: S7O-00471

Asked by: Jamie Langan, MSP for South Scotland, Reform UK
Date lodged: Wednesday, 04 November 2026
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 11 November 2026

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the UK Government’s recently proposed changes to the rules governing indefinite leave to remain, what assessment it has made of the potential impact of these changes on Scotland's communities.

Question reference: S7W-04197

Asked by: Jamie Langan, MSP for South Scotland, Reform UK
Date lodged: Monday, 12 October 2026
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 30 October 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of whether lower Air Departure Tax rates could encourage airlines to expand route networks and to allocate additional aircraft capacity to airports in Scotland.

The Scottish Government recognises the importance of international air connectivity to our nation's economy. We are committed to working with airlines and Scotland's airports to help grow our international connectivity, while not returning to previous levels of emissions. Our key aspiration is to help Scotland become at least as well connected as our peer nations and regions by growing demand for existing and new routes that are vital for inbound tourism, business connectivity and exports.

The Scottish Government has carried out extensive engagement with the aviation sector and other interested parties ahead of the implementation of Air Departure Tax (ADT) on 1 April 2027. This includes the Delivering Scotland’s Air Departure Tax consultation that ran from 29 January to 26 March 2026 and invited responses on future ADT policy considerations. The consultation analysis report was published on 15 July 2026.

The Scottish Government also held two Ministerial roundtables in February and March 2026 and has convened an Expert Advisory Group on ADT to further inform future ADT policy development.

As part of this engagement, a number of aviation stakeholders have suggested that lower ADT rates may play a role in encouraging airlines to expand route networks and allocate additional aircraft capacity to airports in Scotland. ADT is expected to be one of several factors influencing airlines’ decision making, alongside fuel costs, air navigation charges, crew costs and other airport charges such as ground handling.

ADT rates for 2027-28 will match those of the UK Government’s Air Passenger Duty to help ease the transition to ADT for passengers and the aviation sector. ADT rates for 2028-29 will be set out at the forthcoming Scottish Budget on 3 December 2026.

Question reference: S7W-03990

Asked by: Jamie Langan, MSP for South Scotland, Reform UK
Date lodged: Monday, 05 October 2026
Current Status: Answered by Mairi McAllan on 29 October 2026

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of recent findings from Aberdeenshire Council, what its position is on reports that pupils have been incorrectly recorded as having additional support needs (ASN), and whether it considers such recording errors to be a factor in the increase in the number of pupils recorded as having ASN across Scotland.

The national increase in the number of pupils recorded as having an additional support need is partly driven by increased awareness and identification, but also by a change in how ASN statistics were gathered in 2010, to ensure that these record any type of additional support provided to pupils.

We are undertaking a National ASN Data Improvement Programme focusing on improving the consistency of how additional support needs are identified and recorded across Scotland. Part of this work includes a full review of the current categories of need and creating national guidance.

We are working in collaboration with local authorities to ensure this work helps schools and local authorities understand the needs of children and young people more clearly, support staff to record identified needs more consistently, and to support more effective overall planning to meet children’s needs.

Question reference: S7W-03797

Asked by: Jamie Langan, MSP for South Scotland, Reform UK
Date lodged: Wednesday, 30 September 2026
Current Status: Answered by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 22 October 2026

To ask the Scottish Government, regarding Child Winter Heating Payment (CWHP) payments made in 2025-26, what information it has regarding how many children and young people living in European Economic Area (EEA) countries and Switzerland received a CWHP payment, what the total cost of those payments was and what assessment it has made of the continued suitability of eligibility for people living overseas.

Child Winter Heating Payment is an automatic payment, unique to Scotland, which supports families with disabled children and young people under 19 with the additional heating costs they face in winter.

Official statistics Winter Heating Benefits: Statistics for Winter 2025/2026 - Social Security Scotland published for winter 2025-26 show that Social Security Scotland made 44,525 payments, totalling £11.4 million to eligible families. Of these, 5 were made to families with a non-UK address, totalling around £1,000. Information on the countries in which those recipients were resident is not published.

Eligibility for Child Winter Heating Payment while living in a European Economic Area (EEA) country or Switzerland reflects the UK's obligations under international social security coordination arrangements. Entitlement applies only in limited circumstances, where a child or young person receives a qualifying disability benefit, has a genuine and sufficient link to Scotland, and resides in Switzerland or an eligible EEA country with a lower average winter temperature than the warmest region of the UK.

The Scottish Government keeps the operation of all devolved benefits under review. However, eligibility for people living overseas is governed by the UK's international obligations and applies only to a very small number of cases.

