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: S7O-00215

Asked by: Jamie Langan, MSP for South Scotland, Reform UK
Date lodged: Wednesday, 09 September 2026
Current Status: Due to be taken in the Chamber on 15 September 2026

To ask the Scottish Government whether it recognises that the provision for real-time adaptability in its proposed cap on the price of essential food items could lead retailers to withdraw entire product ranges.

Question reference: S7W-02455

Asked by: Jamie Langan, MSP for South Scotland, Reform UK
Date lodged: Wednesday, 12 August 2026
Current Status: Answered by Jim Fairlie on 9 September 2026

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the announcement that Scotland has its first recorded case of bluetongue virus, what contingency measures it has in place to address this development, and what measures it will take to prevent any further outbreak of the disease.

Scottish Government has published, in partnership with Defra and Welsh Government, the GB Bluetongue Virus Disease Control Strategy. This strategy has been adapted by all three administrations to respond to the current circulation of bluetongue virus serotype 3 (BTV-3).

As part of that strategy a localised Temporary Control Zone (TCZ) was declared in parts of South-West Scotland on 20 August 2026 following the detection of BTV-3 on several holdings in that area. The zone imposes movement controls on susceptible animals to help contain undisclosed pockets of disease within the area whilst surveillance is undertaken. All affected farms were placed under official movement restriction while veterinary investigations are undertaken.

Several animal movement licences have been made available to allow movements on and off premises within the TCZ. These licences aim to provide a balance between disease prevention, and minimise impacts caused by the restrictions such as animal welfare and economic harm. These licences and further information can be found on Bluetongue movement restrictions for animals - Bluetongue: how to spot and report the disease - gov…

Scottish Government also announced the tightening of some controls following a sudden and significant rise in cases in parts of England, reducing the time animals could travel from the free areas of Scotland to a Restricted Zone (RZ) and return again from four days to a single day. Animals arriving in the RZ must be unloaded after sunrise and loaded before sunset.

From 10 September 2026, certain BTV susceptible breeding animals traveling from a RZ area to Scotland to live must be vaccinated with any BTV-3 product and be PCR tested within seven days of the movement with negative results received prior to any movement. Only cattle vaccinated with a vaccine that prevents viremia would be exempt from any testing requirements.

Scottish Government will continue to engage with industry organisations to ensure the control strategy remains fit for purpose and it will be kept under constant review to ensure the right balance between disease control and movement restriction.

Vaccination remains our best long-term defence, and keepers are strongly encouraged to discuss this option with their vets and place vaccine orders now to ensure access to supplies. We continue to work together with other UK nations, manufacturers and distributors to ensure timely access to the vaccine, with more doses being brought in from continental Europe and additional supplies now in production.

Question reference: S7W-03011

Asked by: Jamie Langan, MSP for South Scotland, Reform UK
Date lodged: Monday, 07 September 2026
Current Status: Answer expected on 22 September 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to ensure that childcare funding arrangements operate fairly for families with twins and other multiple births.

Question reference: S7W-02948

Asked by: Jamie Langan, MSP for South Scotland, Reform UK
Date lodged: Friday, 04 September 2026
Current Status: Answer expected on 21 September 2026

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of reports that more than 1,200 farmers might be affected by a backlog of Future Farming Investment Scheme (FFIS) evidence verification checks, (a) when ministers first became aware of the backlog, (b) what contingency planning was carried out to ensure that FFIS evidence verification could be completed in a timely manner, given that it knew the number of FFIS grants awarded and (c) what assessment it has made of concerns that issues previously identified in the administration of agricultural support schemes might not have been fully addressed in the management of the current process.

Question reference: S7W-02727

Asked by: Jamie Langan, MSP for South Scotland, Reform UK
Date lodged: Thursday, 27 August 2026
Current Status: Answer expected on 25 September 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what mechanisms are in place to ensure that the cultural significance of longstanding traditions, such as the Guga hunt, is considered when public bodies make decisions that could affect their continuation.

Question reference: S7W-02355

Asked by: Jamie Langan, MSP for South Scotland, Reform UK
Date lodged: Friday, 07 August 2026
Current Status: Answered by Ivan McKee on 24 August 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the compatibility of the proposed Halfway Energy Park solar farm in the Carse of Gowrie with its policies on protecting prime agricultural land and strengthening Scotland's food security.

Question reference: S7W-02354

Asked by: Jamie Langan, MSP for South Scotland, Reform UK
Date lodged: Friday, 07 August 2026
Current Status: Answered by Stephen Gethins on 24 August 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of recent YouGov polling conducted on behalf of the Nuclear Industry Association which reportedly found that a higher percentage of people in Scotland identify nuclear power generation as the most important energy source for maintaining a reliable electricity supply than offshore wind or solar.

The Scottish Government does not support the building of new nuclear power stations under current technologies. New nuclear is expensive, slow to deliver and generates radioactive waste which can remain dangerous for thousands of years.

We are working to deliver a resilient, affordable and clean energy system for the people of Scotland. Scotland’s renewable resource, supported by storage, flexibility and grid investment, offers the quickest route to achieving this.

Question reference: S7W-02602

Asked by: Jamie Langan, MSP for South Scotland, Reform UK
Date lodged: Thursday, 20 August 2026
Current Status: Answer expected on 18 September 2026

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the recently reported case of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) in Dumfries and Galloway, (a) what arrangements are in place to respond to and manage any confirmed case or outbreak of BSE, (b) what criteria or thresholds determine when these arrangements are activated, and (c) what discussions it has had with the UK Government and industry representatives regarding the multi-agency response requirements for confirmed cases or outbreaks of BSE.

Question reference: S7W-02271

Asked by: Jamie Langan, MSP for South Scotland, Reform UK
Date lodged: Tuesday, 04 August 2026
Current Status: Answered by Jim Fairlie on 20 August 2026

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of NatureScot’s refusal to grant a license for the 2026 Guga Hunt, what action is being taken to safeguard Scotland’s rural cultural heritage and what assessment it has made of any impact that this decision may have on this longstanding tradition in the Western Isles.

The Scottish Government supports the safeguarding of Scotland's cultural heritage through a range of policies, funding programmes and public bodies. Through Scotland's historic environment strategy, Our Past, Our Future, partners across the heritage sector work to sustain and enhance the benefits of the historic environment for communities throughout Scotland, including rural and island communities. The strategy emphasises strengthening community participation, supporting resilient places and recognising the contribution that heritage makes to wellbeing and identity, as well as in the local economy.

The Scottish Government has not undertaken an assessment on the impact that this decision may have on this longstanding tradition in the Western Isles. The hunt is specifically provided for in section 16(2) of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 (“the 1981 Act”). This activity can only be done under licence, and in accordance with the terms of a licence issued by NatureScot.

One of the main criteria for issuing a licence under Section 16(2) of 1981 Act is that in considering an application for a licence, NatureScot gives consideration as to whether the hunt is sustainable, and by that, whether the activity would have an adverse effect on the conservation status of the species concerned, namely gannets. NatureScot took the decision to refuse a licence was based on what they believed to be the most up-to-date science available and NatureScot concluded that issuing a licence for even 500 gannet chicks this year would likely have an adverse impact on the Sula Sgeir gannet population.

Question reference: S7W-02259

Asked by: Jamie Langan, MSP for South Scotland, Reform UK
Date lodged: Tuesday, 04 August 2026
Current Status: Answered by Jim Fairlie on 20 August 2026

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will confirm the exact date on which funding payments under the Crofting Agricultural Grant Scheme (CAGS) will be released to crofters.