Question reference: S7W-04235

Asked by: Jamie Langan, MSP for South Scotland, Reform UK
Date lodged: Monday, 12 October 2026
Current Status: Answered by Jim Fairlie on 20 October 2026

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the establishment of its Responsible Dog Ownership Expert Advisory Group in 2025, what commitments it plans to make in the current parliamentary session to promote responsible dog ownership and improve dog welfare.

Following the establishment of the Responsible Dog Ownership Expert Advisory Group, a number of sub-groups were also set up. These sub-groups are currently looking at specific areas of work, including key issues such as enforcement of dog control laws, education, prevention and communication, data to inform and support dog control policy, and dog welfare. That work is ongoing and the Scottish Government looks forward to seeing the recommendations of the Expert Advisory Group in due course.

Once their recommendations are available, the Scottish Government will consider how best to take forward further policy development work to promote responsible dog ownership and improve dog welfare.

Question reference: S7W-03782

Asked by: Jamie Langan, MSP for South Scotland, Reform UK
Date lodged: Wednesday, 30 September 2026
Current Status: Answered by Jim Fairlie on 8 October 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of proposals in Northern Ireland, which would require sellers and suppliers of puppies, and sellers of kittens under six months of age, to register with their local council, and what consideration it has given to establishing such a requirement in Scotland.

The Animal Welfare (Licensing of Activities Involving Animals) (Scotland) Regulations 2021 (the 2021 Regulations) introduced an updated, modern framework for animal-related activities, including the breeding and selling of puppies and kittens. The 2021 Regulations already require that those breeding more than 3 litters of puppies or kittens or selling animals as pets in the course of a business be licensed by the appropriate licensing authority.

The Scottish Government has not made any assessment of proposals in Northern Ireland, which would require sellers and suppliers of puppies, and sellers of kittens under six months of age, to register with their local council, nor given consideration to establishing such a requirement in Scotland. However, Scottish Government officials meet regularly with officials from the UK Government and other devolved administrations to discuss issues relating to the wider pet trade.

Question reference: S7W-03355

Asked by: Jamie Langan, MSP for South Scotland, Reform UK
Date lodged: Wednesday, 16 September 2026
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 29 September 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the suggestion by the Scottish Retail Consortium, in its Scottish Budget 2027-28 recommendations paper, a plans should be set out to narrow the divergence between Scottish and UK income tax rates for higher, advanced and top rate taxpayers.

We will outline our Income Tax policy decisions for 2027-28 in the Scottish budget on the 3 December 2026.

Our manifesto set out our ambition on income tax, including not increasing rates or number of bands, ensuring the majority of Scottish taxpayers can expect to pay less than those in the rest of the UK and our intention to simplify the system by the end of Parliament, with any future changes putting low and middle income earners first.

Question reference: S7W-03356

Asked by: Jamie Langan, MSP for South Scotland, Reform UK
Date lodged: Wednesday, 16 September 2026
Current Status: Answered by Kirsten Oswald on 28 September 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the suggestion by the Scottish Retail Consortium, in its Scottish Budget 2027-28 recommendations paper, that enhanced funding should be provided for Police Scotland’s Retail Crime Taskforce.

The Scottish Government recognises the distress caused by retail crime and is fully supportive of activity to reduce harm.

The Retail Crime Taskforce was established following the launch of Police Scotland's action plan to tackle retail crime in March 2025. Operating under four key objectives – Prevent, Pursue, Protect, and Prepare – the Taskforce focuses on stopping people from becoming offenders, bringing perpetrators to justice, strengthening protections for retailers, and developing direct reporting systems.

The Taskforce works alongside the Scottish Government in the Scottish Partnership Against Acquisitive Crime (SPAACE), a Police Scotland led initiative that brings together retail groups and partners to tackle a range of acquisitive crimes including theft and housebreaking.

This work is supported by Scottish Government investment of £3 million for 2026-27 as part of the record funding of £1.7 billion for policing in 2026-27. Ringfenced retail crime funding of £3 million has been confirmed for a further two financial years.

The Scottish Government’s Programme for Government also commits to provide an additional £1 million to the Taskforce across the next two years bringing the total funding to £10 million over the current Spending Review Period.

Question reference: S7W-03397

Asked by: Jamie Langan, MSP for South Scotland, Reform UK
Date lodged: Thursday, 17 September 2026
Current Status: Answered by Stephen Gethins on 28 September 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the contribution of Scotland’s 5,583 civil nuclear workers to highly skilled employment and local communities across Scotland.